The Triple Captains Podcast
Triple Captains is a strategy-first Fantasy Premier League (FPL) podcast built for managers who want more than noise, hype or hindsight analysis.
Hosted by Arc, Hots and Guffs, the show breaks down decision-making, sequencing and risk through a lens of data, context and lived experience — blending analytics with honest conversation about the emotional side of the game… meaning slander is never too far away.
Rather than chasing trends, Triple Captains focuses on the thinking behind the moves: chip strategy, fixture swings, squad structure, ownership dynamics and the realities that shape outcomes across a season.
This isn’t about perfect picks. It’s about understanding the game well enough to make better decisions over time.
The Triple Captains Podcast
Do You Need 11 Players in Blank Gameweeks? FPL Strategy Explained
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Blank Gameweeks in Fantasy Premier League can define your season — but only if you approach them with a clear strategy.
In this episode of the Triple Captains Podcast, we break down how to attack a Blank Gameweek properly, balancing chips, hits, squad structure and game state.
Do you prioritise getting 11 players out… or focus on owning the right quality assets?
When is the right time to take hits in a reduced fixture Gameweek?
And how should your approach change depending on your available chips?
We also analyse the key fixtures in the blank, assess whether Bruno Fernandes has become the safe captaincy option, and debate what is likely to be a low-scoring Gameweek.
Plus the usual host rivalry — including one manager questioning everything after another difficult week.
🎯 In this episode:
– Blank Gameweek strategy explained
– 11 players vs quality players debate
– When to take hits in FPL
– How chips change your approach
– Fixture analysis for the blank
– Captaincy discussion including Bruno Fernandes
If you want context over noise and strategy over panic… this is the episode for you.
📺 Watch more FPL Captaincy & Decision-Making episodes:
▶ FPL Captaincy & Decision-Making Playlist: [ • 🎯 Captaincy & Decision Frameworks ]
⏱ CHAPTERS
(Use your actual timestamps if you have them — this is structure guidance)
00:00:00 Intro & Podcast Overview
00:02:39 Tale of Tape – Weekly Standings
00:11:33 GW Review & Host Meltdown
00:16:12 Blank Gameweek Strategy Explained
00:21:56 11 Players vs Quality Debate
00:23:29 When to Take Hits in Blank GW
00:30:02 Blank Gameweek - Players To Target
00:34:29 Final Thoughts & Strategy Takeaways
00:36:50 Captaincy Debate – Bruno Fernandes & Others
#fantasypremierleague #fpl #fplblankgameweek #fplblankgwstrategy #fpl
Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening wherever you are in the world, especially if you're on a particularly small island in St. Lucia. Welcome to everyone for the triple captains. Now usually we focus on decision making and qualities around all of that. But as we've said over the past couple of weeks, we're in the business end of the season, so it's time to lock in. Today is all about the blank game week. But before we begin, how is everyone doing?
SPEAKER_04I think I'll start because of the small island jab. Just to let everyone know, this guy's not actually half. Huh? It's not jam. I don't know why it can't be because you're half Lucian. Let's just get that, let's just get it out there from now. This guy's half Lucian. You get me? But yeah, we have a few followers around the world. Yeah, south, South London, half Lucian, half jam. Yeah. So used to be a flying fish Pajan. And just keep a hard wine over there. But yeah. Funny enough, my my dad's in East London right now. He's he's come come to England. So he's not in St. Lucia, so that's one let's be within Lucia right now. He's big enough my team, because obviously you might know he's a hammer. So he's been bigging us up. Same way we're doing our thing. However, he's been trying to get me slightly though when it comes to um the podcast in it, because I haven't been hosting. That's why I'll bring you a little juice to cheer you up there, Gaso. So I he bring me the the real strong denos 80%. You get me? You need it. But like um, get me the Lucius Ray, in it, I guess. But um yeah. All jokes aside, Arsenal, yeah, big up Popsy though. But yeah, and big up Mum's every day. But um, yeah. Arsenal's doing their thing, SPL-wise, as he pointed out, and as I've been saying, it's not been looking too good recently. Haven't hosted um as much as I want to recent recent game with. I'm not gonna lie, I'm very pissed off about money, it's not in a bit. Um, this is my worst season ever on paper, as it stands, and I can't see me getting to the scores I'm used to.
SPEAKER_05So I'll sort of heard the violin.
