Andy North’s 81-point Gameweek 9 made him the standout among “The Great and The Good,” with well-timed moves for Nicolas Jackson and Jan Paul van Hecke driving his score. His week captures the round’s main FPL lesson: the popular response to Joao Pedro’s injury worked, but the biggest gains came from pairing that move with a defender who delivered a 15-point haul.
The group tracked here brings together prominent FPL managers, including the FPL Godfather Mark Sutherns, BlackBox pair Az and Andy North, Scouts FPL General, Tom Freeman and Joe Lepper, and defending champion Huss E. Also included are FPL names FPL Harry, LTFPL Andy, Pras and Zophar, along with Hall of Famers Fabio Borges, Thomas Brønsby, Ben Crellin, Elevenify and Tom Dollimore. Last season’s mini-league winner Andrew McKinnon and invitational champion Ben McCrum round out the field.
Jackson answers the transfer rush
Joao Pedro’s injury set the week’s transfer agenda. Nicolas Jackson (£7.0m) led the replacement conversation, drawing 2,370,904 purchases—a record number of transfers in for the most-bought player. That volume made him a familiar pick across this group, and his goal meant managers who moved for him got an immediate return.
There were alternatives for managers who wanted to look beyond the crowd. Evanilson (£6.4m), Alexander Isak (£9.2m) and Thierno Barry (£5.6m) all featured in the discussion. Marcus Tavernier (£6.6m) also attracted interest, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.1m) joined the list of forward punts.
The week also tested the nerve of Riccardo Calafiori’s owners. The Arsenal defender (£5.9m) was flagged, then missed a midweek cup defeat, before returning and scoring. Those who held through the uncertainty were rewarded; Andy North, meanwhile, avoided the headache by leaving Calafiori on his bench, alongside Maxim De Cuyper (£5.4m).
One response to the Joao Pedro transfer talk came from Xabi Alonso, who dismissed the subject with: “No, I’m not into the Fantasy team thing.” For managers trying to make decisions around injury news, the quote offered little help—but the Jackson rush ultimately proved productive.
North’s form keeps building
North’s 81 points put him top of the Gameweek 9 scoring among the group and close to the overall top 10,000. Jackson and van Hecke (£5.0m), who returned 15 points, were the defining decisions. Johan Manzambi (£6.1m) and Barry added to the score, while North’s decision to bench Calafiori and De Cuyper kept their points out of his starting XI.
Pras finished third, just behind the two Andys. Fabio Borges, by contrast, still hasn’t found his stride this season, though he has three chips remaining. That contrast is a reminder that early rankings don’t tell the whole story: a strong week can shift momentum, while unused chips leave room for a later change in direction.
Wildcard returns, with a benching bill
Az and Huss E were the week’s biggest risers among the Wildcard users, with both squads producing immediate returns. Az’s rebuild looks designed to carry him through the winter. Tarik Muharemovic (£5.1m) is his cheapest outfield player, and he has two rotating £4.5m goalkeepers. That depth gave him the option to bench his Brighton players.
Az’s headline attackers are Erling Haaland and Isak, with Gabriel Magalhaes (£8.0m) and Morgan Rogers (£8.1m) also in the mix. Cole Palmer (£9.8m) is absent. The defence leans heavily on players credited with defensive contributions: van Hecke, Muharemovic, Antonio Silva (£5.2m) and Luka Vuskovic (£5.2m). Two Aston Villa attackers and Mohamed Belloumi (£5.3m) complete the picture.
It’s an ambitious build, and the depth comes with a weekly selection problem. If several of the expensive picks start returning at once, leaving points on the bench may become a recurring cost. For now, though, Az’s Wildcard has delivered a strong first week.
Huss E’s squad has a more measured feel, with multiple players from Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur, teams selected for their form and fixtures. Arsenal’s Gabriel and Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa (£4.7m) anchor the defence, while a goalkeeper rotation supports them. Palmer and Rogers both fit into midfield, and Matty Cash (£4.3m) is the less obvious selection.
Like Az, Huss E has enough depth to make budget a less pressing concern. The catch showed up immediately: he left 29 points on the bench in Gameweek 9. His squad strength is clear, but making the right calls among the reserves will determine how much of that depth becomes useful on the pitch.
Transfers rewarded the crowd—and a few alternatives
Nine members of the group brought in Jackson, with some acting early enough to benefit from a £0.2m price rise. When he scored, the crowded pick did what managers needed it to do. This time, following the popular choice came with a clear payoff.
North, Zophar and Tom Freeman also gained from backing van Hecke. Antonio Silva and Evanilson offered returns for managers who spread their bets beyond Jackson, while Tavernier, Isak, Barry and Calvert-Lewin were among the other forward-looking moves.
Ben McCrum was the busiest manager, making three transfers. Andrew McKinnon replaced Bukayo Saka (£9.5m) with Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m). Borges made no transfers, a quiet approach that left him outside the week’s main transfer stories.
Van Hecke joins the group template
Van Hecke’s ownership among “The Great and The Good” doubled after his haul. The group’s attacking template also shifted: Jackson moved into the forward spot vacated by Pedro, while Tavernier took the place of Mbeumo in midfield.
The changes show how quickly one injury can reshape a group’s common picks. Jackson’s popularity reflects a direct response to Pedro’s absence, while van Hecke’s rise came from a standout score that managers will now have to assess against his future prospects.
Who has gained most from transfers?
The transfer-gain figures below run through Gameweek 8, so they don’t include the immediate impact of Gameweek 9’s moves. Andy North leads the measure, a position that fits his recent run of well-timed decisions. Tom Dollimore has also performed well. Andrew McKinnon sits at the other end of the comparison.
North’s recent transfer record has put him at the top of the measure, while Dollimore’s results are another bright spot. The next round offers a different test: popular selections appear to have favourable fixtures, which could make it harder for managers to find an edge through transfers alone. Gameweek 9 suggests that a crowd-backed move can pay off, but the gap between a good score and a great one may still come down to the supporting picks—and who gets left on the bench.
Greyhead can be found on Twitter.
