The Gameweek 4 picture
The deadline is Saturday 12 September at 13:30 UK. The previous Gameweek has finished, so this is a planning briefing rather than a judgement made while players still have matches to play.
Use this as a public market and fixture scan. A popular transfer is not automatically right for your squad, and a one-week expected-points estimate is not a promise.
- Aston Villa vs Nott'm Forest: Aston Villa difficulty 3/5, Nott'm Forest difficulty 4/5
- Bournemouth vs Brentford: Bournemouth difficulty 3/5, Brentford difficulty 3/5
- Chelsea vs Hull City: Chelsea difficulty 2/5, Hull City difficulty 4/5
- Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town: Crystal Palace difficulty 2/5, Ipswich Town difficulty 3/5
- Liverpool vs Fulham: Liverpool difficulty 2/5, Fulham difficulty 4/5
- Spurs vs Everton: Spurs difficulty 3/5, Everton difficulty 3/5
- Sunderland vs Arsenal: Sunderland difficulty 4/5, Arsenal difficulty 3/5
- Coventry City vs Brighton: Coventry City difficulty 2/5, Brighton difficulty 2/5
- Man Utd vs Man City: Man Utd difficulty 4/5, Man City difficulty 4/5
- Leeds vs Newcastle: Leeds difficulty 2/5, Newcastle difficulty 3/5
Fixtures that deserve attention
Official fixture difficulty is a useful first filter. It should be combined with player role, expected minutes and longer-term team strength before making a transfer.
- Brighton: away to Coventry City, difficulty 2/5
- Chelsea: home to Hull City, difficulty 2/5
- Coventry City: home to Brighton, difficulty 2/5
- Crystal Palace: home to Ipswich Town, difficulty 2/5
- Leeds: home to Newcastle, difficulty 2/5
Captaincy watch
Gakpo leads the initial official-data shortlist. The list below uses FPL expected points, current form and availability, but the final decision should be checked again after press conferences and team news.
- Gakpo (Liverpool): official expected points 9.3
- B.Fernandes (Man Utd): official expected points 9.0
- Tzolakis (Hull City): official expected points 8.7
- Ajayi (Hull City): official expected points 8.3
- Cherki (Man City): official expected points 8.3
What managers are doing
Transfer volume shows where the market is moving. It can help with price timing, but points already scored should not be mistaken for points still to come.
- Most bought: Gakpo, 465.6k transfers in
- Most bought: Rogers, 365.4k transfers in
- Most bought: Isak, 322.8k transfers in
- Most sold: O'Reilly, 285.8k transfers out
- Most sold: Szoboszlai, 265.7k transfers out
- Most sold: B.Fernandes, 225.1k transfers out
Official availability watch
These are the latest flags in official FPL data. Recheck near the deadline because injury information and expected return dates can change.
- Garner: Unspecified injury - 75% chance of playing
- O'Reilly: Back injury - 75% chance of playing
- Collins: Calf injury - 25% chance of playing
- Mosquera: Muscular injury - 75% chance of playing
- Dasilva: Hamstring injury - Expected back 10 Oct
- Moore: Has joined FC Köln on loan for the rest of the season
- Neave: Has joined Wolves on loan for the rest of the season
- Johnson: Has joined Stoke City on loan for the rest of the season
The practical decision rule
Start with your best eleven. A transfer matters when the incoming player improves someone who will actually start, solves an availability problem or creates a stronger route over several Gameweeks.
Before acting, compare the next three to five fixtures, expected minutes, the points cost, your bank and the value of keeping a free transfer. Check the live dashboard again close to the deadline.