Big Man Bakar is back with his best FPL tips ahead of GW29 and the FPL expert has looked into questions surrounding Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer.
FPL GW29 Tips: Big Man Bakar Answers Key Questions
Q) Is it worth buying Erling Haaland this week?
My main objective this week is to acquire Erling Haaland, which means I will also need to sell Mohamed Salah. Assuming he stays injury-free, Haaland should play a pivotal role in our squads in the weeks to come.
According to UK betting sites, he is by far the most likely player to score or assist this week and has a considerable ceiling, especially as Manchester City are projected to score the highest number of goals as well.
For reference, here are the bookmakers odds to score or assist this week, with Haaland comfortably ranked highest:
- Erling Haaland – 64%
- Evanilson – 54%
- Bruno Fernandes – 50%
- Chris Wood – 48%
- Leandro Trossard – 48%
This makes him a clear choice for captaincy this week, and it’s worth mentioning that Haaland then faces Leicester at home next week, where he is likely to be the optimal captain again.
With a likely double in Gameweek 33 as well, Haaland could be a set-and-forget player in our teams for the foreseeable future.
Q) Is it ok to sell Mohamed Salah to buy Erling Haaland this week?
At first glance, it seems crazy to be selling someone as consistent and explosive as Salah. When I look back at it, the backlash is very similar to what a lot of us had to face when we sold an in-form Haaland to buy Salah in Gameweek 10, which turned out great!
Having thought long and hard about it, I believe there is a method to the madness again. Looking at my captaincy choices in the Gameweeks to come:
- Blank Gameweek 29: Haaland (BHA)
- Gameweek 30: Haaland (LEI)
- Gameweek 31: Isak (LEI), Palmer (BRE), Haaland (MUM)
- Double Gameweek 32: Isak (CRY, MUN)
- Double Gameweek 33: Haaland
- Blank Gameweek 34: Possible Free Hit
While I recognize that Salah is capable of explosive performances, the way the fixtures have lined up makes it seem counter-intuitive to invest heavily in a player I’m unlikely to captain.
Depending on how the cup results pan out, I’ll decide whether to re-buy Salah later, but with the information available right now, it doesn’t seem probable.
Q) Sell Mohamed Salah or Cole Palmer this week?
Keeping an out-of-sorts Palmer instead of an in-form Salah also appears to be a bizarre choice. However, most FPL managers, including myself, will need an additional transfer (or hit) in order for them to have both Salah and Haaland.
I prefer keeping Palmer over Salah since he has two fixtures till Gameweek 30 (after which most will Wildcard) and helps me avoid the extra transfer that I’ll need to make if I keep Salah.
Q) Should we sell Alexander Isak for Haaland?
If Isak is your only route to Haaland, then I’d sell. If not, then I’d keep Isak as he has a good fixture at home to Brentford next week.
Further, keeping Isak gives you the option to Wildcard later should you wish to as you can keep him for his double in Gameweek 32.
Q) Who is the best Trent replacement?
I’d lean towards Gabriel if you don’t own. If you do, I’d go for Gvardiol. Gvardiol and Haaland are the only two options that appeal from Man City when it comes to minutes.
Gvardiol is assured of consistent playing time and should benefit from an array of good fixtures, including a confirmed Gameweek 29 fixture, a fixture at home to Leicester next week and then a double Gameweek later.
Q) What to do with Dango Outtara?
I’d probably lean towards benching him this week, if possible. He has has become a bit of an unforeseen problem, as he appears to have lost his starting position.
With Kluivert, Semenyo, Tavernier and Evanilson playing so well, I’d like to believe that he’s unlikely to start this weekend.
He has a chance to start in Gameweek 30, which is a midweek fixture immediately after Bournemouth’s FA Cup game against Man City.
Iraola loves to rotate so I’d imagine that’s a fixture he might choose to rotate in given the short turnaround. Even that is tough to gauge as Milos Kerkez is suspended for the FA Cup, so Dango could play left back in the cup instead.
Q) Best Matheus Cunha replacement?
I’d say Evanilson. Having recovered from injury, Evanilson is back on the FPL radar. Two consecutive starts in the cup and league suggest that he will likely get consistent minutes in the upcoming matches.
He should be a good differential to have in place not only for this week but also for Bournemouth’s favourable schedule to come.
He’s also much cheaper than Chris Wood so allows for some extra spending elsewhere.
Q) Best Morgan Rogers replacement?
I would look at Semenyo or Kluivert depending on your risk appetite. Kluivert is more of a minutes risk, especially in Gameweek 30, but if both are on the field Kluivert is likely the better choice with penalties at his disposal.
Q) Should hits be taken to field a playing 11?
Because a lot of us will be Wildcarding so soon, I’m reluctant to take any hits as I doubt that they will be worthwhile. As long as you have seven playable attackers and two playable defenders, you are likely to be fine.
No team has a clean sheet probability of 40% or higher this week, so points from defenders seem unlikely to come and the information gained next week will be so crucial.
Q) Why is it risky to Wildcard this week?
As it stands, I think Wildcarding in either Gameweek 30 or Gameweek 31 depending on the health of your team and the emergence of fixture information is going to be critical.
I did briefly consider Wildcarding this week, but ultimately decided against it as my team is not very different to a Wildcard team I would have in Gameweek 29 anyway.
The total lack of information regarding the double and blank Gameweeks, along with the possibility of selecting the wrong double Gameweek players (for instance no Mateta or Gordon), has deterred me from pulling the trigger.
Q) Sell Alisson to get a playing goalkeeper this week?
I would, if you have a free transfer available. I wouldn’t make the transfer for a hit as Alisson has a good fixture at home to Everton next week.
Q) Free Hit or Wildcard this week if the team is decimated?
I would rather Wildcard than Free Hit this week, if forced to. The Wildcard can set you up nicely for the weeks to come (including this week), while giving you the flexibility to save transfers and make them later depending on how the fixture schedule falls.
You can then choose to Free Hit in Gameweek 33 or 34 accordingly. Free Hitting this week has comparatively little power, as it only solves a temporary problem while leaving you short for the blank Gameweek later as well.
Q) Should Omar Marmoush be considered?
Unless you are Wildcarding in Gameweek 30 or Free Hitting this week, I wouldn’t bother as there is no guarantee he starts next Gameweek.
