Fantasy Portugal Gameweek 8: captain picks, best buys
Fantasy Portugal Gameweek 8 preview: best buys, captain picks and differentials
Fantasy Portugal Gameweek 8 is built around a double: Braga and Gil Vicente both play twice, because the two meet on 19 October on top of their regular fixtures. That puts their goalkeepers and defenders at the top of this week's projections. The bigger decision is what you own after it. From Gameweek 9 the doubles fade, Sporting host Viseu with the best single attacking fixture of the next three weeks, and Benfica and Porto keep strong runs. So this preview splits the picks into one-week double plays and buys for the run behind them. Every number comes from our model, and you can compare them yourself in the Fantasy Portugal player picks.
Gameweek 8 programs: whose next three gameweeks are worth owning
Sporting have the best three-gameweek attacking program at 7.06 expected goals: [A]BRA → [H]VIS → [A]CAP. The trip to Braga is the hard part, at 1.38 expected goals and a 32% clean-sheet chance, but Viseu at home (3.37 expected goals, 57% clean sheet) and Casa Pia away (2.31) follow it. That is why Sporting players project modestly this week and lead the projections for Gameweek 9.
Benfica lead for clean sheets with 1.43 expected over the three gameweeks and have the best single fixture of the week: [H]VSC at a 79% win probability, 2.67 expected goals and a 50% clean-sheet chance. Their run is [H]VSC → [A]SC → [H]ALV, and they have allowed only 0.66 xG per game this season, second only to Braga. FC Porto ([A]MAR → [A]GV → [H]Estoril) have the best clean-sheet chance of the week, 55% at Maritimo, and finish the run at home to Estoril (2.54 expected goals).
Braga host Sporting (25% clean sheet) and then Gil Vicente (36%), and have allowed just 0.59 xG per game, the lowest in the league. Behind the double they have Nacional away and Famalicao at home, both ordinary. Gil Vicente go to Moreirense and Braga, then host Porto in Gameweek 9 with only 0.88 expected goals, so their double is mainly a one-week play. The weakest runs belong to Casa Pia ([H]SC → [A]Estrela → [H]SCP, 2.77 expected goals), Maritimo ([H]POR → [A]VSC → [H]SC, 2.86) and Alverca ([A]FAM → [H]ARO → [A]BEN, 3.05). Avoid their attackers for now. All 18 clubs play in Gameweek 8, so there are no blanks to plan around. Kick-off dates are on the Fantasy Portugal schedule.
| Team | GW8 fixture | Win probability | Expected goals | Clean sheet | Program GW8-10 | 3-gameweek xG | 3-gameweek CS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sporting CP | [A]BRA | 41% | 1.38 | 32% | [A]BRA → [H]VIS → [A]CAP | 7.06 | 1.33 |
| Benfica | [H]VSC | 79% | 2.67 | 50% | [H]VSC → [A]SC → [H]ALV | 6.63 | 1.43 |
| FC Porto | [A]MAR | 72% | 2.12 | 55% | [A]MAR → [A]GV → [H]Estoril | 6.21 | 1.40 |
| Braga | [H]SCP + [H]GV | 30% / 49% | 1.15 / 1.58 | 25% / 36% | [H]SCP + [H]GV → [A]NAC → [H]FAM (4 fixtures) | 5.76 | 1.33 |
| Gil Vicente | [A]MOR + [A]BRA | 42% / 24% | 1.28 / 1.02 | 37% / 20% | [A]MOR + [A]BRA → [H]POR → [H]VSC (4 fixtures) | 4.51 | 1.10 |
| Arouca | [H]Estrela | 46% | 1.55 | 32% | [H]Estrela → [A]ALV → [H]NAC | 4.36 | 0.96 |
| Famalicao | [H]ALV | 51% | 1.61 | 38% | [H]ALV → [A]RA → [A]BRA | 4.00 | 0.96 |
| Rio Ave | [H]NAC | 41% | 1.37 | 32% | [H]NAC → [H]FAM → [A]VIS | 3.90 | 0.93 |
| Estoril | [A]VIS | 31% | 1.22 | 23% | [A]VIS → [H]MOR → [A]POR | 3.66 | 0.58 |
| Moreirense | [H]GV | 28% | 0.99 | 28% | [H]GV → [A]Estoril → [H]Estrela | 3.65 | 0.80 |
| Vitoria de Guimaraes | [A]BEN | 7% | 0.69 | 7% | [A]BEN → [H]MAR → [A]GV | 3.56 | 0.66 |
Braga and Gil Vicente show both Gameweek 8 fixtures separated by a slash, and their three-gameweek totals cover four games instead of three. The 3-gameweek CS column is the expected number of clean sheets, not a percentage. Bookmaker-implied numbers for every match are on the Fantasy Portugal market probabilities page.
