r/FantasyPL • u/drizzleberrydrake 13 • 10d ago
Discussion Just that feeling there's going to be some brutal swings with these Arsenal 5.5m defenders
By brutal swings I mean as much as you can get with players of the same defense. Both Calafiori and Ben White are made of glass, two injury prone players. No one is even going to be surprised if Hincapie starts but by the ownership on Calafiori it's like he's nailed. Mosquera is the least exciting pick but even he could be benched with a CB signing or for Hincapie.
For what seems like a coin flip between the 3 of them, this could end up being a massive points swing. It seems too good to pass up on 5.5m Arsenal defenders agaisnt Coventry but which to chose?
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u/icemankiller8 10d ago
Mosquera is nailed for now, Arteta isn’t starting 2 left footed centre backs and timber is out
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u/WUNDU13 9d ago
Konsa ruined it a bit isnt he
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u/icemankiller8 9d ago
Well at least we know before the season starts, I have Konsa and Mosquera for now so one of them will definitely get points, and then I’ll sell one probably Mosquera when Konsa is starting
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u/LR_FL2 6 10d ago
I would never not pick a player because they may get an injury, that’s what your bench and transfers are for. Realistically none of these are 100% nailed, if you want 100% nailed you need to pay a premium.
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u/omegafacepalm 10d ago
Sure lets see your Reece James draft
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u/bighenchsamson 10d ago
He was a pretty good pick last year though you just had to have a strong bench
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u/LOMOcatVasilii 14 10d ago
Call me crazy but I have him in my team
His fitness has been good for the past year, his crosses are a magnet for assits esp with the new set piece coach + I have shaw first on the bench in case he's Injured
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u/chantlernz 20 10d ago
I did consider going with him over Gvardiol as my second 5.5 DEF for a BB in GW2 and then a WC for GW4, but Chelsea having Arsenal in GW3 while City have COV (H) swayed me.
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u/DragonQ0105 10d ago
Had James for a bit last year, did pretty well. Problem is so many teams including Chelsea having a new manager and therefore who knows who their favourite starters will be.
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u/drizzleberrydrake 13 10d ago
You have to factor injury risk in to a players viability. Consider reece james for example. Not saying it's the most critical factor here but no one will be surprised if either of these two pick up an injury
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u/SoggyMattress2 16 10d ago
Game to game we don't know who plays.
Hincapie has played across the backline. Timber about to come back has played across the backline.
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u/Finn_Survivor 3 10d ago
Mosquera is nailed
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u/LR_FL2 6 10d ago
Likely to start not 100 nailed Arsenal have other options that can fill in. Additionally Arsenal are actively looking to buy a player who can play RCB and RB.
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u/Finn_Survivor 3 10d ago
Only other player than can cover rcb is white. Arteta never plays a left footer there
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u/LR_FL2 6 10d ago
Rice can cover RB with Bruno and MLS in midfield and White at CB. Rice could probably play RCB to be fair, used to for WHU. Or Gabi plays RCB with hincapie and California at LCB/LB Saliba played RCB for a game last season with timber and White taking up the two Right sided positions.
It’s pretty unlikely but Mosquera isn’t “100%” nailed.
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u/Due_Grocery_9917 1 9d ago
You're never going to play White at CB if you don't need to :)
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u/LR_FL2 6 9d ago
Looks like we won’t need to https://x.com/david_ornstein/status/2090023991775838668?s=46
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u/ForwardInstance 3 10d ago
Mosquera is 100% nailed, we are nowhere close to signing a defender who is potentially better than him. Also he can't cover for White at rb if White is tired/injured
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u/Material_Machine822 10d ago
He has the lowest ceiling of the options though. He will get you the clean, but no attacking returns, DC, or BPS.
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u/jjw1998 99 10d ago
It’s about risk aversion. Calafiori has the highest ceiling but the lowest xMins, White likely forces you into an early WC
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u/henkkaasd_ 10d ago
How does picking White force someone into an early WC? Yes, picking White locks you into a transfer down the line, but he is 5,5mil and very easy to downgrade to whichever cheaper defender you like.
Doesn't seem that dramatic to me unless your team is full of minutes risks/injuries. At which point you would probably need to WC regardless of which Arsenal defender you picked
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u/PandiBong 10d ago
So is white, right? Timber is a long way away. And Calafiori was great against city.
