I’m Pras and welcome to my weekly series for SportsCasting, where I will be providing my thoughts on my FPL Gameweek 12 tips.
For context, over the last 12 seasons of FPL I have achieved four top 10k finishes, including two top 5k finishes. My seasonal average over the last seven seasons is around 21k.
Every week, I’ll be giving you advice on whether to buy/hold or sell the key defenders, midfielders and attackers in FPL. As a fixtures guy, my advice will always have a lens of immediate fixtures but also long-term viability and implications.
FPL Gameweek 12 Tips: Who To Buy, Hold and Avoid
Defenders
Buy – Arsenal go into a run of fixtures that see then as the highest % for clean sheet odds amongst all teams in 5 out of the next 6 fixtures. Gabriel, Raya, Saliba should be in FPL manager’s shopping list, if not now then very soon. I am a little less enthusiastic on Timber and Calafiori, just due to minutes uncertainty as fixtures come think as fast, I don’t think they start every single game compared to the 3 I recommended.
Hold – Rico Lewis has lost a bit of appeal last few weeks – both with having some minutes risk with Walker’s return and also City’s defensive form. I expect the latter to improve, now that they are getting so many players back from injury. If Rico can be benched next 2 games, I do think the upside is still there will him for the <5m price he offers.
Sell/Avoid – Sadly, despite Trent Alexander-Arnold being one of my favourite defenders it may be time to sell the right back. As the time of writing, we have heard that he isn’t back training. This likely means he misses the Southampton game and thereafter the run of games that includes City, Newcastle and Spurs in 3 of the next 5 isnt that clean sheet friendly.
Midfielders
Buy – Palmer and Salah should be on the top of the list of buys this week. They both go into a run where once can conceivably captain one of them every week going forwards. You would get a captaincy run of:
- GW12 – sou (Salah)
- GW13 – AVL (Palmer)
- GW14 – sou (Palmer)
- GW15 – eve (Salah)
- GW16 – BRE (Palmer)
- GW17 – eve (Palmer)
- GW18 – LEI (Salah)
Hold – Both Bruno Fernandes and Mbeumo, whichever one of the two you own are wasy holds. They have terrific next 2 fixtures and then there is a time to reassess when they both go into trickier runs in GW14-16.
Sell / Avoid – There are a lot of great midfielders about in the game – all with a high goal share, very good minutes and many even on penalties. Midfielders that are not nailed for start or minutes risk or out of form are just not worth it in this congested period. For this reason, I have Phil Foden as a sell. For that price, Saka, Palmer and even Son offer more at the minute.
Forwards
Buy – Alexander Isak is on excellent for since his return from injury and GW12 is a fantastic entry point with a game against a struggling West Ham team. He again ticks the box of good minutes and penalties.
Hold – There has been some disappointed Raul Jimenez owners last couple of weeks, but he is home to a Wolves side that should see some joy for Fulham. There are small doubts about his minutes given his midweek adventures for Mexico, but I back him to start.
Sell/Avoid – If you haven’t already, the Calvert Lewin is an easy sell very soon. Brighton forwards, Joao Pedro and Welbeck are my favourite replacements.
For a detailed review, I co-host a podcast called @theFPLWire, and you can follow @Pras_FPL to find full analysis courtesy of one of the best FPL Twitter accounts.