Best goalkeepers for Gameweek 8
Bernardo Fontes (5.0m, BRA) is the pick of the double: 8.0 → 4.2 → 4.1 on [H]SCP + [H]GV → [A]NAC → [H]FAM, 16.3 over the three gameweeks, owned by 13.4%. Unlike most double-gameweek buys he does not need selling straight away. Braga's defence is the best in the league on expected goals against, and he projects around 4 points in every week from Gameweek 9 to 13.
Lucao (4.5m, GV) is the cheaper double option at 7.9 → 3.7 → 4.0 on [A]MOR + [A]BRA → [H]POR → [H]VSC. That is the best points per million of any goalkeeper this week, but Porto visit in Gameweek 9, so treat him as a one-week starter rather than a long-term keeper.
The horizon view prefers a different keeper after this week. Samuel Soares (5.5m, BEN) projects 4.7 → 4.6 → 4.6 on [H]VSC → [A]SC → [H]ALV, and from Gameweek 9 to 13 he out-scores Fontes every week. If you are making one goalkeeper move and want to keep it, Soares is the steadier hold at 6.1% ownership. Diogo Costa (63.9% owned) is fine to keep at 4.6 → 4.2 → 4.3.
Best defenders for Gameweek 8
Victor Gomez (6.0m, BRA) is the double-gameweek defender to own beyond this week. His run is [H]SCP + [H]GV → [A]NAC → [H]FAM with a trajectory of 7.7 → 4.1 → 3.6, 15.4 over three gameweeks, and he holds around 3.6 points a week after that. He is owned by 15.4%.
Ricardo Esgaio (5.0m, GV) and Marvin Gilbert (5.0m, GV) are the Gil Vicente pair, at 7.5 → 2.8 → 3.4 and 7.1 → 2.8 → 3.4 on [A]MOR + [A]BRA → [H]POR → [H]VSC. Gilbert is projected for the most minutes of any Gil Vicente defender across the two games and is owned by only 5.1%. These are one-week buys: plan to move them on for Gameweek 9 or 10.
This week's ranking and the three-week ranking disagree here. Esgaio out-scores Alberto Costa (6.5m, POR) this week (7.5 against 6.0), but Costa is ahead over three gameweeks (14.9 against 13.7) on [A]MAR → [A]GV → [H]Estoril, a trajectory of 6.0 → 4.1 → 4.8. If you are buying one defender and keeping him, buy Costa. He has produced 0.41 xGI per 90 this season, rare attacking output for a defender, Porto's 55% clean-sheet chance at Maritimo is the best of the week, and only 4.9% own him.
The Sporting defenders are the Gameweek 9 targets. Maximiliano Araujo (7.4m, SCP) matches Gomez for the best three-gameweek total of any defender (15.4) at 3.3 → 6.3 → 5.8 on [A]BRA → [H]VIS → [A]CAP, and Goncalo Inacio (6.4m, SCP) runs 3.9 → 5.2 → 4.8. Owners keep them through the Braga game. Non-owners can wait a round on this one: the run turns in Gameweek 9, so the transfer earns nothing extra by being made now.
