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⚽🧠FPL Brain: Who to transfer in?

⚽🧠FPL Brain: Who to transfer in?

Simple, statistics-based rankings for Captaincy and Transfers, delivered weekly

September 29, 2025

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

Erling Haaland (£14.4m, CAP) — Man City — Rank #1
xGI/90 1.42
Attack 100%

Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m, CAP) — Crystal Palace — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.68
Attack 97%

Bruno Borges Fernandes (£9.0m, CAP) — Man Utd — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.76
Attack 97%

Antoine Semenyo (£7.8m, CAP) — Bournemouth — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.55
Attack 96%

Enzo Fernández (£6.7m, CAP) — Chelsea — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.66
Attack 96%

⚔️ Overall Defenders

Jurriën Timber (£5.8m, DEF) — Arsenal — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.44 · Def contribs/90 7.52
Attack 100% · Defend 70%
(West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace)

Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães (£6.2m, DEF) — Arsenal — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.09 · Def contribs/90 9
Attack 100% · Defend 70%
(West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace)

Marcos Senesi Barón (£4.9m, DEF) — Bournemouth — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.08 · Def contribs/90 13.5
Attack 90% · Defend 22%
(Fulham, Crystal Palace, Nott'm Forest)

Maxence Lacroix (£5.1m, DEF) — Crystal Palace — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.07 · Def contribs/90 10.33
Attack 80% · Defend 75%
(Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal)

Chris Richards (£4.5m, DEF) — Crystal Palace — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.05 · Def contribs/90 10.5
Attack 80% · Defend 75%
(Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal)

🎨 Overall Midfielders

Enzo Fernández (£6.7m, MID) — Chelsea — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.66 · Def contribs/90 5.8
Attack 75% · Defend 90%
(Liverpool, Nott'm Forest, Sunderland)

Bruno Borges Fernandes (£9.0m, MID) — Man Utd — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.76 · Def contribs/90 10.91
Attack 30% · Defend 79%
(Sunderland, Liverpool, Brighton)

Yankuba Minteh (£5.9m, MID) — Brighton — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.47 · Def contribs/90 7.51
Attack 45% · Defend 94%
(Wolves, Newcastle, Man Utd)

Jérémy Doku (£6.5m, MID) — Man City — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.46 · Def contribs/90 4.37
Attack 71% · Defend 85%
(Brentford, Everton, Aston Villa)

Bryan Mbeumo (£8.1m, MID) — Man Utd — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.55 · Def contribs/90 2.6
Attack 30% · Defend 79%
(Sunderland, Liverpool, Brighton)

🎯 Overall Forwards

Erling Haaland (£14.4m, FWD) — Man City — Rank #1
xGI/90 1.42
Attack 71%
(Brentford, Everton, Aston Villa)

Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m, FWD) — Crystal Palace — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.68
Attack 80%
(Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal)

Viktor Gyökeres (£9.0m, FWD) — Arsenal — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.51
Attack 100%
(West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace)

João Pedro Junqueira de Jesus (£7.8m, FWD) — Chelsea — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.3
Attack 75%
(Liverpool, Nott'm Forest, Sunderland)

Igor Thiago Nascimento Rodrigues (£6.0m, FWD) — Brentford — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.4
Attack 20%
(Man City, West Ham, Liverpool)

💸 Budget Defenders

Marcos Senesi Barón (£4.9m, DEF) — Bournemouth — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.08 · Def contribs/90 13.5
Attack 90% · Defend 90%
(Fulham, Crystal Palace, Nott'm Forest)

Chris Richards (£4.5m, DEF) — Crystal Palace — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.05 · Def contribs/90 10.5
Attack 80% · Defend 80%
(Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal)

Joe Rodon (£4.0m, DEF) — Leeds — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.06 · Def contribs/90 9.33
Attack 85% · Defend 85%
(Spurs, Burnley, West Ham)

Tyrick Mitchell (£5.0m, DEF) — Crystal Palace — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.13 · Def contribs/90 8.5
Attack 80% · Defend 80%
(Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal)

Pascal Struijk (£4.5m, DEF) — Leeds — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.07 · Def contribs/90 8.67
Attack 85% · Defend 85%
(Spurs, Burnley, West Ham)

💸 Budget Midfielders

Adam Wharton (£5.0m, MID) — Crystal Palace — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.29 · Def contribs/90 7.73
Attack 80% · Defend 80%
(Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal)