SPEAKER_04That's cool. Like, I can't hear no instruments, but I can just say the truth. And like uh Yeah, I'm just like I'm fuming, man. I'm fuming. Um, not a lot of game weeks to go. So not enough ground that I can make, well, not enough games for me to make up ground, so just gotta you know, smash these violins, you manage a right, and just make sure that I win out of us break. Most importantly, that's all I've got left now. So I guess I need to get myself back into that middle screen. Um Ian Bill quote. I've got nothing left. No, no tears and no heaven, no one's lacking that man just sitting there just being real. Because you know, there's I started this podcast with you, man, knowing that I feel that I'm a good SPO manager. So I've got to be real when I'm not reflecting that in the season we start. So it's pissing me off, bro. When I look at my my average over the last three years and I've look at my higher scores, when I'm looking at my score now, I'm infuriated. But I can't, I'm not gonna just drop out of the podcast, so I've just gotta keep it real and just you know admit how I'm feeling. So there's gonna be good times, there's gonna be bad times. And right now, um I'm not in the best of places like when it comes to FPR. If I wasn't doing the pod, this might be the first season. I had people who were saying they're gonna crash out and just stop. I might have just effort, you know what I mean? Focused on my team, and then that's it. But yeah, man. Apart from that, Arsenal's doing well, work's busy, life's busy, normal thing, you know. Bit of a long intro, but I had to get the emotions out because I am pissed.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Nah, it's fair, and to be honest, this season has been a bit of a crazy season, FBs. Everybody's felt it, experienced it, and it's uh it is quite frustrating because sometimes it just feels like you're stuck in second gear, right? You just can't get like even for you guys, I know obviously um it'll be good to find out how you're feeling and how you're doing in the second. But like I know, for instance, with you that there are like four or five game weeks that you you've actually either won or were nearly there, you've got green arrow, but positionally you just don't move. Like it's just been one of those seasons. Like it's it's yeah, it's been tough. It's been tough. We did say at the start of all of this that like we we would also have a bit of therapy in this. So maybe maybe this is one of the sessions. So what is going on over there?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, man, like um, and that's the thing. Like it's tough this season started badly and it's been bad the whole way through. And looking at their scores over the last four or five years. And yeah, sort of like I've fallen off where I could be or have been in the past. But also playing the game are getting better. You know, a score that might have gotten you a top 40,000 two or three years ago won't be. Um you know the levels of the people are people who are kind of getting gains from people that are kind of content out there. So it's uh it's very competitive. But uh yeah. I'm okay. I've had a good game week again. But to your point, it's it's you know, the damage has been done. And it's it's very difficult to really make huge gains and to to get to where I want to get to having said that, you know, I'm now within 70 of of Mr. Arsenal over there.
SPEAKER_04So, you know, that's that's at least you know I'm Arson all all season, every every day of the year. Do you know what I mean? That's my journey changed.
SPEAKER_02You know, just chip it away at that and then just see where we are, you know. Um, but yeah. We go on.
SPEAKER_04I'll say one thing, yeah. I want to say one thing. I've clocked that a lot of the people that were doing very well in FPL last season, seasons before, it's like some of the maybe the content creators that are doing well now haven't had good seasons in the last few seasons. So it's like a lot of the it's like a bit of a change around. I think I don't know if it's because of the changes in FPL or or what, but I've noticed that some people are doing extremely well who have never done well ever in some of the leagues I'm in. So it's like it's really strange. It's frustrating, and but it's funny at the same time seeing certain man up there, it's mad.
SPEAKER_02Sometimes you can lose it at the beginning. When you kind of get behind the eight ball, you suddenly have to take risks. And actually, this game is about following the analytics, right? And making sure that, you know, and if you fade away from that, then you put something in in more red and then it becomes out of control. And to get that back, I think you said on your on some of your media um about how you know you had a sort of philosophy in mind and how to kind of like make games and you're making games, but then one game week undoes three or four weeks.
SPEAKER_03It does a lot, yeah. Yeah. And and I think also a lot of what has happened is to your point in the first half of the season, like when the use of the chips didn't work out, it's had a real big effect because when I look at things and see, well, what's the gap between me and say 750,000, that kind of thing, like I can literally see it's a it's a triple captain and a free hip move away from actually rubbing shoulders there. And um, yeah, it's frustrating, but there's a lot of learning as well that I've been able to take away from this season. So it'd be interesting if they keep DEF CONs in time. Because remember, DEF CONs are like a repeatable action, right? So it's easier for you to identify who the right kind of defenders are for that. Have you got premium midfielders? Although, for instance, if um Elliot Anderson goes to one of the top clubs, it's very unlikely that he's gonna be able to hit DEF CON in the way that he was for Forrest because Forrest always chasing a game, right? Like I say, you have to use this to fuel us for next year and also for the final running. I haven't given up on um targets, etc., that I've got. This week was a useful week for me in terms of I spoke last week and I think you I put a few things out on social media where I said, realistically, like percentage-wise, I need to be hitting like 22 points above the average on a weekly basis at the moment. And ironically, this week I actually did, which was probably my best above average for the season so far. Now, whether that can continue with this blank game week coming ahead, um, I'm not so sure because obviously you've got less teams and some of us have haven't got enough players that are going to start, etc. But it's a it's a nice segue into what what the theme of the episode is, which is nothing further than how we all approaching this blank game week, not simply from our perspective, but also how we'd be looking at that or how we would um suggest that other people start looking at it, because there are many different variables that we can take into account with all of this, right? So for some people that maybe start off and looking at it and saying, well, we've got a load of players that want to be playing, there was the option of trying to build up via transfers towards this week. Um, some people have got free kit chips available, some people have got wildcard chips available to them. And some people were just good with their planning up until this point, so they're kind of okay. It'd be good for us to get into it and see the different angles that each of us are looking at different things. Just before we touch on that, useful also just to do a mini review over the game week that has just gone by. Um so which one of you finished bottom? And that wasn't me.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, don't know the direction he's pointing, but yeah, it was me. Um yeah, um that game week to be honest. Um I tried to put it behind me. Um I'll keep it real. I think obviously when Man told me what points I was on, that was the first I knew. Putting a Kotigo for Haaland before Haaland dropped in price. Um and a Kotigo was my captain because I wanted to go differential and it was bent. I don't think I need to say much more than that, really.
