After an absolutely disastrous last round, Gameweek 35 could not have come soon enough. Almost everyone’s wildcard was wasted. Will this gameweek soothe the pain or will it pile on the misery for fantasy football managers?

Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 35 Tips

Bench Boost or Triple Captain?

Gameweek 35 has eight teams playing twice. With this in mind, a significant number of fantasy football managers used the wildcard last week with the intention of deploying the bench boost chip this week. However, last week’s massive debacle has caused many to reconsider. In fact, some are now thinking about using the Triple Captain chip this week. Both strategies have their merits and demerits. Using bench boost gives the opportunity to get points from 15 players who could potentially play two games each. However, most of the teams had a midweek match. So, rotation could throw a huge spanner in the best-laid plans. Similarly, your triple captain might also ride the pine in one game. Picking the right captain is quite tricky this week too. So, bench boost might just be the better option this week. Remember, Liverpool play Huddersfield Town at Anfield in Gameweek 36.

Teams With Two Games

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves have two home games this week, against Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal. The Brighton match looks a great one for Wolves. However, one must remember their terrible record against the bottom sides. It is quite amazing that Huddersfield managed to do the double against them this season but the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal dropped points against them. Brighton have a great record against Wolves as well with just two losses in the last ten games against them. In fact, Wolves lost 1-0 at the Amex earlier this season. So, despite Brighton being in terrible form, history tells us to be cautious. Still, one cannot ignore Raúl Jiménez. The Mexican had a poor game last week but was in good form before. He is definitely a good shout for the armband this week. Other options from Wolves are Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota.

Manchester City

Manchester City had a gut-wrenching defeat against Tottenham Hotspurs last night in the UEFA Champions League. The vagaries of the fixture schedule have put the Citizens up against Tottenham again. One would expect Manchester City to win at home but who knows how that defeat will affect Pep Guardiola’s men? They will then travel to Old Trafford to play the Manchester derby. So, they cannot allow that defeat to affect them as just one slip up could see Liverpool win the title. Raheem Sterling is in sublime form and should be a very strong contender for the armband. Sergio Agüero is also a good shout, while Kevin De Bruyne is playing well too. Would City have done better with him in the starting line-up for the first leg?

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur also have two games this week. After the Manchester City match, they will have a much more comfortable home game against Brighton. They need to pick up points to finish in the top four, so cannot afford to take any match lightly at this stage of the season. Son Heung-min is the best choice from that side. Christian Eriksen is also a decent option. How will Mauricio Pochettino approach the two matches though? Will he decide to rotate heavily against Brighton? If he does, Lucas Moura might come into consideration and even Fernando Llorente could be an option.

Arsenal

Arsenal got a rare away victory last Monday at Watford. They also managed to keep their first away clean sheet of the season at Vicarage Road. However, they had a man advantage for the majority of the game and still were not that impressive. This week, the Gunners have a home game against Crystal Palace first and then they travel to Wolves. One would expect Arsenal to continue their impressive home run and beat the Eagles. However, the Wolves game could be tricky. Unai Emery makes some changes in every match so it is tough to predict who will get to start both matches this week. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored last week and should do well again this week. He expressed his desire to start alongside his striking partner Alexandre Lacazette. Will Emery listen to him though? One could consider Aaron Ramsey also who is in fine form. Bernd Leno is another decent shout.

Watford

The Hornets have two good-looking matchups this week. They travel to Huddersfield Town and then take on Southampton at home. Unfortunately, we do not know yet whether Troy Deeney will be available. Watford appealed against his red card. If available, he is a great option. Abdoulaye Doucouré and Andre Gray could also be considered. Ben Foster is possibly the best keeper option this week on paper.

Southampton

The Saints are in good form but face two away fixtures this week. Newcastle United are always strong at home. Even though they are now probably safe from the drop, they will want to make sure of it by winning this game. Watford are also formidable at home. Brighton’s poor form has helped Southampton but they have to keep fighting as well to survive. So, one should consider players like Nathan Redmond, James Ward-Prowse, and the fit-again Danny Ings. Yan Valery was a popular wildcard pick but is now rated as doubtful. One needs to carefully monitor team news before taking a decision on him.

Manchester United

The Red Devils are in poor form of late and face two tough games this week. They need to win at Everton to keep their top four dreams alive before facing Manchester City in the derby. Not too many players from Manchester United are looking that attractive but Paul Pogba could be a shout as he is on penalties.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Most people will probably have two or three Brighton players from last week. It is tempting to transfer out the likes of Shane Duffy but one must be patient. They have two tough away matches but in times of adversity, the struggling teams often favour playing away. Could Brighton do the unthinkable and win away from home?

Top Picks

1. Raheem Sterling (11.5)
2. Sergio Agüero (11.7)
3. Raúl Jiménez (6.9)
4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (10.9)
5. Matt Doherty (5.3)
6. Diogo Jota (6.1)
7. Heung-Min Son (8.6)
8. Alexandre Lacazette (9.4)
9. Christian Eriksen (9.2)
10. Ben Foster (4.6)

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