Fixtures GW29 and Planning ahead for the Double… – FPL Fantasy Football Premier League

Well this is the one we have all been dreading as there are just five fixtures this week, yes that’s right, count ’em in, just the five. And they’re not that appealing a five either to be perfectly honest. No Liverpool, no Man City, so that’s possibly half your team gone right there. It may be damage limitation for many this week as we expect most will be in the same boat and be worried about only being able to field seven, eight, nine players or so. While the double game-week in GW31 is a joyous affair to look forward to it does pose many issues, particularly for this week, as most of the teams involved in 31 do not play this week and so planning for it has become a bit of a nightmare. Worry not though, you are not alone and we will attempt to navigate you through this as best as we possibly can by looking at the next few weeks ahead and giving you as much info as possible to help you get to that double with as many of those players as is humanly possible.

Lets start with an overview of how the next four game-weeks look on the fixture tracker.

The fixtures in RED highlight those that are blank in game-week 29.

The fixtures in GREEN go ahead.

The BLUE ones are the exciting bits, double game-weeks!

The teams on the left in RED have a blank in GW29.

Game-week 29

Let’s be honest, the ultimate goal for the next couple of weeks will be to try and structure a team for GW31 that has the maximum possible number of players that will feature twice that week. This will be trickier this week given that only one team plays in GW29 that has a double in GW31 and that is Man Utd. Trying to hold your DGW assets and still field a full X1 this week may be difficult but slightly less so now with the addition yesterday of an extra four teams with a double, namely Arsenal, Everton, Newcastle and Swansea which has probably increased the DGW exposure by a couple of players at least within most managers squads without you moving a muscle. Nice!

Let’s take a look at what is left of GW29…

These teams DO NOT play in GW29

Arsenal
Aston Villa
Everton
Hull
Liverpool
Man City
Newcastle
Sunderland
Swansea
West Ham

Only Man Utd play this week and also feature in GW31, with 2 fixtures in that one.

Whilst we are doing handy lists then… These teams play every week throughout this schedule.

Cardiff
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Fulham
Man Utd
Norwich
Southampton
Stoke
Tottenham
West Brom

Game-week 29 in isolation. 

West Brom vs Man Utd

Despite the recent much documented woes of Moyes’ boys we feel that they will still be favourites for this one. They had a rest last week and have probably been seething every day since that damaging trip to Greece and should be fired up to answer some critics here. Then again Moyes has had all that time to ‘hone’ his tactics so expect the unexpected. Actually no don’t, it’ll be 4-4-2 with Juan Mata woefully wasted on the wing again. The main threat will as ever come up top in the portly shape of Wayne Rooney and RvP. Much has been made of their inability and unwillingness to pass to each other as of late but worry not as we expect they will be the main danger here.

Cardiff vs Fulham

They say the table doesn’t lie and these two are 19th and 20th respectively and with good reason, they’re awful. (sorry The B 😉 ) There will be a contrast in the dugouts as the two new men still struggle to find their feet. One is an affable, likeable ‘baby faced assassin’. The other has been likened to Stalin. And Saddam Hussein. And that’s by former players who both seemed to be quite fond of him! Magath said this week that his infamous training methods were fine as ‘no one has died’. Well at least they’ll be the fittest side in the Championship next season then. We really can’t call this one. It could be goals galore, it could be extremely tight. If you hold Cardiff assets then just play them and hope for the best. If you hold Fulham assets, take a long hard look in the mirror. Maybe even close your FPL account.

Crystal Palace vs Southampton

This one will be an intriguing encounter. Palace have plugged the gaps and become a solid unit that does not concede many whereas Southampton have had no trouble scoring this season. Again if you have Palace players, probably defenders we imagine, then play them. Many will be holding some of Southampton’s England quartet of Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez. All are quality and worth playing or indeed buying but it will be interesting to see how many minutes they get in the friendly tonight, how each performs and whether this impacts on their weekend performance.

