The Scout on why the upcoming Double Gameweeks make this a great time to use the Assistant Manager chip in Fantasy Premier League.
With Crystal Palace benefiting from both a Double Gameweek 32 (DGW32) AND a Double Gameweek 33 (DGW33), and four other clubs - Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle United - all having a Double over the next two Gameweeks, now is a prime opportunity to use the Assistant Manager chip.
In a Double Gameweek, certain clubs play two Premier League fixtures instead of one, so there are twice as many chances to earn Fantasy points.
With TWO Double Gameweeks now coming up back-to-back in Gameweeks 32 and 33, and the Assistant Manager chip running for three successive Gameweeks, activating the chip now would mean that you could get FIVE fixtures out of your chosen manager, instead of the usual three.
However, it’s important to note that playing the Assistant Manager chip in DGW32 would mean you CANNOT activate another chip until Gameweek 35.
Consequently, you would NOT be able to use the Free Hit chip in Blank Gameweek 34 (BGW34), for example, when four clubs - Arsenal, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Man City - will be WITHOUT a fixture, with their players therefore scoring zero points in Fantasy.
If you are one of the 276,833 Fantasy managers who activated their Assistant Manager chip in Gameweek 30, there is now just one Gameweek remaining to earn more points.
On top of that, more than 275,000 managers deployed the chip in Gameweek 31. So, who is the best pick for DGW32?
Play safe or take a risk?
There are two tactics to consider with the Assistant Manager chip.
You can pick one of the top clubs with a favourable fixture - a tactic which is more reliable but has a low ceiling for points.
Alternatively, you can target managers from clubs who can earn table-bonus points against a team who are ranked at least five places higher in the Premier League table. This is a riskier approach which has a higher ceiling.
Here you can see the eight clubs (in bold) whose manager can earn table-bonus points in DGW32. Palace have TWO opportunities to do so, against Man City and Newcastle.
Double Gameweek 32 fixtures
Man City v Crystal Palace
Brighton v Leicester
Nottingham Forest v Everton
Southampton v Aston Villa
Arsenal v Brentford
Chelsea v Ipswich
Liverpool v West Ham
Wolves v Spurs
Newcastle v Man Utd
Bournemouth v Fulham
Newcastle v Crystal Palace
Double chance for Glasner
Opting for Oliver Glasner (£0.8m) allows FPL managers to exploit both DGW32 and DGW33, with Palace playing TWICE in both Gameweeks.
The Austrian has guided the Eagles to five wins and a draw across their last seven matches. Over that period, Glasner has picked up 72 points in Fantasy.
As shown in the table below, three of Palace’s four fixtures over the next two Gameweeks, against Man City, Newcastle and Arsenal, are against teams five places or higher in the Premier League table. This means Glasner is eligible for table bonus in the event of a win or draw.
Glasner's fixtures, GW32-33
| GW | Palace's fixtures |
|---|---|
| 32 | MCI (A)* NEW (A)* |
| 33 | BOU (H) ARS (A)* |
*Table-bonus fixture as it stands
Selecting an Assistant Manager with table-bonus potential can be extremely rewarding for Fantasy managers, as demonstrated in Gameweeks 26 and 27, where Glasner picked up 40 points in total by beating Fulham and Aston Villa.
While the table-bonus fixtures appear difficult on paper, with all three coming away from home and scoring four in the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), there are reasons for optimism.
The Eagles are unbeaten in their last 10 away matches. They have suffered just three defeats on the road all season, with their away record the sixth-best in the league, despite having played two games fewer than most other teams.
Finally, Palace's home fixture against AFC Bournemouth in DGW33 looks very appealing. The Cherries have won just once in their last eight matches and are without a clean sheet since Gameweek 23.
For managers activating the Assistant Manager chip in DGW32, it's worth noting that Crystal Palace do NOT have a fixture in BGW34. Therefore a transfer would be needed to move from Glasner to another manager.
Play it safe with Howe?
Eddie Howe (£1.5m) is the other manager to play twice in DGW32. The Newcastle head coach has won four of his last five matches, picking up 38 Fantasy points across that spell. Even if Howe isn't in charge this weekend due to illness, he WILL still earn Assistant Manager points in FPL.
The Magpies face Manchester United and Palace at home in DGW32. Newcastle's recent home form is encouraging, winning their last two matches at St James' Park, scoring six goals in the process. On paper at least, Newcastle have an easier Double Gameweek than Crystal Palace.
Despite this, when it comes to DGW33, Howe faces a tough assignment without the potential of table bonus. Newcastle travel to Aston Villa, who are unbeaten in their last 15 home games. In the same Gameweek, Palace play twice.
More positively, unlike Glasner, Howe does have a fixture in BGW34, facing Ipswich Town at home.
This strengthens his appeal for FPL managers who are activating the Assistant Manager chip in DGW32, because instead of using a transfer to swap managers ahead of BGW34, you can prioritise preparing your 15-man squad for that Gameweek and being able to field a team of 11 players.
Is anyone else worth considering?
While Enzo Maresca (£1.5m) and Fabian Hurzeler (£1.1m) only have one match each in DGW32, they look primed for strong returns against Ipswich and Leicester City respectively.
Maresca has guided Chelsea to five consecutive wins at Stamford Bridge, keeping three clean sheets in that run. Opponents Ipswich have recorded just one win in their seven away trips.
Hurzeler's prospects are arguably even brighter. Leicester have lost each of their last eight matches, failing to score a single goal in that run.
However, despite their kind DGW32 fixtures, Maresca and Hurzeler's upside and potential for Fantasy points pales in comparison to both Glasner and Howe. In addition, neither Maresca or Hurzeler is eligible for table bonus in DGW33.
So, who is the best pick for DGW32?
Glasner is no doubt the best Assistant Manager pick for DGW32. The Palace head coach combines red-hot form and table-bonus potential ahead of playing four matches over the next two Gameweeks.
However, FPL managers who are activating the chip in DGW32 and are consequently unable to use the Free Hit chip in BGW34 may wish to consider Howe in order to save a transfer in two weeks' time.
