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Fantasy Football tips and advice: Transfers and captains for Gameweek 34
It's time for Gameweek 34 of the fantasy football season and Tom Carnduff details his transfers and captaincy advice.
Gameweek 33 saw some popular selections deliver points, with Ben Chilwell grabbing an assist alongside his clean sheet for Chelsea while Mason Mount and Kelechi Iheanacho rewarded Sky players with man of the match performances.
With Champions League action providing a few days between the two Gameweeks, Gameweek 34 gets underway on Friday night as Southampton take on Leicester and concludes with Burnley's clash with West Ham on Monday.
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 Diego Llorente?
- Position: Defender
- Sky cost: 6.6
- FPL cost: 4.4
A player who has suffered a disrupted debut campaign in the Premier League due to injury, Diego Llorente is back fit and has nailed down a starting role in this Leeds defence.
At 4.4 on FPL and 6.6 on Sky, Llorente is among the cheaper defenders available to fantasy football players and his recent form isn’t that of a player who should have a selection rate as low as he does.
Llorente is in 0.2% of FPL teams and an even lower 0.05% on Sky. There is huge potential for points gained here that many, many others won’t have and he has delivered during a tough run for Marcelo Bielsa’s men.
The last six appearances have brought a significant 29 points on FPL - a statistic made even more impressive by the fact that Leeds faced Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United during that run.
A clean sheet last time out combined with a goal against Liverpool led to 17 points on FPL, with 21 to Sky players for tackles and passes tiers hit in the Elland Road draw with Jurgen Klopp’s side.
FPL’s current form rating of 5.2 puts him level with midfielder Allan Saint-Maximin and higher than Mason Mount (4.5) and Diogo Jota (4.5) - the latter two midfielders have a selection rate higher than 17%.
Concerns about Leeds’ defence shouldn’t be as big as they were in the first-half of the season, Bielsa’s side sit joint-seventh for clean sheets this season, and there is the potential for more before the conclusion of the campaign.
Leeds finish their season with fixtures against Brighton (A), Spurs (H), Burnley (A), Southampton (A) and West Brom (H).
Should I transfer in Matheus Pereira?
- Position: Midfielder
- Sky cost: 7.7
- FPL cost: 5.5
There may be a feeling of missing out on Matheus Pereira given his recent form but that provides further appeal in bringing the West Brom man in.
Relegation for the Baggies is looking more and more likely but Pereira has been performing in big ways. His goal against Aston Villa made it four goals from his last four outings. That run also includes two assists in the shock 5-2 win over Chelsea.
Pereira's recent performances are also highlighted in the fact that his form score of 10.5 is the highest of any player on the FPL game currently.
It's not tempted many people into selecting him though and Pereira remains a differential asset at this stage. His FPL selection rate is 5.0% with a lower 2.57% on Sky.
This week sees West Brom take on rivals Wolves, a side who have really struggled in recent weeks. Their campaign has been one of disappointment and they conceded four in a home loss to Burnley last time out.
Pereira scored two when these sides last met - a 3-2 win for the Baggies - and will hold confidence that he can add to his tally again. Either side of clean sheets against struggling Fulham and Sheffield United, Wolves conceded a combined seven goals to Burnley and West Ham.
Captain material? Perhaps. West Brom are heading back to the Sky Bet Championship but performances have been better in recent weeks - they have scored ten goals in their last four contests.
Should I transfer in Chris Wood?
- Position: Forward
- Sky cost: 8.5
- FPL cost: 6.3
A player in red hot form and one who is firmly a differential at this very late stage of the season. Chris Wood's selection rate is 2.6% on FPL and an even lower 0.83% on Sky.
He may not be the 'glamorous' choice and Burnley often see their assets overlooked on fantasy football but Wood's recent showings have been excellent. He has scored in four of his last six games - that includes a hat-trick against Wolves last time out.
This week sees them welcome West Ham to Turf Moor, and while the Hammers find themselves in the top-four race, their defence has been prone to conceding goals. Only Leeds have conceded more among top-half teams this season - David Moyes' men have seen 11 scored past them in their last five.
Burnley are on a seven-game scoring run and Wood has played a big part of that. A point of interest is that, while he does have six goals across his last six, that spell has also brought three assists - that is the same amount as his last two seasons combined.
Matej Vydra has been the main one to benefit from this but he also grabbed the assist on Ashley Westwood's goal against Wolves. That has led to a form rating of 9.2 on FPL - only Pereira (10.5) has a higher figure.
