Transfer Strategy – SlowBuild

Omar B · GW31–GW35 Roadmap · Updated 14 Mar 2026 v3 — ROSTER VERIFIED
All prices & stats sourced from fpl_rosters_GW29.json (bootstrap-static, integrity-checked)

What v3 corrects from v2

The v2 report used estimated prices that were significantly wrong. The roster collector script has now verified every number against the FPL API. Key corrections:

Scott (BOU): v2 said ~£7.0m sell → actual price £5.1m. Scott → Iwobi does NOT save money — it costs ~£1.3m. The entire “cash unlock” logic was backwards. Thiago (BRE): v2 said ~£6.5m → actual price £7.2m. Selling him frees far more cash than assumed. He's the cash-unlock trade, not Scott. Šeško (MUN): v2 said ~£8.5m → actual price £7.3m. Actually reachable from Thiago’s sale without any sequencing tricks. Mateta (CRY): v2 recommended as primary target → actual form is 0 (injured/dropped, 0 recent returns). Not viable. Duran (AVL): v2 recommended as value pick → does not exist in the FPL player database. Guéhi: v2 listed as CRY DEF target → Guéhi transferred to Man City in summer 2025. Not a CRY asset. DGW33: v2 assumed ARS/MCI/AVL/CRY double → no doubles are scheduled in the fixture API as of GW29. BGW31 rescheduled matches will create a DGW somewhere, but the GW is TBC.

Current Squad — Verified Prices API-CONFIRMED

GK: Petrović (BOU £4.5m F:6.0), Kelleher (BRE £4.8m F:2.5)
DEF: Gabriel (ARS £7.2m F:5.8), J.Timber (ARS £6.3m F:5.4), O'Reilly (MCI £5.1m F:7.7), Justin (LEE £3.9m F:2.0), Mukiele (SUN £4.5m F:0.3)
MID: B.Fernandes (MUN £10.1m F:7.7), Anderson (NFO £5.5m F:6.0), Enzo (CHE £6.6m F:2.3), Scott (BOU £5.1m F:3.7), Bruno G. (NEW £6.8m F:0.0)
FWD: Haaland (MCI £14.6m F:2.7), João Pedro (CHE £7.7m F:9.3), Thiago (BRE £7.2m F:3.0)
Bank: ~£0.1m | Total value: ~£102.0m | Chips: Free Hit Bench Boost

Chip #1

GW31 — BGW

⚡ FREE HIT

→

15-man non-blank squad

Cost: Free (chip) | Squad reverts for GW32 | Hits: 0

BGW31 blanks ARS, CRY, MCI, WOL. You lose 3 starters (Gabriel, J.Timber, Haaland) and 1 bench player (O'Reilly). Free Hit builds a full 15-man squad from non-blanking teams for one week, then reverts automatically.

Key FH targets (verified prices): Virgil (LIV DEF £7.4m F:7.8), Wilson (FUL MID £6.0m F:6.7 — 140 TP, best mid-price MID in the game), Iwobi (FUL MID £6.4m F:8.3), Šeško (MUN FWD £7.3m F:6.0), Welbeck (BHA FWD £6.1m F:6.3). See Free Hit GW31 Squad for full recommendations.

Chip #2

DGW TBC — DATE UNCONFIRMED

🚀 BENCH BOOST

→

All 15 players score

Cost: Free (chip) | BGW31 teams (ARS, MCI, CRY, WOL) will get a DGW — GW TBC

The GW31 blank for ARS, CRY, MCI, and WOL will be rescheduled, creating a Double Gameweek. As of 14 Mar 2026, no doubles appear in the fixture API. The old assumption of “DGW33” was based on pre-season forecasts, not confirmed data. Your ARS/MCI assets (Gabriel, Timber, Haaland, O'Reilly, Semenyo/Guéhi at MCI) will play twice whenever it lands.