The best budget defender is Victor Rofino (4.0m, FAM): 4.7 → 3.8 → 3.0 on [H]ALV → [A]RA → [A]BRA, 11.5 over three gameweeks at 0.4% ownership. Famalicao have a 38% clean-sheet chance at home to Alverca, and he is projected to start. Pedro Pacheco (4.3m, SC) is the alternative at 4.5 → 2.9 → 3.5 on [A]CAP → [H]BEN → [A]MAR, from a Santa Clara defence that has allowed only 0.70 xG per game.
Best midfielders for Gameweek 8
Rafa Silva (9.9m, BEN) is the premium midfielder to buy. He has the best three-gameweek total of any midfielder at 15.4 on [H]VSC → [A]SC → [H]ALV (5.8 → 4.4 → 5.2), and the run keeps going: 5.1 and 4.6 in Gameweeks 11 and 12. Only 6.5% own him. He has 2.01 xG this season but just 1 goal, so the finishing has lagged the chances.
Geny Catamo (8.8m, SCP) is Sporting's best midfield asset and almost level with Rafa Silva over three gameweeks: 3.9 → 6.5 → 4.9 on [A]BRA → [H]VIS → [A]CAP, 15.3 in total. His 6.5 against Viseu is the highest projection of Gameweek 9, and he has 1 goal and 3 assists from 1.39 xA this season. Owners keep him. Non-owners can buy now with a spare transfer or make him the main Gameweek 9 target.
Gabriel Veiga (8.5m, POR) stays a strong hold: 4.9 → 3.7 → 5.2 on [A]MAR → [A]GV → [H]Estoril, with 4 goals, 3 assists and 0.78 xGI per 90 this season. The Porto differential is William Gomes (8.6m, POR) at 5.0% ownership: 5.1 → 3.6 → 4.8 on the same run, 13.5 in total, with 2 goals, 2 assists and 0.76 xGI per 90. Sorriso (6.9m, FAM) is the mid-price pick at 5.2 → 4.5 → 3.8 on [H]ALV → [A]RA → [A]BRA, 13.5 over three gameweeks for 11.6% ownership, and he climbs back to 5.4 in Gameweek 13.
The double-gameweek midfielders are where to make up ground this week. Murilo (6.3m, GV) projects 7.5, the most of any midfielder, on [A]MOR + [A]BRA → [H]POR → [H]VSC at 5.1% owned. His 14.0 over three gameweeks is more than Veiga's, so he is not purely a one-week play. Santi Garcia (5.3m, GV) projects 6.7 → 2.5 → 3.1 on the same run. The hidden gem is Diogo Prioste (4.9m, GV): 6.6 → 2.5 → 2.7 on [A]MOR + [A]BRA → [H]POR → [H]VSC at 0.6% ownership, the best points per million of any midfielder this week. Prioste and Garcia drop to around 2.5 from Gameweek 9, so name the sale in advance: they go out for Gameweek 9 or 10.
Best forwards for Gameweek 8
Forward is the thinnest position this week. Vangelis Pavlidis (12.1m, BEN) is the forward to keep, and at 72.7% ownership most managers already have him. He has 8 goals and 2 assists from 5.88 xG, takes Benfica's penalties and runs 5.9 → 4.0 → 4.9 on [H]VSC → [A]SC → [H]ALV. His 14.8 over three gameweeks is the best of any forward by more than 3 points.
Pau Victor (9.0m, BRA) is the double-gameweek forward and Braga's penalty taker, with 3 goals and 0.54 xGI per 90. He projects 5.0 this week on [H]SCP + [H]GV → [A]NAC → [H]FAM, but drops to 2.9 and 2.6 after it. Here the two rankings disagree again: he out-scores André Silva (9.9m, POR) this week (5.0 against 3.7), yet the two finish level over three gameweeks (10.5 against 10.4). Pau Victor is a one-week buy unless you already own him.
