With the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Mohamed Salah, there is plenty to ponder for FPL managers as the fixtures come thick and fast at this point of the season. There are many wildcards in play and decisions to be made at this early stage of the campaign and here are our best FPL picks for Gameweek 5.
GK: Aaron Ramsdale (ARS) – £4.5m
Mikel Arteta dropped Bernd Leno for Aaron Ramsdale in Gameweek 3, and the Arsenal goalkeeper could offer value at his price for this week’s fixture against Burnley – who have only scored three goals so far this season.
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV) – £7.6m
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been on fire so far this season – averaging 8.5 points per game – and is undroppable for this week’s fixture against Crystal Palace at home.
DEF: Nelson Semedo (WOL) – £4.9m
Since Gameweek 2, Nelson Semedo has registered an impressive 32 touchers per 90 in the final third and is top amongst defenders for penalty area touches & big chances – making him an explosive option in defence for this week’s fixture against Brentford.
DEF: Kyle Walker (MCI) – £5.5m
After being rested in mid-week in the Champions League, Kyle Walker should start for City against Southampton at home in Gamweek 5. Pep Guardiola’s side have been the tightest defence so far this season with only one goal conceded in four games – and are likely to keep another clean-sheet against the struggling Saints.
MID: Adama Traore (WOL) – £6.0m
Adama Traore has massively underperformed his Expected stats so far this season, and the winger has been hugely unlucky not to register any goals or assists this season for Wolves. Traore has registered 12 shots and 11 key passes in the opening four games, making him an excellent pick for his price.
MID: Mohamed Salah (LIV) – £12.5m
Mohamed Salah is a must-have this week for Liverpool’s home tie against Crystal Palace – a fixture in which Salah has registered 15, 12 and 11 FPL points in the past three seasons.
MID: Diogo Jota (LIV) – £7.6m
With Roberto Firmino out injured, Diogo Jota continues to be a gift for all FPL managers and with the Reds playing Crystal Palace at home in Gameweek 5 it may be wise to double up on Liverpool midfielders. Jota has been electric to start the season, creating 2 big chances and managing 11 shots in three starts for Liverpool.
MID: Ferran Torres (MCI) – £7.2m
Ferran Torres has been starting out of position in FPL as a striker for Manchester City this season and could register another explosive point haul this weekend. Torres has registered the most shots by any midfielder under £10m and has managed 10 shots inside the box as well as 3 big chances so far this season.
FWD: Raul Jimenez (WOL) – £7.9m
One excellent differential pick for fantasy teams this week is Raul Jimenez from Wolves – who is only 4% owned and has an excellent fixture against Brentford at home this week. Jimenez has been a fan-favourite in FPL in recent years and is putting up good numbers with 12 shots in the box and one big chance so far this season.
FWD: Cristiano Ronaldo (MUN) – £12.6
Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return to the Premier League with a brace and registered five shots in the box and two big chances against Newcastle. Ronaldo also netted for United in the Champions League in mid-week, and his pedigree and goal-scoring record make him impossible to ignore for FPL managers.
FWD: Patrick Bamford (EVE) – £7.9m
Newcastle seem to be the fixture to target for strikers this season after Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace, and Bamford could return big this weekend for his owners. The Leeds striker has 11 shots and 10 shots in the box so far this season with two big chances, and his xG stats suggest points could be right around the corner for the Englishman.
Captaincy Pick
For this week, Mohammed Salah is the bookies’ favourite to get on the scoresheet and is my number one captaincy option for Gameweek 5. Salah has been extremely consistent this season with at least 8 points in three of the four gameweeks so far and has an excellent fixture against Crystal Palace at home.
Shivaan Shah