Action: Hold the Bench Boost chip until the DGW is officially scheduled. Once confirmed, use the next available FTs to load the bench with doublers, then activate BB. The trade sequence below prepares the squad regardless of which GW the double falls in.

The correct economics (verified)

With verified prices, the math flips from v2. Thiago (£7.2m) is the expensive asset to sell first — not Scott (£5.1m). Selling Thiago and replacing with a cheaper FWD banks the difference, which then funds the Scott → MID upgrade second. This is the opposite of what v2 recommended.

Trade #1 — Cash Unlock

GW32

OUT: Thiago (BRE FWD £7.2m F:3.0)

→

IN: Welbeck (BHA FWD £6.1m F:6.3)

Thiago sell: £7.2m (or lower depending on purchase price) | Welbeck buy: £6.1m | Delta: +~£1.1m freed to bank | Bank after: ~£1.2m | Cost: Free transfer

Thiago (F:3.0, 18G but only 2pts in GW29) is in poor form despite a strong season. Welbeck (BHA, £6.1m, F:6.3, 10G, 92 TP) is a direct upgrade in current form and saves ~£1.1m that funds Trade 2. Brighton play in all remaining GWs and face manageable fixtures: LEE(H), BRE(A), MUN(H) in GW32–34.

Why Welbeck over Šeško? Šeško (£7.3m, F:6.0, 89 TP) is a strong player but costs £0.1m more than Thiago, leaving no room for Trade 2. Welbeck has comparable form (F:6.3 vs F:6.0), more goals (10 vs 8), and frees the cash needed to upgrade Scott.

FWD Shortlist — Verified (£7.3m max budget)

Welbeck (BHA) £6.1m

F:6.3 · 92 TP · 10G 0A · 1645 min
Best form-per-pound in the bracket. Saves £1.1m for Trade 2. Plays every week. Recommended.

Raúl (FUL) £6.2m

F:4.7 · 97 TP · 8G 5A · 1903 min
Higher total points (97 vs 92), more assists. FUL have FDR2 fixtures in GW33+. Saves ~£1.0m. Strong alternative.

Šeško (MUN) £7.3m

F:6.0 · 89 TP · 8G 2A · MUN
Excellent form but costs £0.1m more than Thiago — blocks Trade 2 entirely. Only choose if you want to skip the Scott upgrade and hold him long-term.

Bowen (WHU) £7.5m

F:5.0 · 135 TP · 8G 6A · WHU
Highest total points of any mid-price FWD. But £0.3m over budget — only possible if Thiago sells above current price.

Mateta (CRY) £7.5m FORM 0

84 TP · 8G but form is 0 — injured or dropped. Not viable. Eliminated.

Trade #2 — MID Upgrade (funded by Trade 1)

GW33

OUT: Scott (BOU MID £5.1m F:3.7)

→

IN: Wilson (FUL MID £6.0m F:6.7)

Scott sell: ~£5.0–5.1m | Wilson buy: £6.0m | Delta: −~£1.0m from bank | Bank after: ~£0.2m | Cost: Free transfer

This trade is only possible because Trade 1 banked ~£1.1m. Scott (£5.1m, F:3.7, 101 TP) is a budget midfielder putting up budget returns. Wilson (FUL, £6.0m, F:6.7, 140 TP, 9G 8A) is arguably the best value player in the entire game — top-20 in total points at a fraction of the price.

Fulham fixtures from GW33+: BRE(H) FDR2 → good run. Wilson plays every week and is an assist machine.

Alternative: Iwobi (FUL £6.4m F:8.3, 91 TP) — higher form but fewer total points and costs £0.4m more. Wilson is the better season-long asset; Iwobi is the form pick. Both are Fulham so you can only have one.

