We’re entering the final straight of this Fantasy Premier League season with just three gameweeks and three transfer deadlines to go until the curtain comes down on 2023-24.
It’s at this point in the campaign that FPL managers generally do one of two things: play safe by hoovering up the most popular assets in the game to consolidate their ranks, or take risks on lesser-owned players in a bid to rise up their mini-league tables.
This week’s tips should have something for everyone with a couple of in-demand options supplemented by a few cheaper differentials with promising upcoming schedules.
Before pressing confirm on your moves this week, make sure you have planned sufficiently for the final double gameweek of the campaign next week in which six clubs play twice.
Brighton, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are the clubs doubling up in Gameweek 37.
The Gameweek 36 deadline is at 6.30pm on Friday 3 May.
Gameweek 36 fixtures
Friday 3 May
Luton vs Everton (8pm)
Saturday 4 May
Arsenal vs Bournemouth (12.30pm)
Brentford vs Fulham (3pm)
Burnley vs Newcastle (3pm)
Sheffield Utd vs Nottingham Forest (3pm)
Man City vs Wolves (5.30pm)
Sunday 5 May
Brighton vs Aston Villa (2pm)
Chelsea vs West Ham (2pm)
Liverpool vs Spurs (4.30pm)
Monday 6 May
Crystal Palace vs Man Utd (8pm)
Stefan Ortega (Man City)
It’s not often that we tip a goalkeeper in this article, but equally it’s not often that the cheapest player in the game suddenly becomes a regular starter for one of the best teams in the division.
Stefan Ortega looks set to start in Manchester City‘s final four fixtures after Ederson suffered a shoulder injury during the 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest on Sunday. The Brazilian was seen wearing a sling after the game with Pep Guardiola admitting “it doesn’t look good”.
While losing Ederson is a blow for City as they go in search of a fourth successive Premier League crown, Ortega has proven to be an able deputy in the past. The 31-year-old kept a clean sheet during City’s title showdown with Arsenal at the end of March and recorded two shutouts in three league appearances last season.
City also have a double gameweek after this weekend with matches against Fulham (a) and Tottenham (a) which further boosts Ortega’s appeal.
Price: £3.7m Points: 18 Gameweek 36 fixture: Wolves (h)
Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
Chris Wood had a nightmarish day at the office last Sunday, squandering two gilt-edged chances to score inside the six-yard box as Forest slipped to a narrow defeat to City.
The New Zealand international will have been relieved to hear Nuno Espirito Santo offer some public backing after the game with the Forest boss describing him as “one of the best strikers in the Premier League”.
Sunday aside, Wood has justified Nuno’s faith in him by becoming Forest’s talisman since the Portuguese took charge. The 32-year-old has scored nine goals in only 13 games under Nuno, which is five goals more than any teammate has managed in that time.
Although Forest do not have any double gameweeks left, they face three obliging defences in their final three games, starting with a Sheffield United side closing in on a century of goals conceded. They then face Chelsea and Burnley in their final two games.
Price: £4.8m Points: 114 Gameweek 36 fixture: Sheffield Utd (a)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
We can all be guilty of falling into the trap of prioritising double gameweek assets over single gameweek ones due to the allure of the extra fixture, but that strategy can sometimes come back to bite us.
Arsenal only have regular gameweeks left, unlike Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle, Chelsea and Tottenham, all of whom have excellent midfield options in FPL and all play twice in Gameweek 37.
Which is why some FPL bosses are deciding to move away from Bukayo Saka. That would be a mistake, though, after the England winger produced a 12-point haul in the north London derby, his best return since February.
Bournemouth, who have already accumulated their most points in a Premier League season ever, are tricky opponents for the Gunners on Saturday, but with a title up for grabs Saka and co will not be lacking in motivation.
Price: £9m Points: 214 Gameweek 36 fixture: Bournemouth (h)
Marc Cucurella (Chelsea)
There aren’t many defenders making a compelling case for inclusion in our FPL teams right now, which partly explains how we’ve landed on Marc Cucurella in this week’s tips.
Ordinarily, we’d advise swerving a player who has accumulated an aggregate score of -2 across his last two performances, but the bushy-headed left-back has posted some promising underlying stats since coming into Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Cucurella has started in each of Chelsea’s last seven Premier League matches – ahead of Thursday’s derby against Spurs – and in that time he has created 11 chances.
Only Andy Robertson and Ben White have set up more among defenders and neither of them have a double gameweek coming up.
Price: £4.8m Points: 24 Gameweek 36 fixture: West Ham (h)
Phil Foden (Man City)
Phil Foden missed City’s last game due to illness but is expected to recover to face Wolves on Saturday.
Although City ground out at a win at the City Ground, it wasn’t especially unconvincing and Guardiola will be pleased to welcome Foden back into the fold given his form in recent months.
This is already Foden’s most prolific Premier League season with the 23-year-old netting 16 times in 31 games, up from 11 in 32 in 2022-23. He has also started 29 times, an increase from 22 last term, which is further evidence of his increased importance in this City side.
With a double gameweek on the horizon too, it is little wonder that Foden is attracting plenty of attention in the transfer market ahead of this weekend’s round of fixtures.
Price: £8.3m Points: 199 Gameweek 36 fixture: Wolves (h)