SPEAKER_03Um that just frustrating about the game, man, is like you you can do things in the right way, hit the right process. You would think for who Liverpool were playing, their only striker it makes sense. And then he gets benched. And you're like, that's from nowhere, and that's a variance that you can't you there's nothing you can do about that. Um, especially with, I think, um, and correct me if I'm wrong, Hot, he it was that he then ended up getting brought on, right, for like a 10-15 minute stint, that kind of thing. So it just nullifies anything that your squad could have done to help it. Um and and that's been the frustrating about the game. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And so you don't take risks when you're trying to catch up.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_04It's like I'm not trying to just float ahead where I am. I want to close the gap. So that's making me get stuck on decisions moving forward now. Because I'm always awarded for my I'm not saying bravery, but for my decision making is not always getting the reward I believe it should, which is football. It's part of it. So, you know, I take it on the chin, but I can still be pissed off at the same time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep. And Gus, what about you for the week? How did you feel anything in particular went really well? Or anything where you're like, oh, actually, I need to change that around with the team?
SPEAKER_02Well, I think the structure of our team done really well this game week. Um, you know, I had good points from all sectors of my team. Obviously, we all benefited from the arts of defense getting um good returns from the paper. I got other Gabriel Um I think the last game we can I picked the wrong twice. Um the headquarters. Again, like uplift and goals I can't complain too much of that. Yeah, look, I think you know, I have to remain my own bubble and concentrate on my team. And if I get up the average, then regardless of of of where it lies of you guys, I've got to get to win and let's move forward with that, you know. Um and it's been a good week for me, so long may continue. That's true.
SPEAKER_03I think he is the safe pick when he's at home. I think he's got an average of like a 10-point return for the last five home games. Um, not so sure what he's like away. I haven't finished all my analysis for the week, etc. But yeah, we the week was alright. Um I was most happy with the decision I made around the goalkeepers that had. Um so I put Depravka in, like I'd done a load of research into whether I thought I could get more out of him than Saul, bearing in mind that I felt that um Burnley would come under a lot of pressure, etc. Um, and ultimately the analysis that I went through that worked out. Um so I was good with that. Um and similar to you, I've got CNSe 2. Bruno obviously helped, and then um the move that I've made with Dango has um done okay for me over the past couple of weeks. He's always returned something, so can't complain too much. Um however, um going into this blank game week, a lot of things that need to be addressed because I've kept some of the players that were blank, um, but obviously that limits what I'm gonna be able to do um for this week, and then it kind of starts um changing whether my strategy is gonna be wildcard 32 or whether it's gonna be wildcard 35. I suppose without further ado, it's probably time for us to start getting into um having a look directly at blank game week 31. So, blank game week 31. Another week, another reckoning. What's our thoughts in terms of the way that we approach this? Um I know there are various different ways that it can be done. Um, for instance, if I look at me specifically, I know that I've got 11 players that can go out. Um, not necessarily saying that I'm happy with those 11 players um because there's a particular way that I would like to approach the game week. So from my perspective, I try to look at the fixtures and I'm thinking to myself, well, do I need to use one of my chips here? Because the game weeks have kind of started shaping the way that I go about things. So a few weeks ago I put out there that I wanted to go on the strategy of um wildcard 32. So I would do what I could do to make sure I had at least 10 players out, and then I'd go ahead with that. But now I'm starting to think that I won't go with wildcard 32. But I've also started contemplating is it would it be useful, is it a sensible thing to go for a free hit, for instance, on this Blanga week? And more so that I can attack the fixtures and because I look at it and think, well, I don't necessarily take all of the criteria that I would usually think you go for with a free hit. So with the free hit, you'd probably go for that if you've got eight or less players that are gonna play. But I've already said that I've got 11 that will play. How do you guys look at things? I've seen some people talking about um wildcarding into this um game week, which feels very odd to me. Um what would you what would your thoughts be on that hot?
SPEAKER_04So from a personal perspective, I'm in the same shoes as you, with 11 starting. However, Cash is one of those, and he was out of the last game, and he's gonna be potentially out this weekend. So obviously we all get one free change a week. I was hoping not to have to make any changes so that I can have something covered. Yeah, into the next game because I don't know what I'm gonna do chip-wise anymore from my perspective. As I said, nothing's been working. So I've had players in my team that I'm not happy with that I've wanted to get rid of. But I've kept them because they're playing in 31 but they're doing fuck all. So now approaching 31, it feels dumb to take minuses or get rid of those players that I've held on for all this time just to get rid of them now when I could have just got rid of them in the first place and got the points that I needed to get that would have put me in a higher position. So I'm stuck in a catch 22 because after all the patience I've shown to try and hold these 11 men in my team, I feel like I might as well go through the game week with the 11 men I've already got, and if it works, it works, if it don't, it don't up. I'm I don't want to say I'm giving up, that's how I feel. But away from my perspective and just natural advice that I would give, I would always, if I'm being real, say if you haven't got 11 men, then get 11 men. So that means you need to take minuses, take minuses. If it means that you you know you think that you've got the amount of minuses you're gonna take is too much, then do what you've got to do to get 11 out. That's just my my honest opinion. I've taken minuses before in these type of situations, and uh total score that I got was worth it in the end, and it was like high scoring points in that game week. So um wouldn't be scared to take minuses. It's just that in my personal situation, I feel like an idiot to take minuses now when I could have just done it earlier and reaped the benefits from it. Taking myself out of it, I'd advise that if you haven't got 11, try to field 11. First option for me would be minuses. I wouldn't use a wild card now because we don't know what's gonna happen, and we will do over the next few weeks.
SPEAKER_03What's your thought process, Hudson? Um, you you were saying about um when you've done it previously, the game weeks ended up being high scoring or you've managed to get good points out of it. With the fixtures for this game week, like, do you see this as one where they're gonna be decent scores, or do you think it'll be a low scoring week?
SPEAKER_04If I'm being totally honest, I'm not prepared for this week. Hence why I'm saying I might not leave my team because I've got men like Dominic Calvin Lewin that don't even know who's playing, but I just know he's in my team and he's in my 11, like he's doing shit. If I take him out, that Roger is doing nothing, that Bearman just doing nothing. So it's like, uh if I'm gonna keep these waste man anyway, and just hope that they deliver before the the last time that they're in my team, if I'm gonna wild card in 32, then, or if I'm gonna wildcard 33, at least I've waited all this time with you man and my team doing nothing for weeks upon weeks that if I now go and put the players that I believe will do well, and then you man do something, that's gonna just throw me like over the edge. So, like I might as well just do one more week, and if it means I'm not in the middle again, so be it. So I've not even looked at who's playing who. The only one I do know is Wilson is playing. I know Wilson's got a good game. So this is not like me. Just how you know this is not like me, but I was pissed this week. Like, literally. So like um, sorry if it seems like I'm not prepared to give the advice that the viewers need, but I'm going through my own trauma. And and they did say that. Never that's the bottom line is the bottom line is the bottom line is this. If you need to hug. Nah, never that. The bottom line is this. If you've got less than eleven players for your team, you get eleven. That's my advice. That means that you take a minus four. So don't go into this game with thinking I'll just play with ten because I don't want to take a minus four. Because that minus four, your player will give you an average of two if he just plays like over 60 minutes. And you know, you don't know what you could do. I'm sure whoever you're gonna put in is gonna you know you're gonna believe you can do something. That's where I'm coming from in it. Like I've taken minus eight in these type of positions before, and like I said got high score, so that would be my advice on what you should do going forward. It's difficult for me to say fix your eyes because at the moment the teams that I think would be winning are not winning. But I think Fulham is a good team. Um United will do okay this this this game week too. I think the Bournemouth, even though they've had a clean sheet reach this game week just gone, I think they've run a ball at the back still. That's just my uh personal opinion.
SPEAKER_03And Guff, what what's your thought process about the week in general? In terms of do you think that it's gonna be a high scoring week, or do you think it's gonna be below average type thing? And what's your general approach to things?
SPEAKER_02I think it probably will be a low scoring game week, if I'm honest. These are playing against Brentford, FYI Hots, just to let you know that. Um I would disagree with what Hot said, really, because I don't think it's as binary as saying if you've got there's a surprise, you disagree with everyone. Yeah, uh I mean I don't think it's as binary as that if you've got 10 bias and one to the minus. I don't think it's that necessarily that simple. I do think that it depends really what the fixtures are that game week, whether or not you take the minus or not. I don't think the game week fixtures 31 are particularly great. There's no particular matchup that I look at and think that one stands out. And also I think taking a minus for me in a blank game week, I would look at that only if I'm bringing someone in that is a threat to so if I didn't have Brun in my team, you know, if I didn't have someone someone like that that potentially could hurt me, then I might take a minus for that particular player.
