RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9: best buys and captain picks

RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9 preview: best buys, captain picks and differentials

RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9 kicks off on Thursday 15 October, and the transfer you make this week should be judged on Gameweeks 9, 10 and 11 together. Al Hilal still own the best three-week run in the Saudi Pro League, Al Qadasiya now have the strongest attack of the round at home to Abha before their fixtures turn hard, and Al Nassr's schedule improves from Gameweek 10. The big change since the start of the week is the calendar: the Al-Faisaly v Abha game now sits in Gameweek 12, not Gameweek 11, so both clubs have a Double Gameweek 12 and a normal single fixture in every week of this window. That makes this a week for buying into Hilal, using Qadasiya for one more week, planning a Nassr move, and keeping the Al-Faisaly double on the radar for later.

Every number below comes from the current model run. The full table is on the RSL Fantasy player picks page, and the RSL predicted lineups show who is expected to start. If you missed last week, the RSL Fantasy Gameweek 8 preview covers the moves that led into this round.

Gameweek 9-11 programs: which teams are worth owning for the next three Gameweeks

Al Hilal's [A]RIY → [H]HAZ → [A]QAD is the best three-Gameweek program in the game: 7.71 expected goals and 1.28 expected clean sheets, both the highest of any club. The opener at Al Riyadh carries an 85% win probability and a 54% clean-sheet chance, the best of the round on both counts. The trip to Al Qadasiya in Gameweek 11 is the week to plan around, not a reason to stay away, because two excellent fixtures come before it.

Al Qadasiya ([H]ABH → [A]TWN → [H]HIL) are the sell-into team. The home game against Abha gives them 3.10 expected goals, the most of any side this week, with an 84% win probability. After that they visit Al-Taawoun and host Hilal. Al Ittihad ([H]SHB → [A]ETT → [H]DIR) have moved up to third on attack at 6.40 expected goals, and their Al Shabab home game is a 55% win chance. Al Nassr ([A]AHL → [H]NEO → [A]FSL) are the opposite of Qadasiya: the trip to Al Ahli is the weakest week of their run, and their 1.03 expected clean sheets over the three weeks are the second-highest total in the game.

At the bottom are Abha ([A]QAD → [H]KLD → [A]NEO) at 3.03 expected goals, Al-Fayha ([A]KLJ → [H]AHL → [A]HAZ) and Al-Faisaly ([H]KLD → [A]SHB → [H]NAS), all below 3.40, so avoid their attackers for these three weeks. Al-Faisaly are the exception to plan for: their Double Gameweek 12 ([A]ABH and [A]FYH) is where their cheap defenders and their forward become worth owning. Every club plays exactly three times in Gameweeks 9-11, so the totals below compare like with like. The table is sorted by 3-Gameweek expected goals, and the full calendar is on the RSL Fantasy schedule.

Best goalkeepers for RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9

Yassine Bounou (5.5m, HIL) is the keeper to own, with a program of [A]RIY → [H]HAZ → [A]QAD. He projects 5.5 → 5.4 → 4.2 across the three weeks (15.1 in total), the best 3-Gameweek total and the best weighted six-Gameweek score (18.6) of any goalkeeper. He is already in 31.8% of squads. Owners should keep him; for everyone else he is the cleanest keeper upgrade available.

Bento Krepski (5.5m, NAS) is where the GW9 and 3-Gameweek rankings disagree. Al Nassr's trip to Al Ahli gives him only 4.3 this week, but his program of [A]AHL → [H]NEO → [A]FSL rises to 4.3 → 4.7 → 5.0, and he projects 5.2 at home to Al Kholood in Gameweek 12. His 14.0 is the second-best 3-Gameweek total among keepers. You can wait a Gameweek on him, because the good part of his run starts in Gameweek 10.

On a budget, Adrian Semper (4.5m, FAT) plays [A]HAZ → [H]KLJ → [H]SHB and projects 4.6 → 4.3 → 4.2, the third-best GW9 score of any keeper, and only 3.0% of managers own him. The catch comes after this window: Al Fateh visit Al Hilal in Gameweek 12, where he drops to 3.0, so treat him as a three-week pick. The cheapest keeper worth a look is Waleed Abdullah (4.0m, DIR), who has the best GW9 points per million of any goalkeeper (1.10) through [H]TWN → [H]RIY → [A]ITT at 4.4 → 3.8 → 3.0. Two home games make him a fine bench keeper, though the run fades by Gameweek 11. Fernando Pacheco (4.5m, FSL) is now a Gameweek 12 plan rather than a Gameweek 11 one: he projects 3.3 → 3.3 → 2.8 through [H]KLD → [A]SHB → [H]NAS, then 8.2 in Al-Faisaly's Double Gameweek 12. There is no reason to buy him this week.

