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Fantasy Football tips and advice: Transfers and captains for Gameweek 33
Gameweek 33 of the fantasy football season gets under way on Friday night and Tom Carnduff details his transfers and captaincy advice.
Gameweek 32 was a mix of some of the big hitters delivering while others failed to reach their usual heights.
Harry Kane's brace against Everton on Friday gave hope to a huge haul of points considering Tottenham play twice, particularly for those with the white C next to his name on FPL, but an injury picked up at the end of that game denied him a chance for more against Southampton.
It was still a positive return though and made up for lost points elsewhere. Mohamed Salah came off the bench for a one point performance against Leeds while Bruno Fernandes had no involvement in Manchester United's goals in their win over Burnley.
The seemingly never-ending stream of Premier League fixtures continue though with Gameweek 33 kicking off fewer than 24 hours after Gameweek 32 ends. It's a quick turnaround, but there are transfers and captaincy choices that can be made earlier given their involvement already.
Whether you are ahead in the league or looking to close the gap, we have three transfer suggestions to consider based on team needs alongside captaincy choices.
Should I transfer in Lewis Dunk?
- Position: Defender
- Sky cost: 8.0
- FPL cost: 4.9
Brighton's clean sheet at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night came as a pleasant surprise to those with Seagulls assets in their team. Robert Sanchez was my captain with no other options on Sky and that returned 22 points - I was expecting a four or six-point tally below his name at the end of the night.
That said, Brighton are a low-scoring team and have rarely conceded more than two in a league game. The 38 goals in their against column is only bettered by Aston Villa in bottom-half teams but Villa have played two games fewer. Despite their position at the bottom-end of the table, a Brighton defender is a good one to have at a low price.
The likes of Dan Burn and Ben White have proven popular due to their low prices but the one to target in Gameweek 33 is Seagulls captain Lewis Dunk. He's the leading Brighton points scorer on both the FPL and Sky games.
Even if he is more expensive than his defensive partners, the value is good when you compare him to others in his position. His 8m Sky price is the same as Sheffield United's George Baldock (44 points) and cheaper than the likes of Alex Telles (8.5m - 21 points) and Davinson Sanchez (8.5m - 58 points), yet Dunk's 152 points easily beats those three combined.
Brighton travel to Bramall Lane to take on relegated Sheffield United this weekend and with the Blades scoring just 17 goals in 32 games, the potential for a clean sheet is big. Like the recent Conor Coady suggestion, there is also the possibility of a goal given Dunk's showings this season.
The 0-0 draw with Chelsea ended a remarkable run of shots for Dunk. Prior to that game, he'd seen at least one shot in each of his previous 12 league games. He also netted twice during that run. In fact, in the period between his last two yellow cards, Dunk scored three goals.
Even with a red card earlier in the season, there isn't too much concern of the negative hit for yellows here with five on his tally across the course of the campaign. Alongside the clean sheet, Dunk could get another goal as Sheffield United sit second for goals conceded from set-pieces this season.
Should I transfer in Trent Alexander-Arnold?
- Position: Defender
- Sky cost: 10.6
- FPL cost: 7.4
This isn't exactly a budget suggestion, and if money is tight then it's worth skipping this section, but Trent Alexander-Arnold's recent good form has caught the eye from a fantasy football perspective and he is worth considering for Liverpool's home contest against Newcastle on Saturday.
They may have only kept one clean sheet across their last three, but the legacy fans of the European Super League giants will have noted that Alexander-Arnold has one goal and two assists across that period. Sky players who had him in those games will have been rewarded with 29 points, while his FPL return is an even better 31.
Things may have picked up for Newcastle in recent weeks but the clean sheet potential for Liverpool and Alexander-Arnold is there in this game. Even if they concede, the way the defender has been going could mean he makes up the points elsewhere.
Alexander-Arnold's price and form means that he remains a fairly popular pick on both games. His selection rate on FPL is 17.2% while that jumps up to 20.06% on Sky. There is going to have to be room in the budget to bring him in but he looks a solid pick for the remainder of the campaign.
It's important that Liverpool finish in that top-four this season. Jurgen Klopp has been outspoken on fixture congestion in the past and Thursday night Europa League involvement would be the nightmare scenario for this. A strong end to the season is vital and Alexander-Arnold will play a key role in this.