SPEAKER_03But in the game week, you don't want to just cover, right? So it's it so I think that's more the angle that you're coming from with regards to not necessarily taking a minus. Because if you're just taking the minus just to cover, like so to your point, Hotz, you need to apply common sense because if you just put any old player in, like, that's not necessarily gonna give you the uplift or whatever not, and it could backfire, right? The way I look at it, I guess, is is less trying to tack the fixtures, and it's about making sure that you've got six six of the right attackers, right? Um, for this game week. Um so like when I look at things, I've been trying to look at the fixtures and make it make them like a tier. So, for instance, a tier one for me would be that I think Leeds and Brentford would be in there and Bournemouth and United would be in there simply because I know that there's either lots of chaos in their games because they're transitional, or there's high XG because of their defenses. And then looking for have we got other fixtures that are similar to all of that? So for instance, Everton Chelsea, I don't look at as one that I can attack, for instance. But then I do think because of what's on the line in that middle sex v. Forest game, there's something to be looked at there. And we know that Gibbs White is in form, for instance, and you touched on it already about um Fulham v. Burnley, Fulham are at home, we know Fulham V better, courtesy of Gus on the ground. I remember you you mentioned it a couple times when you were the stair Gus. And in reality, and that has been the case over the season, they've been generally good when they're at home. I guess what you try to do is try and make it structurally that okay, if if those if those two games, if I'm right, and those two games are the games where there's going to be lots of potential, i.e. Leeds v. Brentford, Bournemouth v. United, then my thought process is I need to own the goals in those games. So a Bruno is appealing to me then. Like a Tiago is appealing to me, or a Dango Machade, they're they're appealing to me. For instance, what you said, Hotz, about DCL. Like, as much as he's been much maligned over the past couple of weeks and he missed the pen or whatever not, like, we know he's on pens, we know ultimately he is one of their focal points. My advice would be try and attack and ensure that you own where you think goals could come from in the game week. If you was on, for instance, free hit, or you've got you've built up like four or four transfers, and then you can go ahead with that. For instance, if I was gonna free hit or I was gonna wild card, and I don't advocate anybody wildcarding on this blank game week um with less fixtures and so on. Um but for me it feels like when looking at the fixtures that the structure you go with is like 3-5-2, and then it's from that structure, it's working out who who the better players in that time. So, for instance, if I look at me personally, I was thinking uh I need to transfer out Le Fay because he didn't play last week because of a knock and he's got a bit of a yellow above him. But then because Newcastle have gone and got themselves owned in Europe this week, I'm aware that they're probably going to be demoralised when they play as much as they'll be up for it because it's Sunderland that they play. At the same time, they've picked up a couple of injuries as well. So, with that said, if they've got no Gumarez in midfield, they've also got no Tanali, then I'm starting to think maybe LaFay is a decent punt for the week rather than me going out and trying to buy other problems that I've got, I've still got DeKyper. So I'm like, yes, he means he he allows me to field 11 players, but because of that manager that he's got, he he generally will play 60 minutes if that and that could be either side, he he's another area that I look at that I think I probably need to be some.
SPEAKER_04Because I know he'll get some minutes, I wouldn't care. Even if I get one from him, because you could have someone out against one. See like talking about my team again, yeah. If cash is proven to be out, all of this talk about when I he's gone. If he's if he's red and he's not playing this game with you, I'm replacing him. If we get three transfers carrying over, I'll replace him, and it might not work out who I replace him with, but he's gone. But if he's yellow still and there's no confirmation, then I might risk it and then have to because I believe he's gonna he might make it, if that makes sense. If I know he's gone, he's he's out, he's gone. But then you can't be giving advice and thinking, oh, if you're top of the league, then there's no point risking it because you're so far ahead, you don't need to take the minus. There's so many different situations that you could advise for. You can is a limit to how much you can actually say, in it. Some of it has to come as common sense. Because if you're flying in the league, you might think I don't care if I've got 10 minutes. I'm gone. I'm in the top 1,000. So it's all circumstantial.
SPEAKER_02Looking at it through the lens of my team, okay, because obviously that's you know, I've been building towards this game week, all right? I I got rid of assets from Man City and Arsenal over the last few game weeks to try to get to this point where I could put a team out on the pitch. So be mindful of making sure I can put a team out. You know, for me, I'm I'm in a situation where I have 11 players on the pitch, one of them is cash, which is a bit of a worry for me. But I'm looking at the fixtures for this game week, and we'll come to fixtures obviously later on in the programme, but you know, I've got Bruno Fernandez who's a good actor to have this game week. I've got Rogers who hasn't been doing great, but he's at home to West Ham and is a player that you probably want to have. I've got Tiago who who is a player you're gonna have this game week, right? I've got Willstone who's a player you want to have this game week. So when I look at sort of the the top players that you want to have in your team, and I'm not including here like um a Salah or a or a um a Cole who are quite expensive, which that would take a lot of structural movement to get the players in. Like, but outside of those two players, the big hit is or the perceived big hit is that you want to have in your team, I've already had on my team is game week. So for me, looking at looking at me, how I'm approaching is game week, if I knew that cash wasn't playing, who am I looking at that I can feel really confident that yeah, this guy, look at the fixture, going to form, is gonna get me that clean sheet or get me that return. Like, I I don't see that kind of like golden bullet there. So, I mean all I'm really saying is that it's you know if you want to combined it.
SPEAKER_04Have you got any full in defence? I haven't got full in defence. If passes out, I'd like to see us what will you do next week if you play with 10 men.
SPEAKER_02Well, we we'll find out, but I'm just saying, like, you know, I th I I just I just think that you know it's for me, it's not just about taking a minus.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but that's what I've said taking a minus, I don't just say because you've got 11, just go and take a minus. That's stupid. That's not what I'm saying, bro. I'm saying if you've got less players on the pitch, then obviously you've got to think about what you're doing. It's not, oh yeah, you've got this, so just go for it and just do anything. Obviously, you've got to have something into it, bro.
