FPL Top Picks for Gameweek 8
The scheduled October FIFA international break is over and there are three more match weeks until the next one, so get ready to be stressed!
It’s a good kind of stress, though, because the Fantasy Premier League is meant to be fun and casual. The analysis can get stressful, but that is why you have us here at EPLNews!
In the next few sections, we will be breaking down the upcoming week, sharing great insights into fantasy picks and giving our top three must-have players ahead of a great matchweek.
There will also be special insights into captaincy picks because this is where you are likely to have the most value after the international break.
Keep reading!
Gameweek Analysis
We will be kicking things off with two games where you can get the most value as a manager as you work to catch up with your mates in your mini-leagues.
Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United
This London Derby will be one to watch for both entertainment value and points! Spurs’ talismanic captain Heung-Min Son (£9.8m) will be returning, according to reports. This could cost Brennan Johnson (£6.6m) his place on the team but the jury is out on whether Ange Postecoglou will be willing to put his most in-firm player on the bench for Son.
Our advice is to keep Johnson for the West Ham game. The Hammers, on the other hand, will present Jarrod Bowen (£7.4m) and Mohammed Kudus (£6.3m) as attacking options for the game. A good advice is to avoid defenders from either team as both teams have a high chance of conceding.
Ipswich Town vs Everton
We’ve got two names for you: Liam Delap (£5.7m) and Dwight McNeil (£5.7m). These have been the two best differential picks of the season so far. The son of the famous arm-cannon man, Rory Delap, is currently Ipswich’s top scorer for the season as is McNeil, who is thriving under Sean Dyche.
Another name that could provide value is Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£9.8m), who has not been his best this season but is known to score in bottom-feeder games such as this one.
Best Captaincy Picks for Week 8
Erling Haaland (£15.4m) remains the best captaincy pick for the season, especially with Manchester City taking on Wolverhampton Wanderers in week 8, but following two straight blanks, FPL managers may want to take the risk of picking someone else. Here are two other players to consider ahead of week 8.
Dominic Solanke (£7.6m) – Spurs vs West Ham: Spurs are at home and are unlikely to lose to West Ham. Also, Solanke’s form is similar to Arsenal’s Kai Havertz (£9.8m) in that he feels more comfortable at home.
Ollie Watkins (£9.1m) – Fulham vs Aston Villa: Villa are away to Fulham and while this is not a straightforward game, the Birmingham-based side have a lot to prove this season. Watkins, especially, whose place is being threatened by young upstart John Duran.
Best FPL Players for Week 8
Bryan Mbeumo (£7.5m) – Brentford
Bryan Mbeumo is once again on this list because Brentford are facing Manchester United. The eventual result of this game matters little to FPL managers as long as Brentford’s top man continues to deliver the goods.
The Bees are the first team to score in the first 90 seconds of four consecutive matches in the league and the Cameroon international has been pivotal to this record. With the shaky defence of Manchester United up next, it is hard to ignore him ahead of week 8.
Chris Wood (£6.0m) – Nottingham Forest
The New Zealander has effectively replaced Taiwo Awoniyi at Nottingham Forest thanks to the latter’s failure to pick up form quickly after his injury from last season. He has also consistently delivered for Forest, who are over performing in the 2024/25 season.
Wood is joint fourth in the league for goals with four goals and is the striker with the most goals after Haaland in the league. Forest have Crystal Palace at home in week 8, which makes him a great differential pick for your team.
Phil Foden (£9.2m) – Manchester City
Phil Foden got his first start of the season in the last game week and looks back to his best. City take on Wolves in week 8, which is a great match for the Englishman to get his rhythm back. Kevin De Bruyne’s fitness remains in doubt, which means that the goalscoring midfielder will be a great pick for managers this week.