RADIO
The RotoBaller Soccer staff's weekly FPL roundtable discussion, and the main questions surrounding Gameweek 35 of the 2021-22 Fantasy Premier League season.
Welcome to Gameweek 35, Rotoballers! This season, we are expanding our soccer coverage to include the great game of Fantasy Premier League. So, if you are a seasoned veteran, or a rookie navigating your first campaign, we will set you right as we look to acquire those weekend-making green arrows and avoid the doom and gloom of a red arrow.
After a seemingly endless amount of double gameweeks, we've only got 10 matchups on the schedule for Gameweek 35. While the doubles are fun and chaotic, it'll be pleasant to have a regular weekend in the books before the final stretch of FPL. The fixtures kick-off with Newcastle welcoming Liverpool to St. James Park in a possible upset as the Reds just played Villareal on Wednesday evening. In other games, Man City will continue their quest to boost their goal difference with a visit to Leeds, Burnley takes on Watford as they remain on track for a great escape from relegation, and Arsenal can start to dream of Champions League football if they defeat West Ham United. Our lineups will lock at 6 am Eastern on Saturday, April 30th.
Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the team gets you all set for every English Premier League and UEFA Champions League slate from a DFS perspective.
RotoBaller FPL Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 35
The Staff Roundtable is an attempt to get you inside the mind of our FPL staff. Our top soccer writers - Euan Leith and Jamie Steed will answer questions each Gameweek to give you an idea of how they view the games. So without further ado, let's kick off Gameweek 35!
How's the squad looking with four gameweeks to go?
- Euan Leith: It's alright. I've got Mo Salah, Andy Robertson, Harry Kane, and Joao Cancelo locked into my team, but then it's anyone's guess where I'll go for the rest of the year. The upcoming Villa doubles are intriguing, and it could be time for Chris Wood to leave for Ollie Watkins. Besides that, I'm just outside the top 100k, and that feels pretty good for my first year in FPL.
- Jamie Steed: Not too shabby. A bit light in defense, but I’m generally playing three (maybe four) at the back, so my fifth defender is normally a non-entity anyway.
Gameweeks 36 and 37 have a ton of doubles. So how are you preparing for the upcoming two-week stretch?
- Euan Leith: I've got Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski with a tough double in 36, so I may look to load up on DGW37 players and Free Hit 36.
- Jamie Steed: I’ve been trying to transfer in players with extra games in week 36 and/or 37 to allow me to use the Free Hit in one week and then maximize two-game players in the other week.
Would you rather Free Hit in GW36 or GW37?
- Euan Leith: 36 is the answer for me. Load up on Liverpool, Man City, and Chelsea players. Then fill in with the rest of the best doublers.
- Jamie Steed: I’d rather use it in GW36, but that’s only due to there being 15 games rather than 13 in GW37. That being said, I’ll check my squad for the two weeks and see how many games I have for each week without transfers and Free Hits to eek out as much as possible.
Which teams can we ignore for the remainder of the season?
- Euan Leith: I'm out on Norwich, Watford, Brighton, Everton, Man United, and Leicester.
- Jamie Steed: Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace are the three main ones based on recent weeks. Although Villa having six games (four of which are positive) keeps them viable. West Ham United and Leicester City could fall into that category depending on how they do in European competition.
What's been your biggest mistake of the 2021-22 FPL season?
- Euan Leith: During one of the COVID weeks, I believe I took a minus 12 just to get a playing squad in. Oh, young Euan, what were you doing? Also, not bringing in Bruno Fernandes for his double a couple of months ago was brutal.
- Jamie Steed: Going cheap on defense at the start of the season. Top strikers are at such a premium you can justifiably go cheaper up top and spend more on premium defenders, something I took too long switching to.
Who's keeping a clean sheet this week?
- Euan Leith: I reckon Robert Martinez and Aston Villa will start their decent run of fixtures with a clean sheet against Norwich on Saturday afternoon.
- Jamie Steed: Although I’m not targeting them most weeks, I’m going with Aston Villa (Liverpool and Manchester City remain obvious choices). Norwich has ten away goals this season and could find themselves officially relegated at the end of this weekend.
Which defensive player is providing an attacking return?
- Euan Leith: We saw what Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold did against Everton on Sunday. As a result, I'm backing Marcus Alonso to help Chelsea pick up a road win.
- Jamie Steed: Outside the usual suspects, Diogo Dalot is a bit of a shot in the dark. He hit the woodwork twice against Arsenal last time out. Nathan Collins has two goals in his last five games and faces a Watford team that’s all but relegated and conceded 12 set-piece goals this season (sixth-most). More than a third of Burnley’s goals have been scored from set plays.
- Euan Leith: Harry Kane has 16 goals in 13 appearances versus Leicester. Liverpool and City may be rotation risks, so I'll take the historical track record with the England star.
- Jamie Steed: Liverpool and Manchester City have Champions League games this week and next week, so maybe this is the time to fade them. Ronaldo is always good for a goal despite failing to register a shot on target in their last two games. And Tottenham should have no problem dispatching a Leicester side with the fifth most away goals conceded and who have their focus on the Europa Conference League semi-finals.
What are your transfer plans heading into this gameweek?
- Euan Leith: Chris Wood to Ollie Watkins is at the top of my list.
- Jamie Steed: I’m holding on to my transfer so I can have two for next week or GW37 (depending on when I use my Free Hit)
Who's getting the Captain's armband?
- Euan Leith: Yer' a wizard, Harry (Kane)!
- Jamie Steed: I’m leaning into Trent Alexander-Arnold. Newcastle has conceded the fourth most fouls, and he’s due a goal or assist, so a big game could see me claw back some points on the teams above me.
Finally, what's your bold prediction for this week?
- Euan Leith: Burnley will leapfrog Leeds in the relegation battle, while Norwich confirms their drop to the Championship with a loss. Meanwhile, Diego Jota grabs a brace against Newcastle and continues the Liverpool rotation headache for FPL managers.
- Jamie Steed: Brentford leaves Old Trafford with a point while Leeds United ends up the team most likely to be caught by Everton in the relegation battle.
Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on Twitter @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
