As we approach Gameweek 10 of managers face crucial decisions that could define their campaigns. With the a unique deadline where there are 5 matches as the early kick off that is set for Saturday, November 1st at 13:30 GMT, here’s everything you need to know to maximize your points.
The most popular transfer for Gameweek 10 is shaping the landscape significantly. João Pedro to Jean-Philippe Mateta leads the charge, with Crystal Palace’s improved fixture run making their assets highly attractive. If you own the Brazilian it is time to sell, his price has not dropped as of yet but could drop by tonight with 37.7% of managers making this exact move, it’s clear where the template is heading. In midfield, the Reijnders to Mbeumo swap dominates, as Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo continues his impressive price rise following consistent returns. The Cameroonian forward has emerged as one of the most transferred in players ahead of this gameweek. Here are the transfers that most managers have made today.
Two budget forwards have emerged as popular options for managers looking to free up funds:
Danny Welbeck (Brighton, £6.4m): Has scored three goals in the last three gameweeks and leads in creativity with six attempted assists. Brighton’s fixtures are easing after facing top opposition recently. Brighton are entering a great fixture run and host Leeds at home, they have not been defensively great but are still finding the net having scored in 8/9 matches in the league so far.
Igor Thiago (Brentford, £6.2m): Despite fewer goals than Welbeck, his underlying metrics are superior. He leads in shots in the box (11 vs 2), shots on target, and Expected Goals making him the stronger long term pick. He is also on penalties for the Bees adding another route to points, he is the main man for Brentford if they score goals it usually comes from him. He was also rested in their cup tie against Grimsby last night and will be fresh and ready for Palace.
Defensive Assets to Target
Arsenal Defence: Arsenal’s backline has been rock solid, making Gabriel and Jurrien Timber highly sought after options. They continue to dominate the Top 10 transfer combinations for defenders and rose in price last night to £6.5m and £6.1m respectively. Any of Gabriel and Timber are must own, the best defence in Europe, consistent and reliable points scorers.
Crystal Palace: With fixtures easing significantly after their tough start, Palace defenders like Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix, and Chris Richards all offer excellent value. Daniel Muñoz stands out for attacking potential, essentially playing as a winger. They are also great season keepers and offer great value making them potentially the best defenders after the Gunners assets.
we've reached the (almost) quarter point of the Premier League season
— Anthony Dabbundo (@AnthonyDabbundo) October 27, 2025
I stripped out both penalties and red cards from all of the data and here are the rankings removing priors and schedule adjustments pic.twitter.com/iHAVdAm01t
Midfield Buys
Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United, £8.2m): Currently the most transferred in player for good reason. He has now returned in his last 3 games as the Red Devils have finally managed to win more than 2 matches in a row under Ruben Amorim. Looks like Mbeumo has found his feet at Man United and we are seeing his form from last season return, not to mention he is the second highest points scoring midfielder after Semenyo.
Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace, £6.5m): For all my fellow Reijnders owners, it has not been a good time owning the Dutchman after his Gameweek 1 performance and Sarr presents an opportunity for a transfer out. The Senegalese international is an explosive asset, although he blanked in his last 2 matches he has managed to rack up 0.57 xGI. He is a great differential with just 8.6% ownership and is a great replacement for Reijnders.
Yankuba Minteh (Brighton, £6.0m): Nobody has more penalty area touches 63 this season than the Gambian. He is solid for minutes and is a nailed on starter. The fixtures for Brighton are great and since Gambia did not qualify for Afcon, you can save a transfer unlike Sarr who plays for Afcon favourites Senegal. A gamble given his recent output but definitely one to consider.
Captaincy Contenders
The Template Captain Erling Haaland (£14.7m)
Haaland is the template captain for a reason. He has an incredible baseline for attacking returns, blanking only once in his first seven outings and his ability to score massive hauls is unmatched. He consistently ranks top for key metrics like Shots in the Box and Big Chances. However the issue this week is the fixture despite playing at home, Bournemouth are second in the league and are arguably in better form than Manchester City who just lost 1-0 to Aston Villa. If you want to take a risk for going to someone else this maybe the week.
The Defensive Rock Gabriel Magalhães (£6.5m)
Captaining a defender is always a risk, but Gabriel’s potential is twofold, Guaranteed Clean Sheet Points and Elite Goal Threat. Playing against the league worst attacking team (Burnley, lowest xG) and the league worst defensive team (Burnley, highest xGC), Arsenal have the highest clean sheet odds this Gameweek. A clean sheet is a strong 4 point foundation. However Gabriel is also a major threat from Arsenal’s prolific set pieces and Burnley are poor at defending set plays. He has accumulated an impressive 11 bonus points so far this season, demonstrating his ability to max out points on a clean sheet/goal return.
The Riskier Play Bukayo Saka (£10.0m)
Arsenal travel to Burnley, who have one of the worst defensive records in the league, including the highest Expected Goals Conceded (xGC). This is arguably the easiest fixture of the top two contenders. Saka has multiple avenues for FPL points from Goals, Assists, and Penalty Duty. He is the key attacking outlet for an Arsenal side that is strong away from home. His recent returns (18 points over his last three games) show he is in good form. Saka has a good record against Burnley, notably scoring a brace in a recent meeting. The most encouraging statistic is Burnley’s overall frailty, making an Arsenal attacking explosion highly plausible.
With early season chips potentially already deployed, managers should be strategic about their remaining options. The data shows significant point gaps remain recoverable less than 100 points separate ranks from 100k to 3 million. I would not recommend you to use any of your chips right now as they are not really useful for this gameweek.
Gameweek 10 represents a pivotal moment in the season. The shift away from certain premium assets toward a more balanced squad structure is accelerating. Managers should focus on taking advantage of Crystal Palace’s fixture swing, considering budget forwards to fund premium defenders such as Arsenal and Palace assets and looking 2-3 gameweeks ahead for optimal transfer planning.
Remember, there are over 12 million managers competing this season, and with proper strategy, significant rank improvements remain achievable. Stay patient, trust your process, and don’t panic transfer after one bad week.
