Tom Carnduff delivers his fantasy football tips and advice for Gameweek 35 with transfers and captaincy choices discussed.
Who has the best fixtures in Gameweek 35?
Liverpool and Manchester City have potentially tricky away contests this weekend. The Reds go to Newcastle in Saturday's early kick-off while City face Leeds that evening.
A huge game at the bottom of the table sees Watford take on Burnley too while there are a number of mid-table clashes. That makes Gameweek 35 a tricky one to call.
However, ARSENAL may be worth targeting despite visiting West Ham. The hosts have a European semi-final to contend with and it's likely that the focus will be on progressing to the final of the Europa League.
The Gunners' own good recent form has done a lot for their top-four hopes. They followed up a 4-2 away win at Chelsea by beating Manchester United 3-1 on Saturday.
Even though they have struggled, a home game against Norwich should see ASTON VILLA secure all three points and any options from Steven Gerrard's side are well worth consideration as a one-off.
What are the best transfers to make for Gameweek 35?
Based on statistics, form and fixtures, we pick out three players worth considering for Gameweek 35.
Eddie Nketiah
- Position: FWD
- FPL price: £5.5m
- Sky price: £7.3m
Armando Broja was the go-to cheap striker for fantasy football players this season but it is definitely now worth the change to Eddie Nketiah for the same price. Both come in at £5.5m on FPL.
Nketiah has started the last three matches for Arsenal, scoring twice from seven shots and 1.3 xG across that period. His form means he should lead the line again at West Ham.
For those who had him against Chelsea, he returned a total of 13 points. Against Manchester United, while just the two, he did have an effort ruled out for offside.
The striker's selection rate on FPL is currently 2.2% but we can expect that to rise as the season reaches its end. Now looks a good time to act as Arsenal look to secure a top-four place.
Ollie Watkins
- Position: FWD
- FPL price: £7.4m
- Sky price: £9.2m
For those with a bit more of a budget available, it's worth taking a gamble on Ollie Watkins considering Villa's home tie against bottom of the table Norwich on Saturday.
The Canaries have conceded the most goals in the division - 69 - and that has come from an expected goals against (xGA) of 69.4 - that is also a Premier League high.
Villa's attack has created opportunities in recent weeks - combining for a total of 4.39 xG despite scoring just once against Tottenham and Wolves. Even in a low event game against Leicester, they still had 0.65 xG to the Foxes' 0.26.
Focusing on that Wolves game, 1.75 of Villa's 2.52 xG came from Watkins. While he did have a penalty, he still had 0.95 xG of open play opportunities.
Leandro Trossard
- Position: MID
- FPL price: £5.8m
- Sky price: £7.9m
This gameweek presents some tricky fixtures but it could pay off to target Brighton players as they travel to a Wolves side who have struggled in recent weeks.
Bruno Lage's side have lost three of their last four games while the Seagulls have found their goalscoring touch. Given his form, Leandro Trossard is a solid differential pick.
He's scored in two of his last four outings while also contributing an assist in the 2-2 draw with Southampton. The fact he's a midfielder on FPL also opens up forward options elsewhere.
Wolves have been averaging 2.18 xGA per outing across their last four - Brighton should get opportunities to strike.
Who is the best captain for Gameweek 35?
While they may have what could be tricky (at points) away games, many will be playing the safety of Liverpool or Manchester City assets as their captains.
The rest of the fixtures this weekend make it difficult, although a gamble is worth taking at this stage if there's a gap to be closed in any mini-leagues.
The obvious is MOHAMED SALAH who got an assist in the 2-0 win over Everton last time out, while KEVIN DE BRUYNE will be a popular option considering his form.
However, one thing to be aware of is that this weekend comes in between two Champions League semi-finals. The priority for both will be on reaching the final at the end of the month.
Alternatives include OLLIE WATKINS and EDDIE NKETIAH as discussed above, while SADIO MANE or JOAO CANCELO may prove to be decent differential options if you're still targeting one of the current top two.
FPL: Gameweek 35 captain picks
Safer options:
- Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Ollie Watkins
Alternative options:
- Eddie Nketiah, Sadio Mane, Joao Cancelo
Sky Sports Fantasy Football: Gameweek 38 captain picks
Saturday:
- Mohamed Salah, Joao Cancelo, Kevin De Bruyne
Sunday:
- Eddie Nketiah, Harry Kane, Kai Havertz
Monday:
- Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen
