FPL Top Picks for Gameweek 28
Week 28 is here and FPL managers have brought out their pens and jotters to permute and calculate their moves to secure maximum points.
Last week, we called the Luton Town vs Aston Villa show, predicting correctly that Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and Douglas Luiz would all get involved. Arsenal’s demolition of Sheffield United was expected, but like for many other managers, Mikel Arteta’s decision to halt Bukayo Saka’s onslaught affected us.
The game is getting tougher now as the league enters the business end of things. Here is our analysis of gameweek 28 including suggestions on the best captaincy picks.
Gameweek Analysis
The majority of the fixtures in week 28 took place in week 13, between 25 and 27 November 2023.
Week 28 is a double game week, however, involving AFC Bournemouth. The Cherries tackle bottom-of-the-league Sheffield and their fellow relegation strugglers Luton Town, who they would have faced in week 17.
All the teams in the league will be involved this week as well before half of them are rested for week 29.
The match to watch will be the “English Classic” between Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. While it is a big game, many managers will avoid making team selections involving players from either team. Those with players from either team will likely use their chips or send them to the bench.
This is the smart decision because the reverse fixture turned out to be a dry draw despite the hopes that managers had in players getting good points including bonuses.
See the full fixture list for week 28 below.
Managers should pay attention to Chelsea vs Newcastle United. Last time out, the Magpies hammered the Blues 4 – 1, with returns coming from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, two of Newcastle’s most selected FPL players this season.
Chelsea are in a much better vein of form now which means that a draw or a narrow win for the Blues is on the horizon. The Magpies remain one of the most susceptible teams to attacks as well, which is an area Chelsea have shown great improvement in over the weeks. This means that Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Malo Gusto should see a surge in selections this week.
Everton are taking on United at Old Trafford, which is where Erik ten Hag has managed to play his best football this season. The reverse fixture ended 3-0 in favour of United and nobody expects the home leg to end differently.
After Marcus Rashford’s bullet last weekend in the Manchester derby, he will be high on confidence for Everton, making him a great pick. Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho should not be overlooked either.
A team with the right balance of Manchester United, Newcastle, Chelsea and of course, Arsenal players should be able to grab the most points this week.
Best FPL Players for Week 28
Rodrigo Muniz (£4.5m) – Fulham (EPL profile)
Five goals in five games for Rodrigo Muniz have not gone unnoticed by FPL managers. Fulham’s next fixture being Wolverhampton Wanderers makes him a top pick for gameweek 28.
The 22-year-old Brazilian has stepped up greatly in the absence of Raul Jimenez, who will have to work to reclaim his spot when he returns from his injury. With a price tag of £4.5m and a current form ranking of 8.5 among the 108 forwards in the league, he is not only a great differential pick but a wise one.
Managers can also bring him in with the future in mind. The Cottagers face Tottenham Hotspur in week 30 but have Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest in the coming weeks.
These are good games for the young striker to get more points on board and with Fulham in the richest vein of form they have been in since their first return to the Premier League a few years ago, it will be safe to have the striker in the team, or at least on your bench as a differential.
Dominic Solanke (£7.1m) – AFC Bournemouth (EPL profile)
Despite his blanks in game week 27, over 251,000 managers have made Dominic Splanke their top signing for game week 28. Managers who signed him in game week 27 are the lucky ones as they may not have to take hits or make a hard decision to bring in the AFC Bournemouth striker.
The Cherries face Sheffield United and Luton Town in a doubleheader in gameweek 28 and have a relatively easy run of fixtures until gameweek 32. In that stretch, they will face Everton, Crystal Palace and Luton Town again. Bournemouth players will be in high demand among many forward-thinking managers, but Solanke will be the most transferred in.
This season, the striker has already matched his career high of 130 points across all the seasons he’s been in the league thanks to his 14 goals and three assists for the Cherries. He is currently the league’s fifth most in-form striker and the third in terms of points returned and his ceiling is higher, regardless of where Bournemouth finish in the league.
His price tag is also the 12th most expensive, which makes him relatively cheap compared to other high-flying forwards. We expect him to produce returns for this double gameweek and even back him as a captain’s pick for the week.
We must emphasise, however, that it is Bournemouth’s run until week 32 that makes him a great pick for week 28.