Wissa vs Wood: Which FPL Forward Should You Back for the Final Gameweeks?

With the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League season heading into its final stretch, FPL managers are on the lookout for key transfers to boost their ranks.

Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood have emerged as budget-friendly forwards worth considering. But who is the better pick for the run-in?

Let’s break down the stats and fixtures to help you make the right transfer.

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Season-Long FPL Performance

First, let’s compare their overall performances this season using the Opta Heatmaps tool and key underlying stats:

Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, the 26-year-old DR Congo international, has been a standout performer in FPL terms. He’s scored 17 goals this season — two fewer than Chris Wood — but his expected goals (xG) of 17.68 highlights the quality of chances he’s getting and suggests he’s performing in line with expectations.

In contrast, Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood has been far more clinical — and arguably overperforming. The 32-year-old New Zealander has netted 19 goals from an xG of just 12.51, making him the fourth-highest scorer in the Premier League. While that sounds impressive, it raises the risk of regression in the final gameweeks.

In terms of shooting volume, Wissa leads comfortably with 80 total shots compared to Wood’s 59. However, Wissa has only managed three more shots on target, indicating Wood has been more efficient with his attempts.

Creatively, the two are neck-and-neck. Both have three assists each, with an expected assists (xA) figure of around 2.6 — suggesting their output matches their underlying numbers.

While Wood has played slightly more minutes (2710 vs Wissa’s 2661), the 49-minute difference is negligible, making this a fair head-to-head comparison for FPL managers eyeing a late-season differential.

Recent FPL Form (GW29-35)

Now, let’s examine their form over the last seven gameweeks:

Between Gameweeks 29 and 35, Wissa has played significantly more minutes than Wood as shown in the Opta Heatmaps tool, so comparing their stats on a per 90 minutes basis gives us a fairer picture.

Wissa has been in excellent form during this stretch, scoring 0.71 goals per 90 minutes from an xG of 0.53 — showing he’s been taking and converting quality chances.

He’s averaged an impressive 7 FPL points per game, a figure bettered only by Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes (7.14) and Wolves’ Matheus Cunha (8.00) among regular starters.

In contrast, Chris Wood’s form has dipped noticeably. He’s scored just one goal across the same period, averaging 0.21 goals per 90, with a low xG of just 0.19 — less than half of Wissa’s.

Wissa also maintains a stronger attacking presence, with 2.57 shots per 90 compared to Wood’s 1.69, and 1.14 shots on target per 90 versus 0.85. The Brentford forward’s goal threat has clearly outshone Wood’s in recent weeks.

Creatively, neither player stands out — as seen in their season-long stats — but Wissa has managed to register one assist during this seven-gameweek spell.

For FPL managers, the contrast in recent form and attacking output could be pivotal when weighing up late-season forward transfers.

FPL Ownership and Gameweek 36 Transfer Trends

As Gameweek 36 approaches, Chris Wood is currently owned by 28.7% of Fantasy Premier League managers, while Yoane Wissa is in 17.4% of squads. However, these overall figures don’t reflect the decisions of highly engaged FPL managers.

Using the Insight Live tool to examine ownership among the top 100k, Wissa is owned by just 15.2%, while Wood sits even lower at 9.4% — making both forwards verging on differential options going into the final weeks.

But this picture could be changing quickly.

According to the Transfer Analytics tool, Wissa and Wood are currently the fifth and sixth most transferred-in players this week. Wissa leads the way, brought in by over 101,100 managers, compared to 63,784 for Wood, suggesting the transfer momentum is swinging in favour of the Brentford striker.

Digging deeper, eight of the Top 10 forward transfer combinations this week include either Wissa or Wood. This indicates that a large number of engaged FPL managers are turning to one of these budget friendly forwards for the run-in, making them potentially decisive picks ahead of the Gameweek 36 deadline.

Upcoming FPL Fixtures For the Run In

Let’s assess the remaining fixtures for both players using the Fixture Difficulty Rating tool, filtered by attacking difficulty:

Yoane Wissa:

• GW36: Ipswich (A)
  
• GW37: Fulham (H)
  
• GW38: Wolves (A)
  

Chris Wood:

• GW36: Leicester (H)
  
• GW37: West Ham (A)
  
• GW38: Chelsea (H)
  

Both forwards face a mix of favourable and tricky opponents. Wissa’s Gameweek 36 trip to already-relegated Ipswich looks promising on paper, while his home clash with Fulham also carries attacking potential. However, his final day fixture against Wolves may not be as straightforward — Vítor Pereira’s side have conceded just five goals in their last seven matches, keeping three clean sheets in that time.

For Wood, his Gameweek 36 home tie against Leicester stands out. The Foxes have conceded 42 goals in 17 away matches this season — the worst record in the league — making it a golden opportunity for FPL returns. His GW37 trip to West Ham, a side struggling defensively, could also offer potential, while GW38 against Chelsea may be more challenging.

The Predicted Points & Stats tool supports this fixture assessment. Wood edges Wissa with 17 predicted points across the final three gameweeks, compared to Wissa’s 15. Notably, Wood is projected to score 7.4 points in GW36 alone, largely due to Leicester’s poor away form.

Wissa vs Wood – Who Should Lead Your FPL Attack for the Run-In?

As the FPL season enters its final stretch, both Yoane Wissa and Chris Wood offer solid budget forward options — but the best pick depends on your strategy.

Wissa has the edge in recent form, with strong underlying stats, and favourable fixtures against Ipswich (A), Fulham (H), and Wolves (A). He looks well-positioned to deliver returns. Despite a modest 15.2% ownership among the top 100k, over 101,000 managers have already brought him in this week, making him a rising differential.

Wood, while less explosive of late, has been a clinical finisher throughout the season. His Gameweek 36 clash with Leicester makes him a potential captaincy option, with a predicted 7.4 points. He also leads Wissa in total predicted points over the final run-in and remains a popular pick with 28.7% overall ownership.

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