What the Fantasy Premier League podcasts said this week, before the deadline.

Jack reports his Gameweek 4 wildcard yielded 97 points and moved him into the top 14k rank, driven by penalty returns from Pascal Gross and Joao Pedro. He acknowledges the result involved significant luck and variance, stating a slightly different selection would likely have left him 20-25 points lower. For Gameweek 5, he plans to roll his transfers despite an 87% AI team rating, citing tough away fixtures for his Chelsea and Arsenal assets. He will captain Haaland and bench Pascal Gross, prioritizing fixture difficulty over recent returns. The Fantasy Football Hub AI tool recommends zero transfers for his squad, advising him to save free transfers for future use, and Jack agrees with this recommendation.

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Andy recommends holding Bruno Fernandes and Imbomo through the international break, citing decent upcoming fixtures and a lack of clearly superior alternatives. He also advises holding Alexander Isak despite a blank, noting he remains a good pick for the Bournemouth away fixture. For Igor Tiago, Andy suggests he can be sold if managers are frustrated, but warns against taking a minus-four points hit to do so.

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Andy compares Newcastle and Everton midfielders, noting Newcastle's poor away performance against Leeds but still favoring their fixtures over Everton's. He suggests Dewsbury-Hall for the next two fixtures due to set pieces, but prefers Barnes for longer holds. He also compares Alex Scott and James Garner, noting Scott's better attacking numbers and consistency in defensive contributions, but prefers Garner for the next few fixtures while viewing Scott as the better long-term hold.

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Andy advises against buying Tavernier, Cliver, or Shada now due to tough upcoming fixtures and European uncertainty. He suggests waiting until Gameweek 7 or Gameweek 9 to reassess these players. He also advises against including Maxence de Kuyper on a wildcard or transferring him in now due to fixture difficulty and potential rotation after the international break, suggesting managers wait until Gameweek 6 to reassess.

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Andy evaluates Odegaard as a good value pick if managers have a spare Arsenal slot, but warns against selling existing Arsenal players for him, noting Odegaard's subbing pattern as a risk. He recommends holding Antoine Griezmann if already owned due to consistent minutes and potential for returns, but advises against including him on a wildcard or buying him now. For forwards, Andy recommends Wissa and Barry as good options, noting Wissa's role at Newcastle and Barry's benchability, while dismissing Calvert-Lewin as an overreaction despite acknowledging his consistency.

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Andy praises Morgan Gibbs White as a strong pick for Forest's upcoming fixtures and suggests Liam Delap as a benchable forward option, though he doubts most managers need Delap. For Forest's defense, he prefers Munoz over Nico Williams due to attacking threat, but suggests Williams as a cheaper alternative, noting both are benchable and good long-term holds. He dismisses Mcatee and Schalager as unnecessary transfers, citing Mcatee's lack of defensive contributions and Schalager's poor attacking numbers.

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