RSL Fantasy Gameweek 7: best buys and captain picks
RSL Fantasy Gameweek 7 preview: best buys, captain picks and differentials
RSL Fantasy Gameweek 7 is the last round before a four-week break. The nine fixtures run from 11 to 13 September, and Gameweek 8 does not start until 9 October. That changes the maths on every transfer: whatever you bring in plays once and then sits idle for a month, so Gameweek 7's own projection deserves more weight than usual, while a player whose value is mostly in Gameweek 8 and beyond can wait.
All 18 clubs have a fixture in Gameweek 7. There is no blank to plan around. And the thing that separates managers this week is not whether you own Ivan Toney or Julian Quinones — most squads already do. It is the mid-priced and cheap picks that fill the other spots around them. Below: the best buys per position, the ranked captain picks, the differentials worth a calculated risk, and the popular names whose projection has collapsed.
Gameweek 7 fixture landscape
Four clubs separate themselves, and they are not the same four on every metric — which matters, because you can only field three players from any one club.
| Team | Gameweek 7 fixture | Win probability | Expected goals | Clean sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Hilal | Away vs Al-Taawoun | 77% | 2.68 | 46% |
| Al Qadasiya | Home vs Al-Ettifaq | 75% | 2.70 | 40% |
| Al Ahli | Home vs Al Hazem | 73% | 2.36 | 47% |
| Al Nassr FC | Away vs Al Khaleej | 70% | 2.50 | 37% |
| Al-Taawoun | Home vs Al Hilal | 8% | 0.77 | 7% |
| Al Hazem | Away vs Al Ahli | 10% | 0.76 | 10% |
Al Ahli now carry the best clean-sheet projection in the round at 47%, narrowly ahead of Al Hilal on 46%. That is a meaningful shift for defensive planning, because Al Hazem project just 0.76 expected goals — the lowest attacking output of any side in Gameweek 7. Al Qadasiya remain the highest-scoring projection at 2.70 expected goals at home to an Al-Ettifaq side given a 7% clean-sheet chance, so Al Qadasiya is where the attacking points are and Al Ahli is where the defensive points are.
Look one round further before you commit. Al Nassr FC host Al Diriyah in Gameweek 8 with an 85% win probability and a 51% clean-sheet projection — comfortably the strongest single fixture in the next two rounds. Al Diriyah, by contrast, fall off a cliff: 58% win probability at home to Abha in Gameweek 7, then 5% away at Al Nassr FC in Gameweek 8. Anything you buy from Al Diriyah this week is a one-round pick and should be treated as one. Check the full RSL Fantasy schedule and the market probabilities before the deadline.
Best goalkeepers for Gameweek 7
Edouard Mendy (5.5m, Al Ahli) is the model's top goalkeeper for Gameweek 7 on 5.2 projected points, driven by that league-best 47% clean-sheet projection at home to the weakest attack in the round. He is owned by 9.6% of squads, so he is not a differential — he is simply the correct premium pick this week.
The better value is Mohammed Al Owais (4.4m, Al Hilal) on 5.1 projected points — a fractional gap on Mendy for 1.1m less. That is 1.16 points per million, the best of any goalkeeper in the game, and he is owned by 0.3% of squads. His run holds up too: 5.1 → 4.8 → 5.0 across Gameweeks 7 to 9, one of the steadiest goalkeeper profiles in RSL Fantasy. If you want the cheapest route into an elite defence, this is it.
Koen Casteels (5.5m, Al Qadasiya) on 4.9 is the third option and the choice if you are already building an Al Qadasiya block. Bento Krepski (5.5m, Al Nassr FC) is worth noting for a different reason: 4.7 this week but 5.4 in Gameweek 8 against Al Diriyah, the best goalkeeper projection in either round.
