FPL Gameweek 9: captain picks, best buys and Free Hit
FPL Gameweek 9 tips: best buys, captain picks and differentials
Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 9 is a full ten-match round with no blanks and no doubles. Every club plays once in each of Gameweeks 9 to 14, so this week's transfer is about the run behind the round, not about a schedule quirk. The headline matchup is Liverpool - Arsenal. The more useful story sits underneath it: Arsenal host Hull in Gameweek 10, the best clean-sheet fixture anywhere in the next three rounds, and Chelsea's attack has the softest run of any premium side.
Every number below comes from our model's projected points (xP) for Gameweeks 9 to 11. You can sort the whole player pool yourself on the FPL player picks page. If you missed last week's analysis, the FPL Gameweek 8 preview is still up.
FPL Gameweek 9 fixtures: whose next three Gameweeks are worth owning
Manchester City have the best three-round attacking run in the game: [H]BHA → [A]NFO → [H]FUL adds up to 6.29 expected goals. Arsenal's [A]LIV → [H]HUL → [A]NEW is the defensive pick. Liverpool away is the hardest of the three, but Hull at home carries a 62% clean-sheet chance, the highest single figure in the window. That puts Arsenal top on expected clean sheets with 1.31 from three games. Chelsea's [H]MUN → [A]SUN → [H]LEE makes them the third-best attack (5.47) and explains why Chelsea's star midfielder tops every list below.
| Team | GW9 fixture | Win probability | Expected goals | Clean sheet | Program (GW9-11) | 3-round xG | 3-round CS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCI | [H]BHA | 57% | 2.12 | 29% | [H]BHA → [A]NFO → [H]FUL | 6.29 | 0.98 |
| ARS | [A]LIV | 42% | 1.55 | 27% | [A]LIV → [H]HUL → [A]NEW | 5.98 | 1.31 |
| CHE | [H]MUN | 52% | 1.97 | 27% | [H]MUN → [A]SUN → [H]LEE | 5.47 | 0.88 |
| BHA | [A]MCI | 21% | 1.24 | 12% | [A]MCI → [H]BRE → [A]HUL | 5.07 | 0.79 |
| TOT | [H]CRY | 58% | 2.01 | 34% | [H]CRY → [A]LEE → [H]IPS | 5.02 | 0.97 |
| LIV | [H]ARS | 31% | 1.29 | 21% | [H]ARS → [A]CRY → [H]MUN | 4.95 | 0.77 |
| BOU | [H]LEE | 44% | 1.53 | 30% | [H]LEE → [A]IPS → [H]NFO | 4.89 | 0.89 |
| BRE | [H]NFO | 47% | 1.67 | 30% | [H]NFO → [A]BHA → [H]EVE | 4.58 | 0.80 |
| AVL | [H]FUL | 46% | 1.63 | 30% | [H]FUL → [A]MUN → [H]SUN | 4.51 | 0.80 |
| NEW | [H]EVE | 43% | 1.60 | 26% | [H]EVE → [A]FUL → [H]ARS | 3.89 | 0.66 |
| HUL | [H]IPS | 37% | 1.41 | 25% | [H]IPS → [A]ARS → [H]BHA | 2.80 | 0.44 |
Two programs matter more than this week's rankings suggest. Tottenham have the best clean-sheet chance of Gameweek 9 at 34% against Crystal Palace, and the run behind it ([A]LEE → [H]IPS) keeps them near one expected clean sheet. Bournemouth are never spectacular but never bad. [H]LEE → [A]IPS → [H]NFO is three fixtures at 29-30% clean-sheet odds each, and Hull at home follows in Gameweek 14 at 43%. That is the "3-5 decent fixtures" profile that gives you holds rather than one-week rentals.
At the bottom, Hull's [H]IPS → [A]ARS → [H]BHA is the worst program in the league: 2.80 expected goals and 0.44 expected clean sheets. Ipswich at home is a fair game for them, and it is the last one for a while. Newcastle look similar on a smaller scale: Everton at home is fine, then [A]FUL and [H]ARS pull them down to 0.66. The full fixture grid is on the FPL schedule, and the bookmaker-implied numbers behind these columns are on our FPL market probabilities page.
Best FPL Gameweek 9 goalkeepers
David Raya (6.1m, ARS) is the best goalkeeper over the next three Gameweeks: [A]LIV → [H]HUL → [A]NEW, with a trajectory of 3.5 → 4.8 → 4.1 and 12.4 points in total. Anfield is the week to sit through, not a reason to sell. Hull at home is the best clean-sheet fixture in the game. He is already owned by 45.4% of managers, so the decision is about holding, and he is a clear hold.
Antonin Kinsky (4.5m, TOT) is the value goalkeeper: [H]CRY → [A]LEE → [H]IPS for 3.7 → 3.5 → 4.0 (11.2 points). Tottenham's 34% clean-sheet chance this week is the highest of the round, and the Ipswich home game in Gameweek 11 is just as strong. At 0.82 points per million he is the most efficient keeper in the top ten.
The two orders disagree here. Caoimhin Kelleher (5.0m, BRE) projects 3.9, the most of any goalkeeper in Gameweek 9, with a program of [H]NFO → [A]BHA → [H]EVE (3.9 → 3.5 → 4.2). He is a 6.2%-owned alternative to Kinsky with a better start and an Everton home game to finish. If you only want to do this once, Djordje Petrovic (4.5m, BOU) is the set-and-forget option. His [H]LEE → [A]IPS → [H]NFO reads 3.6 → 3.7 → 3.6, and he rises to 4.1 for Hull at home in Gameweek 14. Only 2.8% own him.
Best FPL Gameweek 9 defenders
Gabriel (7.9m, ARS) has the highest three-round total of any defender at 13.1 points: 3.8 → 5.5 → 3.8 over [A]LIV → [H]HUL → [A]NEW. His 5.5 for Hull is the highest projection of any player in Gameweek 10, which is why he is also a realistic captain shout next week (see below). If you can fund only one premium defender, this is the one.
Ezri Konsa (4.6m, ARS) is the cheap way into the same program. He goes 3.3 → 4.8 → 3.2 (11.3 points) on the same [A]LIV → [H]HUL → [A]NEW run, and he is the natural replacement for the Arsenal defender in the sell section below. At 4.6m he costs 3.3m less than Gabriel and keeps most of the Hull upside.
This week's top defender is Jan Paul van Hecke (4.9m, TOT) at 4.6 points. His [H]CRY → [A]LEE → [H]IPS program keeps him useful after that, at 4.6 → 3.6 → 3.8 for 12.0 in total. He beats Konsa this round and over three, though Konsa has the higher single-week ceiling in Gameweek 10.
Bournemouth's defence is the durable buy. Adrien Truffert (5.4m, BOU) projects 4.4 → 3.9 → 3.8 (12.1) and Antonio Silva (5.0m, BOU) 4.4 → 3.7 → 3.7 (11.8), both over [H]LEE → [A]IPS → [H]NFO. Both rise again to around 4.3-4.4 for [H]HUL in Gameweek 14. Truffert is owned by 2.7% and Silva by 0.7%, so either one is a genuine differential. Truffert's attacking returns give him the edge, and pairing one of them with Djordje Petrovic stacks the same clean sheet.
Luka Vuskovic (5.1m, BHA) is the buy with the rising trajectory: 3.2 → 4.3 → 4.8 over [A]MCI → [H]BRE → [A]HUL, 12.3 points in total. The City trip is the weak week, and it comes first. With one free transfer you can wait a round on this one, then bring him in for the Brentford and Hull games. Buying now only makes sense if this week's transfer is already spent elsewhere in your plan.
The budget pick is Bobby Thomas (4.0m, COV). He projects 4.5 this week, second among all defenders, which works out at 1.12 points per million, the best value of any defender. His program [H]SUN → [A]EVE → [H]CRY goes 4.5 → 3.5 → 3.7, so he is more than a one-week play. Also worth a look is James Tarkowski (6.2m, EVE), who peaks at 5.1 for [H]COV in Gameweek 10 on an [A]NEW → [H]COV → [A]BRE run (12.6 in total) and stays at 3.6-4.3 through Gameweek 14.
Best FPL Gameweek 9 midfielders
Cole Palmer (9.8m, CHE) is the best player in the game over any horizon. He projects 6.1 → 5.2 → 5.0 over [H]MUN → [A]SUN → [H]LEE: 16.3 points across three Gameweeks, the highest of any player, and 18.6 on our decay-weighted six-round score. He is Chelsea's penalty taker, and he is the top captain option in two of the next three Gameweeks. Only 28.5% own him. If you are one transfer away from him, this is the week to make it: his best fixture is the first one.
Marcus Tavernier (6.2m, BOU) is the midfield value story. His 4.8 → 4.7 → 4.1 over [H]LEE → [A]IPS → [H]NFO comes to 13.6 points, the second-best midfield total, at roughly two-thirds of Palmer's price. He has backed it up with 4 goals and 0.64 expected goal involvements per 90 minutes (xGI90) in Gameweeks 1-7. Owned by 13.4%, he is still a mid-ownership pick rather than the template.
The budget midfielder is Diego Gomez (5.0m, BHA), and he is where the round and the horizon disagree most. Rayan Cherki and Morgan Rogers both project 4.4 this week to Gomez's 3.8. But Gomez climbs 3.8 → 4.3 → 4.4 over [A]MCI → [H]BRE → [A]HUL for 12.5 points, more than either of them over three Gameweeks, at 5.0m and 4.0% ownership. If you are buying one midfielder to keep, buy Gomez.
For a true differential, James Garner (6.0m, EVE) is owned by 0.2% and has one of the flattest programs in the game. He goes 4.1 → 4.1 → 3.8 over [A]NEW → [H]COV → [A]BRE, then 3.6 → 3.6 → 3.8 through Gameweek 14. That means 12.0 over three Gameweeks and nothing to plan around. Martin Ødegaard (6.8m, ARS) is the Arsenal attacking route. He goes 3.9 → 5.1 → 3.9 (12.9) on [A]LIV → [H]HUL → [A]NEW and costs 1.1m less than Gabriel.
One buy for next week: Dominik Szoboszlai (6.8m, LIV). His program from Gameweek 10 is [A]CRY → [H]MUN → [A]EVE → [H]SUN, with projections of 4.8 → 4.6 → 4.6 → 5.2. He is listed with a fitness issue and a 1 November return date, which is the day of Liverpool - Arsenal, so Gameweek 9 is only 2.9. Leave him out this week and bring him in for Gameweek 10.
Sandro Tonali (5.3m, TOT) and Enzo Le Fee (5.7m, SUN) both project 4.4 this week, but they drop to 3.1 and 3.7 straight after. They are one-week options, which makes them Free Hit material rather than transfers.
Best FPL Gameweek 9 forwards
Erling Haaland (15.7m, MCI) needs no case. He is owned by 77.4%, has scored 8 goals with 0.82 xGI90 in Gameweeks 1-7, takes City's penalties, and projects 5.8 → 4.8 → 5.0 over [H]BHA → [A]NFO → [H]FUL. The one week to plan around is Gameweek 12, [A]ARS, where he drops to 2.8. That affects the captaincy, not whether you own him.
The forward who sets squads apart is Thiago Rodrigues (7.8m, BRE). He is Brentford's penalty taker, projects 4.7 this week (second only to Haaland among forwards) and continues [H]NFO → [A]BHA → [H]EVE for 4.7 → 3.4 → 3.8 and 11.9 points. That is 1.5 more than the 73.8%-owned Joao Pedro over the same three Gameweeks. He has 0.59 xGI90 so far and only 8.8% ownership.
The cheaper forward is Evanilson (6.1m, BOU), with a nearly flat 3.9 → 4.0 → 3.5 over [H]LEE → [A]IPS → [H]NFO (11.4) and 4.0 again in Gameweek 14. He has 2 goals, 4 assists and 0.56 xGI90 so far. He also outscores Joao Pedro over three Gameweeks at 1.8m less. Dominic Solanke (5.8m, TOT) is a penalty taker with 4.1 this week, but he drops to 2.5 at Leeds. He is a one-week forward, not a transfer.
FPL Gameweek 9 captain picks
- Cole Palmer (9.8m, CHE): 6.1 points against Manchester United at home on [H]MUN → [A]SUN → [H]LEE. He has the highest projection of the round and is a penalty taker.
- Erling Haaland (15.7m, MCI): 5.8 at home to Brighton, then [A]NFO → [H]FUL. With 77.4% ownership he is the safe choice, and the gap to Palmer is only 0.3.
- Marcus Tavernier (6.2m, BOU): 4.8 at home to Leeds is the differential armband, with Thiago Rodrigues (4.7) a near-identical alternative.
Captaincy is a plan, and the next two weeks shape it. In Gameweek 10, Gabriel (5.5) and Palmer (5.2) lead, with Ødegaard (5.1) close behind. In Gameweek 11, Haaland and Palmer are tied at 5.0. Palmer is a top-two captain in each of the next three Gameweeks, which is the strongest argument for owning him now rather than later. Compare every option on our FPL predicted lineups before the deadline, because a late team-news change moves the order.
Who to sell before FPL Gameweek 9
Riccardo Calafiori (6.0m, ARS) is the clearest sale, and the reason to do it now is minutes. He projects only 30 minutes at Anfield and 1.3 points. The model then has him around 50 minutes for [H]HUL → [A]NEW, which is 2.9 → 2.1, while Ezri Konsa gets 4.8 for the same Hull game. At 54.8% ownership he is the most-owned player this applies to. Swap him for Konsa this week and you hold the right Arsenal defender before their best fixture arrives.
Semi Ajayi (4.2m, HUL) should go now too. Hull at home to Ipswich is a fair fixture, with a 25% clean-sheet chance, yet he only projects 2.7 even there. After that, [A]ARS and [H]BHA take him to 1.2 and 1.6. The best fixture he has left is already a poor return, so waiting gains nothing. Bobby Thomas is the like-for-like budget replacement. Hull's goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis is a different case: 3.6 against Ipswich is a decent score, so keep him this week and sell before he drops to 2.7 at the Emirates in Gameweek 10.
Lewis Hall (5.3m, NEW) and Rayan Cherki (8.0m, MCI) are next week's sales, and you can wait a round on both. Hall has a 3.8 projection at home to Everton, a perfectly decent week. But [A]FUL → [H]ARS follows, and he slides to 3.0 and then 2.4, so plan the move for Gameweek 10. Cherki's 4.4 against Brighton is a good score. However, the model has his minutes falling from 68 to about 52 over the following two Gameweeks, worth 3.0 and 3.5 points, so he is the natural sale to fund Palmer or Szoboszlai once Brighton has been played.
Best FPL Gameweek 9 Free Hit team
Gameweek 9 has no blanks or doubles, so most managers should save the chip for a round that needs it. Our FPL Free Hit guide covers when it pays. If you are playing it anyway, this is the squad that maximises Gameweek 9 projected points within the game's rules (max three per club):
- GK: Caoimhin Kelleher (BRE, 5.0m, 3.9). Bench: Antonin Kinsky (TOT, 4.5m, 3.7)
- DEF: Jan Paul van Hecke (TOT, 4.9m, 4.6), Bobby Thomas (COV, 4.0m, 4.5), Adrien Truffert (BOU, 5.4m, 4.4), Antonio Silva (BOU, 5.0m, 4.4). Bench: Milan van Ewijk (COV, 3.9m, 3.6)
- MID: Cole Palmer (CHE, 9.8m, 6.1, captain), Marcus Tavernier (BOU, 6.2m, 4.8), Bruno Fernandes (MUN, 11.8m, 4.5), Sandro Tonali (TOT, 5.3m, 4.4). Bench: Enzo Le Fee (SUN, 5.7m, 4.4)
- FWD: Erling Haaland (MCI, 15.7m, 5.8), Thiago Rodrigues (BRE, 7.8m, 4.7). Bench: Brandon Thomas-Asante (COV, 5.0m, 3.6)
That starting XI projects 52.1 points before the captain's bonus, or 58.2 with Palmer's armband. For the exact optimum after the latest team news, use the live solver on our FPL optimal teams page, which re-solves every time the projections move.
FPL Gameweek 9 transfer summary
- Buy now: Cole Palmer, Marcus Tavernier, Ezri Konsa, Bobby Thomas, Thiago Rodrigues. Each has a good Gameweek 9 and a good run behind it.
- Buy and hold: Adrien Truffert or Antonio Silva, Djordje Petrovic, James Garner, Evanilson, all with flat, decent programs to Gameweek 14.
- Wait a round: Luka Vuskovic and Dominik Szoboszlai are Gameweek 10 buys.
- Sell now: Riccardo Calafiori, Semi Ajayi. Sell next week: Lewis Hall, Konstantinos Tzolakis, Rayan Cherki.
For low-owned picks beyond this list, read our guide to finding FPL differentials, and find every round's analysis in the FPL preview hub.
FAQ
Who should I captain in FPL Gameweek 9?
Cole Palmer is the top captain pick for Gameweek 9 with 6.1 projected points against Manchester United at home, ahead of Erling Haaland on 5.8 against Brighton. Palmer is Chelsea's penalty taker and stays a top-two captain option in Gameweeks 10 and 11.
Who are the best differentials for FPL Gameweek 9?
Thiago Rodrigues (8.8% owned, 11.9 points over Gameweeks 9-11), Adrien Truffert (2.7%, 12.1), Diego Gomez (4.0%, 12.5) and James Garner (0.2%, 12.0) are the best low-ownership picks. All four have programs that hold up beyond Gameweek 9.
Should I sell Riccardo Calafiori before Gameweek 9?
Yes. Riccardo Calafiori projects only 30 minutes and 1.3 points at Liverpool and about 50 minutes after that. Ezri Konsa is 1.4m cheaper and projects 4.8 points for Arsenal's Gameweek 10 home game against Hull.
Which budget defenders are best for FPL Gameweek 9?
Bobby Thomas (4.0m, COV) is the best budget defender with 4.5 projected points and 1.12 points per million. Ezri Konsa (4.6m, ARS) is the best cheap defender over three Gameweeks thanks to Arsenal's home game against Hull in Gameweek 10.
Should I play my Free Hit in FPL Gameweek 9?
Probably not. Gameweek 9 has no blank or double fixtures, so the chip is worth more in a round that needs it. If you play it, the optimal squad is led by Cole Palmer as captain, Erling Haaland, Marcus Tavernier and Thiago Rodrigues, and its XI projects 58.2 points including the captain bonus.
This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI.