Thread by @FPLOlympian

Why I’m favouring a GW8 WC 🃏 #FPL

❌ teams to offload
✅ teams to target
🌟 best players to own
✍️ potential drafts

A thread 🧵

While GW9 is currently seen as the most popular time to WC due to the international break, there is a lot of merit in activating one week earlier, in GW8.

This is due to how the fixtures fall for both the top and mid-table teams.

Let’s take a look at the upcoming fixtures.

❌ Teams to offload on WC8 ❌

⭕️ Arsenal

• Arsenal have a tough game v BRE (a) in GW8

• Followed by TOT, LIV & MCI in the following 4 fixtures

• For these reasons, I’m looking to potentially go with 0 Arsenal assets on WC8

🔴 Liverpool

• Liverpool have been nowhere near their best this season

• They play CHE (a) in GW8

• Followed by BHA, ARS, MCI & WHU in the next 4

• If you’re going to ditch Salah, WC8 is the optimal time to do so, and spread the funds around.

👕 Man City

• City face MUN, LIV & ARS between GW9-12

• This may provide an opportunity to minimise the number of City assets owned

• SOU (H) in GW10 looks like a prime rotation fixture as it’s sandwiched between the tough PL fixtures and UCL

🕊 Brighton

• CRY (H) in GW8 will be a tricky game from both an attacking and defensive perspective

• Followed by LIV & TOT in the next 2 fixtures, plus MCI & CHE in the next 6 fixtures

⚪️ Leeds

• MUN (a) in GW8 is not a good fixture for an inconsistent Leeds team

• Allows 1 week punt on Leeds assets in GW7 v NFO (H), before ditching on WC8

• Very mixed and unfavourable fixtures going forward - they play ARS, LIV & TOT before the World Cup

✅ TEAMS TO TARGET ON WC8 ✅

🔲 Newcastle

• WC8 allows a potential NEW triple up for the green fixture run from GW8-10 (BOU, ful, BRE)

• Managers wildcarding in GW9 will lose the benefit of the big haul-potential fixture v BOU (H)

Best players to own:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Trippier
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Pope
🇸🇪 Isak

🦊 Leicester

• Despite Leicester’s poor form, the fixtures are there to turn things around (especially from GW9-13)

• You could look at benching Leicester assets in GW8, if selecting on WC8

Best players to own:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Maddison
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Barnes
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Ward

🦁 Aston Villa

• Villa are another out of form team that been gifted generous fixtures from GW8 to turn their season around

• The good run begins with SOU (H) in GW8, which WC9 managers will miss out on

Best players to own:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Watkins
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Digne
🇯🇲 Bailey

⚒️ West Ham

• WC8 allows you to hop on West Ham assets for the EVE (a) fixture, for their nice fixture run until the World Cup

• A playable bench may be optimal to use in GW12 & 14, where you may want to bench WHU assets

Best players to own:
🇧🇷 Paqueta
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Bowen
🇧🇷 Emerson

⚫️ Fulham

• Fulham have one of the most favourable fixture runs in the league, from GW8-14

• WC8 allows us to benefit from the fixture v NFO (a), which WC9 managers won’t benefit from

Best players to own:
🇷🇸 Mitrovic
🇧🇷 Andreas
🇩🇪 Leno

🐓 Tottenham

• Spurs have a mixed run of fixtures ahead, but LEI (H) looks like an excellent fixture to target in GW8

• The fixtures aren’t good enough for a triple up, but getting in one of Son/Kane on WC8 could pay dividends

Best players to own:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Kane
🇭🇷 Perisic
🇰🇷 Son

🦅 Crystal Palace

• Palace assets would be long term holds until the World Cup (GW16)

• GW8/9 fixtures aren’t the best, but from GW10 onwards, it’s all green

Best players to own:
🇨🇮 Zaha
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Eze
🇩🇰 Andersen

🍒 Bournemouth

• A new manager bounce could be underway for Bournemouth, and the fixtures are there to potentially take a punt on one of their assets

Best players to own:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Solanke
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tavernier

Pros of WC8 over WC9

✔️ Avoid the CHE v LIV fixture in GW8

✔️ Take advantage of the many mid-table teams that have a favourable fixture turn beginning in GW8

✔️ Get in early on the new template, and be rewarded with better team value before the masses buy on WC9

Cons of a WC8 over WC9

❌ WC9 gives you an extra week to tinker during the international break

❌ Potential injuries from international duty may be a slight concern with only 1 FT in GW9 (recommend a strong 1st bench player, and a full playing bench)

I’m personally looking to get ahead of the curve with my WC, meaning I’ll be ditching most of the current template.

The big 6 will see plenty of rotation with Europe competitions beginning this week, so I see now to be a great time jump off.

Here are some potential drafts 👇

Draft 1 (3-5-2)

❌ No Salah, No City (except Haaland), No Arsenal

💸 Spread the funds around

🟰 Heavy on the mid-table teams

💰2 premium midfielders

Draft 2 (4-3-3)

❌ No Salah, once again

🟰 Fairly spread of funds across all positions

🔲 Triple Newcastle

Draft 3 (4-3-3)

✔️ A draft for the Salah backers

🔒 Safest of the 3 drafts with the current template

🏦 Has approx. £1m left in the bank for some upgrades

Summary 🎯

There are more advantages than disadvantages to activate the WC in GW8, one week before the masses.

GW8 seems to be the optimal time to jump off the triple ups from the big teams, and jump on the high value assets from mid-table teams with the best fixtures.

Thank you for reading 🙏

Let me know when you plan to play the WC 😉