Best defenders for Gameweek 7
Mohammed Abu Al Shamat (6.7m, Al Qadasiya) leads all RSL Fantasy defenders on 7.1 projected points and is the most reliable premium defensive pick in the round. He is 36.7% owned, so this is a hold rather than a differential, and his 65 projected minutes are the one caveat — the model does not have him nailed for the full 90.
The differential in the same defence is Gaston Álvarez (5.0m, Al Qadasiya): 6.4 projected points at 6.7% ownership, or 1.28 points per million. He offers the best points-per-million of any Al Qadasiya defender and holds his level across the break at 6.4 → 5.2 → 5.5. If you want Al Qadasiya defensive coverage without paying the premium, he is the pick over the 41.6%-owned Nacho Fernandez (5.6m, Al Qadasiya) on 6.2.
The budget option is Abdulaziz Al Faraj (4.0m, Al Diriyah): 6.1 projected points at 4.0m is 1.52 points per million, the best ratio of any defender in the game this week, and 84 projected minutes make him a genuine starter rather than a rotation risk. But be explicit about what this is — his Gameweek 8 projection drops to 2.6 when Al Diriyah travel to Al Nassr FC. Buy him for Gameweek 7 and plan to move him on during the break.
Two more worth a look. Malang Sarr (5.0m, Neom SC) on 6.0 has the most durable profile of the mid-priced defenders at 6.0 → 5.5 → 5.5 and is only 7.6% owned. And Shaquille Pinas (5.0m, Al Kholood) is the hidden gem of the position: 5.6 projected points, 2.2% ownership, and a 0.93 penalty share — he is his club's designated penalty taker, which is a rare and undervalued ceiling for a defender at this price. Kalidou Koulibaly (5.0m, Al Hilal) on 5.9, behind that 46% Al Hilal clean-sheet projection, is the safer version of the same price point.
Best midfielders for Gameweek 7
Julian Quinones (12.0m, Al Qadasiya) is the highest-projected player in the entire game for Gameweek 7 on 10.9 points — 2.3 clear of anyone else, in any position. The model gives him 0.68 expected goals and 0.23 expected assists in a fixture where his side project 2.70 goals against a defence with a 7% clean-sheet chance. His three-round line reads 10.9 → 8.5 → 9.9, a weighted six-round score of 31.8 that is the highest in the game by a clear margin. At 39.1% ownership he is close to template, and this is a week to make sure you are on the right side of it.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (9.6m, Al Hilal) is the second midfielder on 7.4, and he is the most consistent premium in the game: 7.4 → 7.2 → 7.0 with 81 projected minutes and a 46% team clean-sheet projection behind him. Only 14.5% own him, which is remarkably low for a player with the second-best weighted score among midfielders.
Two mid-priced differentials from the round's best attacking fixture. Musab Al-Juwayr (7.0m, Al Qadasiya) on 6.9 at 5.3% ownership offers 0.99 points per million and the balanced 0.21 expected goals plus 0.23 expected assists profile of a player involved in everything. Tijjani Reijnders (6.9m, Al Qadasiya) on 6.3 at 6.5% ownership is the safer minutes bet of the two — 88 projected minutes, the highest of any Al Qadasiya outfield player. Remember the three-per-club cap when you stack these with Quinones.
Outside Al Qadasiya, Trincao (7.9m, Al Ahli) on 5.9 at 6.1% ownership is the overlooked route into the best defensive fixture with attacking upside attached. For a budget midfielder, Josh Brownhill (5.5m, Al Shabab) on 4.9 gives you 0.89 points per million with 79 projected minutes and a run that holds at 4.9 → 4.5 → 4.1 — a sensible filler rather than a punt. Clayton Diandy (5.0m, Al Diriyah) on 5.4 has the better single-week number at 1.08 points per million, but the same Gameweek 8 collapse as every Al Diriyah asset.
Best forwards for Gameweek 7
Two forwards are level at the top on 8.6 projected points, and they are not the same buy.
