Five blanks in six matches have left many FPL managers feeling they have seen enough of Bruno Fernandes.
His spectacular 23-point haul against Ipswich in Gameweek 2 demonstrated his potential, but it remains the only match in which he has delivered an attacking return this season.
That one performance makes his overall numbers look much more reassuring than his week-to-week returns have felt.
At £11.9m, owners are understandably asking whether their money could work harder elsewhere.
So, who are the best Bruno Fernandes replacements for Gameweek 7?
We use Fantasy Football Fix’s Predicted Points & Stats tool, Comparison Matrix and Fixture Planner to assess Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Gibbs-White, plus alternatives from Manchester City and Chelsea.
There is an important complication: Bruno still has the highest projected points total among the six midfielders in our comparison for Gameweeks 7–10.
Our Predicted Points & Stats tool projects 22.4 points for Fernandes over that period, ahead of Palmer and Gibbs-White on 20.5.
However, every alternative costs considerably less.
Prices and projections correct at the time of the screenshot. Actual money released depends on your FPL selling price.
Palmer is projected to score just 1.9 fewer points across four Gameweeks while costing £2.2m less. Gibbs-White offers the same projected total as Palmer at an even lower price.
If those savings fund a meaningful upgrade elsewhere, selling becomes more appealing. If the money would simply sit in the bank, Bruno’s projections provide a reasonable argument for holding.
The Fix Comparison Matrix highlights three different routes to replacing Fernandes.
Across Gameweeks 1–6, Palmer leads this trio for actual FPL points, Saka has the strongest expected FPL points total, and Gibbs-White offers creativity at the lowest price.
Expected statistics are rounded as displayed in the Comparison Matrix. Saka’s displayed zero expected assists should not be interpreted as an exact zero.
Price: £9.7m | Predicted points, GW7–10: 20.5
Palmer combines two goals and four FPL assists, giving him the most attacking returns of the three players in the Matrix.
His 36 FPL points also lead the group, while 531 minutes show that he has been heavily involved throughout Chelsea’s opening six matches.
He offers a balance of goalscoring and creativity, with approximately 2 xG and 2 xA in the displayed comparison. Penalty duties add another route to points, strengthening his appeal as a premium midfielder.
There is a qualification: Palmer’s actual points exceed his 30 expected FPL points. His recent returns are encouraging, but the underlying data does not put him ahead of every alternative.
Palmer is our strongest all-round replacement, combining attacking returns, penalty appeal and a competitive four-Gameweek projection.
Price: £9.6m | Predicted points, GW7–10: 19.9
Saka has the strongest goalscoring profile in the Comparison Matrix.
He leads Palmer and Gibbs-White for goals (three) and expected goals (approximately four). His 41 expected FPL points are also the highest of the trio, compared with 34 actual points.
That gap suggests his performances have offered more potential than his returns alone reveal, although it does not guarantee that extra points will follow.
Saka has played 508 minutes, slightly fewer than Palmer and Gibbs-White, but his goal threat makes him an attractive option for managers seeking an explosive premium replacement.
His Gameweek 10 home fixture against Hull is another reason to consider him as a longer-term purchase.
Price: £8.0m | Predicted points, GW7–10: 20.5
Gibbs-White offers the biggest saving of the three main replacements, costing £3.9m less than Fernandes.
He has played all 540 available minutes, leads this comparison for expected assists at approximately three, and has collected six bonus points, more than either Palmer or Saka.
His 30 FPL points trail his 36 expected FPL points, suggesting that his underlying performances deserve more attention than his current total might attract.
The projections are particularly interesting: Gibbs-White matches Palmer’s 20.5 predicted points over Gameweeks 7–10 despite costing £1.7m less.
However, his fixtures require careful consideration before making an immediate move.
The fixture comparison below covers Gameweeks 7–10, matching the period used in our predicted-points table.
Chelsea rank highest of these three teams in the displayed fixture assessment. Palmer’s schedule includes consecutive home matches against Spurs and Manchester United, followed by a trip to Sunderland.
Arsenal’s run is more mixed. Liverpool away in Gameweek 9 is the obvious challenge, but Hull at home immediately afterwards gives Saka an appealing fixture to target.
Forest have the most awkward immediate fixture, hosting Arsenal in Gameweek 7. Their trip to Ipswich in Gameweek 8 is the standout opportunity, reflected in Gibbs-White’s 6.1 predicted points—his highest projection across the four matches.
Gibbs-White is therefore particularly interesting for managers planning ahead to Gameweek 8. Palmer looks the more straightforward purchase across the full run, while Saka appeals for his goal threat and Gameweek 10 fixture.
Manchester City’s midfielders offer another way to release funds while targeting Ipswich at home in Gameweek 7.
Semenyo (£8.3m) has the highest Gameweek 7 projection in our six-player shortlist at 5.8 points, slightly ahead of Bruno’s 5.5.
Cherki (£7.9m) matches Fernandes on 5.5 predicted points while costing £4.0m less.
Their appeal comes with different considerations:
A higher ceiling does not necessarily mean a higher average projection: Cherki can offer greater potential for a big haul when given substantial minutes while still ranking below Semenyo in the model.
Read our full Cherki vs Semenyo FPL comparison for the detailed breakdown of goal threat, creativity and minutes.
Morgan Rogers (£7.9m) offers a compelling alternative to Cole Palmer (£9.7m) for managers selling Bruno Fernandes, saving an additional £1.8m while targeting the same Chelsea fixtures.
As our Opta Comparison tool shows, Rogers has offered the stronger goal threat so far. He leads Palmer for goals (four to two), expected goals (2.71 to 1.56), shots (18 to 17) and shots on target (six to five).
Palmer, however, has the advantage for creativity. He leads for expected assists (2.17 to 1.49), attempted assists (13 to 11) and big chances created (five to two).
That gives managers a genuine decision: Rogers has generated better scoring opportunities, while Palmer has been the stronger provider. Palmer’s penalty duties add another route to goals and remain an important consideration when weighing up the extra cost.
Interestingly, Rogers’ combined 4.20 expected goal involvements exceed Palmer’s 3.73, strengthening the argument that he offers more than simply a cheaper route into Chelsea’s attack.
If selling Bruno is primarily about freeing up money, Rogers deserves serious consideration.
His price is £4.0m below Fernandes’, potentially allowing a substantial upgrade elsewhere. Palmer remains appealing for his creativity and penalties, but Rogers’ underlying goal threat makes the cheaper option difficult to dismiss.
Palmer is our preferred all-round replacement, while Saka stands out for goal threat and Gibbs-White offers strong projected value at a lower price.
Your best move depends on what you need from the transfer:
Bruno’s five blanks explain the frustration, but his leading four-Gameweek projection means selling is not an automatic decision.
The strongest reason to move him on is having a clear plan for the money released. Compare the projected returns of both your replacement and the additional upgrade before making the transfer.
Your next FPL move starts here.
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