In his latest article, three-time top 200 finisher Lateriser takes over Zophar’s weekly Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Q&A, giving his opinion on Liverpool’s defence, Manchester United’s midfielders and Marcos Senesi (£5.0m).
FPL 2025/26 first draft team reveals: Triple Forest, Everton + Chelsea
Q: Who is the best option over the next three Gameweeks who is owned by under 5%?
FPL notes: Bruno misses pen, Cunha’s chances + Sesko “needs time”
(via The Knights Template)
A: If you’re looking for a short-term differential punt, I’d like to recommend the ‘other’ Manchester United midfielder: Matheus Cunha (£7.9m).
He’s cheaper than Bruno Fernandes (£8.9m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£8.5m), outdoing both for shots over the last six Gameweeks. Additionally, with Benjamin Sesko (£7.3m) a slight fitness doubt, his minutes look secure and he could even be used as a forward.
I feel like he’s just about getting over his injury problems and into a confident state of mind. While the other two have grabbed headlines so far, Cunha is too good a player not to stand up and be counted.
I can see him getting even more popular once Mbeumo departs for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON). Elsewhere, I like Aston Villa’s next three fixtures a lot, making Morgan Rogers (£6.8m), a rested Ollie Watkins (£8.5m) and Emiliano Buendia (£5.3m) decent ideas, depending on your budget.
Q: Is Alisson Becker (£5.4m) worth bringing in for Liverpool’s upcoming fixture run? I’m reluctant to sell a defender for Virgil van Dijk (£5.9m), whereas Nick Pope (£5.2m) seems unlikely to punish sellers.
FPL notes: Alisson/Ekitike injury updates + why Salah was a sub
(via FourLokoLeipzig)
A: Goalkeeper transfers are a no-no in my opinion, as they are unpredictable, and the value for such transfers isn’t very high unless you are funding an upgrade further up.
While Liverpool have good fixtures, they still have defensive problems so, if I’m buying a ticket to their backline, I’d still rather go van Dijk due to his set-piece threat and defensive contribution (DefCon) abilities.
Plus, Newcastle United sit fifth on Scout’s Fixture Ticker over the next 10 Gameweeks, as some matches have clean sheet potential. I expect them to resolve their current problems. And even when they’re conceding, Pope somehow manages to keep getting three points, which isn’t the worst outcome. I don’t think selling him for Alisson is worth doing.
Q: Yes or no to van Dijk?
Q: Is van Dijk really a priority buy? And which of the £6.5m-ish midfielders should make way for a Man United upgrade: Enzo Fernandez (£6.7m) or Ismaila Sarr (£6.7m)? Because if I don’t buy van Dijk, I can keep both and instead move Granit Xhaka (£5.1m) to Mbeumo.
Liverpool's defence: Why they are struggling in FPL this season
(via @CarefreeYouth and @LNJStokes)
A: Following on from above, I think van Dijk is a good defender to buy if you’re in the market for one. I wouldn’t label him as a priority, though, despite Liverpool’s clean sheets versus Aston Villa and Real Madrid.
There are enough cheaper defenders out there who are robust for minutes, DefCon and possible clean sheets, so don’t force this move because of other FPL managers.
As for buying a Man United midfielder, I like the option of keeping both Enzo and Sarr (he’s sarr-iously due some points) and upgrading Xhaka at the cost of ignoring van Dijk. But if one has to make way, I would get rid of Enzo because of his potential fitness issues during Chelsea’s congested schedule.
Q: Is Senesi a hold or a sell? He only seems playable at home, so does he need rotating?
Top DefCon performers in FPL + best fixtures for defensive returns
(via z13)
A: Indeed, Senesi has only done well at home so far, but the good news is that he has very ‘cleanable’ home games against West Ham United, Everton and Burnley between now and Gameweek 17, which makes him a definite hold. He’s also playable in Gameweek 13, away at Sunderland.
Another advantage is that he’s a set-piece monster and boasts the most DefCon points amongst all defenders.
Bournemouth have kept three clean sheets in five home matches, with Senesi having a full week’s rest due to Argentina only playing once. As we enter this period of fixture congestion, I think having five strong defenders so that one steps up during a no-show is a good idea.
You’d only really want to bench Senesi in Gameweeks 15 and 16, against Chelsea and Man United, if at all. Rotation between Bournemouth and Newcastle looks good, so you can assess the Cherries’ form around Gameweek 14 and decide whether you want to rotate at all.
Q: With all managers getting five free AFCON transfers for Gameweek 16, surely having Mbeumo for a few weeks is better than getting Cunha for longer?
FPL notes: Sesko injury, Kudus latest + Mbeumo scores in new role 2
(via @colmburger)
A: Effectively, you have five free transfers in Gameweek 16, alongside a bunch that need using by Gameweek 15. This has now become a game within a game, and I believe that being aggressive is the answer.
Given his underlying numbers, going Mbeumo for a few Gameweeks is a better play than getting Cunha, as the imminent Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth fixtures have a high possibility of goals.
Whoever you prefer, I wouldn’t ignore Man United for this period. Perhaps a double up?
defensive contributions