Ahead of Gameweek 18, Big Man Bakar continues with his FPL tips column as he answers EIGHT more questions that would have been rattling around manager’s heads.
Fantasy Football Tips For GW18: Big Man Bakar Answers More Key Questions
Respected Fantasy Football tips judge Big Man Bakar answers more tough questions for football managers as they try and line-up the best squads for the busy festive period ahead and Boxing Day.
These FPL questions include who to replace the injured Bukayo Saka with and if Daniel Munoz is a good addition to your teams. The FPL Game week 18 deadline is 11am on 26th December.
Q) Who is the best Saka replacement?
I feel as if both Bruno Fernandes and Martin Odegaard are the standout Saka replacements this week.
The duo have good fixtures for a while and should be good set and forget options for the foreseeable, potentially even till the second time we use our Wildcard.
Set pieces and penalties strengthen their case for inclusion in our squads. I personally went with Bruno as I believe he’s more robust in terms of minutes, but Odegaard as a differential is potentially better in the short-term with the fixtures looking very appealing.
Q) Trent or Isak – who to buy if buying one this week?
I also had a decision to make on which one of Trent or Alexander Isak to prioritize with limited free transfers at my disposal. Selling Saka was a great way of creating a budget for one or the other, but it was tough to decide which of the two to get.
In the end, I prioritized Trent over Isak, as I really wanted to set myself for Liverpool’s upcoming favourable schedule, which may include a potential double Gameweek too. I also believe that Trent’s next two fixtures are better than Isak’s.
Q) What to do with Raul Jimenez?
It’s a tricky week to decide our transfers, especially for those of us with Raul Jimenez. His minutes seem to be up in the air with FPL managers second guessing his starts every week.
I’ve decided to keep him, as Morgan Rogers has good fixtures in the short-term and I can easily bench Jimenez for him, if needed.
He rotates well with Semenyo as well, so I’d recommend them to do similarly. I do think that the 60 minute substitution for Rodrigo Muniz was fairly damning, and Marco Silva’s post match comments criticizing his attack potentially bodes well for Raul’s return.
Q) Is Daniel Munoz a good buy in the weeks to come?
I also like the look of Daniel Munoz from this point.Owned by just 2.6% of FPL managers, Munoz is only behind Trent Alexander-Arnold for expected goal involvement (xGi) among defenders this season, so should offer points potential at both ends of the field.
Q) Bryan Mbeumo and Joao Pedro – keep or sell?
Keeping Bryan Mbeumo and Joao Pedro in the next few fixtures seems shrewd, as there would be more pressing concerns to address in most teams.
Both have strong underlying data, secure minutes and will be on penalties which is all you want as we head into the congested period.
Q) Who are the optimal three Liverpool players to target?
This Gameweek onward, having three Liverpool players looks essential. Start planning now, and as it stands, my picks are Salah, Trent, and Alisson, provided no injuries occur.
Salah is a lock, while Trent’s consistency and league-best xGI for defenders make him an easy choice.
Liverpool’s xGC dominance and the possibility of a double Gameweek 24 boost Alisson’s appeal as my third pick.
His rotation-proof nature sets him apart from other Liverpool attackers not named Salah.
Reliable starts are crucial, especially for doubles, and I’m avoiding Jota or Diaz in favor of safer midfield options who I’d expect to score similarly.
Q) Dominic Solanke – keep or sell?
Worth buying Isak this week?
At the cost of repeating myself, Solanke is still a strong hold, especially with good short term fixtures to follow.
While Solanke’s output has not been as explosive as Isak’s, Solanke has at least been consistent hence I feel as if addressing other pressing matters might take precedence for most teams.
Spurs rank in the top five for xG this season, and Solanke continues to be a standout forward for xG per 90.
Additionally, his spot in the lineup is secure, and he’s likely to play the full 90 minutes more often than not, a valuable asset during the busy festive schedule.
Isak is a great asset, but it’s better to wait until Gameweek 20 to swap him for Solanke after Solanke’s favorable run ends.
Q) Mark Flekken – keep or sell?
Best goalkeeper to buy this week?
Goalkeeper transfers are rarely a top priority for me, but it seems as if Flekken’s time is up. Brentford’s defensive struggles with xG conceded this season are unexpectedly surprising, given their usual defensive strength.
As mentioned earlier, Alisson is a top pick for an upgrade in the coming weeks.
