The Gameweek 5 picture
The deadline is Friday 18 September at 18:30 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.
- Brentford vs Chelsea: Brentford difficulty 4/5, Chelsea difficulty 3/5
- Spurs vs Aston Villa: Spurs difficulty 3/5, Aston Villa difficulty 3/5
- Brighton vs Arsenal: Brighton difficulty 4/5, Arsenal difficulty 3/5
- Everton vs Ipswich Town: Everton difficulty 2/5, Ipswich Town difficulty 3/5
- Newcastle vs Hull City: Newcastle difficulty 2/5, Hull City difficulty 3/5
- Nott'm Forest vs Coventry City: Nott'm Forest difficulty 2/5, Coventry City difficulty 3/5
- Bournemouth vs Liverpool: Bournemouth difficulty 4/5, Liverpool difficulty 3/5
- Leeds vs Crystal Palace: Leeds difficulty 3/5, Crystal Palace difficulty 3/5
- Man City vs Sunderland: Man City difficulty 2/5, Sunderland difficulty 5/5
- Fulham vs Man Utd: Fulham difficulty 4/5, Man Utd 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.
- Everton: home to Ipswich Town, difficulty 2/5
- Man City: home to Sunderland, difficulty 2/5
- Newcastle: home to Hull City, difficulty 2/5
- Nott'm Forest: home to Coventry City, difficulty 2/5
- Arsenal: away to Brighton, difficulty 3/5
Captaincy watch
Bogle 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.
- Bogle (Leeds): official expected points 9.2
- Groß (Brighton): official expected points 8.2
- João Pedro (Chelsea): official expected points 8.2
- Gvardiol (Man City): official expected points 8.2
- Haaland (Man City): official expected points 8.2
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: Rogers, 414.1k transfers in
- Most bought: Groß, 334.5k transfers in
- Most bought: Gvardiol, 304.9k transfers in
- Most sold: Szoboszlai, 295.2k transfers out
- Most sold: Elanga, 277.1k transfers out
- Most sold: Cherki, 172.5k 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.
- White: Muscular injury - 75% chance of playing
- J.Ramsey: Thigh injury - 25% chance of playing
- Onyeka: Hand injury - 50% chance of playing
- N.Gonzalez: Concussion - 50% chance of playing
- Elanga: Unspecified injury - Unknown return date
- Obi: Has joined Willem II on loan for the rest of the season
- Tonali: Knock - 75% chance of playing
- Furo: Unspecified injury - Unknown return date
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.