SPEAKER_02Like it's not just about taking a minus, it's about it's not about trying to make a decision that's sensible. It's it's it's not about you, okay? You have your philosophy and I respect it. This is about, in terms of with in my opinion, it's not a blanket, you have to cover your team and put 11 players in the pitch. Because, you know, we've had we've all had game weeks where we've had 11 players in a pitch and one player is getting one point. That happens regularly, right? And if you're taking a minus four, there's a risk of even getting seven or eight, but it's also a risk you can get one. So I'm just simply saying that yes, of course, we all we all put players in our team with the hope that that player can get points. That's why we bring players into our team. But you know, you just have to kind of like, and that's why I said at the very beginning of my statement this isn't a great game week. It's not as if we have a an Arsenal versus a Burnley or we have a Man United at home to Wolves. The games this week are quite evenly matched, and even some of the teams where before, like Burnley, for example, a good example. Burnley three months ago was a banker, whoever's playing as Burnley put players in. Well, Burnley have been doing okay recently. They've picked up a little bit. That's no longer a straightforward like definitely Footland gonna win the game 3-4-0. You know, I still think Fulham's gonna win the game. But you don't see Burnham getting a goal. Okay. Well it's not it's not to me, it's to me, it's not a a home run as it would have been three months ago. Do you know what I'm saying? I wouldn't be surprised if Burnley nicked a goal. Okay. That's my opinion. So when you look at this, I'm just saying, I'm just I I'm just saying for people watching this podcast who who are thinking about who haven't got 10 who haven't got 11 players in the pitch, just be mindful of of just not just having to rush to put players in your team. It's not necessarily as simple as that. That's what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_03So I do get that. Like I said, I I'm generally of the opinion of trying to ensure that you've got six attackers of the right ilk for those games. Like obviously, I've given an idea of where I think the strengths are what I do think is um to to the point that um Hotel's making, there is common sense that needs to be applied with any of these things, right? So it's like if for instance somebody was to freak it out to wildcard to ensure that they've got 11 players but from 11 different teams, like it's it's gonna be problematic. You probably have a weak team out for that week. For me, I feel like um if I center the attack around some of the areas that I've talked about fixture-wise, then you should be alright. But the key things to avoid our guess are because these fixtures are like they're quite middle of the road, like where you've got teams of equal strength against each other. I don't see or I don't think it's one of those ones where you can overvalue any clean sheets, like where you think, oh, yeah, definitely I'll get a clean sheet out of this game and so on. It would be nice, and I don't think that you spread um your players across too many different teams. You just go for the right teams, if that makes sense. And um and try to avoid playing safe, um, which I guess is the mix of what um Hot is saying against what you are saying as well. Right? It's like, well, don't not take the minus if the minus is actually gonna be beneficial to you, depending on the structure of your team, I guess. The big thing that is gonna come into all of it that I imagine is gonna make make or break the week for most players is the captaincy choice.
SPEAKER_02I just want to make one sort of like final point, I guess, before this catching up, and it's about the free hit. I think that it's really important to really raise a point about the free hit. Now, if you still have a free hit in your pocket and you're thinking about using it for this game week, personally I would advise against it because you know you may have seen a lot of things across social media um about how to approach free hits. You know, we have a double game week in 33, and most people who want to load up on the right assets for that game week who have doubles, Man United, that Man City, Arsenal had doubles. But those teams that have doubles in 33 are blanking of 34. So you probably want to have your free hit for 34 because that's gonna be a more impactful black game week than 31. So if you can put nine, ten players like a minus four if you have to for 31, I would definitely go with that and make sure you keep your free hit for 34 because you know that's a game week we're probably gonna have a lot of players out, particularly players from Man City and Arsenal, who obviously we we tend to own those kind of assets on our team, right? So um that's the one thing I would say about it.
SPEAKER_03There's one other point. There is a very, very small chance, depending on what happens with Crystal Palace in Europe, that the blank 431 actually doesn't blank at all. So uh the city Crystal Palace happens just later in the week because of obviously the break of the FA Cup and so on. Um so we'll have to wait to see on Friday when they make the announcement, and depending on what Crystal Palace do. But anyway, captains, what's everybody thinking?
SPEAKER_02Look, I've I've um said it so many times, you know, Bruno Fernandez to me is now the kind of uh the go-to pick. And I think um if you're someone who wants to play the game safe at this point, or then he's definitely the one to go for. Yes, his stats at home have been better than the ones away.
SPEAKER_03But here's a guy sort of stealing my intel.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but you know, but the last three games, you know, he scored 13, 8, I think 10 points. So you know, he's he's he's putting points on the board. Uh and I think anyone that saw uh Monday night football, um, the detection that was done by Henri and Carragher were looking at kind of his first half and his second half. And I find it really interesting because um what stirred me was the kind of aggressive positions on the pitch he was taking, um, how he was calling for the ball, and just sort of how he sort of maneuvered the team around. And I thought it was a really good insight in terms of why he is such a great athlete and how the team looked for him to be that one to find that killer pass or to be the one who's in that last last action. So he's in a really good, good, good range of form right now, and I think that he's someone that is top of my list for captain choice. Outside that, I think Wilson is definitely in another good choice. The only thing I say about Wilson, obviously he has had a knock um recently, is to come back into the team. He hasn't been in great form recently, but they are playing against Burnley and Fulham are a good home team, so he's definitely someone to think about. So those are the two people I'm looking at this game week. And the last one I'll put out before before I'll hand it over to you in hot is is Rogers. You know, I keep on thinking about Rogers, gaming, gamer, and keeps letting me down. But you know, they are they are at home to West Ham. West Ham have picked up, but Rogers Rogers is a very streaky player, um, and he is due. He does tend to have these sort of like two or three games riches where he kind of puts points on the board. So this could be the start.
SPEAKER_03I think he's missing other midfielders, and that's the reason why you're not seeing returns from at the moment.
SPEAKER_02McGinnis back.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but his Tillemans back yet. Do we know what the scenario on him is?
SPEAKER_02I don't know that the um ETO and Tillemans, but McGinnis back, which is obviously very helpful for their stability midfield. Um again, he's he's definitely yeah, he's definitely the outside one for me, and I'm probably not gonna go for him, but you know, yeah, that's my choices this week.
SPEAKER_03Uh obviously Salah has scored in the week as well, so I would imagine his underlying stats have been really good. So every time you look on projections, they always show him as somebody um that could be up there from a captain's choice point of view. Um from my perspective, I was looking at the different players that are out there and what I'd likely be doing. And it's interesting that most captain choices at the moment look as though they're playing away from home, which in an ideal world you'd try and keep them you try and keep a captain at home um for that advantage. Obviously, we've got Tiago who's probably got the best ceiling because he's he's goal concentration, right? He's not um anything else other than that, and obviously he's on penalties. Um and then there is Pedro, obviously he didn't he blanked last week um per se, but his form over the last six has been very good. I mean, is there anybody in particular outside of all of that that you look at the hot state you think, well, this this person's got an outside chance of um doing something for this game week? Like, I don't know, somebody that heaven forbid someone from Middlesex called Richard, and that's your favourite player.
SPEAKER_04Um well it's possible Richard could get a go. You know, he scored in his last game. He's um yeah, they're fighting for survival in the Premier League. So I don't know if Solanke will start. I don't know what the manager is doing over there. I haven't been paying attention to them in the terms of who starts and who doesn't. I think probably looking at players haven't been managing so far. I think Tiago's gone could possibly be gonna go against leads. So that's like um that you could probably rely on to get one go and maybe dominate the code below anyone after missing a penny and not not helping his team get a valid valid uh I think three points he's probably gonna um taking a look at himself in the mirror and he's pissed with himself. I mean to prove so maybe he might come out trying to to make up for that because they need the points, they might be a little bit ahead of the others, but they they're fine for survival just by topping them. So maybe one of those two plus I've got both of them, so they fucking uh I'd give an honourable mention to the headband bandit.
SPEAKER_03Obviously, Gordon is he's not playing his normal position at the moment. Um Hal's playing him up front. Um so he could be a really good differential, but he'd be a brave man to put him in as captain, although obviously Newcastle wire at home. But and other features like like I said, uh you've got middle sex, but also differential can be forest. Um so Gibbs White, useful form. I said it earlier. Um he's somebody that you could look at. I don't think um anybody that they've got in their attack, you'd particularly hone in. Um so Jesus does his thing, but his thing is never really scoring many goals. So even if he does score a goal, it's not gonna be a brace or anything like that. Um and again, you'd be really brave to put your hang your coat on him.
SPEAKER_02It's an interesting time of the season because I always look at this time of the season where we kind of we no longer look at team in terms of whether you're on a league, but more in terms of who's got something to play for. And I think that's really important at this stage of the season. You know, I think the teams that are sort of and we start with Brentford, right? Brentford, who'd been really good all season, allowed Wolves to come back to tool and they're at home. You know, a few months ago that might have happened. And I think psychologically, you know, players are a little bit tired, fatigued, they're not going to get to Europe, they're not gonna get relegated. That 5% dip in concentration and form can mean the world in this league where teams are so evenly matched. So I think that you know, I'd always look to go for players who've got something to play for, which I think to your hot your point with like um Cal Lewin, I think he is a good shout because you know, although we talk about Tottenham and West Ham and Forest as being the main candidates for that last third spot, leagues are not too far away. So you still need to kind of get a few more wins on the board, and they haven't got many opportunities at home to get those to get those three points. So he could be a good shout because they do have something to play for. So you know, my bit of advice for people who are struggling about captain choices is that look for players who've got something on the line.
SPEAKER_03Right. So you've looked very miserable for this episode, Hot. And I understand.
SPEAKER_04Oh wow. Similar ish using the same chemicals and shit.
SPEAKER_02Man, natural berries and juice, my friend. Okay, don't hate the cults. Keep tiny of this.
SPEAKER_04To be fair, um brother's going to be hating on anyone's it's not gonna be yours. Arcs looks more um looked after.
SPEAKER_03So you're a joker.