The cheaper double option is Héctor Hernández (6.0m, GV), Gil Vicente's penalty taker with 3 goals from 3.63 xG, at 4.7 → 2.0 → 2.4 on [A]MOR + [A]BRA → [H]POR → [H]VSC. For a budget forward to keep, Ivan Barbero (5.5m, ARO) takes Arouca's penalties and runs 3.1 → 2.6 → 3.2 on [H]Estrela → [A]ALV → [H]NAC. Check the Fantasy Portugal predicted lineups before the deadline, as several Sporting attackers are projected for limited minutes at Braga.
Gameweek 8 captain picks
Captain: Bernardo Fontes (5.0m, BRA) at 8.0, the highest projection in the game, from two home games ([H]SCP + [H]GV → [A]NAC → [H]FAM). The margins are tight. Lucao (7.9) and Victor Gomez (7.7) are next, and the best attacking alternatives are Murilo and Ricardo Esgaio at 7.5, whose two games give them a bigger ceiling than any single-fixture player. For managers without a double-gameweek player, Pavlidis (5.9) at home to VSC is the strongest single-fixture option.
Plan beyond this week. In Gameweek 9 the top captain projections belong to Sporting: Catamo 6.5 and Maximiliano Araujo 6.3. In Gameweek 10 Araujo leads again at 5.8, ahead of Veiga and Rafa Silva at 5.2. Owning one Sporting player and one Benfica attacker covers the best captain in each of the next three gameweeks.
Who to sell before Gameweek 8
Goncalo Paciencia (6.0m, SC) is the clearest sell, and the round to do it is this one. 41.4% own him and he has 5 goals this season, so this is not about form. [A]CAP is a decent fixture, with Santa Clara at a 52% win probability, and 3.0 is a respectable return for his price. But [H]BEN follows, where Santa Clara drop to 0.77 expected goals, and his run is 3.0 → 1.9 → 2.2 on [A]CAP → [H]BEN → [A]MAR. Why now: you are choosing between selling into a decent score this week or out of a poor one next week. Ivan Barbero projects 8.9 over the same three gameweeks against Paciencia's 7.1 and costs 0.5m less.
Luis Suárez (12.6m, SCP) is owned by 31.1% and projects 2.3 at Braga on only 54 minutes. His run improves to 4.7 and 3.9 on [A]BRA → [H]VIS → [A]CAP, so this is a sell on value rather than a bad run: Catamo plays the same fixtures, projects 15.3 against Suárez's 10.9 and costs 3.8m less. Why now: the gap between the two is at its biggest this week, and the money freed can go on a double-gameweek player. Rodrigo Zalazar (10.4m, SCP, 27.3% owned) is in the same spot at 2.1 → 3.7 → 4.3 with a 43-minute projection this week, so if you own both, sell one of them.
Gianluca Prestianni (8.5m, BEN) is owned by 57.9% and has 5 goals and 3 assists, so he is not a bad player. But he projects only 54 minutes against VSC, and his run of 3.9 → 3.0 → 3.7 on [H]VSC → [A]SC → [H]ALV totals 10.6 against Rafa Silva's 15.4 on the same fixtures for 1.4m more. Why now: VSC at home is Benfica's best fixture of the run, and the gap between the two is largest this week (5.8 against 3.9).
Victor Froholdt (8.4m, POR) (24.8% owned) is a sell into a good fixture. Maritimo away is Porto's best clean-sheet game of the run and he still projects only 4.1, then 3.0 → 3.6 on [A]GV → [H]Estoril. Veiga, 0.1m more, projects 13.8 over the three gameweeks against Froholdt's 10.7. Why now: Maritimo is his best game, so you sell into it rather than after the Gil Vicente trip.