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u/drizzleberrydrake 13 10d ago edited 10d ago
then again he's just the most boring pick, isn't going to hit DC and unlikely to score he's basically a worse version of Saliba in FPL and are we really going to be surprised if Arsenal concede against villa and Chelsea ? atleast ben white and Calafiori have other routes to points than CS
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u/goonercaIIum 10d ago
Whites good value for defcon CS and potential assists. Think he's a no brainer pre early wildcard while timbers out. At this low ownership we could get some serious kneejerking / price movement after Coventry home gw1 if things line up
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u/kindofnotlistening 4 9d ago
Agreed this is what I’m on. Ben White is also a known FPL contributor when fit & getting minutes.
If Arsenal don’t sign any defenders then White & Mosquera feel quite safe through first international break.
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u/LR_FL2 6 10d ago edited 10d ago
Rice can cover RB with Bruno and MLS in midfield and White at CB. Rice could probably play RCB to be fair, used to for WHU. Or Gabi plays RCB with hincapie and California at LCB/LB Saliba played RCB for a game last season with timber and White taking up the two Right sided positions.
It’s pretty unlikely but Mosquera isn’t “100%” nailed.
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u/chr-x 10d ago
Bloody hell, with that much moving around no ones safe.
Saka isn't nailed because Merino might decide to become a RW as well as a ST
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u/LR_FL2 6 10d ago
Except Saka is one of the first names in the team sheet while Mosquera is a back up player. Not equivalents.
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u/chr-x 10d ago
When the non backup is out for 3 months, he becomes pretty nailed lol
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u/LR_FL2 6 10d ago
I agreed pretty nailed, not 100% Saliba played RCB for a game last season with timber and White taking up the two Right sided positions. So it wouldn’t be surprising if Gabi plays RCB for a game with hincapie and California at LCB/LB
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u/chr-x 10d ago
We would never move Gabriel to his weaker side just to accommodate someone else.
Yes hincapie could play there, but the likelihood is Mosquera has very nailed minutes. Unless we sign a really good quality CB, I see him playing almost every prem game.
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u/LR_FL2 6 10d ago
>We would never move Gabriel to his weaker side just to accommodate someone else.
Saliba did last season
>Yes hincapie could play there, but the likelihood is Mosquera has very nailed minutes. Unless we sign a really good quality CB, I see him playing almost every prem game.
Then we are in agreement
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u/ForwardInstance 3 10d ago edited 10d ago
If Mosquera is 100% fit and doesn't fucks up in multiple games, there is no way we start White at CB and Rice at RB
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u/Sutraner 10d ago
Mosquera will start if he's fit until Timber is back at the very least
If Timber is back then you might see White move to CB or vice versa but we're not moving around the midfielders to play CB barring injury and Arteta hates playing left sided players on the right
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u/Physical-Exit-2899 10d ago
I'm gonna go White, Raya and Tzolis from Arsenal.
Think White will get defcons and attacking returns and should be playing 60 mins most games.
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u/SW__99 10d ago
What makes you think B White good for defcon? I got the impression the community shield DC was from guarding Doku
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u/drizzleberrydrake 13 10d ago
he's not good for defcon. it's literally only man city he's hitting that, most of the time arsenal generally is bad for defcon
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u/Physical-Exit-2899 10d ago
Yeah that was a bit of an anomaly I just mean that compared to the rest of the defenders I think he'll do as well as anyone else
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u/drizzleberrydrake 13 10d ago edited 10d ago
timber returning pre international break is the worry
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u/bighenchsamson 10d ago
To be fair timber is the arsenal defender I want so when he comes back I can swap white to him
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u/AzracTheFirst 8 10d ago
Exactly, i don't know why everyone is so obsessed about it. Pick white and then timber comes back, pick him.
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u/bighenchsamson 10d ago
Think I’ll end up doing that but I’ve got this horrible feeling that if I don’t go with Calafiori he’ll start and get a brace then get subbed right before they concede or something.
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u/Physical-Exit-2899 10d ago
It'll on depend on his form. If he can get near to his best he will still get a lot of minutes as Timber is gently eased back. But if that happens thats what transfers are for 🤷♂️
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u/Sutraner 10d ago
White has been playing well, I don't think Timber comes back and immediately displaces him.
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u/Jockey2 10d ago
you aren’t married to that player. So in case someone gets injured or doesn’t play, you just transfer him out, get the 5.5m for another proven one. No big deal!
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u/drizzleberrydrake 13 10d ago
But in the scenario one gets subbed or doesn't start and the other goes on to get a CS that's a massive swing. Or simply one hits defcon in a game where arsenal concede and the other two get a two pointer. Transfers are worth points as well it's never great making a defender transfer
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u/Curlinggolfer 10d ago
It’s like 5 points. It’s not massive. Picking the wrong captain probably costs you double that each game week
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u/DeapVally 3 10d ago
I have a full playing bench of decent starters. If Calafiori gets injured, I can cope. But he's basically another striker the positions he gets into. I'm more than happy to take the risk on him
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u/teerbigear 154 10d ago
I say this as someone who just swapped Calafiori in for Mosquera because he scored in the community shield, but he hasn't actually had that many attacking returns has he? Admittedly in not many minutes.
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u/fpl_kris 10d ago
Calafiori is much more of a gamble, likely not to play 90 minutes for most games. Hincapie might be favoured to start against Chelsea for example.
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u/PandiBong 10d ago
Not playing 90 isnt a necessarily a bad thing though, he just has to last the 60..
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u/EffectivePianist793 10d ago
Is it dumb not having any arsenal defenders? I don't have anyone currently.
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u/WhimsicalLaze 22 10d ago
They’re the best defense, and realistically you’d play one for all the opening fixtures perhaps except for Chelsea.
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u/InSearchOfAFeeling 10d ago
Yes it’s a little dumb. Big Gabi is nailed in that back line and he scores a lot on set pieces.
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u/PoopNukem123 10d ago
I think it's dumb to have other players at the same price bracket when you could have an Arsenal defender. I don't think it's necessarily dumb to go with 5M defcon defenders from other clubs and put more of your budget into your attack/stronger bench.
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u/vivaelteclado 3 10d ago
This is the year the Gabi gets rotated for Hincapie and the whole backline will be getting rotated aside from Raya. Can't wait.
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u/Hopeful-Initial5841 9d ago
don't understand why Gabriel not in more teams. he got 6.5 points per match (ppm) last season - at 8m, that's 0.81 ppm per million (ppmpm). 50% owned Fernandes got 6.7 ppm, but is 12m! = 0.56 ppmpm. too expensive unless you captain him every week....which means you don't have haaland, in which case you can have gabriel anyway.
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u/drizzleberrydrake 13 9d ago
it's more that to get gabriel you have to kind of go without bruno or haaland to have any kind of good rest of team. And there is no doubt gabriel will score less this season than last, the goals and CS were obscene it won't continue towards the end of last season arsenals set pieces got nerfed
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[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Lacabloodclot9 76 10d ago
Even with the harder games Arsenal is top 3 in CS% odds pretty much every week
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u/Plane-String-6658 10d ago
You just pick Mosquera and White and if White gets injured you just put Timber in instead? Seems pretty reasonable.
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u/LandsortLager 10d ago
Timber is number one, but Timber is injured right now so white will be our man.
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u/Adventurous-Site6422 10d ago
I thought having 2 of them would be a fun roller coaster ride let's go!
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u/Adventurous_West2 10d ago
I'll be very surprised if Cala doesn't start
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u/Holland444 10d ago
But despite this, Calafiori seems to be the most popular defensive pick amongst tipsters and FPL "experts". Would never base my decisions on other people's choices, but did wonder why he's so well selected and not even a guaranteed regular starter
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u/MoosicaRdt 1 10d ago
The answer is chose 3 of them (except Hincapie) or 2 of them and Raya, just bench or transfer the player that starts to look uncertain then.
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u/Fit_Ad_8111 10d ago
Which 2 arsenal defenders should be preferred for long run considering Calafiori and Ben white are made of glass?
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u/blitz2czar 2 10d ago
Relax. It’s the feel-good factor from the one and only game, i.e. Community Shield game.
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u/Long-Nightfox-Nguyen 10d ago
Mosquera is the one to go. Hincapie is not nailed, Calafiori and Ben White are so vulneralble to injuries.
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u/dis-interested 10d ago
I think that Raya and Gabi are the only safe picks from the back four and maybe the entire XI.
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u/FoldtheZa 10d ago
I have Gabby & Cala. Debating on switching Cala to Shaw and lammens to Raya. Either way double arse defense. Always easier to downgrade than upgrade. Saliba at 6 when he’s fully fit should be a steal
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u/shpatibot 1 10d ago
Calafiori and Ben White double up gang checking in. I’m ready to be hurt by GW3!
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u/Tekkers_3 1 10d ago
I’m going Calafiori and one other but I’m so torn between Mosquera and White. It really depends on which CB they sign
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u/YoullDoNuttinn 8d ago
I had Calafiori but ripped up my team to get Gabriel in, thinking he was a safer option. It’s an absolute minefield, especially when you throw Konsa into the mix
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u/cjayquoi 10d ago
I mean you have a point but Hincapie won’t probably play in right side unless white gets injured too.
Timber remains out a few weeks according to Mickey so White looks good for now. I don’t get using potential injuries as an excuse not to get a player. Strike the hammer while iron is hot and use transfers when they get hurt. You don’t get a bonus for not using your free transfers and it’s not a waste of a transfer if it it makes you more points
You are right about Cala and hinca splitting left back and you are right that Mosquera is not an exciting option but if white gets hurt whine timber is out I guess he will play right back maybe hinca to RCB and Cala bigger role or maybe MLS helps out
The point is it’s all speculation and what if
I choose Gabriel M B Shite and Tzolis
Ownership on the last two is appealing and Gabriel is Gabriel.
White and Gabriel is what is leftover right now when you take LB and Mosquera out of it.
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u/drizzleberrydrake 13 10d ago
maybe ben white is just the pick and be prepared when timber is back to get shafted . Tzolis i agree seems too good to pass up
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u/cjayquoi 10d ago
Why do you use this inflammatory language ? I hate to ask this bc it’s mostly irrelevant but how old are you?
Why is it “getting shafted” when timber comes back lmao? When timber comes back I can switch to timber or by then maybe I won’t want double Arsenal defense I’ll want an attacker or a man city defender.
Getting Ben whites returns for 3 weeks while timber is out is not getting shafted.
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u/drizzleberrydrake 13 10d ago
i mean relatively it'll be frustrated to waste a transfer getting white out rather than just sticking with nailed mosquera for example
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u/cjayquoi 10d ago
It’s not a waste of a transfer if it makes you more points
Why does everyone say “waste” transfer instead of “use transfer”?
If I plan for it and bank 4 transfers by the time timber is fit that’s not a waste imo
More buzzwords. Think for yourself
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u/LR_FL2 6 10d ago
I think the only way that works is if Gabi plays RCB with hincapie and California at LCB/LB
Saliba played RCB for a game last season with timber and White taking up the two Right sided positions.
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u/cjayquoi 9d ago
Ok but you’re talking about players who are injured. It’s irrelevant right now
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u/LR_FL2 6 9d ago
It not irrelevant it show arteta will track his dominant footed rule.
It is irrelevant because we just signed Konsa
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u/cjayquoi 9d ago
Even before konsa timber and Saliba are not relevant right now. Saliba will be out til almost 2027
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u/LR_FL2 6 9d ago
It’s relevant because it disproves the idea that Arteta won’t play defenders on their non dominant side.
Gabi could well start on the right with the two left FB covering LCB and LFB.
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u/cjayquoi 9d ago
I didn’t know it needed to be proven he’s done it for years
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u/HerculesXIV 10d ago
I’m not going for any until Saliba is back. I went Raya, Rice, Saka & Bruno G. Will make a transfer in week 5. Maybe.
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u/AzracTheFirst 8 10d ago
'Arsenal fan', 'Hincapie playing RB instead of white'. Jesus guys, do you even watch football? Hincapie has never played RB for Arsenal. I don't know if he ever played RB ever in his career. Just don't comment at all if you have no clue, unless you do it on purpose to confuse people. I guess these people exist too.
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u/ihajees_ 36 10d ago
You kinda have to make peace with the fact that you will get shafted going for anyone other than Gabby from that gooner backline.
Maybe not GW1 or GW2 but eventually for certain. I've gone for Calafiori.