Fantasy Premier League: The Double Gameweek 33 debate – chips, captaincy and Jakub Kiwior
The biggest double gameweek of the season in Fantasy Premier League is here at last. Feeling confident?
With Manchester City, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Crystal Palace all playing twice, Gameweek 33, which gets under way on Saturday (deadline 1.30pm UK time; 8.30am ET), presents an opportunity to make major gains in your mini leagues.
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Which chip should you use? Who are the best players to own? And who should you name as your captain?
Holly Shand and Abdul Rehman debate the pros and cons of every major move you could make in potentially the most crucial FPL gameweek of the season.
Holly: Since Double Gameweek 33 is expected to be the biggest double gameweek of the season, the ideal chip to use is team dependent, with the Free Hit and Bench Boost providing plenty of power.
Only use the Free Hit chip if you are well set up for Blank Gameweek 34, where the same four sides who double this time around don't have a fixture. Bench Boost if you can't Free Hit this week, especially if you have already used your second wildcard. The threshold for using this chip is much lower this season due to the smaller size of the double gameweeks and having four single gameweek players with reasonable fixtures is enough on Bench Boost.
Abdul: In theory, the Bench Boost is the best chip to use for Gameweek 33. However, as Holly said, it is all team-dependent.
Using the Triple Captain or Free Hit is fine if it aligns with your team's plans. If you have more than eight double-gameweek players with an all-round strong squad, including two playing goalkeepers, then Bench Boost would be best.
If you can get to only three-to-six doublers after using your free transfers, then it might be better to play the Free Hit chip and get a full XI of double-gameweek players out. Because your original team won't have many doubling players, you should be well set up for Blank Gameweek 34. The teams that double in Gameweek 33 (Manchester City, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Arsenal) will also blank in Gameweek 34.
If you are looking to play your Triple Captain this week, then my favoured options would be Bukayo Saka (£10.5m) or Omar Marmoush (£7.6m).
Holly: I had success from my Villa triple-up against Southampton last time out, despite fears of rotation, with a combined 20 points from Ollie Watkins (£8.9m), Morgan Rogers (£5.6m) and Ezri Konsa (£4.4m). I'd view this trio as the optimal triple-up.
Villa are in a good run of form, winning all of their past four league games, scoring nine goals and keeping three clean sheets. The fixtures are tough on paper but they have already beaten Manchester City in this campaign and remain unbeaten at home in the Premier League since losing to Arsenal in Gameweek 2.
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However, they have struggled this season coming off busy Champions League midweeks. Watkins' limited minutes in midweek bode well for enhanced minutes at the weekend, where I'd expect Marcus Rashford (£6.7m) to see some rotation.
Abdul: If you are looking for safe 'minutes' picks who will likely start both games, then my top three would be Rogers, Konsa and Emi Martinez (£5.0m). However, with fixtures against Newcastle United (H) and Manchester City (A), I am not sure doubling up the Villa defence is optimal. I think it's worth going for a blend of security and some upside.
Rogers and Konsa give you that security, and I prefer Konsa over Martinez because of the price difference. My third pick would be one of Watkins or Rashford. Neither are nailed to start both games, to be honest, but they do provide a much higher points potential than a double defence, and I think their two games in Gameweek 33 are decent from an attacking perspective.
After Rashford started ahead of Watkins again as Villa's No 9 against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, it looks like he is ahead in the pecking order just now.
Holly: It is a major concern to see Saka playing just 90 minutes across his first three Premier League games since returning from injury. There were hopes that he could be among the captaincy picks for this double gameweek. But, while owners should hold firm, it feels too much of a risk to buy Saka now.
Arsenal have the best fixtures of the double, facing Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace, with their defence the key target for points through William Saliba (£6.5m), Jurrien Timber (£5.7m) and David Raya (£5.5m). Saka's 77 minutes in the Champions League on Wednesday also add to that feeling of concern when considering his minutes across the double, with their remaining involvement in the competition taking priority away from the Premier League. If you are looking to invest in Arsenal's attack for the double gameweek, then I would look towards Gabriel Martinelli (£6.5m) as a differential.
