Eight-time top 10k finisher Zophar hosts his weekly Q&A. Who are the best defensive picks for Gameweek 31 and beyond? Is Harry Wilson (£6.0m) essential this week? Can you get away with playing only 10 players in a Blank Gameweek? Our pundit answers all of these questions – and more.
You can read his Gameweek 31 team reveal here.
Q: Can having only 10 players starting be a valid strategy for Gameweek 31, even with enough free transfers to get 11 out? I’ve already used my Wildcard and am keeping blanking defenders Gabriel Magalhaes, Daniel Munoz and Nico O’Reilly, with the following weeks in mind, rather than transferring in, for example, Joachim Andersen.
(via I have no Wirz)
A: I always believe that quality over quantity matters in a Blank Gameweek. You need to target having the right players, rather than 11 players.
Now, with Crystal Palace having progressed in the UEFA Conference League last night, we know that Palace cannot double now in Gameweek 32. They may not double in Gameweek 33, either. So, keeping that in mind, I think selling Daniel Munoz (£5.8m) makes sense in your case. Also, I think if you have already used your Wildcard, a Free Hit in Gameweek 34 may be a better strategy, so you need to target players who will likely double in Gameweek 33. Newcastle United fit that bill and have a good fixture this week, so I like the idea of Munoz to Malick Thiaw (£5.1m).
It’s trickier, though, if you want to buy Joachim Andersen (£4.6m). In Gameweek 32, Fulham have Liverpool away, when you wouldn’t want to play him. In Gameweek 33, it’s Brentford away, and you probably have doublers you’d rather play. And in Gameweek 34, you Free Hit, so Andersen’s usefulness is limited to just one Gameweek in the short term. In that case, I would skip the Andersen transfer. It really depends on what your Free Hit window is (Gameweek 33 or 34) and how your rotations look.
And yes, keeping transfers in hand is more important if you have already used your Wildcard.
Q: Who’s the best Trevoh Chalobah replacement: Malick Thiaw or Joachim Andersen?
(via Pompel)
A: As mentioned earlier, it is tied into your Wildcard strategy and Free Hit strategy around the Double Gameweek.
For example, if you are going to Free Hit in Gameweek 33, Thiaw has Palace away in Gameweek 32, which isn’t great, and a blank in Gameweek 34. If the rotations work out and you can bench him, I prefer Thiaw (especially if you have already played your Wildcard), but for the Free Hit in Gameweek 33 approach, I think Andersen generally works better.
In fact, if you’re using the Free Hit in Gameweek 33 and the Wildcard in Gameweek 35, then I think Diogo Dalot (£4.6m) is probably the pick. As the image below shows, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Liverpool have the best fixtures in the next four Gameweeks, if you omit Gameweek 33 (when you’re Free Hitting). With Liverpool, I am worried about rotation in the Gameweek 32 fixture, as PSG are on either side in a Wednesday-Tuesday turnaround. The less said about Spurs’ defence, the better.
Q: Is double Newcastle defence for this week and beyond a good option? Lewis Hall’s minutes should be more secure going forward. Which are the best defenders for Gameweek 31? Also, do you think a Wildcard in Gameweek 32 is still the best route if you still have all your chips? 
