FPL Gameweek 25: Buy, sell or hold?

FPL managers have big decisions to make ahead of Blank Gameweek 25. In particular, what to do with those players not taking part.

Using Fantasy Football Scout’s Season Ticker, we know that Newcastle, Man United, Brighton and Brentford will be absent this weekend.

GAMEWEEK 25

Marcus Rashford – HOLD

The hottest name in FPL right now, no way should in-form Rashford be sold. It’d mean inevitably buying him back and that uses up two precious free transfers. His ten post-World Cup league games have brought ten goals, two assists and a whopping 89 points.

Bruno Fernandes – SELL

Team-mate Fernandes is on the second-most points since Gameweek 17, with 66. Yet it’s harder to justify keeping a second Man United midfielder when it provides a route to Mohamed Salah’s double. With Man United likely to blank again in Gameweek 28, there are simply too few outings to justify his £9.8m price.

Luke Shaw – SELL

Sticking with Erik ten Hag’s rampant side, left-back Shaw has multiple clean sheets and assists from the last four matches. However, his next five rounds are set to include two blanks alongside trips to Liverpool and Newcastle. It might be time to bank the profit and move on.

Kieran Trippier – HOLD

Although Trippier’s seasonal price rise may be too much to sacrifice. He is far, far ahead as this season’s top-scoring FPL defender, providing a return in all but six matches. The rate of clean sheets and assists has been remarkable, something which will probably resume shortly, so he has earned patience from FPL managers.

Second Newcastle defender – SELL

Owning a second Newcastle defensive asset may be too far, though. Their streak of six successive clean sheets ended three matches ago, with no one else offering Trippier’s attacking threat. Those with Fabian Schar, Sven Botman or goalkeeper Nick Pope should take this opportunity to get rid.

Miguel Almiron – SELL

As the Newcastle attacker’s purple patch has ended, ownership has dwindled to the point where his place in squads can’t be justified anymore. It’s even worth a four-point hit to get rid unless it can only be for a similarly cheap midfielder.

Kaoru Mitoma – HOLD

Brighton’s upcoming schedule is infuriating. Should either they or Man United win next week’s FA Cup tie, the Seagulls will have a Blank – West Ham – Double – Blank – Double run of games. If it’s possible to hold onto Mitoma for the doubles, it’s worth doing so.

Pervis Estupinan – HOLD

It’s the same advice for attacking full-back Estupinan. There’s less of an urgency to sell defenders for Gameweek 25, as few clean sheets are expected to come in anyway. Certainly, none that’d be highly owned by the FPL community, just Arsenal and Chelsea.

Ivan Toney – SELL

This is a tougher call than Mitoma, despite both attackers having a blank now but a double in Gameweek 27. The reason why Toney is a sell is that there are simply more appealing forwards right now. Names like Ollie Watkins, Kelechi Iheanacho, Eddie Nketiah and Darwin Nunez.

Ben Mee – HOLD

As with Estupinan, it’s hard to recommend a replacement defender under £5.0m. Perhaps James Tarkowski, Max Kilman or Tyrone Mings but none of their sides are known for collecting clean sheets. Meanwhile, Mee’s three goals have contributed to him being this season’s fourth-highest-scoring defender.

Mohamed Salah – BUY

Our first recommended purchase. The FPL king has found form at the right time, just as Liverpool enter a Double Gameweek 25 against Crystal Palace and Wolves. Furthermore, as just 5.5% of the top 500k owned Salah last time, he could be an outstanding captain who is long overdue a penalty – Liverpool are one of two sides yet to get a spot kick.

Bukayo Saka – BUY

Many have jumped onto Saka in recent weeks but it’s worth re-emphasising that he isn’t a sideways move from Gabriel Martinelli. He’s an upgrade, with more playing time and penalty duties. The 21-year-old goes head-to-head with Salah as a leading Gameweek 25 captaincy candidate.