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Abdul: My ideal triple-up, in isolation, would be Raya, Saliba and Saka (£10.5m). However, if you are strapped for cash, then Jakub Kiwior (£4.8m) is looking like an absolute bargain. The Polish international has started every game since Gabriel (£6.2m) was ruled out for the season, which could be a sign of things to come. He and Saliba are the only fit natural centre-backs for Arsenal, so I think Mikel Arteta might just keep this partnership for the rest of the season.
At his price, he is fantastic value. You are getting a budget defender for the best defence in the league, who not only has a double but also great fixtures until the end of the season.
In regards to Saka, I think there is a chance he is rested for one of Arsenal's two plum games against Ipswich (A) and Crystal Palace (H). However, I still think he is worth going for just because the fixtures are that good. He hasn't started any league games since his return from injury, and surely that will change now that Arsenal have overcome Real Madrid in the Champions League.
He will need to build his match fitness and rhythm. Even if he gets benched for one game in the double and minutes off the bench in the other, he's still a better option than most players this week. Also, he could easily start both and come off early.
We saw with Rogers starting against Southampton last gameweek that predicting starts can be a risky game. If you don't get Saka and he ends up starting both matches, then you could be in real trouble.
Holly: Investment in Manchester City assets feels safer given their lack of involvement in European football, where their assets should arrive fresh for this double.
Marmoush remains their most enticing attacking threat, with four goal involvements in his past four games. I'm likely to buy and captain Kevin De Bruyne (£9.3m) this week as I look to bolster my midfield after his double-digit haul against Crystal Palace last time out. He has seen significant minutes since the last international break and claims to be playing pain-free after another challenging season of injury niggles. Josko Gvardiol (£6.2m) remains the best defensive option given his five goals in this campaign, with City keeping two clean sheets in their past three.
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Abdul: Marmoush and Gvardiol are the best two options, and I would be confident they start both matches against Everton (A) and Aston Villa (H). The safe bet would be to go for Ruben Dias (£5.4m) for your third pick, who should also start both with Nathan Ake (£5.3m) and Manuel Akanji (£5.3m) still on the sidelines.
But I would be very tempted to go with De Bruyne, with similar reasons to the ones that Holly mentions. He could be a great differential, and he has the upside. I wouldn't be brave enough to give him the captain's armband this week, however.
He should at the very least start one game and get minutes off the bench in the other, and City also have great fixtures until the end of the season. If he continues to be fit, he should get plenty of minutes going forward. There is also a chance City get another double gameweek in Gameweek 36 if they reach the FA Cup final.
Holly: Most managers tripled up on Crystal Palace players for Gameweek 32 and with transfers valuable as we navigate the adjusted schedule for the season run-in, sticking with those initial selections is generally the best play.
Two defeats from Double Gameweek 32 is concerning when considering defensive options, although Daniel Munoz (£5.3m) cannot be ignored thanks to his nine goal involvements this season. I'd also still hold Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.8m) despite the forward playing just 100 minutes across his previous two games.
Abdul: If you have three of Eberechi Eze (£6.9m), Ismaila Sarr (£5.8m), Munoz, Mateta or Dean Henderson (£4.6m), then I agree with Holly: just stick with the trio that you have.
If you are using your Free Hit this week, however, then my three preferred picks would be Eze, Mateta and Sarr. All three offer similar points potential. I think their fixtures against Bournemouth and Arsenal are better for attack than defence, and Palace have proven to be a capable team this season.
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They can score against most opposition. I can't see them keeping a clean sheet this week because Bournemouth and Arsenal are both talented attacking sides. Also, using valuable transfers at this stage of the season for sideways moves is not ideal.