SPEAKER_04I mean you you can see, you know what I mean? I don't know what you're doing. I just use that I was doing for him.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, human needs wild berries, uh what's he use? Blueberries and nuts, yeah?
SPEAKER_01It's what it is, isn't it? You know.
SPEAKER_03Look at this guy.
SPEAKER_01I mean, you know what I mean. Old glow, yeah. Don't hate the colours, brother.
SPEAKER_02You know what I mean? It's just not good in you. You know what I mean? It's not good in you. Yeah, well, well, well. Get the hot comb and just do your thing in it.
SPEAKER_03But um hot comb, you know. It's that things that I've got on proper beef. The hot comb.
SPEAKER_02Oh boy. It's a God forbid what's gonna happen with Hots if it's not that week. Do you know I mean?
SPEAKER_03No, I think he's already caveating that it he doesn't expect this week to be good. He'll probably win it now.
SPEAKER_04Well, these players are must be if I don't change them. They've done nothing to go game week after game week, so they are due, innit? He said it. He said Rogers is due, got him. Dominic Cavaloon's due, got him. Like Tiago scores every week more times. Um, probably Bruno. He says every player he's got is a is a template, innit? I've got that template, so I've had them. So it's it's it's just about getting through this game week. Yeah, because I didn't want to take out Lewin and Tiago and it didn't work out, did it? Because if I You got Ticket, haven't you? Ek Ecate. Yeah, but what I'm saying is I took an Ecotque for Haaland at the point of last week. I kept Dominic Calvin Lewin and Tiago for gaming 31. So if I was ever gonna take out someone within that price range, I was never gonna take out Haaland for um Pedro at that time. It would have been one of them two. But I thought there's no point taking them them out when they're playing in 31. So it's just one of those things.
SPEAKER_03It's processed over vibes, I guess. But um, yeah, we'll see where we are. But people, obviously, tune in next week. Like and subscribe to make sure you get that notification so you can find out whether Hotz is in the mud or whether he's skinning teeth and getting ready for a trip.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Pray for Hotz. Yeah, like um, I couldn't wait. I couldn't be waiting. It's in a listen, I couldn't wait for the end of the season. The season's been, like I said, it's been a worst season for me um ever. So I just said, you know what? My birthday month's April. Why do you keep bringing it? But like um, remember rapper, facts. But um, in reality, even my birthday month next month.
SPEAKER_03I know you're going through all of them this week. You're doing stone cold hots, just keeps on saying, and that's the bottom line. I was gonna say that.
SPEAKER_04But like um, yeah, all jokes aside, it's my birthday month, April. So like I couldn't bother to wait for no end of the season. So, like, um, yeah, from April onwards, I'm gonna start doing what I do, you know. Man's holiday hots and uh on the normal, but obviously, because due to the podcast, man, I had to chill out. So I haven't been nowhere since December. So it's like it feels like a long time for man. So I've got a I've got a few um you know what it is that the you was I had a holiday because of odd and and I'm not doing well. So I haven't had holidays because I was trying to commit to certain things in life and had to chill out. Including odd. But obviously, there's time in it, it's just it's been a few months now. So you're gonna notice towards uh last few game weeks, I might be away for a few of them. So I might have to be um in a different location filming. I've tried to work a few around, I'm not gonna lie. I've got like about six or seven in place.
SPEAKER_03So like over the course of the end of the season, so no Michael Jackson behavior, right? We don't want you to be like tramming in from some kind of tree. What's the tree actually? Because that's the only place we can get rid of. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04It would be you know what, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I saw that I saw that interview again the other day. Like Michael Jackson was a madman, you know? Yeah. That was like 45, 46 talking about yes, I'm I'm Peter Pan and climbing trees. Not serious. But yes, as I said, people, like and subscribe, hit the notification button. Like you can also get us on the usual audio platforms um if that's your thing. Um, but yeah, like next week will be interesting because it's a particularly dodgy week for us to be trying to navigate. But after that, we've got a few guests coming in um between now and the end of the season just to get flavours on how different people are approaching the way for us to go forwards on these last couple of weeks where everybody's using chips. Um, I would imagine that ramps up a lot from Game Week 32 um and trying to navigate and guess what is gonna happen next. But Hots, please keep the faith. Don't do anything, God. You please stop like a Cheshire cat call blow. Just just call someone hot, yeah?
SPEAKER_04Just apart from apart from why I am in the league, like I said, I'm still leading the leaderboard out of the triple captains. So that's what I'm fighting for now, just to maintain that. Um I've got a few more game weeks to maintain that. So I like the breaking rights out of us. But who knows, one of you may even catch me if I don't fix up. But um, yeah, we'll see, you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so the interesting thing is that you're you're gonna win the head-to-head between all of us, but somebody might get more points than you, which will be a bit more. Well, you know what?
SPEAKER_04As you said about wrestling earlier with Stone Cold, let's flip it to the rock, and I'll just say, just bring it. Simple. You get me? But um, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Alright.
SPEAKER_03Okay, we are over and out, people.
SPEAKER_00Truth be told when I wonder what the future holds.