Yasin Ayari (£4.9m, MID) — Brighton — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.17 · Def contribs/90 9.76
Attack 45% · Defend 45%
(Wolves, Newcastle, Man Utd)

Anton Stach (£5.0m, MID) — Leeds — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.19 · Def contribs/90 8.33
Attack 85% · Defend 85%
(Spurs, Burnley, West Ham)

David Brooks (£5.0m, MID) — Bournemouth — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.53 · Def contribs/90 7.54
Attack 90% · Defend 90%
(Fulham, Crystal Palace, Nott'm Forest)

Martín Zubimendi Ibáñez (£5.5m, MID) — Arsenal — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.15 · Def contribs/90 7.29
Attack 100% · Defend 100%
(West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace)

💸 Budget Forwards

Igor Thiago Nascimento Rodrigues (£6.0m, FWD) — Brentford — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.4
Attack 20%
(Man City, West Ham, Liverpool)

Norberto Bercique Gomes Betuncal (£5.4m, FWD) — Everton — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.54
Attack 15%
(Crystal Palace, Man City, Spurs)

Lyle Foster (£5.0m, FWD) — Burnley — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.19
Attack 5%
(Aston Villa, Leeds, Wolves)

Wilson Isidor (£5.6m, FWD) — Sunderland — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.36
Attack 51%
(Man Utd, Wolves, Chelsea)

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.5m, FWD) — Leeds — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.44
Attack 85%
(Spurs, Burnley, West Ham)

🔍 Low-Ownership Defenders

Maxence Lacroix (£5.1m, DEF) — Crystal Palace — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.07 · Def contribs/90 10.33
Attack 80% · Defend 80%
(Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal)

Chris Richards (£4.5m, DEF) — Crystal Palace — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.05 · Def contribs/90 10.5
Attack 80% · Defend 80%
(Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal)

Joe Rodon (£4.0m, DEF) — Leeds — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.06 · Def contribs/90 9.33
Attack 85% · Defend 85%
(Spurs, Burnley, West Ham)

Tyrick Mitchell (£5.0m, DEF) — Crystal Palace — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.13 · Def contribs/90 8.5
Attack 80% · Defend 80%
(Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal)

Pascal Struijk (£4.5m, DEF) — Leeds — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.07 · Def contribs/90 8.67
Attack 85% · Defend 85%
(Spurs, Burnley, West Ham)

🔍 Low-Ownership Midfielders

Yankuba Minteh (£5.9m, MID) — Brighton — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.47 · Def contribs/90 7.51
Attack 45% · Defend 45%
(Wolves, Newcastle, Man Utd)

Jérémy Doku (£6.5m, MID) — Man City — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.46 · Def contribs/90 4.37
Attack 71% · Defend 71%
(Brentford, Everton, Aston Villa)

Pedro Lomba Neto (£7.0m, MID) — Chelsea — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.31 · Def contribs/90 4.35
Attack 75% · Defend 75%
(Liverpool, Nott'm Forest, Sunderland)

Kevin Schade (£7.0m, MID) — Brentford — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.39 · Def contribs/90 6.72
Attack 20% · Defend 20%
(Man City, West Ham, Liverpool)

Mitoma Kaoru (£6.4m, MID) — Brighton — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.18 · Def contribs/90 3.9
Attack 45% · Defend 45%
(Wolves, Newcastle, Man Utd)

🔍 Low-Ownership Forwards

Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m, FWD) — Crystal Palace — Rank #1
xGI/90 0.68
Attack 80%
(Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal)

Igor Thiago Nascimento Rodrigues (£6.0m, FWD) — Brentford — Rank #2
xGI/90 0.4
Attack 20%
(Man City, West Ham, Liverpool)

Norberto Bercique Gomes Betuncal (£5.4m, FWD) — Everton — Rank #3
xGI/90 0.54
Attack 15%
(Crystal Palace, Man City, Spurs)

Ollie Watkins (£8.7m, FWD) — Aston Villa — Rank #4
xGI/90 0.27
Attack 61%
(Burnley, Spurs, Man City)

Francisco Evanilson de Lima Barbosa (£7.0m, FWD) — Bournemouth — Rank #5
xGI/90 0.22
Attack 90%
(Fulham, Crystal Palace, Nott'm Forest)