Gameweek 34 Preview 24/25

Welcome back to the FPL Lounge! The lads are back to preview GW38.It's the final gameweek of the season which means there's no run of fixtures to consider, and as a result, the lads go game by game discussing who they'd be eyeing up for their teams this gameweek.The age-old classic quandaries for this time of year rear their heads again - how safe do you play it, what will the rotation be for various teams and what differential options are appealing?One of the Premier League's greatest ever players, with currently the best underlying numbers in the league, finds himself the target of most transfers out this gameweek: make it make sense?! The lads swim against that tide.After a fairly open captaincy debate for the final gameweek, pride is on the line for Chris in the final instalment of the little game we like to call Who the Heck is Stat?!Thanks for all the listens this season and the past 5.Do let the guys know on X (fka Twitter), Insta, Threads or TikTok, @FPL_Lounge, and the lads are now on BlueSky too, but without the underscore: @FPLLounge. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your pods, so you always get new episodes in advance of the Gameweek deadline!

Welcome back to the FPL Lounge! The lads are back to preview GW37.It's the penultimate gameweek of the season, and with four teams approaching cup finals in GW37, is it time to target their opponents? The lads think so, with some opportunities to beat mini-league rivals and gain rank. The players on the radar are, therefore, mostly playing those teams with their focus elsewhere. There's a West Ham talisman, a striker with potential for increased minutes, and a super-differential player potentially deputising out of position.A classic FPL Lounge troll can be swam against this week, with increasing underlying numbers unsustainable. Captaincy is a mixed bag, with plenty of under-the-radar options that could win (or lose) mini-leagues. And can Andy wrap up Who The Heck Is Stat?! for the fifth consecutive year?Do let the guys know on X (fka Twitter), Insta, Threads or TikTok, @FPL_Lounge, and the lads are now on BlueSky too, but without the underscore: @FPLLounge. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your pods, so you always get new episodes in advance of the Gameweek deadline!

Welcome back to the FPL Lounge! The lads are back to preview GW36 with a shortened pod.With the Premier League confirming that there will not be - unless there are unforeseen postponements - any further double or blank gameweeks this season, for those that have saved chips just in case, when is the best time to use the in the remaining three GWs? The lads run the rule over the options. This could have been the case all season, but with just three gameweeks to go, it's all about targeting the already-relegated sides on the radar. Which Brentford asset makes the most sense against Ipswich this GW, can Chris Wood regain his scoring touch against Leicester and do any City assets vs Southampton make this week's radar? And for the 18th episode in a row, Chris talks up Jarrod Bowen (with some added Kevin Schade for good measure).They move straight to captaincy, to discuss the buzz surrounding Bryan Mbuemo and Kevin De Bruyne, and debate whether there are better options. And with just two rounds of Who The Heck Is Stat?! to go, the lads will return with that game in GW37-38.Do let the guys know on X (fka Twitter), Insta, Threads or TikTok, @FPL_Lounge, and the lads are now on BlueSky too, but without the underscore: @FPLLounge. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your pods, so you always get new episodes in advance of the Gameweek deadline!

Welcome back to the FPL Lounge! The lads are back to preview GW35.The lads look - as ever - at European rotation and what that could mean for those involved in Europe and those playing against those teams, especially with Man United and Tottenham clearly focusing on the Europa League. The lads also weigh up the likelihood of further double and blank gameweeks.A radar returns but it's far from bursting: two buzzy Bees take a spot on the mid-range, with a Cherry on the Fringe being joined by a deceptively stingy defence facing some weak attacks in coming weeks. And Chris can't go a podcast without mentioning Jarrod Bowen.More honey traps this week, while captaincy looks a mixed bag, with no standout option and team goal spreads looking low - maybe presenting an opportunity to steal a march on your mini-league rivals.The lads end, as ever, with a little game they like to call Who The Heck Is Stat?!Do let the guys know on X (fka Twitter), Insta, Threads or TikTok, @FPL_Lounge, and the lads are now on BlueSky too, but without the underscore: @FPLLounge. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your pods, so you always get new episodes in advance of the Gameweek deadline!

Welcome back to the FPL Lounge! The lads are back to preview GW34.The double last GW means a blank this GW as the FA Cup semi-finals take place, keeping some teams out of action.With few other major free hit opportunities this season it seems a vast majority of managers are on their free hit this week - and as such the usual longer term radar has less use. So, its a game by game review of the best available assets this gameweek - akin to our usual gw38 shows. This should help you with the multiple moves you'll be making across your team. At the end, there is a quick summary of who might work for those not able to free hit - good options for this week that can last in your team longer term too.With transfers dominated by the free hit, the lads will be laying out honey traps again this gameweek. Captaincy is a very intriguing one. A number of goalscorers have good fixtures this gameweek and as the season comes to its climax, for many its time to start rolling the dice! The lads end, as ever, with a little game they like to call Who The Heck Is Stat?!Do let the guys know on X (fka Twitter), Insta, Threads or TikTok, @FPL_Lounge, and the lads are now on BlueSky too, but without the underscore: @FPLLounge. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your pods, so you always get new episodes in advance of the Gameweek deadline!