Holly: Liverpool have to lead the way among the single-gameweek options as they travel to Leicester City, who have lost eight consecutive home games and have failed to score in that spell. Luis Diaz (£7.5m) has delivered an attacking return in five consecutive league games and Liverpool also have an opportunity to clinch the Premier League title this weekend, which could then lead to a party atmosphere at Anfield in blank Gameweek 34 when they host Spurs.
Abdul: Mohamed Salah (£13.8m) and Conor Bradley (£4.7m) of Liverpool are great options as they take on Leicester City (A). Most will already have Salah but Bradley could be a shrewd buy, especially for those looking to Bench Boost this week. He provides a high-points-scoring fixture and his budget price enables you to upgrade other areas of your squad.
I am not a fan of the Diaz pick, though, because I think there is an abundance of midfield options who have a double this week.
I also really like West Ham's fixture against bottom-of-the-table Southampton. Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m) has eight goals and as many assists so far this season, and is a fine pick — not only for this week but for the rest of the season. Alphonse Areola (£4.2m) is great value, as is Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.5m), who has two goals and three assists to his name. The latter two are also interesting options if you need cheaper players for your Bench Boost.
Holly: I'm in this situation and looking to hold players with a fixture in Gameweek 34. Any Newcastle United asset should be an easy hold for their trip to Aston Villa, having beaten them 3-0 in the reverse fixture. They have won five consecutive league games, scoring 15 goals and conceding just two.
Harvey Barnes (£5.9m) and Jacob Murphy (£5.2m) top the recent form charts and look to be holds for the rest of the season. I'd also look to hold Chelsea's Cole Palmer (£10.6m), who has two assists from two starts since the international break. Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood (£6.9m) made his return from injury against Everton last time out and is now also a hold as he looks to improve on his tally of 18 goals for this campaign.
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Abdul: I totally agree on holding your Newcastle players if you aren't using your Free Hit in 34. They can easily score a few against Villa and then they have one of their best fixtures of the season against Ipswich (H) in Gameweek 34. If you need to sell any of them, I would get rid of their defenders first, though, as the likes of Alexander Isak (£9.5m) and Murphy are in great form and, generally, Newcastle are a better attacking side.
You might want to hold on to your Nottingham Forest and Chelsea players, too given their nice fixtures in 24 against Brentford (H) and Everton (H) respectively. A lot of managers still own the likes of Nico Williams (£4.5m), Matz Sels (£5.1m) and Nikola Milenkovic (£5.1m), and I reckon Forest players will be popular for those playing the Free Hit in Gameweek 34 too.
It's important to have a balance of enough double-gameweek players this week and players who have a fixture in Gameweek 34.
Holly: I am finding the captain decision particularly tough this week, especially since I don't own the two most popular targets for the double gameweek in Saka and Marmoush. Marmoush is the best captain pick in my eyes, given his form and minutes potential.
I have a front line of Mateta, Isak and Watkins, and I'm not prepared to part company with any of that trio to get Marmoush into my line-up. Therefore, I'm instead going to buy and captain De Bruyne, and be at the mercy of Pep Guardiola's selections.
If you don't fancy any of the double-gameweek options for the armband, don't overlook Salah as he travels to Leicester either.
Abdul: As things stand, my captain's armband is on Saka, and Marmoush is my vice captain. I might swap this around depending on press conference news, but Saka played 77 minutes against Real Madrid in the Champions League and grabbed a goal too.
He came through unscathed, so I think he has a decent chance of starting both games in the double. If he does, then he is by far the best option this week.
Hopefully, Arteta gives a positive update and gives some hints as to his playing time. There is no doubt captaining Saka is a risk, but I am going in with the viewpoint that he needs minutes and rhythm, and benching him again won't help with that.
If Arsenal had tougher fixtures, I would have gone for Marmoush, but Arsenal against Ipswich (A) and Crystal Palace (H) should see plenty of goals, and therefore it's too enticing.
Also, Arsenal's Champions League semi-final isn't until April 29, which is in the midweek after Gameweek 34.
(Top photos: Bukayo Saka, left, and Omar Marmoush; Getty Images)
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