Who are the best FPL Challenge picks in GW28? Players who feature in Friday’s match between Wolves and Aston Villa will have their points doubled. We use Opta data to find the top players to target in the Premier League.
Gameweek 28 of FPL Challenge brings the four-week Rivalries event to a close with Midlands Clash, where all players involved in Friday night’s match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa will receive double points.
Let’s remind ourselves of the results from the previous three rounds of the Rivalries event.
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 Crystal Palace (February 8) Chelsea 2-2 Leeds United (February 10) Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool (February 22)Three closely-fought matches, and proof that sometimes even the hint of a rivalry can result in games being much tighter on the pitch than they may have appeared on paper.
That’s why, despite Wolves and Villa being separated by a whopping 41 points in 20th and 3rd place respectively, we know better than to expect an easy win for the visitors here.
After winning eight league games in a row, Villa have since won only three of their next nine. They have scored more than once in just one of their last seven.
There is no way to make Wolves’ form look good. They remain bottom of the league even when isolating for the period that Rob Edwards has been in charge. However, their 2-2 draw with Arsenal in their last match at Molineux proves they are capable of making it difficult for top teams.
As we’ll explain, we will be lining up with a 1-1-3-1 formation in GW28.
Goalkeeper
Emiliano Martínez: Wolves vs Aston Villa (A)
Given Wolves and Aston Villa players will receive double points this week, our goalkeeper selection is fairly straightforward.
For us to go against José Sá or Emiliano Martínez, we would need to be confident that any potential replacement has at least twice as much chance of keeping a clean sheet, and, given the competitive nature of this weekend’s fixture list, that is not the case.
With Villa clearly the stronger side in this fixture, we’ll be selecting Martínez between the posts.
Defender:
Matty Cash: Wolves vs Aston Villa (A)
We’re sticking with the Aston Villa defence by selecting Matty Cash as our only defender.
The Villa right-back certainly wouldn’t be making our team this week if not for the double points on offer, but he is the clear choice among the defenders available for selection in this match.
Cash is the second-highest scorer in FPL this season among players from both Wolves and Villa (the man at the top of that list is our next selection), and his return of three goals and two assists is strong for a defensive asset.
He doesn’t fare particularly well for defensive contributions, so we are likely banking on a clean sheet or attacking return here – why not both?
Midfielders
Morgan Rogers: Wolves vs Aston Villa (A)
Among players from both Wolves and Aston Villa, the leader for points earned per start in FPL this season is Morgan Rogers, with 4.7.
Rogers is so good at football that, despite the existence of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, there is set to be a genuine debate over whether he should start for England at this summer’s World Cup.
His output can fluctuate. After back-to-back braces against West Ham and Man Utd in December, Rogers has scored just once in 10 games. When focusing purely on his record away from Villa Park, though, he suddenly becomes captain material.
His points per start rises to 5.7 on the road, while his six away goals are bettered only by Erling Haaland (nine) and Igor Thiago (eight).
He may have been quiet of late, but it’s rare to be kept waiting too long for a reminder of his star quality.
João Gomes: Wolves vs Aston Villa (H)
We only really have eyes for one Wolves player this week, and that’s João Gomes.
After a near-uninterrupted spell in the first team, Gomes has found himself on the bench for Wolves’ last two Premier League matches, so remember to keep an eye on their starting XI and switch out accordingly if he is not reintroduced for this match.
Gomes does not have a particularly high ceiling for points in FPL, but he does have a high floor, and the secret is his defensive contribution points.
The Brazilian ranks fourth for total defensive contributions this season among midfielders, with 287. Meanwhile, since Rob Edwards took over at Wolves in Gameweek 12, Gomes has returned DefCon points in 60% of his appearances.
If he doesn’t make Wolves’ starting XI, consider switching him out for teammate André, who is the club’s second-best player for defensive contributions this season, or for another player from our list of honourable mentions (below).
Bruno Fernandes: Manchester United vs Crystal Palace (H)
We don’t want to put all our eggs in one Midlands basket, and so our next two picks will be players from outside of that fixture.
Bruno Fernandes has blanked in his last two outings, but he is nonetheless one of the standout options this week against a Crystal Palace side who first have to deal with a UEFA Conference League tie against Zrinjski Mostar on Thursday night.
Man Utd, meanwhile, only have Premier League games to focus on at this point. They have a full week to prepare for this match, and we can expect a player of Fernandes’ calibre to take full advantage.
Don’t be put off by Palace’s decent away record – their six away wins this season have come against teams who were, on average, 17th in the league on the day of the game. They have two wins from their last 26 on the road against sides starting the day in the top six.
Forward
Erling Haaland: Leeds United vs Manchester City (A)
Our team is complete with Erling Haaland as our sole forward.
Haaland went through a rare lean period throughout most of January, but he appears to be gearing up towards previous high levels for what is expected to be an intense final stretch of the title race.
The Norwegian has scored or assisted in each of his last five starts in all competitions, and thanks to an assist against Newcastle last time out, he now ranks joint-second for assists in the Premier League this season, with seven, behind only Bruno Fernandes (12).
There is always an extra incentive for Haaland when it comes to Leeds United – especially at Elland Road. He was born in the city back in the year 2000 when his father, Alf-Inge, was on the cusp of a move from Leeds to Man City.
Haaland scored twice when Leeds last hosted City at Elland Road, a 4-0 win for the visitors in April 2022.
GW28 Honourable Mentions
Yerson Mosquera is the man to go with if you’re seeking a Wolves defender. The Colombian has achieved DefCon points in each of his last two outings, while he has been denied twice by the woodwork during corner situations and is due a goal.
Ollie Watkins doesn’t make our team, and that’s because we have more trust in Villa’s defence than we do their attack this weekend. Nonetheless, six of his eight goals in the Premier League this season have been scored in away games.
Benjamin Sesko has netted five goals in six league games for Manchester United since the departure of Ruben Amorim, averaging a goal every 37 minutes in this run. There is a chance that he could make the starting XI this weekend in place of Amad, with Bryan Mbeumo shifting to the right.
Opta Analyst’s Team Reveal: Gameweek 28 FPL Challenge Picks
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FPL Challenge GW28 Picks: Double Points for Wolves and Aston Villa Players Opta Analyst.
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