Welcome back from the November international break – also known as the annual Yellow Flag Festival. Most of us logged in and found that our teams were being showered with hits and remarks, which is pretty much a tradition at this point.
Starting this Saturday, we hit a brutal stretch: ten FPL deadlines in just 45 days. It’s a chaotic time, but if you manage it well, you can prepare brilliantly for the second half of the season.
With GW13 shaping up to be a popular wildcard week, this list includes a mix of long-term picks and a few short one-week punts for those planning to knock them out next week.
Mohamed Salah (14.2 million)
Who would have predicted that Mohamed Salah would be a differential so early in the season? After most managers backed him over Erling Haaland in GW1, we found ourselves in a situation where the king of FPL goes unnoticed.
It’s time to bring him back. Liverpool’s matches look to be excellent with Forest, West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds over the next four matchweeks.
Salah’s past shows us that he rarely needs much time to punish anyone who ignores him. He may not have reached the outrageous heights of seasons past, but he remains easily one of the most reliable players in the game.
Yes, AFCON is coming, but it’s a few weeks away – you can take advantage of the points now and downgrade later.
Cunha Matheus (7.9 m)
Matheus Cunha is one of the managers of Vibes FC, but there is also serious logic behind this choice. With just 4.4% ownership, he’s a real differential with the potential to explode if things fall his way.
Sesko’s injury makes him much safer among the top three, and Zirkzee appears to be sliding down Amorim’s hierarchy. Cunha loves shooting, is heavily involved and his underlying numbers have gradually improved.
With Manchester United and a decent run of matches coming up, this could be the perfect time to take the plunge before the rest of the community figures it out. He is also not going to the CAN – a big bonus unlike his midfield counterpart – Mbeumo.
Virgil Van Dijk (5.9m)
Van Dijk sits near the top of the defender picks this week, and for good reason. He boasts one of the highest DEFCON scores of any defender and has a nice run of matches coming up.
Liverpool’s defense hasn’t looked elite yet, but this stretch – Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Sunderland and Leeds – seems like the perfect window for the clean sheets to finally start arriving.
Add to that his classic threat from set pieces, especially those signature ball headers, and you have a defender who can get back at both ends of the pitch. If you are looking for safe and stable points, Van Dijk feels like a standout player.
Nico O’Reilly (5m)
Nico O’Reilly should definitely be on your watchlist. With just 2.2% participation, he has quietly returned in all but two matches since GW4 and is forcing himself into Pep’s plans.
Rotation is still part of the deal with City’s assets, but O’Reilly has started seven of the last eight league matches and averages an impressive 7.8 DEFCON per 90. Two 11-pointers and an eight-pointer in the last four game weeks underline how explosive he can be.
With Leeds, Fulham and Sunderland among City’s next five opponents, he looks like a cheap defender pick with real potential. Two assists and a goal already – more to come.
Dominik Szoboszlai (6.6 m)
If you like calculated punts, Szoboszlai is the type of differential that can truly rock a mini-league. His returns in the Premier League so far – one goal and one assist – don’t tell the whole story.
Since stepping into the No.10 role, he has made four comebacks in his last five matches in all competitions and looks much more threatening.
With just 5.6% participation, he’s the kind of pick that goes unnoticed but has real upside with Liverpool’s upcoming matches. He is nailed, has some involvement on the pitch and is clearly gaining confidence. Not the most traditional FPL asset, but exactly the kind of gamble that can pay off.
