Fantasy Premier League Gameweek Five Preview

Fantasy Premier League Gameweek Five starts on Saturday with the Merseyside derby. The return of FPL is definitely welcome after quite an eventful International break. One should be well-informed about the status of the FPL assets before hitting that confirm transfer button. Read on to find out more about this upcoming gameweek.

Fantasy Premier League Gameweek Five Picks

Quick Tips

The number of penalties being awarded has gone up astronomically this season due to the new handball rules. It is unlikely to continue in this vein but it would still be handy to own those penalty takers who offer attacking threat from open play as well.

Goalkeepers

This season has been really unpredictable so far and the goalkeepers have not done too well. Clean sheets have been few and far between. In fact, goalkeepers only managed to keep only four clean sheets last gameweek. On paper, Aaron Ramsdale seems to be the best bet for a clean sheet but Sheffield United have lost all four matches so far. Fulham were much more solid against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time around and they do have Aleksander Mitrovic so one cannot be too confident of a Blades clean sheet.

Bernd Leno could be worth a gamble. One might think it’s crazy as he has Manchester City this week with Leicester City and Manchester United coming up afterward. However, with so few clean sheets being kept, one has to look at the saves potential. In the tough matches, Leno could rack up the saves. He made five saves against Liverpool and one would expect a similar amount this week as well. If Arsenal can produce good performances, a win at the Etihad is not beyond them.

Emiliano Martínez is the highest-scoring goalkeeper so far and he remains a top pick despite a tough trip to Leicester City this week. Illan Meslier could be a nice option as well. Wolves seem to be struggling on the attacking front and Leeds United might get the three points against them.

Defenders

Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling provide solid options from Leeds United. They both go forward a lot and have good attacking potential.

Jack Robinson could be a nice option at a cheap price. However, it might be tough to trust the Sheffield United defence after their horrendous start this season. Could this be the week that starts the ball rolling for the Blades?

Tariq Lamptey has looked pretty impressive so far but had a poor game last gameweek. He also has been taken off early twice already. Lamptey’s attacking potential is huge, though, so he should be worth consideration for sure.

Just like other Leicester City players, Timothy Castagne also had a poor game against West Ham United. He will try to get back to form against the impressive Aston Villa. This could be a good game to watch.

With Alisson injured, the clean sheet potential for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson has dropped significantly. They still offer plenty of attacking threat. However, a case could be made to go for cheaper options like Ben Chilwell who had an amazing debut for Chelsea. He is a slight doubt for this week though so is a risk one must be willing to take ahead of the gamweek.

Midfielders

Harvey Barnes scored twice against Aston Villa last season. He has looked quite threatening this season and has taken a lot of shots. Jack Grealish is in great form for the opposition and he could be a great pick as well. Ross Barkley is also worth consideration at a much cheaper price.

Wilfried Zaha had made a good start to the season before last week’s debacle at Stamford Bridge. He has nice fixtures coming up so one should strongly consider him.

James Rodríguez has proved his skeptics wrong so far this season. The Colombian looks comfortable in the Premier League. Although, this week he will face the most difficult game of his time in England. As a long-term pick, he is really crucial to have in your side.

Heung-Min Son has scored six goals in four matches so far this season. The caveat is that all those goals came in the two away games. This week he faces West Ham United at home. The Korean should be fresh after getting a break during the International matches.

Mohamed Salah has only scored once against Everton in the Premier League. Interestingly, he has played only three times against them. So, one cannot look at the records too seriously for such a small sample size. Despite Everton’s form, Liverpool should still win this match. Sadio Mané should be back in the side as well to provide the attacking edge for the Reds.

Strikers

Jamie Vardy scored four goals in the two Premier League games against Aston Villa last season. However, Villa are a much better side this term so Vardy might find things a bit more difficult this time.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin seems to be a must-have this season. Liverpool may not be easy opponents but one cannot argue against the form the Everton forward is in.

Harry Kane is in good form as well. Unlike in previous seasons, this season he has registered more assists than goals so far. In fact, he only made more assists in the 2016/17 season. Amazingly, he only needs one more assist to match that feat. With both goals and assists in his game, Kane is a brilliant option. He also takes penalties. So, one should consider bringing him in very strongly indeed.

Tammy Abraham could have a good game this week at home to Southampton. Chelsea had a great performance against Crystal Palace last time around so they should be confident about taking on the Saints. Danny Ings, too, has a keen eye for goal and always provides a reliable option.

Many mid-range strikers are doing well this season. The ones on penalty duties have been the most successful so far. Callum Wilson and Neal Maupay are doing really well. The fixtures are not kind for Callum Wilson but he might still do well. Neal Maupay has better fixtures but Brighton & Hove Albion have not played well consistently so far. Regardless, Maupay is producing the FPL points that make all the difference to FPL managers.

Patrick Bamford and Ollie Watkins are also decent options to consider this week. There is excitement about Rhian Brewster’s move to Sheffield United also, providing a potentially cheaper alternative to the likes of Watkins. The only issue with that is the form of Chris Wilder’s side. Can Brewster change their fortunes all by himself?