The Fantasy Premier League campaign rolls into Game Week 6 when the North London derby takes place. However, the first Group Stage matches of European football in midweek means we will see changes to lineups this weekend.
To help get through unforeseen circumstances, the FootballCastle provides tips to navigate through game week 6. All your transfers and changes must be made ahead of the deadline at 13:30 BST on Saturday 23 September.
Goalkeepers
Mark Flekken (£4.5m)
The Dutch goalkeeper is primed for his second clean sheet of the season at home to Everton who have scored only twice in their first five matches.
Brentford will look to win their first home match against Sean Dyche’s men and Flekken can keep a shutout behind an organised defence.
Bernd Leno (£4.6m)
Leno is among the best goalkeeping options in this season’s FPL as he’s kept two clean sheets and has accrued 24 saves in five games.
The German takes on Crystal Palace away in GW6 and possesses a chance for returns.
Check out our September International Break Quiz
Defenders
Kieren Trippier (£6.5m)
Newcastle United kept their first clean sheet of the season against Brentford and they built on it with another solid showing at AC Milan in midweek. Indeed, Trippier is in line for more defensive returns in the coming weeks with Sheffield United up next.
The Blades have scored five times in as many games and Trippier can earn both attacking and defensive returns against a newly promoted side.
Pervis Estupiñán (£5.3m)
The left-back faces Bournemouth who failed to score in two of their last three league games, meaning he can deliver at both ends of the pitch in GW6. Estupiñán is the most-owned defender by over 63 per cent of FPL managers.
Sven Botman (£4.6m)
Newcastle’s centre-back possesses multiple routes to returns against Sheffield United. Botman’s four shots in the box are more than all of the defensive teammates and he can contribute to another clean sheet in GW6 after collecting maximum bonus points last time out.
Midfielders
Bukayo Saka (£8.7m)
Arsenal’s top performer has blanked only once this season ahead of this weekend’s derby. Saka also scored and supplied an assist on their return to the Champions League against PSV and he will be looking to end the week with vital contributions to a third straight win against Tottenham.
The Gunners marksman is a reliable performer and is worth the captaincy in GW6.
Pascal Gross (£6.3m)
The German registered his second double-digit haul of the season at Old Trafford and has the underlying stats to keep up his impressive showings. Gross has created 16 chances and his seven shots on target are also the highest of any Brighton midfielder.
Pascal's SEVENTH goal in eleven appearances against Manchester United! 😮💨🔥 pic.twitter.com/aseO8zxYvl
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) September 17, 2023
His all-round influence makes the Seagulls tick as he is an ever-present and can haul more points at home to Bournemouth this weekend.
Mohamed Salah (£12.5m)
The Egyptian King is the only player to have returned in every single league game so far and earned his first double-digit returns of the season after two assists and two bonus points in Liverpool’s comeback victory over Wolves.
Salah next faces West Ham who are without a clean sheet this season having conceded 101 shots, the second-worst total in the league. The forward is emerging as a bigger creative force compared to previous seasons and remains on penalties.
Bryan Mbeumo (£6.9m)
Mbeumo has four goals in his first five games with the highest xG (3.41) among FPL midfielders. He can keep up that run with a very kind GW6 fixture at home to Everton who have conceded six goals from two away games.
The Brentford marksman has played 90 minutes in every game so far and can score or assist anytime given he is the penalty taker. Hence, Mbeumo is the second most-bought midfielder ahead of this weekend.
Marcus Rashford (£8.9m)
The Manchester United forward has four goal contributions in his last four games in all competitions despite the team’s dwindling form.
Rashford visits Burnley who have conceded 11 times in their three home matches as United look to stop an increasingly alarming run of results.
Leandro Trossard (£6.6m)
Trossard came on in place of the injured Gabriel Martinelli at Everton and got the match-winning goal for 11 FPL points.
The Belgian also grabbed a goal and assist in midweek and is a huge tip to haul massively when Arsenal welcome Tottenham, despite his 2.2 per cent ownership.
Forwards
Erling Haaland (£14.1m)
Worth every penny after his seven goals and one assist, Haaland also has by far the highest xG (7.03) in the league.
Man City welcome Nottingham Forest to the Etihad where their no. 9 scored a hat-trick and collected 17 points in the corresponding fixture last season. The Norwegian registered 20 points in his last home game against Fulham and it is hard to see past another big haul this weekend.
Odsonne Edouard (£5.6m)
The Crystal Palace striker has scored four times in his last three games in all competitions and faces Fulham in prolific form.
Edouard is the third-highest forward in the game on 32 points and should increase that tally against a Fulham side that has conceded the most big chances (20) this season.
Julián Álvarez (£6.9m)
Alvarez delivered a goal and four assists in his last two games and now sits behind only Haaland for points in the entire game.
The Argentinian has started all of City’s five league games and will be one of the best options against Forest in GW6. Alvarez proved his worth to Guardiola’s side this season when scoring a brace in midweek as City began their UCL defence with a comeback win.
The 23-year-old is duly the most-bought player ahead of GW6 and is even worth a differential captaincy punt.
Callum Wilson (£7.8m)
The forward delivered back-to-back league goals and now looks to benefit from Newcastle’s tough Champions League schedule as they enter a good run of fixtures domestically.
Wilson is the team’s highest goalscorer with three goals despite only being on the pitch for 186 minutes. He is set to start against Sheffield United this weekend and can punish the Blades who have conceded twice in four of their five games.