They may face Manchester United in Gameweek 34, but those games always tend to be low-scoring and then the Reds finish their season with games against Southampton, West Brom, Burnley and Crystal Palace. It wouldn't be a surprise to see clean sheet points across the large majority of those fixtures.
Should I transfer in Eddie Nketiah?
- Position: Forward
- Sky cost: 7.7
- FPL cost: 5.3
How's this for a brave selection at a low price? The young striker has returned to Arsenal's first team picture in recent weeks and scored the equaliser after being a second-half substitute in the 1-1 draw with Fulham last time out.
The reason he came on in that game was due to an injury to Alexandre Lacazette, whose potential absence along with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang means that Friday's visit of Everton could see Nketiah given the starting role up front.
He has started games in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup this season and scored against Leicester in the latter competition back in September. Nketiah only has a couple on his Premier League tally but that is to be expected when he's only making occasional appearances from the bench.
The good thing about Nketiah is that he is a goalscorer and does deliver when given the chance to do so. He was given starts in the Europa League group stages and rewarded Mikel Arteta's decision with three goals. Six goals across all competitions is good going considering the majority of those came from games where he started.
There is the potential of him sitting out as a substitute again here but Arsenal's options are limited in this area now. Gabriel Martinelli started out wide and the temptation for Arteta may be to keep him there. Nketiah's had a tough season and deserves a start here.
He sees opportunities on goal too. Nketiah averaged 3.1 shots per game in the Europa League while he had three in just 20 minutes against Fulham. Against an Everton side with just one clean sheet across their last six games, the young striker could add another to his tally.
It is a risk of course but it's a selection worth considering if you're looking to make up the gaps in leagues. Nketiah is in 0.5% of FPL teams and 0.38% of Sky teams - Arsenal also face Newcastle and West Brom in the two games following Everton.
Who should I captain in Gameweek 33?
We're now at the point of the campaign where captaincy choice can be split into the two categories of 'safe' or 'risky'. While we've been operating like that for a couple of weeks now, the point of the campaign with six games remaining for the majority of teams will influence decisions going forward.
Playing it safer is wise if you're ahead in any leagues or satisfied with your current position. Targeting the big hitters will be where the majority are going while the riskier choices may pay off in a significant way if they can deliver points. It's a case of personal preference.
For safer options in Gameweek 33, Mohamed Salah seems the obvious choice and many will be behind captaining him this week. His appearance as a substitute against Leeds on Monday gives hope to the fact he will return to the starting XI against Newcastle.
Nothing more needs to be said on Salah, the evidence is there in his points return throughout the campaign. While there was a quiet spell with numerous returns of two points, he has been among the goals again in recent weeks and he is short odds to strike on Saturday.
Bruno Fernandes will be another popular captaincy pick given Manchester United's trip to Leeds. Leeds have seen some good results against the 'Super League six' in the second half of the campaign but they did concede six in their trip to Old Trafford.
For the riskier options, Nketiah may be a gamble that pays off big time if he starts and scores for Arsenal in their game against Everton. His selection rate is incredibly low but limited options now mean he should start for the Gunners - points that many other teams won't have will look even better doubled on Friday night.
Dunk or Wolves' Coady are other considerations if you're willing to gamble on a clean sheet. Even without a goal themselves, keeping out the opposition will provide a decent enough 12 points on FPL. Robert Sanchez's 22-point captaincy return on the Sky game on Tuesday may tempt some into looking at him too.
Fantasy Premier League tips: Gameweek 33 captain picks
Safer options
- Mohamed Salah; Bruno Fernandes; Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alternative options
- Eddie Nketiah; Lewis Dunk; Conor Coady
Sky Fantasy Football tips: Gameweek 33 captain picks
Friday
- Eddie Nketiah; Dominic Calvert-Lewin; Rob Holding
Saturday
- Mohamed Salah; Trent Alexander-Arnold; Lewis Dunk
Sunday
- Bruno Fernandes; Conor Coady; Matheus Pereira
Monday
- Kelechi Iheanacho; Jamie Vardy; Kasper Schmeichel