Trade #3 — Bench Cleanup

GW34 or pre-DGW

OUT: Mukiele (SUN DEF £4.5m F:0.3)

→

IN: DGW bench DEF (once DGW confirmed)

Budget: ~£4.5–4.7m (Mukiele sell + remaining bank) | Cost: Free transfer

Mukiele (F:0.3, 0 mins recently) is dead weight. Replace once the DGW is officially confirmed so you can target a defender from the doubling teams. Verified CRY DEF options: Mitchell (£5.0m, F:4.7, 108 TP — tight on budget), Richards (£4.4m, F:3.7, 104 TP — affordable). Note: Guéhi is at Man City, NOT Crystal Palace.

If the DGW lands for ARS/MCI, you already have Gabriel, Timber, O'Reilly and Haaland covering those teams. A CRY doubler on the bench would add a 5th doubler for Bench Boost.

Trade #4 — Post-BB Cleanup

GW35+

OUT: Justin (LEE DEF £3.9m F:2.0)

→

IN: Best available DEF for run-in

Budget: ~£4.1m (Justin sell + bank) | Cost: Free transfer

Justin (49 TP, F:2.0, £3.9m) is the weakest outfield player. Low priority — only matters once the chip sequence is done. Target a nailed bench DEF with good GW35–38 fixtures.

GW	Action	Type	Bank After	Key Benefit
Now	Current state	—	£0.1m	—
GW30	No transfer — roll FT	—	£0.1m	Accumulate 2nd FT if possible
GW31	FREE HIT chip	Chip	(temp squad)	Dodge ARS/MCI/CRY/WOL blank
GW32	Thiago (£7.2m) → Welbeck (£6.1m)	Free	£1.2m	FWD upgrade + bank £1.1m
GW33	Scott (£5.1m) → Wilson (£6.0m)	Free	£0.2m	MID upgrade (funded by Trade 1)
Pre-DGW	Mukiele → DGW DEF (once scheduled)	Free	~£0.2m	Bench Boost preparation
DGW	BENCH BOOST chip	Chip	—	All 15 score in double fixtures
GW35+	Justin → run-in DEF	Free	TBD	Squad cleanup

Post-Trade Squad Vision

GK: Petrović (BOU £4.5m) · Kelleher (BRE £4.8m)
DEF: Gabriel (ARS £7.2m), J.Timber (ARS £6.3m), O'Reilly (MCI £5.1m), DGW DEF (TBD ~£4.5m), Justin (LEE £3.9m)
MID: B.Fernandes (MUN £10.1m F:7.7), Anderson (NFO £5.5m F:6.0), Wilson (FUL £6.0m F:6.7), Enzo (CHE £6.6m), Bruno G. (NEW £6.8m)
FWD: Haaland (MCI £14.6m), João Pedro (CHE £7.7m F:9.3), Welbeck (BHA £6.1m F:6.3)

Net upgrades vs current squad:
• Thiago (F:3.0, 2pts GW29) → Welbeck (F:6.3, 10G) — form doubles
• Scott (F:3.7, 101 TP) → Wilson (F:6.7, 140 TP, 9G 8A) — best mid-price MID in the game
• Mukiele (F:0.3, dead weight) → DGW DEF — Bench Boost ready
• Total cost: 0 hits, 3 free transfers across 3 GWs

Alternative Path: Šeško over Welbeck

If you prefer Šeško (£7.3m, F:6.0) over Welbeck, the move costs £0.1m more than Thiago — bank drops to £0.0m and Trade 2 (Scott → Wilson) becomes impossible. You'd be locked into Scott as your 5th midfielder for the rest of the season. The Welbeck path trades a marginal FWD downgrade (F:6.3 vs F:6.0) for a massive MID upgrade (Scott F:3.7 → Wilson F:6.7). Wilson’s 140 TP suggests the two-trade path creates far more total value.

v3 · 14 Mar 2026 · All prices from fpl_rosters_GW29.json (bootstrap-static API, integrity-checked) · Selling prices may differ from current market price depending on purchase timing · omarbahader.github.io/FPLReports

Transfer Strategy — SlowBuild