How to use transfers in the International break

The first four rounds of Fantasy Premier League are over. After a hectic start to the season we take a look at how to use transfers in the international break. We consider lots of different factors to help you make decisions ahead of Gameweek 5.

Looking at how to use transfers in the international break can be really useful for fantasy managers. With a long gap ahead before the football resumes it could be wise to look at the best performing players, fixtures and more to bring clarity to our transfer decisions.

The international break

The international break starts on the 4th of September and runs until 15th of September with the Premier Leagues return on the 16th of September. This means that managers have 11 days to ponder the use of their transfers.

The international break can bring lots of different obstacles for FPL managers. One of the biggest obstacles is potential injuries. Usually the most experienced fantasy managers wait until the international break is over to use their transfers just in case their players suffer injuries when playing for their country.

There is no telling if players will pick up injuries for their country so buying players during the break could be massively damaging to future plans.

Fixtures

Below we can see the Fantasy Football Scout fixture ticker. Here we have ordered the teams in difficulty order. The teams at the top have the easiest fixtures whilst the teams at the bottom have the toughest fixtures.

Where should we be using our transfers?

Several of the teams at the top of the fixture ticker have great fixtures but not a lot of ownership in terms of the template. Below we go through some of the players and teams we should look to when using our transfers:

Newcastle – They rank right at the top of the ticker with a great run of fixtures. Newcastle maintained some of the best defensive stats in the league last season so it could be wise to invest there. The top three options in the Newcastle defence are centre-backs Sven Botman (£4.5m), Fabian Schar (£5m) and Kieran Trippier (£6.5m) Some may want to look at their attacking assets as well. Midfielders Miguel Almiron (£6.4m) and Antony Gordon (£5.5m) could be on managers radar after good performances. Another option some could target is striker Alexander Isak (£7.7m) who bagged two goals in his opening match.

Aston Villa – Its been a solid start to the season for Villa after two wins from a possible three. They have also netted eight goals along the way. Whilst many may have sold striker Ollie Watkins (£8m) it could be nearly time to bring him back in. He has managed a return in every game he has played at the time of writing. Some could even invest in defender Matty Cash (£4.6m) who recently picked up a huge 17-point return for his brace.

Who else could I target?

Liverpool – Although Liverpool have failed to keep a single clean sheet so far they still look convincing in attack. With that in mind some could take a look at midfielders Diogo Jota (£8m), Luis Diaz (£7.7m) and potentially Mohamed Salah (£12.5m).

Chelsea – The Blues still have some fantastic fixtures ahead and have plenty of in-game ownership already. However, for those who do not own Chelsea players it could be wise to invest. There are plenty of options but the standout picks are defender Ben Chilwell (7.8m), midfielder Raheem Sterling (£7.2m) and striker Nicolas Jackson (£7.2m).

Tottenham – It may be tough to bring in a defensive asset with the fixtures ahead but their frontline could be well be worth an investment. The standout is of course midfielder James Maddison (£7.7m) who has maintained some best underlying offensive data in the league.

Arsenal – The Gooners may be a tough buy in terms of defence but their attacking options are still some of the best around. Midfielder Bukayo Saka (£8.7m) and striker Gabriel Jesus (£7.9m) could be considered.

Manchester United – the Reds may be ropey at the back but their attackers could have potential for the fixtures ahead. Both midfielders Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m) and Marcus Rashford (£8.9m) could be good options for those without looking ahead.

The Brighton factor

It also worth considering Brighton moving forward. They sit at the bottom of the fixture ticker for the run ahead with matches against Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Manchester City in the next six matches.

Another thing worth highlighting is the high ownership of their players. Both defender Pervis Estupinan (£5.3m) and midfielder Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5m) sit amongst the top four highest owned players in the game.

Taking the tough fixtures ahead and the high player ownership into account, Brighton could be the team that many use their transfers on ahead of Gameweek 5.

How to use transfers in the break

Due to how volatile the international break can be for injuries it could be wise to hold on until the day before the Gameweek 5 deadline at least. We can see that there are also clear fixture swings for teams with many potentially looking to come off Brighton assets and invest in Newcastle or Aston Villa assets. Some could be chasing teams whom are in the middle of good fixture runs like the Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal in terms of investment.