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⚽🧠FPL Brain: Early look for GW5
Simple, statistics-based rankings for Captaincy and Transfers, delivered weekly
Welcome to this week’s FPL newsletter! Here’s a quick guide to the sections and stats you’ll see below:
- Captain Picks – The standout options to give the armband to this gameweek, based on form and immediate fixture potential.
- Overall Best (⚔️ Defenders, 🎨 Midfielders, 🎯 Forwards) – The top-performing players in each position, projected over the next 3 gameweeks.
- Budget Gems (💸) – Lower-priced players who still offer strong returns, helping free up funds elsewhere, for the next 3 gameweeks.
- Low Ownership Differentials (🔍) – Under-the-radar picks with less than ~10% ownership, who can boost your rank if they deliver, also assessed across the next 3 gameweeks.
Stat Glossary:
- xGI/90 – Expected Goals + Assists per 90 minutes. A measure of attacking involvement.
- Attack % – Strength of attacking output versus upcoming opponents (higher % = stronger attacking potential).
- Defend % – Reliability of defensive output versus upcoming opponents (higher % = better chance of clean sheets/defensive returns).
- Def contribs/90 – Defensive contributions (tackles, blocks, interceptions) per 90 minutes.
- Fixtures – The next 2–3 matches the player is projected to play.
- Rank # – Position compared to others in the same category (1 = best).
Use this guide to balance safe picks with clever differentials, and to spot where you can save budget or take calculated risks across the next three gameweeks.
Captain Picks
Chris Wood (£7.6m, CAP) — Nott'm Forest — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.52
Attack 90%
xGI/90 0.52
Attack 90%
Hugo Ekitiké (£8.8m, CAP) — Liverpool — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.48
Attack 95%
xGI/90 0.48
Attack 95%
Mohamed Salah (£14.5m, CAP) — Liverpool — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.4
Attack 95%
xGI/90 0.4
Attack 95%
Enzo Fernández (£6.6m, CAP) — Chelsea — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.61
Attack 75%
xGI/90 0.61
Attack 75%
Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.5m, CAP) — Nott'm Forest — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.32
Attack 90%
xGI/90 0.32
Attack 90%
⚔️ Overall Defenders
Virgil van Dijk (£6.1m, DEF) — Liverpool — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.06 · Def contribs/90 12.5
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
xGI/90 0.06 · Def contribs/90 12.5
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
Trevoh Chalobah (£5.1m, DEF) — Chelsea — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.29 · Def contribs/90 10.92
Attack 60% · Defend 62%
(Man Utd, Brighton, Liverpool)
xGI/90 0.29 · Def contribs/90 10.92
Attack 60% · Defend 62%
(Man Utd, Brighton, Liverpool)
Ibrahima Konaté (£5.5m, DEF) — Liverpool — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.15 · Def contribs/90 6.54
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
xGI/90 0.15 · Def contribs/90 6.54
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
Joachim Andersen (£4.5m, DEF) — Fulham — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.23 · Def contribs/90 10.25
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
xGI/90 0.23 · Def contribs/90 10.25
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
Marcos Senesi Barón (£4.6m, DEF) — Bournemouth — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.07 · Def contribs/90 13.75
Attack 70% · Defend 36%
(Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham)
xGI/90 0.07 · Def contribs/90 13.75
Attack 70% · Defend 36%
(Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham)
🎨 Overall Midfielders
Mohamed Salah (£14.5m, MID) — Liverpool — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.4 · Def contribs/90 4.25
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
xGI/90 0.4 · Def contribs/90 4.25
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
Cody Gakpo (£7.7m, MID) — Liverpool — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.34 · Def contribs/90 5.75
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
xGI/90 0.34 · Def contribs/90 5.75
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
Enzo Fernández (£6.6m, MID) — Chelsea — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.61 · Def contribs/90 6.21
Attack 60% · Defend 62%
(Man Utd, Brighton, Liverpool)
xGI/90 0.61 · Def contribs/90 6.21
Attack 60% · Defend 62%
(Man Utd, Brighton, Liverpool)
Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.5m, MID) — Nott'm Forest — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.32 · Def contribs/90 4.14
Attack 90% · Defend 86%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