Two you can wait on. Yanis Begraoui (7.4m, Estoril, 25.4% owned) has a fair [A]VIS and a better [H]MOR (3.0 → 3.6 → 2.1 on [A]VIS → [H]MOR → [A]POR). Keep him for those two and sell before the Porto trip in Gameweek 10. André Clovis (6.0m, VIS, 14.7% owned) runs 3.4 → 2.1 → 2.8 on [H]Estoril → [A]SCP → [H]RA: Estoril at home is fine and Sporting away is not, so he is a sale for Gameweek 9, not now.
Best Loan Rangers team for Gameweek 8
Loan Rangers is the game's one-week Free Hit-style chip, and a double gameweek is the natural time to use it. A squad built purely for this week, with no more than three players from one club, leans on Braga and Gil Vicente and projects 80.1 points from the starting XI including the captain's double score:
| Pos | Player | Team | Price | GW8 xP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Bernardo Fontes (C) | Braga | 5.0m | 8.0 |
| DEF | Victor Gomez | Braga | 6.0m | 7.7 |
| DEF | Ricardo Esgaio | Gil Vicente | 5.0m | 7.5 |
| DEF | Marvin Gilbert | Gil Vicente | 5.0m | 7.1 |
| DEF | Gustaf Lagerbielke | Braga | 6.0m | 6.3 |
| DEF | Alberto Costa | FC Porto | 6.5m | 6.0 |
| MID | Murilo | Gil Vicente | 6.3m | 7.5 |
| MID | Rafa Silva | Benfica | 9.9m | 5.8 |
| MID | Sorriso | Famalicao | 6.9m | 5.2 |
| MID | William Gomes | FC Porto | 8.6m | 5.1 |
| FWD | Vangelis Pavlidis | Benfica | 12.1m | 5.9 |
Bench: Samuel Soares, Vinicius, André Clovis and Ivan Barbero. Captain: Bernardo Fontes. What you can afford depends on your own team value, so use the live solver on the optimal teams for Fantasy Portugal page to get the exact best squad for your situation.
Gameweek 8 transfer summary
- In for the run: Rafa Silva, Alberto Costa, Bernardo Fontes, Geny Catamo (or make him the Gameweek 9 target).
- In for one week: Murilo, Diogo Prioste, Marvin Gilbert, Pau Victor.
- Out now: Goncalo Paciencia, Luis Suárez or Rodrigo Zalazar, Gianluca Prestianni (for Rafa Silva), Victor Froholdt.
- Out later: André Clovis for Gameweek 9, Yanis Begraoui for Gameweek 10.
Last week's picks are in the Fantasy Portugal Gameweek 7 preview, every preview of the season is in the Fantasy Portugal preview hub, and our game guides are on the guides page.
FAQ
Who should I captain in Fantasy Portugal Gameweek 8?
Bernardo Fontes is the top captain pick at 8.0 projected points from Braga's two home games against Sporting and Gil Vicente. Lucao (7.9) and Victor Gomez (7.7) are close behind, Murilo (7.5) is the best attacking alternative, and Pavlidis (5.9) is the best single-fixture option.
Which Braga and Gil Vicente players should I buy for the Gameweek 8 double?
Bernardo Fontes (8.0) and Victor Gomez (7.7) from Braga are worth keeping after the double. Gil Vicente's Murilo, Ricardo Esgaio, Marvin Gilbert and Lucao are strongest for Gameweek 8 only, because Gil Vicente host Porto in Gameweek 9.
Should I sell Goncalo Paciencia before Fantasy Portugal Gameweek 8?
Yes. He projects 3.0 at Casa Pia, then 1.9 at home to Benfica and 2.2 at Maritimo, so this week's decent fixture is the best moment to sell. Ivan Barbero is the cheaper replacement with 8.9 projected over Gameweeks 8 to 10.
Best differentials for Fantasy Portugal Gameweek 8?
Rafa Silva (6.5% owned, 15.4 over three gameweeks), Alberto Costa (4.9%, 14.9), William Gomes (5.0%, 13.5), Murilo (5.1%, 7.5 this week) and Diogo Prioste (0.6%, 6.6 this week) are the best low-ownership picks.
This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI.