FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE SPECIAL
Five Gameweeks In: The lessons we’ve learned, the players we want and the fixture runs that could shape the next month
GAMEWEEK 5 RECAP: AFC ATLANTIC
GAME POINTS:
60 POINTS
BOT90 LEAGUE POSITION:
2ND
OVERALL POINTS:
352 POINTS
BEST PERFORMANCE:
PASCAL GROß - 14 POINTS
BIGGEST MISTAKE:
BROBBEY LEFT ON THE BENCH
BOT90 VERDICT:
5 POINTS OFF TOP
3 THINGS WE HAVE LEARNT SO FAR ON FPL
PATIENCE IS HARDER THAN TRANSFERS AND YOUR BENCH MATTERS
We’ve already watched plenty of points disappear on our bench, with Leif Davis hurting us earlier in the season and Brobbey more recently. It’s tempting to react immediately, but a bad outcome doesn’t always mean it was a bad decision. We’ve also learned that the bench isn’t just somewhere to hide the cheapest players. With injuries, rotation and European football, having 15 players who can actually contribute matters. The difficult part is accepting that sometimes those useful bench players are going to score when you don’t pick them and resisting the urge to rip up your team every time it happens.
DON’T CHASE POINTS - MINUTES ARE KING
This is one trap we haven’t really fallen into this season, and it’s paying off. In previous years, we’ve been guilty of jumping on a player after one big Gameweek, only to watch the returns disappear. This year we’ve been more patient and focused on minutes, starting security and role. A player who consistently gets 80 to 90 minutes gives you a much better chance of steady returns than someone you’re constantly hoping will recreate one big haul.
LOOK AHEAD, NOT BEHIND AND GET YOUR CAPTAIN RIGHT
We’ve learned that the best FPL decisions usually come from looking at what’s ahead, not reacting to what happened last weekend. Fixtures over the next four or five Gameweeks should influence transfers, while captaincy can still make or break a week. We haven’t done too badly with our captain picks so far, and that’s helped cover a few mistakes elsewhere. One big captain haul can rescue an average week, while a blank can make a decent score feel disappointing.
PLAYERS FACING THE CUT
Bruno Fernandes - Manchester United
Fernandes' hat-trick against Ipswich gave us confidence he would be a big player for us, but we're starting to lose patience. Since then, he's done very little to justify his huge price tag. Our form table reflects that too, with Fernandes currently sitting at just 2.0 for form. Manchester United aren't playing well, and Fernandes is becoming a very expensive luxury. We are looking to use those funds to strengthen elsewhere.
Senne Lammens - Manchester United
Lammens is also testing our patience. United's poor form hasn't helped, and our form table has him at just 2.7, which says a lot about the returns we've been getting. We just aren't getting enough from him or any Man Utd players this season. At his price, we're looking at better options available who might be able to keep some clean sheets.
SAFE FOR NOW: Brian Brobbey — Sunderland
We had reached the point of losing patience with Brobbey too. Then he went and scored a hat-trick against Manchester City! That changes everything. After that breakout performance, he's obviously staying in our team for now. Now we want to see if he can build on it and make those goals a regular thing, especially with Joao Pedro out injured.
BOT90 - PLAYERS TO TARGET
ALEXANDER ISAK - LIVERPOOL
Isak is one of the players we're desperate to get into our team. He's started the season in excellent form and looks dangerous every time he gets near the box. At £9.1m, he's not cheap, but Liverpool are creating plenty of chances and Isak has the ability to score big fantasy points. The question is whether we can fit him in alongside Haaland, or whether having both is simply too expensive. Either way, if he’s passed fit, look to get Isak into your team as soon as possible.
JOHAN MANZAMBI - ASTON VILLA
Manzambi was one of our favorite players at the World Cup, so we've been waiting patiently for his return from injury. We wanted him in before the last game but couldn't get him in time and, of course, he went on to score and assist! At just £5.9m, he's finally in our team now, and we're hoping he can keep that form going. Target this player long term as we think he will be crucial to Aston Villa's attack this season.
BERND LENO - FULHAM
We're looking at Leno as a potential short term option in goal. At just £4.5m, he's a cheap option with Fulham having a much easier run of fixtures coming up. That gives Leno a great chance to pick up more clean sheets and Fantasy points, making him a really appealing budget goalkeeper for the next few weeks.
