Welcome back from the break for some Gameweek 22 tips. It’s been aeons since GW 21, meaning a lot’s changed. Saka blanked. FPL managers rioted over their lost points. And Julian Alvarez is an excellent captain option even after another blank.
Okay, maybe a lot hasn’t changed. But we did get double gameweek news!
Before we get into that, I urge you to subscribe to the free LazyFPL newsletter. You’ll get all the information you need to help you beat your mini-league rivals.
You can’t go into work and the cubicle of shame after a monstrous red arrow, can you?
Who to Buy in FPL Gameweek 22?
The defenders remain the same as in last week’s article: Gabriel, Saliba, and Kyle Walker.
Honestly, FPL right now is a bit like Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham. Who cares about the defence when you can just attack, attack, attack?
That also seemed to be Troy Deeney’s motto during his tenure at Forest Green. No, his team didn’t attack; the only attacking that occurred was him attacking his players. He can never be at fault, after all.
Richarlison
I haven’t seen this amount of love for a confused pigeon-man since Nikola Tesla decided to… Let’s just say he befriended a pigeon.
Luckily for the FPL community, Richarlison is more appealing than the avionic Mrs. Tesla. His minutes look good while Heung-min Son is away with South Korea, and he’s nailed on to start as Spurs’ CF.
His npxG+xAG/90 is one of the highest in the league, at 0.69, and he’s an excellent captaincy pick this week against Brentford (H).
He will most likely have a blank gameweek in gameweek 26, though, so make sure someone can fill in for him. Someone such as:
Bruno Fernandes
I just need you to hear me out. Put those pitchforks and threats of red arrows down.
Bruno’s fixtures include wol, WHU, avl, lut, FUL, mci in his next six, but he crucially doesn’t have a blank gameweek in gameweek 26, when Chelsea and Liverpool blank.
Manchester United are pretty awful (“United” seems like irony more than anything else), but Bruno’s npxG+xAG/90 is sitting pretty at 0.48. Nailed on, on set-pieces, talismanic, penalties, 90 minutes.
Bruno’s a good pick, and I expect him to tick over consistently.
From last week’s article, Saka and Foden remain excellent picks. Jota is also a great pick, but be wary of Salah returning, as that would hinder his xMins. I’d also advise you to make sure you don’t need him the day before FUT Champs. He may be slightly distracted.
Darwin Nunez
I promise you, I’m not sadistic. Bruno AND Darwin? Bwoah.
Look, the biggest concern I had with Darwin earlier on in the season were his minutes (and the abhorrent finishing, but much like a dejected and unsatisfied lover, I’ve come to terms with it), but they’re a much smaller concern now than they were a few weeks ago.
He may not play as a CF, but his xMins at LW have certainly increased. He has the highest npxG+xAG/90 in the league (1.03!) and he’s playing for an attack that’s created the most chances in the league.
This is without even mentioning the xMotivation after Klopp announced he’ll be leaving Liverpool. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if Darwin missed the announcement too.
Matheus Cunha
Before you go around your office shouting “Cunha???” I urge you to reconsider.
One small pronunciation mistake is all it takes for HR to get on your case.
Cunha may not be the spiciest of picks, but he’s a decent enabler at £5.8m, especially since he has an incredible fixture in BGW 26, where he faces Sheffield United (H).
In this tricky phase of FPL play, you need minutes security, and Cunha gives you that alongside penalties. His npxG+xAG/90 is 0.49, or, in vague terms, a return in every other game.
Ollie Watkins and Joao Pedro are still good picks (as mentioned in last week’s article), and that tall Norwegian fella will soon become one too. So, you know, plan to bring him in soon, especially before DGW 25.
Who to Captain in FPL Gameweek 22?
Julian Alvarez
Julian Alvarez plays Burnley (H) in gameweek 22 (a bottom half defence), and Haaland isn’t likely to start.
Let’s say Haaland gets ~25 minutes. I still expect Julian Alvarez to get around 75 minutes, as he either comes off for KDB or stays on as KDB comes off.
That means, for ~65 minutes, Alvarez is the CF for the best team in the league, on all set-pieces, on penalties, a talisman, and an xG magnet.
He hasn’t gotten many points recently (just like Manchester United), but I wouldn’t place too much emphasis on that. Keep your faith in him, just for one more week.
If mini-Erling doesn’t take your fancy, how about the poster boy for Icelandic hotels, Phil Foden?
I expect him to start this week as a RW, and he’s a phenomenal captaincy option (although he’d be a better option if he played in the midfield).
Richarlison
Brentford’s xGA is actually excellent; they’re second in the league for away xGA, but Spurs have an excellent attack.
In fact, they’ve scored the third most goals in the league, and the markets even predict them to score 2+ goals this week, so I wouldn’t place an overemphasis on Brentford’s defence.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Flekken actually save anything in the Premier League either. His PSxG-xGA is -8.8, in fact.
Furthermore, Richarlison should start and get ~85 minutes, play as the CF, and be the first-choice penalty taker (assuming Maddison isn’t on the field). It’s a punt, but it’s free risk, in my opinion.
Verdict:
If you think Alvarez gets ~75 minutes (I do), he’s my preferred captain.
If not, Richarlison is a worthy second choice.
Advice
We’re going to see a lot of blank and double gameweeks soon. GW 25, 26, and 29 are likely to be incredibly chaotic. Hence, planning is necessary, especially for GW 26 and 29, as they will likely be sizable blank gameweeks.
Brentford, Burnley, and Fulham are the only teams to play in both GW 26 and 29. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Well, there’s just one problem. It’s Brentford, Burnley, and Fulham???
But fear not; LazyFPL and I are here to help you venture into these turbulent waters.
But before you go, I have a tale to tell. A tale of when I walked into work to see my colleague staring at his screen.
I was taken aback. He’d gotten five green arrows in a row and was now getting a promotion. I naturally congratulated him for his hard work, but he simply shook his head and said, “I couldn’t have done it without help. That’s why I’m a part of the Lazy Revolution.”
And you should be too. Join over 48,000 FPL managers by signing up for the free LazyFPL newsletter.