xGI/90 0.32 · Def contribs/90 4.14
Attack 90% · Defend 86%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
Florian Wirtz (£8.4m, MID) — Liverpool — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.33 · Def contribs/90 6.47
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
xGI/90 0.33 · Def contribs/90 6.47
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
🎯 Overall Forwards
Erling Haaland (£14.1m, FWD) — Man City — Rank #1
xGI/90 1.59
Attack 70%
(Arsenal, Burnley, Brentford)
xGI/90 1.59
Attack 70%
(Arsenal, Burnley, Brentford)
Viktor Gyökeres (£9.0m, FWD) — Arsenal — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.7
Attack 86%
(Man City, Newcastle, West Ham)
xGI/90 0.7
Attack 86%
(Man City, Newcastle, West Ham)
Chris Wood (£7.6m, FWD) — Nott'm Forest — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.52
Attack 90%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
xGI/90 0.52
Attack 90%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
Hugo Ekitiké (£8.8m, FWD) — Liverpool — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.48
Attack 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
xGI/90 0.48
Attack 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
Ollie Watkins (£8.9m, FWD) — Aston Villa — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.33
Attack 54%
(Sunderland, Fulham, Burnley)
xGI/90 0.33
Attack 54%
(Sunderland, Fulham, Burnley)
💸 Budget Defenders
Joachim Andersen (£4.5m, DEF) — Fulham — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.23 · Def contribs/90 10.25
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
xGI/90 0.23 · Def contribs/90 10.25
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
Marcos Senesi Barón (£4.6m, DEF) — Bournemouth — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.07 · Def contribs/90 13.75
Attack 70% · Defend 36%
(Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham)
xGI/90 0.07 · Def contribs/90 13.75
Attack 70% · Defend 36%
(Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham)
Emmanuel Agbadou (£4.5m, DEF) — Wolves — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.1 · Def contribs/90 10.25
Attack 45% · Defend 67%
(Leeds, Spurs, Brighton)
xGI/90 0.1 · Def contribs/90 10.25
Attack 45% · Defend 67%
(Leeds, Spurs, Brighton)
Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.5m, DEF) — Brighton — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.12 · Def contribs/90 7.25
Attack 80% · Defend 26%
(Spurs, Chelsea, Wolves)
xGI/90 0.12 · Def contribs/90 7.25
Attack 80% · Defend 26%
(Spurs, Chelsea, Wolves)
Micky van de Ven (£4.6m, DEF) — Spurs — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.19 · Def contribs/90 6.19
Attack 65% · Defend 57%
(Brighton, Wolves, Leeds)
xGI/90 0.19 · Def contribs/90 6.19
Attack 65% · Defend 57%
(Brighton, Wolves, Leeds)
💸 Budget Midfielders
Elliot Anderson (£5.5m, MID) — Nott'm Forest — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.22 · Def contribs/90 12
Attack 90% · Defend 86%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
xGI/90 0.22 · Def contribs/90 12
Attack 90% · Defend 86%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
Saša Lukić (£5.0m, MID) — Fulham — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.26 · Def contribs/90 8.5
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
xGI/90 0.26 · Def contribs/90 8.5
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
David Brooks (£5.0m, MID) — Bournemouth — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.65 · Def contribs/90 7.12
Attack 70% · Defend 36%
(Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham)
xGI/90 0.65 · Def contribs/90 7.12
Attack 70% · Defend 36%
(Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham)
Josh King (£4.5m, MID) — Fulham — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.21 · Def contribs/90 6.31
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
xGI/90 0.21 · Def contribs/90 6.31
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
Jaidon Anthony (£5.5m, MID) — Burnley — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.53 · Def contribs/90 8.18
Attack 5%
(Nott'm Forest, Man City, Aston Villa)
xGI/90 0.53 · Def contribs/90 8.18
Attack 5%
(Nott'm Forest, Man City, Aston Villa)
💸 Budget Forwards
Igor Thiago Nascimento Rodrigues (£6.0m, FWD) — Brentford — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.37
Attack 36%
(Fulham, Man Utd, Man City)
xGI/90 0.37
Attack 36%
(Fulham, Man Utd, Man City)
Lyle Foster (£5.0m, FWD) — Burnley — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.21
Attack 5%
(Nott'm Forest, Man City, Aston Villa)
xGI/90 0.21
Attack 5%
(Nott'm Forest, Man City, Aston Villa)