Wood's 6.3 FPL cost is a bargain too. He's cheaper than Chelsea's Olivier Giroud (6.7), Wolves' Willian Jose (6.8) and Tottenham's Carlos Vinicius (6.9). Wood's 54 points gained across his last six games is higher than those three totals across the entire season.
After West Ham, Burnley finish the season with games against Fulham (A), Leeds (H), Liverpool (H) and Sheffield United (A) - we can expect a few more goals before the campaign reaches its conclusion.
Who should I captain in Gameweek 34?
If we're sticking with the big hitters, it's difficult to look past Harry Kane this week. Tottenham take on a relegated Sheffield United side and Kane will be viewing this as a great opportunity to add to his tally.
He netted two in the 2-2 draw with Everton before an ankle injury saw him miss the win over Southampton, that robbed us of double gameweek potential, but he can return to the scoresheet on Sunday night.
Kane is likely to be the most captained player on FPL this weekend so it's a wise call to make him your captain if you're looking to keep ahead of those in the mini-leagues.
Mohamed Salah might be one to avoid just because Liverpool face Manchester United at 16:30 on Sunday - that could well end up being another dull 0-0 draw as has been the case in many games between the 'big six'. The same could be said for Bruno Fernandes, who has not contributed in fantasy football teams recently.
Differential captains include Matheus Pereira, if West Brom can continue their scoring ways, while Kelechi Iheanacho's form for Leicester gives hope to more goals as they take on a Southampton side with five losses in their last seven outings - with 15 conceded over that period.
Fantasy Premier League tips: Gameweek 34 captain picks
Safer options:
- Harry Kane; Kevin De Bruyne; Son Heung-min
Alternative options:
- Kelechi Iheanacho; Matheus Pereira; Chris Wood
Sky Fantasy Football tips: Gameweek 34 captain picks
Friday
- Kelechi Iheanacho; Jamie Vardy; Timothy Castagne
Saturday
- Kevin De Bruyne; Kai Havertz; Patrick Bamford
Sunday
- Harry Kane; Son Heung-min; Allan Saint-Maximin
Monday
- Chris Wood; Jesse Lingard; Matheus Pereira
Gameweek 34: Our XI and picks
This is our ideal XI for the Gameweek and focuses on Gameweek 34 only. This XI doesn't take into account future fixtures and this is worth remembering when it comes to any potential transfers.
- GK: Edouard Mendy (CHE)
Chelsea come up against a Fulham side who are the second-lowest scorers in the division - they have scored just three goals in their last five.
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- DEF: Diego Llorente (LEE)
Leeds travel to a Brighton side who are struggling to score. Llorente is establishing himself as a key defender in this Leeds team.
- DEF: Timothy Castagne (LEI)
Scored in the last Premier League game for Leicester - a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace - to go alongside his assist in the 3-0 win over West Brom the week before.
- DEF: Marcos Alonso (CHE)
Chelsea should rotate given their Champions League involvement and Alonso can return to the starting XI. He provides an attacking threat from LWB.
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- MID: Jesse Lingard (WHU)
The midfielder has been in sensational form since a loan switch from Manchester United in January and is becoming a fantasy football must-have.
- MID: Matheus Pereira (WBA)
The player with the highest form score on FPL currently. Pereira has four goals and two assists across his last four games.
- MID: James Rodriguez (EVE)
Scored in the recent draw with Crystal Palace and then got an assist in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham. Aston Villa are struggling to keep clean sheets and an attacking midfielder for Everton looks a good play in Gameweek 34.
- MID: Kai Havertz (CHE)
Could benefit from Chelsea rotation and has continued to improve under Thomas Tuchel's guidance. May play centre forward against Fulham.
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- ATT: Kelechi Iheanacho (LEI)
Has been in superb form for Leicester and made it nine goals from his last six outings with a goal in the win over Crystal Palace. A better Foxes attacking option than Jamie Vardy currently.
- ATT: Chris Wood (BUR)
Six goals and three assists across his last six games - that includes a hat-trick against Wolves last time out.
- ATT: Harry Kane (TOT)
Back from injury as Tottenham take on relegated Sheffield United on Sunday night. Captain material for Gameweek 34.
Listen: Fantasy Football Podcast
Tom Carnduff, Billy Lumsden and Aidan Smith sit down to discuss all things Sky Sports Fantasy Football ahead of Gameweek 34.
On the agenda this week, the trio discuss how their previous Gameweek went, alongside the dilemma with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and potential Manchester City involvement now that they won't have to rotate as much before the conclusion of the season.
In the Transfer Tavern, the team look at the differential players to bring in at this stage of the campaign, those players that will bring points that many others won't have, alongside getting the average remaining transfers update so that you know where you are compared with others.
All that and more discussed.