FPL: @dmpwright’ Bus Team for Gameweek 21 - Fantasy Football Community

The Premier League season continues so we look to the new round. We bring in Fantasy Football Community and Fantasy Football Scout contributor @dmpwright to reveal his bus team and plans for Gameweek 21.

As we approach any given deadline, managers will be scrambling for clarity on some of the biggest decisions in the game like transfers and captaincy. Taking a look at @dmpwright’ bus team for Gameweek 21 could benefit other managers when making those decisions.

Bus Team for Gameweek 21

Plans

While Alphonse Areola’s heroics went some way to limiting the damage, there’s only one word to describe my GW20 outcome, ruinous. I transferred in Julian Álvarez for Cameron Archer shortly before the deadline. I also captained him instead of Mohamed Salah. Playing Álvarez also meant I had to bench one of Cole Palmer or Dominic Solanke. Yes you guessed it, of course I benched the Chelsea midfielder. All of which resulted in a negative 20-point swing and red arrow down to an OR of ~305k.
Despite a calamitous GW20, I believe there are still plenty of opportunities to make large OR gains in the coming Gameweeks, especially with template players like Salah and Son-Heung Min now departed for AFCON and Asia Cup, respectively.
My bus team for GW21 currently looks like the following. I have Areola in goal; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gabriel, William Saliba and Charlie Taylor in defence; Cole Palmer, Richarlison and Bukayo Saka in midfield; and Álvarez, Dominic Solanke and Ollie Watkins in attack. Martin Dúbravka, Jamaal Lascelles and the unavailable Salah and Son are currently benched.
I’m expecting most of my upcoming transfers to be focused in offensive areas. So, it’s good that my goalkeepers and defence feel fairly settled at the moment. Lascelles is the only real issue. He could be the one to make way for Pervis Estupiñan when I have a spare transfer. Equally, one of Gabriel or Saliba could be the fall guy should I decide to take some stock out of the faltering but still statistically strong Arsenal defence.
In midfield, I will spend at least one transfer in GW21 removing Salah or Son. Their replacement is likely taking Taylor’s place in the starting XI. There are several viable replacements, including Jarrod Bowen, Phil Foden, Diogo Jota and analytics darling Bruno Fernandes. Although, I’m put off by Manchester United’s ongoing poor form. Richarlison should also be under consideration by those who don’t own him. Alejandro Garnacho also seems to be getting regular minutes now and offers a cheaper route into the United midfield.
Picking the right midfield combination while Salah and Son are away could really boost your OR. However, with the GW21 deadline still several days away, I’d wait as long as possible before making any moves, even if it means making a slight loss on Salah and/or Son’s selling price.
Upfront, the early indication is that Erling Haaland may be available for the GW21 fixture against Newcastle United. Depending on what (if any) information we get regarding the Manchester City lineup closer to the GW21 deadline, I may use the funds from selling Salah/Son to also bring Haaland back into my team, likely for Álvarez. Alvarez is now more of a rotation risk now that Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne have returned. Or, it may even be Solanke, who has a tricky run of upcoming fixtures.
Ivan Toney is also available again after his suspension. He is firmly in my thoughts ahead of a possible DGW for Brentford. Although it may take him a few games to recapture match sharpness.