Wilson Isidor (£5.5m, FWD) — Sunderland — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.22
Attack 10%
(Aston Villa, Nott'm Forest, Man Utd)
xGI/90 0.22
Attack 10%
(Aston Villa, Nott'm Forest, Man Utd)
Eliezer Mayenda Dossou (£5.5m, FWD) — Sunderland — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.17
Attack 10%
(Aston Villa, Nott'm Forest, Man Utd)
xGI/90 0.17
Attack 10%
(Aston Villa, Nott'm Forest, Man Utd)
Norberto Bercique Gomes Betuncal (£5.4m, FWD) — Everton — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.64
(Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace)
xGI/90 0.64
(Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace)
🔍 Low-Ownership Defenders
Trevoh Chalobah (£5.1m, DEF) — Chelsea — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.29 · Def contribs/90 10.92
Attack 60% · Defend 62%
(Man Utd, Brighton, Liverpool)
xGI/90 0.29 · Def contribs/90 10.92
Attack 60% · Defend 62%
(Man Utd, Brighton, Liverpool)
Ibrahima Konaté (£5.5m, DEF) — Liverpool — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.15 · Def contribs/90 6.54
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
xGI/90 0.15 · Def contribs/90 6.54
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
Joachim Andersen (£4.5m, DEF) — Fulham — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.23 · Def contribs/90 10.25
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
xGI/90 0.23 · Def contribs/90 10.25
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
Marcos Senesi Barón (£4.6m, DEF) — Bournemouth — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.07 · Def contribs/90 13.75
Attack 70% · Defend 36%
(Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham)
xGI/90 0.07 · Def contribs/90 13.75
Attack 70% · Defend 36%
(Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham)
Milos Kerkez (£6.0m, DEF) — Liverpool — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.04 · Def contribs/90 7.83
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
xGI/90 0.04 · Def contribs/90 7.83
Attack 95% · Defend 95%
(Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea)
🔍 Low-Ownership Midfielders
Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.5m, MID) — Nott'm Forest — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.32 · Def contribs/90 4.14
Attack 90% · Defend 86%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
xGI/90 0.32 · Def contribs/90 4.14
Attack 90% · Defend 86%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
Pedro Lomba Neto (£7.0m, MID) — Chelsea — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.37 · Def contribs/90 4.63
Attack 60% · Defend 62%
(Man Utd, Brighton, Liverpool)
xGI/90 0.37 · Def contribs/90 4.63
Attack 60% · Defend 62%
(Man Utd, Brighton, Liverpool)
Elliot Anderson (£5.5m, MID) — Nott'm Forest — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.22 · Def contribs/90 12
Attack 90% · Defend 86%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
xGI/90 0.22 · Def contribs/90 12
Attack 90% · Defend 86%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
Saša Lukić (£5.0m, MID) — Fulham — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.26 · Def contribs/90 8.5
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
xGI/90 0.26 · Def contribs/90 8.5
Attack 41% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth)
Callum Hudson-Odoi (£6.0m, MID) — Nott'm Forest — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.22 · Def contribs/90 2.34
Attack 90% · Defend 86%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
xGI/90 0.22 · Def contribs/90 2.34
Attack 90% · Defend 86%
(Burnley, Sunderland, Newcastle)
🔍 Low-Ownership Forwards
Igor Thiago Nascimento Rodrigues (£6.0m, FWD) — Brentford — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.37
Attack 36%
(Fulham, Man Utd, Man City)
xGI/90 0.37
Attack 36%
(Fulham, Man Utd, Man City)
Francisco Evanilson de Lima Barbosa (£7.0m, FWD) — Bournemouth — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.27
Attack 70%
(Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham)
xGI/90 0.27
Attack 70%
(Newcastle, Leeds, Fulham)
Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m, FWD) — West Ham — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.17
Attack 10%
(Crystal Palace, Everton, Arsenal)
xGI/90 0.17
Attack 10%
(Crystal Palace, Everton, Arsenal)
Lyle Foster (£5.0m, FWD) — Burnley — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.21
Attack 5%
(Nott'm Forest, Man City, Aston Villa)
xGI/90 0.21
Attack 5%
(Nott'm Forest, Man City, Aston Villa)
Nick Woltemade (£7.0m, FWD) — Newcastle — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.39
Attack 50%
(Bournemouth, Arsenal, Nott'm Forest)
xGI/90 0.39
Attack 50%
(Bournemouth, Arsenal, Nott'm Forest)