Norwich vs Stoke City

There was much debate last week over the merits of Robert Snodgrass and Charlie Adam and which would be the better prospect for the next few weeks, particularly as both featured in this shortened game-week. Well the hand of fate has reached out and declared that the answer may well have been neither… Snodgrass has picked up a wrist injury and is a doubt and Adam has been now been suspended for three games for that stamp on Giroud. The first may be strapped up and wheeled out to play regardless, the second is now rendered neither use nor ornament. As for the match itself, Norwich are unbeaten at home in four including clean sheets in all four so their defenders will be at a premium this week. Stoke are without a win in their last twelve away games. Say no more.

Chelsea vs Tottenham

Just to compound the annoyance this week, two of the better fantasy prospects face each other in this London derby. Had they been separated against weaker opposition then picking up their respective players would have been a much easier choice to make. As it is we expect Chelsea will probably pip this one in a very tight affair but likewise would not be surprised if Spurs sprung a surprise. Emmanuel Adebayor scored in the corresponding fixture last season as the sides drew 2 -2 and many will be holding him in their teams despite the disappointment of last weeks solitary assist at home to Cardiff. Eden Hazard will be the main Chelsea threat as ever but if you are looking for an outside punt then Samuel Eto’o has been singled out by Mourinho this week as his special ‘home weapon’ so expect him to start ahead of Torres in this one.

Game-week 30

Gw30 is the odd one out in the sequence in so much as every team plays and  just the once. A normal week in other words. In terms of planning it is worth noting the following in respect of some of the teams that have a double in GW31 that catch our eye in GW30 also –

Man City travel to Hull. Perhaps not the banker it should be for City but Hull just conceded four against Newcastle at home…

Everton have a very nice fixture at home to Cardiff. Romelu Lukaku returned with a goal last week. Expect more.

Newcastle travel to bottom feeders Fulham. Loic Remy stands out as an option here.

Sunderland host Palace and have been impressive at home lately. This should be a clean sheet on paper.

Swansea host West Brom. Likewise this has clean sheet potential and Wilfried Bony is notably more productive at home.

Game-week 31

Here is the much anticipated GW31 is in all it’s glory…

Well this one couldn’t really get any bigger, either numerically or metaphorically. 15 fixtures in all with 10 teams playing twice. We will talk more in depth as to the merits of each team and their respective players with a double in due course. For now you should just be planning to keep the players from the teams that do and fill up with players from the teams that also have either a fixture in GW29 (just Man Utd, remember?) and those that you think have potential in GW30 also.

The teams that have a GW31 double are  –

Arsenal
Everton
Hull
Liverpool
Man City
Man Utd
Newcastle
Sunderland
Swansea
West Ham

Our Advice… 

Apologies if this is teaching Grandma to suck eggs but we would recommend sticking to the following for the next few weeks –

– Look to maximise your GW31 DGW players. Many managers will potentially have a full 11 now with the additional games.

-You have 3 free transfers left before GW31 (4 if you have saved one, well done!)

– Use these to transfer in only those players that feature twice in GW31.

– Don’t take hits for GW29 just to fill the roster. The fixtures do not warrant it.

– Take note that only Man Utd have 5 fixtures in the next 4 weeks and play this week.

– Check carefully who you feel has a decent fixture in GW30 as well as a double in GW31. It might only be 1 week but it still counts!

– If you still have a Wildcard – GW31 may not now be the best time to utilise it. As stated above most managers should now be able to field close to a full team of DGW’ers in 31, should they wish. This renders any wildcard advantage almost null and void. If you spot a mini-league opportunity whereby your rival has not been so careful then go for it by all means but in the main it may be best to wait now as there will be other opportunities ahead…

Which brings us nicely onto this –

The fixtures that currently still need to be re-arranged are –

Everton vs Crystal Palace
Man City vs Sunderland
Sunderland vs WBA
Man City vs Aston Villa

We are not soothsayers but the likely outcome here is that these games will be re-arranged for GW34 and GW37, with our best guess being that the first 2 will be in GW34 and the other 2 in GW37.

Fixture Fun

There are internationals aplenty this week so please keep a careful eye on what state your players return to their clubs in. Many of them will not be back until Friday so perhaps it would be best to keep your powder dry on any transfers until we have seen all of the managers press conferences.

Thanks for reading Fixtures GW29 and Planning ahead for the Double…, this article was written by Inittowinit