Best defenders for RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9

The GW9 order and the 3-Gameweek order disagree here. In Gameweek 9 alone, Mohammed Abu Al Shamat (6.7) and Kalidou Koulibaly (6.6) lead all defenders, with Nacho Fernandez (6.4) third for the Abha game. Over Gameweeks 9-11, Koulibaly leads at 17.5, ahead of Danilo Pereira (17.0) and Seydouba Cisse (16.5), while both Qadasiya defenders fall away after this week. If you buy one defender and keep him, buy Koulibaly.

Kalidou Koulibaly (5.0m, HIL) has a program of [A]RIY → [H]HAZ → [A]QAD and projects 6.6 → 6.2 → 4.7, then 6.0 at home to Al Fateh in Gameweek 12. His 17.5 over three weeks is the best of any defender, his weighted six-Gameweek score of 21.7 is the best in the position, and at 1.32 points per million he is also one of the two best-value defenders this week. Pair him with Bounou if you want both halves of the same Hilal clean sheet: the picks are correlated, and the fixtures support doubling up.

The best value in the position is Seydouba Cisse (4.5m, KLD). His program of [A]FSL → [A]ABH → [H]ETT projects 6.0 → 5.3 → 5.2, he has the best GW9 points per million of any defender (1.33), and he is owned by 0.5% of managers. Al Kholood visit Al Nassr in Gameweek 12, where he drops to 3.1, so plan to sell him again then. Danilo Pereira (6.0m, ITT) is the premium hold: [H]SHB → [A]ETT → [H]DIR runs 5.5 → 5.1 → 6.4, his 6.4 at home to Al Diriyah is the best defender score of Gameweek 11, and he is projected for 83 minutes this week.

Andrei Girotto (4.6m, FSL) is the long-range value pick. His program of [H]KLD → [A]SHB → [H]NAS projects 5.7 → 5.1 → 4.2, which already makes him a solid buy at the price, and then Al-Faisaly's Double Gameweek 12 lifts him to 10.1, the top projection of any player that week. His weighted six-Gameweek score of 20.7 is second only to Koulibaly among defenders, and only 5.5% own him. Why now rather than later: he scores well in the meantime, so buying before the double costs you nothing. His teammate Abdoulaye Seck (4.5m, FSL) (0.8% owned) projects 4.8 → 4.2 → 3.4 on the same [H]KLD → [A]SHB → [H]NAS and then 8.3 in the double; he is a Gameweek 11 or 12 move rather than a buy today.

Malang Sarr (5.2m, NEO) and Nathan Zeze (5.0m, NEO) both play [H]ETT → [A]NAS → [H]ABH, at 5.7 → 4.0 → 5.9 and 5.9 → 3.7 → 5.7. The Nassr away week is the dip; the two home games either side of it are among the better weeks for any defender, and both hold up at around 5.8 at Al Diriyah in Gameweek 12.

Best midfielders for RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9

Ruben Neves (9.2m, HIL) is the midfielder to build around. His program of [A]RIY → [H]HAZ → [A]QAD projects 7.6 → 7.3 → 5.8, a 20.7 total over three weeks, he is on penalties, and he is projected for 79 minutes in Gameweek 9. He is already in 37.7% of squads, so for owners he is a hold, and for everyone else he is the Hilal midfielder to buy. Crysencio Summerville (8.6m, HIL) is the cheaper route into the same [A]RIY → [H]HAZ → [A]QAD run at 7.5 → 6.9 → 4.9, and 40.9% own him.

Julian Quinones (11.9m, QAD) tops Gameweek 9 outright at 9.5 against Abha at home. His run is [H]ABH → [A]TWN → [H]HIL, though, and he falls to 9.5 → 6.6 → 4.9 before recovering to 7.4 at Al Riyadh in Gameweek 12 and 8.4 at home to Al-Fayha in Gameweek 13. He is this week's captain, and the 36.0% who own him should keep him. As a new buy for the next three weeks, Neves gets within 0.3 of his 21.0 for 2.7m less. Tijjani Reijnders (7.2m, QAD) is the cheaper way into the same Abha game: [H]ABH → [A]TWN → [H]HIL at 7.4 → 5.5 → 4.2 with a projected 88 minutes. Buy him as a one-week rotation and plan to sell again for Gameweek 10.

For a mid-price midfielder you can hold, Lukas Haraslin (6.9m, FAT) plays [A]HAZ → [H]KLJ → [H]SHB and projects 5.5 → 6.4 → 6.0, the fourth-best 3-Gameweek total in midfield at 17.9. He is owned by 0.2% of managers, which makes him the differential of the position. His teammate Mourad Batna (7.4m, FAT), the Al Fateh penalty taker, projects 5.7 → 5.5 → 5.9 on the same program. Both belong to the Al Fateh run that turns at Al Hilal in Gameweek 12 (Haraslin 3.5, Batna 3.3), so that is the week to move one of them on.

