FPL Gameweek 9 Tips: João Pedro Exodus Sparks a Striker Shake-Up

João Pedro is the most-owned player among the top one million FPL managers, featuring in a staggering 95.6% of their squads.

But with 1,562,446 managers selling him across FPL at the time of writing, finding his replacement is a major talking point ahead of Gameweek 9.

Nicolas Jackson leads the way with 1,202,266 transfers in, followed by Evanilson (489,422) and Alexander Isak (455,168) as the most popular forwards being bought.

Jackson hosts Fulham, Evanilson welcomes Leeds and Isak faces Arsenal — but which deserves a place in your squad?

In this week’s FPL tips, we explore the key transfer decisions, captaincy options and standout picks to help you prepare for Gameweek 9.

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FPL Gameweek 9 Deadline

⏰ Saturday 31 October at 11:00 GMT

Most Popular FPL Transfers

1️⃣ N. Jackson — 1,207,252 transfers in

2️⃣ Tavernier — 815,062

3️⃣ Evanilson — 492,084

4️⃣ Isak — 455,168

5️⃣ Konsa — 240,802

Transfer figures are correct at the time of writing and will continue to change before the deadline.

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Latest FPL Press Conference & Team News

• Bobby Thomas: His calf issue is not as serious as first feared. He remains doubtful for Gameweek 9 but has not been ruled out, with further assessment to follow.
• Neco Williams: Has trained all week following the knock he picked up in Gameweek 8.
• Bruno Fernandes: Looks set to return to first-team contention for Gameweek 9 following clear-the-air talks with Michael Carrick.
• Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Expected to be available for Gameweek 9.
• Anton Stach: Still “struggling” ahead of Gameweek 9.
• Junior Kroupi: Not ready to start in Gameweek 9, according to Marco Rose.
• Alex Scott: Close to returning to team training and “could be an option” for Gameweek 10.
• Nobel Mendy: Returns for Gameweek 9.
• Oli McBurnie: Has recovered from the minor issue he picked up in Gameweek 8.
• Riccardo Calafiori: Mikel Arteta confirmed he has trained and should be available for Gameweek 9.

Best FPL Gameweek 9 Captain Picks

1️⃣ Erling Haaland — 6.3 predicted points

2️⃣ Cole Palmer — 5.9 predicted points

3️⃣ Morgan Rogers — 5.3 predicted points

Haaland leads the predicted points for Gameweek 9 as Man City face Brighton. But Cole Palmer isn’t far behind as Chelsea host Man United, while Morgan Rogers is another appealing alternative.

👉 See who top-ranked FPL managers are expected to captain

The Best Free Hit Team for FPL Gameweek 9

The Algorithm has crunched the numbers to build its optimal squad for this Gameweek.

📊 Projected points: 62

🌟 Top differential: Belloumi (9.7%) - 4.9 projected points

Haaland gets the armband 🧢

Haaland faces Brighton averaging 8.25 points per game, with returns in every match since his opening-day blank against Bournemouth.

Bournemouth defensive double-up 🍒

The Algorithm backs Hill & Truffert against Leeds, who have scored just 3 away goals this season.

🛡️ Hill: leads all defenders with 92 defensive contributions.
🎯 Truffert: ranks 8th among defenders for xA.

Double Chelsea attack 🔵

Palmer & Rogers get the nod against a Man United side yet to keep a clean sheet.

Chelsea struggled against Spurs last Gameweek — can they bounce back without the injured João Pedro? 👀

Belloumi: the standout differential 💎

At just £5.2m, Belloumi is making a strong case as one of FPL’s best-value midfielders.

📈 43 points — joint-fourth among midfielders, level with Bryan Mbeumo.
💰 Only Groß, Tavernier & Cherki have scored more — and all 3 cost more.

The team above comes straight from our Assistant Manager tool, which uses AI to optimise your squad and help plan future transfers. 👇

👉 Optimise your own FPL team with Assistant Manager

Essential FPL Gameweek 9 Reading

👉 Gameweek 9: Are These Five Popular Transfers Worth It? — Compare João Pedro replacements Jackson, Isak and Evanilson, plus Wissa to Jackson and Saka to Tavernier.

👉 João Pedro Injured: Five Replacements to Consider — Explore five alternatives to the Chelsea forward, with prices, form and fixtures to help you choose your replacement.

👉 Gameweek 9: Top Five Key Players — Discover this week’s standout selections: Rogers, Haaland, Tavernier, Jackson and Van Hecke, backed by Opta stats and predicted points.

👉 Gameweek 9 Transfer Tips: Who to Target — Assess the latest transfer trends and compare Evanilson, Tavernier and Rayan as managers target Bournemouth’s promising fixtures.

👉 Gameweek 9 Differentials: Five Low-Owned Picks — Find five players under 10% owned at the time of writing, including Evanilson, Belloumi and Rayan, with analysis of their stats, fixtures and predicted points.

Your next FPL move starts here.

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