FPL Expert Q&A: Best Palmer/Saka replacements + is 4-4-2 back?

With the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 3 Deadline only two days away, we hear from our panel of guest writers and experts.

Here, eight times Top 10K Finisher Zophar organizes its weekly Q&A and takes questions about ‘Defcon’, whether the Premium Picks are worth the money and the best replacements for Bukayo Saka (£ 10.0 million) and Cole Palmer (£ 10.5 million).

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Question: Are premium options worth the money with both Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland that look less dangerous?

V. How long drops to the cent? Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer have returned only 11 attacking return since Gameweek 30. Time to really spread the funds? So many split capaby weeks make this more viable.

(via Pedersen and @fpl_here_fishy)

A: I think we should start this article with a memory, and this will be relevant here for every question: it has only been two game week. We have only seen 180 minutes of football from Premier League parties. Players/teams are rusty, formations/systems geleren, and it will take a while before we see the cream rising to the top.

That said, let’s ask ourselves: what has changed with Erling (£ 14.1 million) and Mohamed is wrong (£ 14.5 million) To make them worse than last year?

With Salah I think Liverpool has made a conscious effort to make himself for life for life without the Egyptian. The signing sessions of Florian Wirtz (£ 8.4 million) and Hugo Ekitike (£ 8.7 million), and their intention to sign Alexander Isaac (£ 10.4 million, whether they are successful or not, still to be seen), are a clear signal of that.

Arne Slot built his team last season to feed Salah and from the first two weeks, that does not seem to be the case: the Egyptian registered a total of 0.51 XGI over the two games. I think the new 4-2-3-1 form is not so dependent on him, while the lack of Trent Alexander-Arnold On that side also has a harmful effect and the relationship with Ekitike is simply not there. Both Salah return when the striker was not on the field.

So yes, maybe Salah is a worse asset than last season, but with game week 4 and 5, when he is a striking captain’s choice, he is worth staying with it. This can change the post-transfer window if Isak is joining; We may see the target contributions spread a little more. However, we still have to give it more time.

Haaland had a bad season according to his standards, but still placed decent XG figures and I think, unlike Salah, I only expect that the goal of Haaland will rise this season. I look around in the city team and I don’t see many other target scorers. Tijjani Reijnders (£ 5.7 million) will of course come in, but their wing players and midfielders are more makers. We have already seen the influence of Pep Libnders in their first two games; The City press is much more aggressive, they play higher on the field and there is more transitional game, which fits with the strengths of Haaland. We may respond exaggerated to a blank against Spurs and I am convinced that Haaland remains a topactive.

In general, I would say that if Captainincy was not a consideration in FPL, there would be a plea to go without Haaland or Salah and spread the funds. But as it looks now, we need a captain every week Cole Palmer (£ 10.5 million) and Bukayo from‘s (£ 10.0 million) Fitness doubtful, it is simply logical to possess one of these ultra -cremiums at the moment.