The budget pick is Iker Kortajarena (5.2m, KLD), who plays [A]FSL → [A]ABH → [H]ETT and projects 5.2 → 4.3 → 4.7. His 1.00 points per million is among the best in midfield this week, he is projected for 81 minutes, and he frees up money for a Hilal attacker. Al Kholood's trip to Al Nassr in Gameweek 12 is where he dips. Owners of Joao Félix (36.8%) can hold: Al Nassr's [A]AHL → [H]NEO → [A]FSL takes him from 4.6 to 6.3 and 5.2, and he projects 6.4 in Gameweek 12.

Best forwards for RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9

Ollie Watkins (10.2m, HIL) is the forward to own for this window. His program of [A]RIY → [H]HAZ → [A]QAD projects 9.1 → 8.5 → 5.7, his 23.3 over three weeks is the highest of any player, and his weighted six-Gameweek score of 28.3 is the best in the game. He is projected for 85 minutes and owned by only 18.7%, and he tops the Gameweek 10 board as well. If you are making one transfer this week, this is the one.

Cristiano Ronaldo (12.5m, NAS) is the forward to plan a move for, not necessarily to buy today. Al Nassr's program of [A]AHL → [H]NEO → [A]FSL projects 5.7 → 7.7 → 6.4, and it continues with [H]KLD in Gameweek 12, where his 8.0 is the best single-fixture projection of that week. The Ahli away game is the weak link. If your free transfer is needed elsewhere this week, you can wait a Gameweek and bring him in before Neom.

Alexandre Lacazette (7.3m, NEO) (27.0% owned) plays [H]ETT → [A]NAS → [H]ABH and projects 7.2 → 4.4 → 7.4, with two strong home games around a trip to Al Nassr. His 7.4 in Gameweek 11 is the top projection of that week. Julien Domingues (6.2m, KLD) has the best GW9 points per million of any forward (1.06) and a program of [A]FSL → [A]ABH → [H]ETT at 6.6 → 4.9 → 5.2, but he drops to 3.2 at Al Nassr in Gameweek 12. Mateo Retegui (9.0m, QAD), the Qadasiya penalty taker, is the second forward of the round at 7.6 and the same sell-into case as Quinones: [H]ABH → [A]TWN → [H]HIL at 7.6 → 5.5 → 4.3. For a differential, Alexandre Mendy (5.4m, FSL) is owned by 2.9%, is on penalties, and projects 4.5 → 4.3 → 3.3 through [H]KLD → [A]SHB → [H]NAS before 8.1 in the Double Gameweek 12. Bring him in for Gameweek 12, not before.

Ivan Toney is in 55.7% of squads, and those owners should hold. His Gameweek 9 home game against Al Nassr is the toughest week of his run, but he rises to 4.7 → 6.8 → 6.6 with Al-Fayha away and Al Khaleej at home to follow, and he projects 5.9 at Al Shabab in Gameweek 12.

RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9 captain picks

Captain Julian Quinones (11.9m, QAD), whose program is [H]ABH → [A]TWN → [H]HIL. His 9.5 is the top projection of the week, and Al Qadasiya's 3.10 expected goals against Abha are the most of any side. Ollie Watkins (9.1, away to Al Riyadh) is a close second and the safer pick if you prefer the round's best clean-sheet fixture behind your captain; Ruben Neves (7.6) is the third option for anyone who wants a different captain from the crowd.

Plan the next weeks before you choose your premiums. In Gameweek 10 the top captain projections are Watkins (8.5), Ronaldo (7.7) and Neves (7.3), while Quinones drops to 6.6. In Gameweek 11 Lacazette (7.4) leads, ahead of Toney (6.6). In Gameweek 12 the Al-Faisaly double tops the board, with Girotto at 10.1, and Ronaldo (8.0) is the best single-fixture option. Quinones covers this week, Watkins covers the next two, and a Ronaldo move ahead of Gameweek 10 sets up the rest.

Who to sell before RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9

Angelo Gabriel (6.5m, NAS) is the biggest sell. He is owned by 32.9% of managers but projected for only 59 minutes in Gameweek 9, and he projects 2.7 → 3.4 → 3.1 through [A]AHL → [H]NEO → [A]FSL. Why now: Al Nassr's good run starts in Gameweek 10, and that is exactly when this money is better spent on a Nassr player who will play the full game.

George Ilenikhena (5.0m, ITT) is in 33.4% of squads. His program of [H]SHB → [A]ETT → [H]DIR is decent, and [H]SHB is a perfectly good fixture. The problem is his projected 45 minutes, which leave him at 3.0 → 2.7 → 3.0. Why now: you are selling into a reasonable week rather than out of a bad one, and Domingues projects more than twice as much this week for 1.2m more.

Roger Ibanez (6.5m, AHL) is in 31.8% of squads and is projected for 52 minutes in Gameweek 9, at 1.9 → 2.4 → 2.7 over [H]NAS → [A]FYH → [H]KLJ. The fixtures are not the issue, because Al Ahli's run is respectable. Why now: at 6.5m he costs more than Koulibaly, who projects 6.6 this week against his 1.9. His teammate Eduard Spertsyan (7.1m, AHL) (29.6% owned, 56 minutes) is the same story at 2.6 → 3.3 → 3.1 over [H]NAS → [A]FYH → [H]KLJ: Haraslin costs 0.2m less and out-projects him by at least 2.9 points in each of the three weeks.

Edouard Mendy (5.5m, AHL) is flagged unavailable with no return date. He has no projected minutes in Gameweek 9 or 10 across [H]NAS → [A]FYH → [H]KLJ, and only 2.2 in Gameweek 11. Why now: two straight blanks from your goalkeeper slot are guaranteed if you wait. Abdulelah Al Amri (5.2m, NAS) (19.9% owned) is projected for only 33 minutes and 1.6 → 2.0 → 2.0 through [A]AHL → [H]NEO → [A]FSL. Why now: Koulibaly costs 0.2m less and projects four times as much this week.

Moussa Dembélé (7.0m, ETT) is owned by 24.4% and projects 3.0 → 3.8 → 3.3 through [A]NEO → [H]ITT → [A]KLD, with a projected 61 minutes. Al-Ettifaq's 0.49 expected clean sheets are the second-lowest in the game and their attacking numbers are modest. Why now: Lacazette costs 0.3m more and projects nearly twice as much over the same three weeks.

Mohammed Abu Al Shamat (6.8m, QAD) is owned by 44.5%, and you can wait a Gameweek on him. The Abha home game gives him 6.7, the top defender score of the week, so keep him for it. After that his program of [H]ABH → [A]TWN → [H]HIL drops him to 6.7 → 4.5 → 3.5, and Gameweek 10 is the time to make that transfer. The same applies to Nacho Fernandez (5.6m, QAD) (41.8% owned) at 6.4 → 4.7 → 3.9 over the same [H]ABH → [A]TWN → [H]HIL: keep him for Abha, sell for Gameweek 10.

Best Loan Rangers team for RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9

Loan Rangers gives you unlimited transfers for one Gameweek, so only Gameweek 9 matters here. The squad below is the highest-scoring 15 for this week from the current model run, kept to three players per club, with the starters in a 3-4-3. It stacks the Al Hilal and Al Qadasiya attacks, adds Lacazette for the Ettifaq home game and the Al Kholood pair for the trip to Al-Faisaly, and fills the defence with the best-value defenders. The starting XI projects about 88 points with Julian Quinones as captain. For the exact live optimum, use the RSL Fantasy optimal teams solver.

Before the deadline, check the RSL market probabilities for the Qadasiya and Hilal games, and confirm the starters on the predicted lineups page. More Saudi Pro League analysis is in our RSL Fantasy preview hub.

FAQ

Who should I captain in RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9?

Julian Quinones is the top captain pick at 9.5 expected points, at home to Abha in the highest-scoring fixture of the round. Ollie Watkins (9.1, away to Al Riyadh) is a close second and leads Gameweek 10, and Ruben Neves (7.6) is third.

Which budget defenders are best for RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9?

Seydouba Cisse (4.5m) has the best points per million of any defender this week at 6.0 expected points, with [A]FSL → [A]ABH → [H]ETT. Kalidou Koulibaly (5.0m) is the best defender to keep, and Andrei Girotto (4.6m) projects 5.7 now and 10.1 in Al-Faisaly's Double Gameweek 12.

When is the Al-Faisaly and Abha Double Gameweek in RSL Fantasy?

It is Gameweek 12. Their meeting moved out of Gameweek 11, so Al-Faisaly play [A]ABH and [A]FYH and Abha play [H]FSL and [H]ITT in Gameweek 12. Andrei Girotto (10.1), Abdoulaye Seck (8.3) and Alexandre Mendy (8.1) are the players it lifts most.

Should I sell Angelo Gabriel before Gameweek 9?

Yes. Angelo Gabriel is projected for only 59 minutes and 2.7 points in Gameweek 9. Al Nassr's best fixtures start in Gameweek 10, so his slot is better used on a Nassr starter such as Ronaldo.

Who are the best differentials for RSL Fantasy Gameweek 9?

Lukas Haraslin (0.2% owned) has the fourth-best 3-Gameweek total in midfield. Seydouba Cisse (0.5%) is the best-value defender this week, and Andrei Girotto (5.5%) gives you Al-Faisaly's Double Gameweek 12 cheaply while scoring well before it.

This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI.