Forward planning for FPL Gameweek 7 and 8

We take a look at forward planning for FPL Gameweek 7 and 8. With the help of the Fantasy Football Scout members area we can utilise its fixture ticker and underlying stats to pick out the best teams and players to target for the Gameweeks ahead.

Forward planning for FPL Gameweek 7 and 8 can be absolutely vital to the success of any given managers season. The early stage of the campaign is one of the most important periods in FPL so being able to target the right teams and players could be key.

Gameweek 7 & 8 fixtures

Who has the best fixtures?

We can see that Luton and Burnley sit first and second on the ticker. This is mainly due to the fact they both have a double Gameweek in 7.

Everton, Fulham and Chelsea are also amongst the top five teams with the easiest fixtures.

Who has the worst fixtures?

Wolves, Arsenal, Liverpool, Brighton and Manchester City all rank amongst the bottom five teams with the toughest fixtures.

Best players for Gameweek 7 & 8

Luton – Sit at the top of the fixture ticker because of their double in the round ahead. For those looking to invest in defence then goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski (£4.5m) could be a great addition especially with the lack of goalkeeping options. Another safe pick in terms of minutes is centre-back Amari’i Bell (£4m) who has started all of his first matches for Luton.

Chelsea – The Blues face Fulham and Burnley in the next two matches, two teams producing some poor defensive and offensive data. Chelsea have some great defensive options like goalkeeper Robert Sanchez (£4.6m) and centre-back Levi Colwill (£4.5m) who are both nailed in terms of minutes. Another defensive option but with massive potential could be Ben Chilwell (£5.7m). He has been playing in a left-wing position. In terms of attack managers could also consider midfielder Raheem Sterling (£7.2m) and striker Nicolas Jackson (£7m). Both have been disappointing this season but with good fixtures could come good form.

Newcastle – They play Burnley and West Ham next up. They also maintained some of the best defensive data last season and they have bagged two clean sheets in all competitions in the last two games. With that in mind we could look to centre-backs Sven Botman (£4.6m) and Fabian Schar (£5m). Those with more budget could opt for Kieran Trippier (£6.5m) who takes set pieces and sits joint top amongst defenders for chances created so far.

Who else should we be targeting?

Manchester United – The Reds may be defensively ropey but their offensive players are worth consideration. One of them is Marcus Rashford (£8.9m) who has managed three returns from his four matches since reverting back to his favoured left-wing position. Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) could also be worth a pick as he takes his sides penalties and is sustaining some great distribution data.

Aston Villa – They come up against Brighton and Wolves next up. For those looking for a great defensive asset then Matty Cash (£4.7m) could be the standout option. Cash leads every other defender in the game for non-penalty expected goal involvement (3.10). The standout attacking pick based on budget is midfielder Moussa Diaby (£6.6m) who has managed three returns in five games. Another great option for those with the money could back striker Ollie Watkins (£7.9m) who has bagged a five-point return in four of his first five matches.

Tottenham – With Liverpool and Luton up next there could be big potential for their attackers. The standout option is James Maddison (£7.9m) who sits third amongst all players for non-penalty expected goal involvement (3.80). Another great asset could be fellow midfielder Son Heung-min (£9.1m) who is playing in a strikers role and collected a 20-point haul in Gameweek 4.

Other assets with potential

Bryan Mbeumo (£6.9m) – Brentford come up against Nottingham Forest and Manchester United next, two teams conceding lots of goals. Their standout player is Mbeumo who has had more big chances than any other midfielder in the game so far and also takes his sides penalties.

Manchester City – The league leaders are always worth consideration regardless of fixtures. The standout picks are strikers Julian Alvarez (£6.9m) and Erling Haaland (£14.1m).

Should we use a chip?

The most experienced managers usually use their Bench Boost, Triple Captain and Free Hit chip during medium or large blank and double Gameweeks. The only chip that could be utilised is the Wildcard. Mangers could activate their wildcard to plan for the fixtures ahead or if they have multiple issues within their squads.