Ivan Toney (12.0m, Al Ahli) carries the highest expected goals of any player in the round at 0.76, plus a 0.91 penalty share — he takes his side's spot kicks, which is the single biggest ceiling-raiser in this format. He is 47.9% owned, the most-owned player in RSL Fantasy.
Ollie Watkins (10.0m, Al Hilal) matches him on 8.6 for 2.0m less, with 0.72 expected goals and 85 projected minutes. His three-round line is 8.6 → 8.2 → 7.6 — the highest weighted six-round score of any forward in the game, and clear of Toney's 5.7 in Gameweek 9. At 13.6% ownership he is the better differential and, on the numbers, the better long-term hold.
Cristiano Ronaldo (12.6m, Al Nassr FC) on 7.8 is the most expensive player in the game and the one whose case is strongest a round out: his Gameweek 8 projection of 8.9 against Al Diriyah is the highest single-round number for any forward across the next two rounds, and he holds a 0.89 penalty share. If you are choosing between the premium forwards for the long haul rather than for this week alone, that is the argument for him.
Abdullah Al Hamddan (4.8m, Al Nassr FC) is the standout value pick of the entire preview. 7.2 projected points at 4.8m is 1.50 points per million — the best of any forward — and his Gameweek 8 number is 7.8, higher still. At 3.8% ownership he is a genuine differential with 0.56 expected goals and 72 projected minutes, and unlike most cheap forwards his projection does not depend on a single soft fixture. If you make one budget move this week, make it this one.
Darwin Nunez (7.6m, Al Diriyah) also projects 7.2 with a 0.86 penalty share, but the same warning applies as to every Al Diriyah pick: 7.2 → 3.1 in Gameweek 8. He is a one-week buy. Mateo Retegui (9.0m, Al Qadasiya) on 6.7 with a 0.89 penalty share is the alternative route into the round's best attack if the three-per-club cap forces a choice, and Alexandre Mendy (5.5m, Al-Faisaly) on 5.2 at 3.7% ownership is a cheap penalty-taking option at 0.94 points per million.
Captain picks for Gameweek 7
The captain scores double in RSL Fantasy, so this is the single highest-leverage decision of the week.
| Rank | Player | Price | Projected points | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julian Quinones (Al Qadasiya) | 12.0m | 10.9 | 39.1% |
| 2 | Ivan Toney (Al Ahli) | 12.0m | 8.6 | 47.9% |
| 3 | Ollie Watkins (Al Hilal) | 10.0m | 8.6 | 13.6% |
| 4 | Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr FC) | 12.6m | 7.8 | 22.8% |
| 5 | Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Al Hilal) | 9.6m | 7.4 | 14.5% |
Captain Julian Quinones. A 2.3-point projected lead over the next-best option is a wide margin in this game, and doubled it becomes 4.6. Nothing in the fixture argues against it: the highest-scoring projected attack in the round, at home, against the weakest clean-sheet projection in the round at 7%.
Ivan Toney is the alternative if you prefer the penalty ceiling — his 0.91 penalty share means one refereeing decision can swing the armband, which raw expected points does not fully capture. Ollie Watkins is the differential armband at 13.6% ownership on the same 8.6 projection, and the sensible pick if you need to make ground rather than protect a lead. Below those three, Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic are viable but are not worth the armband over Quinones on this week's numbers.
Plan one round ahead as well: Ronaldo projects 8.9 in Gameweek 8 and Quinones 8.5, so the captaincy question flips after the break. If you are choosing which premium to own rather than which to captain this week, that matters. Compare the full RSL Fantasy player picks and this round's optimal teams before you decide.
Who to sell before Gameweek 7
Joao Félix (10.5m, Al Nassr FC) is the clearest sell in the game. He is 38.5% owned — one of the most-held players in RSL Fantasy — and the model projects him 1.7 points on 22 projected minutes. He is flagged as unavailable, and at 10.5m he is tying up more value than any other underperforming asset. Move him on.
