In this week’s series, I take to the FPL community ahead of gameweek 29 to answer their questions, featuring Everton assets and what we should do with them, whether 3-5-2 is back on the table and that pesky upcoming blank gameweek 31

First of all, let me extend my thanks to those who posted their questions – I hope my answers provide you and all the readers with food for thought.

This week, I’ve chosen 3 to answer and they have been provided by:

FPL Guidance Sumant H Natkar Paul Michael Jones

Are the budget strikers going to cut it? 3-5-2 an option again?

For a while, we thought the 3rd striker conundrum had been solved by the retained fitness and form of Callum Wilson in particular, along with other steady-scoring options like Jordan Ayew and Glen Murray.

But with no FPL returns in the last 3 games for Callum Wilson (and plum fixtures at that), the return of Jermain Defoe and the next 2 being away to Leicester and home to Spurs, it’s difficult to justify holding onto him, even with the him playing in BGW31.

Jordan Ayew was another who was doing quite well, but again, no FPL returns in the last 3, and those were games that were also very favourable for Swansea and the Ghanaian Striker.

Since he became a regular starter, Glenn Murray is perhaps the one that has provided the best and most consistent value for money in the 3rd striker role and has 4 goals in his last 4 PL games, but Brighton have terrible fixtures from now until the end of the season, so it would be unrealistic to expect too much from him.

So, as Guidance alludes to, 3-5-2 I think is certainly back on the table from this point onwards.

Either that, or you go more expensive and bring in Vardy/Aubameyang to go alongside what most I’m assuming are holding a Kane/Agüero and Firmino combo up front.

Both Vardy and Aubameyang have fantastic fixtures from now until the end of the season and with the next two being very favourable for both, I don’t think it will matter too much that they don’t have a game in BGW31.

What I would say RE Callum Wilson, is that Bournemouth are very unpredictable right now and two of his 3 double-figure returns have come in games you certainly wouldn’t have expected it to come in (ARS (H), CHE (A)), so it might just be worth holding him for the blank, seeing as their fixture on paper is a very good one (home to WBA).

So, in my opinion, it might just be worth holding out a little longer on Callum Wilson (unless of course Defoe comes straight in to replace him next gameweek), but with any other budget strikers, I think it’s time to get rid if you have them and either go with a 3-5-2, or bring in someone like Vardy/Aubameyang.

Everton assets – BGW31 game or not, should we hold?

I think we can all agree Everton haven’t been brilliant recently, but I think their last performance against Watford might be clouding our judgement somewhat.

Over the last 4 gameweeks, this is how Everton have been performing:

Defending

Joint 3rd most amount of goals conceded (8)

Joint 3rd most amount of big chances conceded (10)

0 clean sheets

Attacking

Joint 4th most amount of big chances created (9)

Joint 4th most amount of goals scored (6)

3rd lowest for total shots (37)

In that time, they beat Palace 3-1 and Leicester 2-1, so I don’t necessarily think it’s time to panic with regard to their attacking assets.

If you have any defenders or Pickford however, then yes, it’s probably not wise to be holding onto these assets.

In terms of Walcott specifically, if you can afford to easily upgrade him to Eriksen or Mahrez, then I think both of those players outscore him over the next 3 gameweeks and it makes sense to move him on, but if you can’t afford it, then I would simply hold, as the underlying stats suggest that the Watford game was simply a one-off.

Can we afford to simply ignore BGW31, providing we have 3x Liverpool?

I think the simple answer to this is, yes.

I said it from the beginning and have continued to advocate not worrying too much about fielding 8/9+ players in BGW31.

The points ceiling for that gameweek is very low with the fixtures that are available and as I’ve said before, as long as you have 3x Liverpool players (Salah captain) with Shaqiri and perhaps one other, you’re not going to lose out in that specific BGW too much and you’ll have likely gained in previous weeks on those with 8/9 BGW31 players.

It’s also a much preferred strategy if you haven’t got the second wildcard available, as you won’t be able to replace the deadwood for DGW34 players after the blank gameweek if you attempted to field 8/9 BGW31 players.

So for those in that position, you can’t maximise your points potential for both BGW31 and DGW34 and seeing as the points potential in DGW34 is much higher, it makes sense to start prioritising your transfers on DGW34 players rather than BGW31 players.

I would focus your transfers on players who have great fixtures now and who also have a double gameweek to be scheduled – thus optimising the good fixtures and form players now, as well as maximising your team’s potential to perform well in the doubles.