Five-time high 1k finisher Tom Freeman hosts our weekly Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Q&A, answering your burning questions.
Q: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£6.5m) or Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m)?
(through waltzingmatildas)
A: Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye are the 2 major choices to contemplate from the Everton assault.
Dewsbury-Hall is requested to do a little bit of all the pieces in midfield.
In his first season on Merseyside, he averaged 5.0 factors per begin, with eight targets and 7 assists in 31 matches.
Ndiaye, in the meantime, offers the aptitude.
He netted six targets and equipped three assists in 32 matches, however solely averaged a shot each 64.7 minutes, which is poor, notably for an inside ahead.
Here’s how Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye in contrast for minutes per anticipated objective involvement (xGI) final season:
Dewsbury-Hall would possibly ship a couple of corners and free-kicks, however he isn’t the primary taker for Everton, whereas Ndiaye is on penalties.
Ndiaye additionally has the superior defensive contribution (DefCon) level potential:
- Dewsbury-Hall: 7.9 DefCons per 90
- Ndiaye: 9.22 DefCons per 90
I’d subsequently lean in direction of Ndiaye, particularly as he’s cheaper.
Q: Has Roberto De Zerbi tightened up the Spurs defence, making Jan Paul van Hecke (£5.0m) and Marcos Senesi (£6.0m) viable choices?
(through Pompel)
A: It’s laborious to know simply how defensively resilient Tottenham Hotspur can be this season.
It’s a really small pattern dimension, however Spurs had a stable defensive construction beneath Roberto De Zerbi earlier this 12 months.
The Italian is thought for his attacking strategy, however they didn’t do a lot of that in any respect. Instead, they went into survival mode, with solely seven targets conceded and two clear sheets in seven matches.
In truth, from De Zerbi’s appointment in Gameweek 32, their xGC was the bottom of any top-flight workforce, together with Arsenal:
I’m simply undecided how a lot these numbers really imply. With loads of time on the coaching pitch this summer season, I’d definitely anticipate Tottenham to play a extra attacking, front-foot model this season.
But the early fixtures definitely aren’t the worst, and there are not any European distractions both.
Micky van de Ven (£5.0m) hasn’t kicked a ball for Spurs in pre-season, so they may doubtless begin with a centre-back partnership of van Hecke and Senesi.
Senesi is £6.0m, which is means too costly in my view, so I’d most likely fade him out.
However, van Hecke is less expensive and will get some DefCons, having hit the brink in 36.1% of his begins for Brighton final season. He’s a menace from set performs, too, so I believe he’s advantageous to personal.
Q: Is Sandro Tonali (£5.5m) Bench Boost possibility? He appears to be the extra thrilling decide in comparison with the likes of Mamadou Sangare (£5.5m), Ethan Ampadu (£5.5m) and so on.
(through Buck The Trent)
A: I believe Sandro Tonali might be a wait-and-see.
He definitely improves Tottenham’s midfield; I’m simply not satisfied we’ll get a lot precise FPL output from him.
Last season, the vast majority of Tonali’s objective makes an attempt have been from exterior the field (see picture under), which resulted in a low 0.05 xG per shot determine.
An opportunity created each 80 minutes additionally wasn’t a lot to shout about.
It’s not like he’s an everyday provider of DefCons both, having hit the required threshold in solely 11.4% of his begins for Newcastle United final season.
You might after all get fortunate on a Bench Boost, however I a lot choose the 2 £5.5m gamers we’re about to speak about…
Q: Mamadou Sangare or Pascal Gross (£5.5m)?
(through G-Whizz)
A: I actually like each of those gamers, and contemplate them among the many greatest £5.5m midfielders within the sport.
Helped by a job on set performs, Gross’ creativity is essential to his enchantment.
He delivered six assists in 19 matches for Brighton final season, and was the fourth-best participant for possibilities created (39) in that point.
His objective potential could possibly be on the up, too.
While his open play menace is extraordinarily restricted (182.3 minutes per shot within the field in 2025/26), Gross may be the person to take penalties after Danny Welbeck’s (£6.0m) departure.
As for Sangare, I believe he’ll go straight into the Brentford XI.
He was a DefCon monster in France (14.2 per 90!), so even within the more durable fixtures, has the potential to tick over with factors.
He doesn’t have as many routes to factors as Gross, so I believe his ceiling is decrease. However, his ball-winning capability appears excellent for Brentford, and he’ll generally arrive in central areas to shoot.
Given Brighton’s European involvement on both facet of Saturday’s residence encounter with Tottenham, plus some difficult fixtures in Gameweeks 2 and 5, I barely choose Sangare, however it is extremely shut.
Q: Is enjoying Diego Gomez (£5.0m) viable?
(through Jacquet of all trades, mast…)
A: Brighton performed the primary leg of their European play-off tonight.
The undeniable fact that Diego Gomez (£5.0m) has began is a constructive in my view, having limped off in final weekend’s pleasant win over Bologna.
Assuming he got here by Thursday unscathed, I believe he’s a good possibility for Gameweek 1, notably with Karou Mitoma (£6.0m) and Yankuba Minteh (£6.0m) each out injured.
Longer-term, I believe higher £5.0m midfielders will emerge, doubtless those who tick over with DefCons.
However, as a short-term Bench Boost possibility, I believe Gomez is okay to incorporate.
Q: Is a 4-4-2 a viable formation to begin with this season?
(through Jaws)
A: Yes, a 4-4-2 formation is completely viable to play.
In truth, it’s the system I plan to roll out in Gameweek 1, earlier than doubtlessly switching to a 5-3-2 the week after.
Centre-backs offered a lot worth final season because of DefCons, so if that quantity continues, a lot of these formations ought to serve us properly.
If you do go for a 4-4-2, I’d try to embrace gamers like James Tarkowski (£6.0m), Dan Ballard (£5.0m) and Tarik Muharemovic (£5.0m) for his or her DefCon potential.