Abdulelah Al Amri (5.2m, Al Nassr FC) is the same problem one price bracket down: 22.0% owned, 0.8 projected points, 18 projected minutes. He is not in the picture, and holding him through a four-week break wastes a squad slot for a month.
Merih Demiral (5.6m, Al Ahli) at 26.2% ownership projects only 3.3 despite his club having the best clean-sheet fixture in the round — a clear signal the model does not expect him to play the full match. Al Ahli's clean sheet is worth owning; he is not the way to own it. Roger Ibanez on 6.4 is.
Moussa Dembélé (7.2m, Al-Ettifaq) at 33.6% ownership projects 3.8 away at Al Qadasiya, in the round's worst fixture for an attacker. And George Ilenikhena (4.9m, Al Ittihad) on 5.7 is fine this week but falls to 1.7 in Gameweek 8 — if you own him, he is a sell during the break rather than now. Check the predicted lineups for RSL Fantasy before finalising anything: with one free transfer a week, a hit costs 4 points, and a month-long break means a wrong call sits in your squad for four weeks rather than one.
Hidden gems and differentials
Ranked by the gap between projection and ownership, these are the picks that can move you up a league rather than keep you level with it:
- Abdullah Al Hamddan (4.8m, Al Nassr FC) — 7.2 points, 3.8% owned. The best points-per-million of any forward in the game.
- Mohammed Al Owais (4.4m, Al Hilal) — 5.1 points, 0.3% owned. Effectively an unowned route into an elite defence.
- Gaston Álvarez (5.0m, Al Qadasiya) — 6.4 points, 6.7% owned, in the highest-scoring projected attack of the round.
- Musab Al-Juwayr (7.0m, Al Qadasiya) — 6.9 points, 5.3% owned, with the best combined goal and assist profile outside the premiums.
- Shaquille Pinas (5.0m, Al Kholood) — 5.6 points, 2.2% owned, and a penalty-taking defender.
- Malang Sarr (5.0m, Neom SC) — 6.0 points, 7.6% owned, with a flat 6.0 → 5.5 → 5.5 three-round line.
More rounds and more analysis in the RSL Fantasy preview hub, and you can read back to the RSL Fantasy Gameweek 6 preview to see how the picture has shifted. New to this game? Start with our fantasy football guides.
FAQ
Who should I captain in RSL Fantasy Gameweek 7?
Julian Quinones. He projects 10.9 points, which is 2.3 clear of the next-best option in the game, and Al Qadasiya carry the round's highest expected goals at 2.70 at home to Al-Ettifaq. Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins are the alternatives on 8.6 each, with Watkins the differential choice at 13.6% ownership.
Which budget defenders are best for Gameweek 7?
Abdulaziz Al Faraj at 4.0m projects 6.1 points, which is 1.52 points per million and the best defensive ratio in the game — but only for this week, because his Gameweek 8 projection drops to 2.6. Shaquille Pinas at 5.0m is the better hold: 5.6 points, 2.2% ownership and a 0.93 penalty share.
Should I sell Joao Félix before Gameweek 7?
Yes. He is 38.5% owned but projects just 1.7 points on 22 projected minutes and is flagged as unavailable. At 10.5m he is the most expensive underperforming asset in the game, and with a four-week break after this round he would sit idle for a month.
Best differentials for RSL Fantasy Gameweek 7?
Abdullah Al Hamddan at 4.8m is the standout: 7.2 projected points at 3.8% ownership, and 7.8 in Gameweek 8. Mohammed Al Owais at 4.4m projects 5.1 at 0.3% ownership, and Gaston Álvarez at 5.0m projects 6.4 at 6.7% ownership from the round's best attacking fixture.
Are there any blanks in RSL Fantasy Gameweek 7?
No. All 18 clubs have a fixture in Gameweek 7, played between 11 and 13 September. Gameweek 8 does not begin until 9 October, so this is the last round before a four-week break.
This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI.