RSL Fantasy 2026/2027 Round 4 Preview

RSL Fantasy Round 4 preview: double gameweek captains, best buys and hidden gems

Round 4 of RSL Fantasy is the first double gameweek of the Saudi Pro League season, and it reshapes the whole board. Al Hilal and Al Ahli both play twice, which means nine of the ten highest projected scores in the round belong to just two clubs. But you can only field three players from any single club, so the round is not won by "owning Al Hilal" - it is won by picking the right three, and then filling the other twelve seats better than everyone else.

There is one detail that decides almost every call below: Al Hilal and Al Ahli play each other in their second fixture. The two double-gameweek defences cancel out in that game, so the two clubs' doubles are worth very different amounts.

Fixture overview: why Al Hilal's double is the better one

Al Hilal travel to Al Khaleej on 28 August, then host Al Ahli on 1 September: [A]Al Khaleej → [H]Al Ahli. The first of those is the standout fixture of the round - a 75% win probability and 2.56 projected goals, the highest single-team attacking projection in Round 4. Al Ahli's double is [A]Al Kholood → [A]Al Hilal, and that second leg is a 21% win probability. One good game plus one of the hardest away trips in the league is a very different asset to two winnable games.

The reason Al Hilal assets carry such high projections is the defence behind them. Last season Al Hilal conceded just 0.73 expected goals per game and kept 16 clean sheets in 34 matches, the best figures in the division alongside a +1.6 non-penalty expected goal difference per game. That is a genuinely elite clean-sheet platform being handed two fixtures in one round. You can check every team's numbers on the RSL market probabilities page and see the full calendar on the RSL schedule.

Goalkeepers: one obvious double, one cheap enabler

Yassine Bounou (5.5m, HIL) is the highest-projected goalkeeper in the round at 10.1 xP across two games, backed by that 45% clean sheet chance at Al Khaleej. He is the only keeper in the game with two fixtures and a genuinely strong defence in front of him.

If you would rather spend the money elsewhere, Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi (4.5m, AHL) also doubles and returns 7.8 xP for a million less. And at the very bottom of the market, Turki Ba Al Jawsh (4.0m, ETT) projects 4.8 xP from a single home game against Al Diriyah - the best points-per-million of any single-gameweek keeper in the round, and the cheapest legal way to free up funds for the outfield. Confirmations land on the RSL predicted lineups page before each kickoff.

Defenders: the best value pick in the entire round

Mohammed Mahzari (5.0m, HIL) is the standout pick of Round 4 at any price. He projects 11.8 xP - more than every midfielder outside Al Hilal's top three and more than every forward except Karim Benzema - from a 5.0m defender. That is 2.36 points per million, comfortably the highest ratio of any player in the round.

The case for him is not just the double. He is an ironman: 3,123 minutes across 35 appearances in recent league football, with a projected 164 minutes from his two Round 4 fixtures. He is not a rotation risk, and he is not a one-round punt either - his trajectory reads 11.8 → 6.2 → 6.6 → 6.1 → 6.4 → 6.5 for a weighted six-round score of 28.3, the best of any defender in the game. Buy him for the double and keep him.

Al Hilal's other two defensive options both project 9.0 xP: Kalidou Koulibaly (5.0m, HIL) and Moteb Al-Harbi (5.0m, HIL). Both are legitimate one-round doubles, but be clear-eyed that their value is front-loaded - each drops to under 4.0 xP from Round 5 onwards, so treat them as a two-week hold rather than a season keeper.

Outside the double, Abdulelah Al Amri (5.0m, NAS) is the pick. Al Nassr host Al-Taawoun with a 40% clean sheet chance, he projects 6.0 xP from a single game, and his real appeal is what comes next: Al Nassr host Abha in Round 6 (84% win, 46% clean sheet chance) and Al Diriyah in Round 8 (86% win, 52% clean sheet chance). Those are the two best defensive fixtures any team gets in this window.

Hidden gem: a penalty-taking defender

Shaquille Pinas (5.0m, KLD) is the most unusual asset in the game - a 5.0m centre-back who takes Al Kholood's penalties, with a 97% share of their spot-kicks. That is a goal-threat profile no other cheap defender has. His Round 4 is the catch: Al Kholood host Al Ahli and he only projects 4.6 xP, so this is not a buy for this round. Line him up for Round 5 onwards, where his numbers climb to 5.4 → 6.2 → 6.1 and his weighted six-round score of 19.3 puts him among the best budget defenders in the game.

Midfielders: pick two of Al Hilal's three

Al Hilal's midfield takes the top three spots in the position, and the three-per-club cap plus Mahzari means you realistically get two of them.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (9.5m, HIL) is the highest projected of the three at 13.0 xP, and the most reliable: 165 projected minutes across the two games, with 9 goals and 7 assists and a 0.60 expected goal involvement per 90 in recent league football. Crysencio Summerville (8.5m, HIL) is the better value at 1.47 points per million and a million cheaper, though his 0.37 xGI90 historically is the thinnest of the three - his projection leans more on the fixtures than on his own track record.

Ruben Neves (9.1m, HIL) deserves a specific mention for one reason: he takes Al Hilal's penalties, with a 91% share. Across two fixtures against a defence that shipped 1.41 expected goals per game last season, that is a ceiling the other two do not have. If you want the highest variance of the Al Hilal midfield, he is it.

Eduard Spertsyan (7.1m, AHL) is the best-value route into Al Ahli's double at 8.8 xP for 7.1m, and his 16 goals and 17 assists at 0.63 xGI90 make him the most productive Al Ahli midfielder on recent form.

Budget midfield options

Valentin Atangana Edoa (5.5m, AHL) projects 6.2 xP with 159 minutes across the double - a genuinely cheap way to get a second fixture into your side without touching a premium. Mohamed Kanno (6.0m, HIL) at 6.8 xP is the cheapest Al Hilal midfielder, though at 129 projected minutes he carries rotation risk. For a single-gameweek option, Hammam Al-Hammami (5.0m, SHB) returns 5.0 xP at Al Hazem.

Forwards: Benzema is the cheapest way to the best return

Karim Benzema (9.9m, HIL) is the highest-projected player in Round 4 at 13.8 xP, and he is the best premium in the game right now. He is 2.1m cheaper than the next-most-expensive double-gameweek forward while projecting 2.6 more points, and his 1.03 expected goal involvement per 90 - 18 goals in 2,067 minutes - is elite-tier production. His weighted six-round score of 33.1 is the highest in the game.

One caveat worth stating plainly: his projected 129 minutes across two games is the lowest of any Al Hilal starter, reflecting managed minutes. He is still the top pick, but he is not nailed for 180.

Cristiano Ronaldo (12.5m, NAS) only has one fixture and projects 8.9 xP, so he loses this round on volume. Do not sell him for it. His weighted six-round score of 32.6 is second only to Benzema, driven by two enormous home games - 11.0 xP in Round 6 against Abha and 11.0 again in Round 8 against Al Diriyah, both with Al Nassr projected for over 3.2 goals. He also takes their penalties with an 89% share. Hold through the double and captain him in Round 6.

For budget forwards the round is genuinely thin - the position drops off a cliff below 7.0m. Silvere Ganvoula (5.0m, FYH) at 4.6 xP and Afimico Pululu (5.5m, HAZ) at 4.7 xP are the only cheap forwards worth a bench slot; neither is a starting recommendation. If your budget is tight, take the cheap keeper and defenders instead and fund a real forward.

Captaincy: Benzema, then the Al Hilal midfield

1. Karim Benzema (9.9m, HIL) - 13.8 xP, two fixtures, and the best single attacking fixture in the round at Al Khaleej. The armband goes here. He is the highest projection in the game and the highest ceiling, and the case is not close.

2. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (9.5m, HIL) - 13.0 xP and the safer floor of the two. His 165 projected minutes against Benzema's 129 make him the pick if you are worried about Benzema being rested in one leg.

3. Crysencio Summerville (8.5m, HIL) - 12.5 xP. The differential armband if you want to get away from the two obvious names, and cheap enough that you may already own him as your third Al Hilal asset.

Looking one round ahead so you are not forced into a bad armband: Al Qadasiya travel to Al Diriyah in Round 5 as 72% favourites, and Al Ahli host Al Riyadh at 70% with a 41% clean sheet chance. Then Round 6 belongs to Al Nassr at home to Abha. Captaincy is a plan across rounds, not a single pick - if you are buying a premium this week, buy the one that also captains well in Round 6.

Who to sell

Julian Quinones (12.0m, QAD) is the clearest sell in the game. He is the joint-most expensive midfielder and projects just 5.6 xP in Round 4 - 0.47 points per million, the worst ratio of any premium in the game. His weighted six-round score of 20.1 is beaten by players at half his price. That 12.0m is better spent on Benzema plus a 5.0m defender.

Ivan Toney (12.0m, AHL) is the harder call, because he does have a double and 11.2 xP looks strong in isolation. The problem is the price: at 12.0m he returns 0.93 points per million while Benzema returns 1.39 for 2.1m less, and Toney's second fixture is away at the best defence in the league. His trajectory then fades to 8.5 → 5.8 → 7.9 → 6.9 → 5.3. If you own him, downgrading to Benzema frees 2.1m and gains projected points in the same move - that is the single best transfer available this week.

Merih Demiral (5.6m, AHL) and Roger Ibanez (6.5m, AHL) both look attractive on Round 4 alone, but they are the players whose programme collapses hardest. Demiral goes 7.2 then 4.5 → 3.0 → 4.2 → 3.5 → 2.7; Ibanez goes 8.2 then 4.9 → 3.3. Al Ahli's defence faces Al Hilal, and their weighted scores of 16.9 and 19.0 are worse than Mahzari's 28.3 at a lower price. If you hold them for the double, sell in Round 5 rather than drifting.

Moussa Dembele (7.1m, ETT) is a single-gameweek forward at 5.9 xP with a declining programme and a weighted score of 17.4. In a round where two clubs play twice, a fading single-fixture forward is the easiest seat to free up.

The summary that actually matters

Everyone will own Benzema and at least one Al Hilal midfielder - that is not where the round is decided. The margin is in three places: taking Mahzari at 5.0m instead of a mid-price defender who plays once, using the 4.0m-4.5m keeper to fund it, and refusing to pay 12.0m for the weaker of the two doubles. Get those right and the obvious picks look after themselves.

Before the deadline, compare every projection on the RSL player picks page, let the solver build the highest-scoring legal squad for you on RSL optimal teams, and confirm the double-gameweek starters on the predicted lineups page. More rounds are covered in our RSL Fantasy preview hub, and if you are new to the game our fantasy strategy guides cover the fundamentals.

FAQ

Who should I captain in RSL Fantasy Round 4?

Karim Benzema (9.9m, HIL) is the top captain pick with 13.8 xP across Al Hilal's two fixtures, including a trip to Al Khaleej with a 75% win probability and 2.56 projected goals. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (9.5m) at 13.0 xP is the safer alternative if you are concerned about Benzema being rested, since he projects 165 minutes to Benzema's 129. Crysencio Summerville (8.5m, 12.5 xP) is the differential option.

Which teams have a double gameweek in RSL Fantasy Round 4?

Al Hilal and Al Ahli both play twice. Al Hilal travel to Al Khaleej then host Al Ahli; Al Ahli visit Al Kholood then travel to Al Hilal. Al Hilal's double is clearly the better one - their two fixtures carry 75% and 54% win probabilities against Al Ahli's 54% and 21%. Remember the three-players-per-club cap applies, so you can field at most three from either side.

Who is the best budget pick for Round 4?

Mohammed Mahzari (5.0m, HIL) is the best value pick in the game at 11.8 xP, or 2.36 points per million - the highest ratio in the round and more projected points than every forward except Benzema. He has logged 3,123 minutes across 35 recent appearances, so rotation is not a concern, and his weighted six-round score of 28.3 leads all defenders. Turki Ba Al Jawsh (4.0m, ETT) at 4.8 xP is the cheapest way to fund him.

What are the best differentials in RSL Fantasy Round 4?

Ruben Neves (9.1m, HIL) is the highest-ceiling differential thanks to a 91% share of Al Hilal's penalties across two fixtures, projecting 11.8 xP. Valentin Atangana Edoa (5.5m, AHL) at 6.2 xP is the cheapest route into a double gameweek. Looking slightly ahead, Shaquille Pinas (5.0m, KLD) is a penalty-taking defender with a 97% spot-kick share - a unique profile, but wait until Round 5 as his Round 4 fixture is weak.

Should I sell Ivan Toney before Round 4?

Yes, downgrading Toney (12.0m, AHL) to Karim Benzema (9.9m, HIL) is the best transfer available this week. Benzema projects 13.8 xP against Toney's 11.2 despite costing 2.1m less, so you gain projected points and free up budget in a single move. Toney's second fixture is away at Al Hilal, the league's best defence at 0.73 expected goals conceded per game last season.

This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI - verified by Nicolai @ TheFantasyTool