It’s Gameweek 23 and there’s a lot to ponder as manager’s also look ahead to preparing their Fantasy Football sides for the GW24 double week. So to help you along the way Big Man Bakar showcases his FPL tips in the form of tackling some key questions.
FPL Tips For GW23: Big Man Bakar ‘Tackles’ Six Key Questions
Respected FPL tips judge Big Man Bakar continues with his weekly free Fantasy Football advice in what could prove to be a key couple of weeks ahead – as manager’s look to prep their teams for the GW24 double fixture offering.
Both Liverpool and Everton play twice next week.
Note: The FPL Gameweek 23 deadline is Saturday 25th January at 1:30pm as there is NO lunchtime offering.
Q) Who are the optimal three Liverpool players to own for the double?
Salah obviously picks himself while Trent is also a nice set and forget option to have in place from now on in.I think the best third Liverpool player depends a lot on your team structure.
Owning double Liverpool defence or double Liverpool attack should both yield dividends, but which one you pick should depend on your team.For example, double Arsenal defence owners have a natural route to double Liverpool defence while Solanke/Jackson owners have an easier route to Gakpo – both are perfectly viable.
If you already own Trent, the decision between the next best defender is tricky.
Van Dijk feels like the safest choice, but he costs £1.3 million more than Konate, which could be significant.
Now fit, Konate should be a regular in Liverpool’s starting XI, but the possibility of re-injury is a lingering concern.Alisson is a good set and forget option for a foreseeable but could blank in Gameweek 29 leaving you short of a goalkeeper.
With the moneyball fixture at home to Ipswich this week, a second Liverpool attacker also comes into the picture.
I’ve had little interest in a Liverpool attacker barring Salah this season but Gakpo getting consistent minutes has caught my eye.With an average of over 80 minutes in the Premier League since Gameweek 12 and a rest in midweek against Lille, his regular gametime looks secure for the weeks ahead.
Liverpool have two fixtures between their Premier League matches in Gameweek 24: one against PSV in the Champions League, where they’ve already secured qualification, and another against Plymouth, likely featuring a rotated squad.
Q) Who is the best Solanke replacement?
What to do with Jackson?If you have someone like Solanke or Jackson, jumping on Gakpo before a home fixture against Ipswich is too good of an opportunity to pass up.
Q) Is it fine to triple up on Liverpool if it locks you out of using the Assistant Manager on Arne Slot?
Bringing in a third Liverpool player ahead of a home game against Ipswich and an immediate double Gameweek seems like a logical choice.
Having said that, owning triple Liverpool would prevent FPL managers from picking Arne Slot as my Assistant Manager in Gameweek 24 if needed, but I think that is the week to use the triple captain chip anyway.
Should we decide to use the Assistant Manager next week, the David Moyes route will still be one we can explore given the table bonuses on offer.
Q) Any Everton players worth considering for the double?
Calvert-Lewin is someone I have my eye on as a forward enabler ahead of Everton’s upcoming double Gameweek.
He should emerge as the best Everton attacking option, with the majority of chances expected to come his way given his role as the number nine and penalty taker.
The fixture against Leicester in the double Gameweek is clearly a big carrot, and also reassuring is his favourable fixture against West Ham at home in blank Gameweek 29.
If you have someone like Raul, going for Calvert Lewin could be a shrewd move. Mykolenko and Pickford could be nice enablers as well, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy them unless you have a fire to put out.
Q) Why is this a good week to be saving your transfers?
I aim to accumulate as many free transfers as possible before finalizing my chip strategy.
With uncertainty surrounding future blanks and doubles, preserving transfers is crucial so we have flexibility when more information emerges.
Most FPL managers will need transfers to attack double Gameweek 24 for Everton and Liverpool, as well as a possible double for Spurs and Fulham in Gameweek 25, even though the possibility of the latter seems remote.
Further, any FPL managers will need transfers to capitalize on Everton and Liverpool’s double in Gameweek 24, while also considering a potential—though unlikely—double for Spurs and Fulham in Gameweek 25.
We’ll need multiple transfers to maneuver through these changes, particularly for manager swaps linked to the Assistant Manager chip.
And this does not even include the transfers we might require to use on our squad during the three week period where the Assistant Manager chip is activated.At this stage, focusing on long-term benefits over short-term rewards is the wiser move.
Q) Joao Pedro – keep or sell?
Pedro’s budget-friendly price, penalties, and guaranteed minutes make him an easy hold.He’s a player worth keeping for the long term, considering the improvements he enables elsewhere in your team.