Welcome back to the FPL Lounge! The lads are back to preview GW33.GW33 is another double, this time involving four teams: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace (again) and Manchester City. Reasonably tough games for them all (except perhaps Arsenal), but with Arsenal and Aston Villa involved in Champions League, and with Villa and Palace awaiting an FA Cup semi final, how many minutes will their assets get in this double? The lads are... unsure.The radar is notably light, there, trying to focus on security of minutes rather than players with big upside. One mid-range gem could be found in Arsenal's defence, while the rest are reduced to Fringe picks, although plenty to get on board with, especially if you're playing your Bench Boost chip this week. After last week's successful Swim Against The Tide, the lads are honey trapping this week, with clean sheets and DGW points the propositions of the day. The Captaincy discussion is also fuelled by minutes risks, so is this a week where captaining a defender or keeper worthwhile? And what about a single-gameweek-Salah up against an atrocious Leicester? And is Who The Heck Is Stat?! over, with Andyt holding a 10-point lead? Can Chris do anything to make this interesting? Doubtful, but you never know...Do let the guys know on X (fka Twitter), Insta, Threads or TikTok, @FPL_Lounge, and the lads are now on BlueSky too, but without the underscore: @FPLLounge. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your pods, so you always get new episodes in advance of the Gameweek deadline!

Welcome back to the FPL Lounge! The lads are back to preview GW32.GW32 is indeed a double, with both Crystal Palace and Newcastle having two fixtures. Both of the Toon Army's fixtures are at home, while the Eagles face two of the league's top six away... but can Oliver Glasner's side cause some upsets? And with a view to DGW33 featuring Arsenal and Aston Villa, their tough European fixtures will inevitably mean Premier League rotation, with popular assets like Saka, Saliba and Morgan Rogers offering a fair amount of risk to FPL managers. The lads run through the permutations.With recent radars focusing heavily on DGW33 players, and with next week's radar likely to do the same, the lads take a slightly different approach this week. One very affordable Newcastle asset features on the mid-range, along with a team whose defence is posting good numbers (despite some calamitous recent individual errors!). A budget forward also gets a radar spot.Swimming Against The Tide also features a unique move from the lads, featuring two players in the top 9 most transferred out - but these two are the only ones not carrying a flag in FPL. The advice: hold them, if you can!Alexander Isak will be a very popular FPL captain this week - and indeed, for many, a triple captain - but there are other options too, with some decent teams with good assets playing relegation fodder.And there is a return, finally, for Who The Heck Is Stat?!Do let the guys know on X (fka Twitter), Insta, Threads or TikTok, @FPL_Lounge, and the lads are now on BlueSky too, but without the underscore: @FPLLounge. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your pods, so you always get new episodes in advance of the Gameweek deadline!

Welcome back to the FPL Lounge! The lads are back to preview GW31.Another shortened pod this week due to a short-turnaround deadline, but there's still plenty to discuss.DGW33 is confirmed, with the predicted shape of it previewed on last week's pod. I'm sure it'll mean there's plenty of Arsenal, Villa, Palace and City chat in the coming GWs! Two big injuries to well-owned defenders also dominate FPL news, while European football returns next week with varying potential for rotation and managed minutes, especially among those competing in the Champions League.Crystal Palace remain popular on the radar, but only one Eagle features on the centre this week, with another being down-graded to the mid-range. That section also features a returning premium asset (no prizes for guessing who), while the Fringe includes some Villa punts with high ceilings but low floors. No captaincy option holds much appeal this week, with Saka's minutes likely managed, Isak's flag, Marmoush playing a team that tends not to concede many chances from open play, and dreadful underlying numbers for Mo Salah. Where will the lads land?If you like what you hear, do let the guys know on X (fka Twitter), Insta, Threads or TikTok, @FPL_Lounge, and the lads are now on BlueSky too, but without the underscore: @FPLLounge. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your pods, so you always get new episodes in advance of the Gameweek deadline!

Welcome back to the FPL Lounge! The lads are back to preview GW30.Shortened pod this week after the lads return from a stag do, and with a Tuesday deadline after FA Cup QF weekend, there's much to talk about!The shape of the rest of the FPL season, while not confirmed, far clearer than it was ahead of GW29, with the FA Cup semi-finalists confirmed and likely resulting in 4 teams blanking in GW34, and 4 teams doubling in GW33. The lads run through what that, and an injury to Erling Haaland, now mean for the game.Crystal Palace are going to be very popular in FPL from now until the end of the season , with three possible doubles (and two possible blanks) between now and the end of the season. With that in mind, two Eagles feature on the centre of the radar, with an additional one on the mid-range. The lads also include a City asset with upside, and doubling defenders. In a shortened pod they skip straight to captaincy, where they assess whether Marmoush and Mateta, playing two of the worst sides in the league this season, can rival Mo Salah's captaincy supremecy.If you like what you hear, do let the guys know on X (fka Twitter), Insta, Threads or TikTok, @FPL_Lounge, and the lads are now on BlueSky too, but without the underscore: @FPLLounge. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your pods, so you always get new episodes in advance of the Gameweek deadline!

Welcome back to the FPL Lounge! The lads are back to preview GW29.And it's a blank gameweek, with four teams not playing due to the EFL Cup Final, there's plenty of strategy divergence for FPL managers to navigate.There's a player on the centre of the radar this week, but a big chance you already own him! Andy & Chris don't, though, and despite being fairly against this player all season, he feels essential this week. A somewhat-maligned defence has some short and long-term appeal on the mid-range, with a wing-back with attacking upside and a very cheap £4.0m option giving some appeal. Things have gotten slightly worse, but still ultimately can only get Beto, on the fringe.Double down on a swimming against the tide? Why not? Despite blanking again, one premium asset feels like returns are imminent based on he underlying numbers. And with Salah blanking, who do we turn to with our captain's armband?The lads finish, as ever, with a little game they like to call Who the Heck Is Stat?! If you like what you hear, do let the guys know on X (fka Twitter), Insta, Threads or TikTok, @FPL_Lounge, and the lads are now on BlueSky too, but without the underscore: @FPLLounge. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your pods, so you always get new episodes in advance of the Gameweek deadline!