MAXIM DE CUYPER - BRIGHTON
We already have De Cuyper in our team and he has been performing very well. He's classed as a defender in Fantasy but plays much further forward on the wing, making him an extra attacking option who can pick up goals and assists and still qualify for clean sheets. Try and squeeze De Cuyper into your team if you want a strong attacking option that can also pick up defensive points.
KEVIN SCHADE - BRENTFORD
Schade is another player we're keeping a close eye on. He's looked dangerous going forward lately, with two assists and two goals in the last two games, and has the pace and ability to carry this form on. At £6.2m, he could be a good-value option with Brentford playing some very good football. Schade looks like a solid Fantasy pick-up.
BOT90 SAYS:
These five players cover all positions, and we suggest considering them for your team if you need help. De Cuyper has been very successful for us, we have brought in Manzambi, and are considering Leno for the next few games.
BOT90 - BEST FIXTURES
TEAMS WITH THE BEST UPCOMING SCHEDULE
With the international break coming to an end, it's a good time to look ahead and see which teams have the best upcoming schedule. These five teams have some of the most appealing schedules over the next few Gameweeks, making their players worth considering for Fantasy transfers. Here are a few options.
FULHAM
Fulham have arguably the best fixture run. Their next four league games are Ipswich (A), Hull (H), Coventry (A) and Aston Villa (A). Three of those look particularly favorable, and Fulham could be a great team to target for both attacking returns and clean sheets.
Players to consider: Bernd Leno and Josh King.
Leno is an obvious option in goal, while King will remain a goal threat. With these fixtures, Fulham have a good opportunity to pick up some clean sheets and goals.
NEWCASTLE
Newcastle also have a very appealing run, with Coventry (A), Aston Villa (H), Crystal Palace (A) and Everton (H) coming up. There are no obvious nightmare fixtures in that group, making Newcastle players interesting targets.
Players to consider: Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes
Hall could offer points from clean sheets and assists, while Barnes offers an attacking option who can contribute goals and assists. Newcastle's fixtures make both worth watching.
ARSENAL
Arsenal's next four are Leeds (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Everton (H) and Liverpool (A). Liverpool is obviously the difficult one, but the other three fixtures are very attractive, and Arsenal's overall quality makes their players difficult to ignore.
Players to consider: Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka
Calafiori offers clean-sheet potential with some attacking upside, while Ødegaard and Saka are the obvious attacking options, contributing goals and assists. Arsenal should have plenty of opportunities to score in this run.
CHELSEA
Chelsea have Bournemouth (H), Everton (A), Tottenham (H) and Manchester United (H) next. The first three look particularly appealing, while the United game could offer plenty of Fantasy potential given their current form.
Players to consider: João Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers
Chelsea have several attacking options worth considering. But the three big names of Pedro, Palmer and Rogers remain the names to target in this very attacking team. Just keep a close eye on the fitness of Palmer and Pedro before making any moves, with both dealing with injury concerns over the international break. If all three are fit, expect plenty more goals and FPL returns from this trio.
SUNDERLAND
Sunderland's next four are Brighton (H), Bournemouth (A), Leeds (H) and Coventry (A). That's a really interesting run, especially after the attacking performance we saw from Sunderland against Manchester City.
Players to consider: Brian Brobbey and Enzo Le Fée
Brobbey is an obvious pick after his hat-trick against City, although his recent injury means his availability is worth checking before the deadline. while Le Fée is another player who caught our eye after his assist in that game. Sunderland's fixtures give both players a chance to build on that performance.
BOT90 SAYS
Fixtures can be just as important as form when planning your next transfer. Fulham and Newcastle have some of the easiest schedules, while Arsenal, Chelsea and Sunderland also have runs that could produce plenty of Fantasy points. If you're making transfers during the international break, these are the five teams we'd consider first.
BACK TO NORMAL THIS FRIDAY
The Premier League returns this weekend, and we’ll be back with our usual weekend preview - including the fixtures to watch, our key picks, and the full AFC Atlantic team reveal for Gameweek 6. Remember, the FPL deadline is Saturday, October 10 at 11:00 AM BST / 3:00 AM PT, so make sure your team is locked in before then. We’ve already made a couple of early moves… but you’ll have to wait until Friday to see exactly how AFC Atlantic lines up.
