Before we get into what you need to know ahead of Gameweek 27, it’s important to acknowledge that chip season is upon us. It’s a lovely but slightly chaotic time, as I’m sure most of you know. So just close your eyes and breathe in.
Oh, that smells so good. Those crispy potatoes, tasting like a bite of heaven as the sprinkling of salt mixes with the bite of the peri peri. Wait, what do you mean you meant FPL chips like wildcards and freehits?
Don’t worry; I’ll tell you how to navigate these turbulent waters. But prior to that, I urge you to subscribe to the free LazyFPL newsletter; you’ll get all the information you need, written concisely each week. Don’t you want to win more by doing less?
Blanks and Doubles
No, it’s not the story of the time I spent at my girlfriend’s house, but rather the FPL horizon.
Let me start by saying that free-hitting in GW 29 is not a bad thing, even if this goes against your instincts.
“It’s a blank gameweek; there’s no upside in free-hitting since everyone will have the same team!”
Everyone’s honing into Gameweek 29 in isolation, which isn’t accurate. If avoiding free-hitting in GW 29 means you can avoid having to take a -12 and play with 10, the downside you’ve prevented may well outweigh the potential upside of GW 34.
Secondly, chip strategies are very team-dependent. There is no “correct strategy,” and what works for you may not work for me. And that’s okay.
For this reason, my players to buy will be a mix of those who blank in 29 and those who don’t. And as always, they are for a six-game horizon, meaning they aren’t affected by DGW 34/37.
Who to Buy in FPL Gameweek 27?
Senesi and Zabarnyi
Bournemouth’s next six fixtures include: bur, SHU+LUT, blank, EVE, CRY, lut.
Yes, they blank in gameweek 29, but the fixtures either side of the blank are incredible. The cherry (pun intended) on top of the cake? They may have a double gameweek in 34. Oh, and their defence has considerably improved in recent weeks.
Senesi has an npxG+xAG/90 of 0.10, compared to Zabarnyi’s 0.03. On the other hand, Senesi is on 8 yellows, meaning he is two away from a suspension.
Essentially, if you need a defender until GW 30, Senesi is your sensei, but if you need one up until gameweek 34, I prefer Zabarnyi.
Alfie Doughty
Some people are allergic to gluten, some to peanuts, and the rest of this world is allergic to Luton City Airport.
Look, Luton’s defence is bad. Actually, bad is an understatement. Luton’s defence is worse than their airport is.
But Doughty has a double gameweek 28 of Crystal Palace (A) + Bournemouth (A) and faces Nottingham Forest (H) in blank gameweek 29.
He plays like a left-winger, crosses more often than I do during tic-tac-toe, and has an npxG+xAG/90 of 0.23. For what he offers you, Doughty’s a pretty good option.
As mentioned last week (and every single week before that), Saliba and Gabriel are excellent options. Arsenal’s defence is the most solid thing I’ve seen since I saw those “Fix Luton City Airport” protests.
Heung-min Son
I’ve told you a similar story before, but I enjoy telling it, so here it is again:
I met Sam Johnstone’s doctor, and he told me that “Sammy” wasn’t sleeping well.
“Oh, that’s normal,” I thought. “He’s just missing Roy Hodgson’s comforting, grandpa-esque hug.”
The doctor replied to me, “No, no. Instead of sleeping, all Sammy can do is incorrigibly sing, “Here comes the Son, doo-doo-doo-doo.”
And Son will indeed give him some nightmares on Saturday. He has an npxG+xAG/90 of 0.64, will play at least 75 minutes, and if Richarlison is out injured, he’ll play as the 9.
Palace are a different side under Glasner, although the sample size is too small to draw any meaningful conclusions from. But what we do know is, Palace will be attacking. And Son loves a counterattack.
Oh, and Son plays Fulham (A) in blank gameweek 29, followed by Luton (H). West Ham (A), and Nottingham Forest (H).
If you can’t afford Son, I quite like James Maddison. He may have lost some set pieces to Pedro Porro, but he’s still the same asset we know and love.
Douglas Luiz
Defensive midfielders everywhere call Dougie the messiah and hang up his posters on their walls.
Children grow up wishing to become Dougie.
And women grow older, wishing to be with Dougie.
Dougie: the man who’s become an FPL option despite being a defensive midfielder.
Look, I feel like people’s expectations of Douglas Luiz have become too high. He’ll get you the odd return—an npxG+xAG/90 of 0.29 would do that to you—but he won’t haul every week.
That said, he’s nailed on for 90 on all set pieces (including penalties) and hasn’t dropped deep in the absence of Kamara. He plays West Ham (A) in gameweek 29 and Luton (A) this week, all for £5.6m.
Ødegaard and Gibbs-White are other good options, but more on Gibbs-White next week.
Forwards
As I recommended last week, Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke (if fit) are my favourite forwards to own, alongside that semi-decent Erling Braut fella.
Outside of these three, Ivan Toney is a decent option. He plays Burnley (A) in blank gameweek 29, is Brentford’s talisman, nailed on for 90, and on free-kicks and penalties. His npxG+xAG/90 looks low, but the sample size doesn’t warrant concern, not placing emphasis on it.
Awoniyi will be a good option when it comes to blank gameweek 29 (especially if you’re freehitting), but that’s a conversation for another day.
Who to Captain in FPL Gameweek 27?
Unless you’re a bald man on the sadder side of Manchester, the answer is clear. However, if you’re the aforementioned bald man or simply a fan of Sheffield Wednesday, I have quite the alternative for you.
Erling Haaland
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Haaland’s npxG+xAG/90 is ridiculous; he’s top of the league for it, and that’s not a surprise given that it’s 1.02.
He faces a Manchester United side that are in the bottom half for xGA, and they’ve had at least 1.4 xGC in all of their last 9 games, conceding 15 in that period.
The markets expect City to win—and win big—and I agree.
Saka
Bukayo Saka has been in ridiculous form recently, and his underlyings share the same upward trend. Furthermore, he’s gotten 59 points in his last five, while Arsenal have scored 20.
20?!
Meanwhile, Sheffield United are 19th for xGA/90 and have conceded 15 in just 5 games.
15?!
He’s not a bad option at all, and I’d give it at least a little bit of thought.
And for all you differential seekers, Heung-min Son is your best bet. Although I still prefer Haaland.
As always, I’d like to end with a story. A story about FPL’s number one enemy, Hwang Hee-chan. You see, I asked Hwang why he didn’t score any points in GW 26.
“You were supposed to score a hattrick and prove the naysayers wrong!”
He smiled and said in the calmest voice ever, “I’m a part of the Lazy Revolution.”
And you should be too.
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