Gameweek 27: Palmer's Return, João Pedro Essential, and Liverpool's Defensive Gold

Welcome back to your FPL newsletter! Thanks for subscribing to Who Got The Points? - your go-to source for Fantasy Premier League insights. With Gameweek 26 in the books and the GW27 deadline hitting Saturday at 1:30 PM, we've got plenty to cover including Palmer finding form, João Pedro's essential status, and Liverpool's defensive assets delivering big.

Price: £7.7m | Ownership: 46.1% | Expected Points GW27: 11.0

The Brazilian forward has been absolutely firing on all cylinders. In GW26, he delivered once again with a goal and an assist against Leeds, picking up 10 points. His season tally now stands at 10 goals and 8 assists for 132 total points.

Chelsea face Burnley at home in Gameweek 27 - one of the best fixtures you could ask for. With 11 expected points, João Pedro is the standout transfer target this week.

Verdict: ESSENTIAL. If you don't own him, you're already behind the curve. At 46.1% ownership, not having him could seriously damage your rank.

Price: £10.6m | Ownership: 15.6% | Expected Points GW27: 9.5

The Chelsea midfielder grabbed a goal and an assist in that Leeds game, collecting 12 points with 3 bonus. He's now on 8 goals and 2 assists this season, averaging 5.3 points per game. His 79 total points show he's hitting his stride under Liam Rosenior.

Against Burnley at home, he's projected for 9.5 expected points. Palmer's form rating of 8.5 indicates he's back to his best.

Verdict: BUY. He's expensive but Chelsea's fixtures are strong, and he's their main creative outlet. At just 15.6% ownership, he's a genuine differential among premiums.

Price: £5.9m | Ownership: 22.0% | Expected Points GW27: 8.0

The Liverpool defender scored against Sunderland in GW26, grabbing 17 points with 3 bonus. That brings his season tally to 2 goals and 111 total points. With 8 expected points for the trip to Nottingham Forest, he's a defensive powerhouse.

Liverpool's backline is solid under Arne Slot, conceding just 35 goals this season. Virgil remains the cornerstone of that defense.

Verdict: GOOD BUY. Premium defender pricing but delivering premium returns consistently. Don't knee-jerk on this haul though - Liverpool's fixtures remain strong through GW30, so if you're bringing him in, plan to keep him for the long haul.

Price: £4.9m | Ownership: 4.8% | Expected Points GW27: 6.0

Yes, he scored against Fulham and got 13 points in GW26, but that's his second goal of the season (2 goals, 3 assists for 100 total points). He's primarily a rotation risk at City.

Pep Guardiola rotates defenders constantly, and with City facing Newcastle next, that's a tough fixture against Eddie Howe's in-form attack. His expected points drop to 6 for GW27.

Verdict: SELL IF YOU NEED FUNDS. That 13-pointer might be your best exit point before Pep's rotation wheel strikes.

Price: £5.4m | Ownership: 5.9% | Expected Points GW27: 4.7

He's got just 1 goal and 3 assists all season, averaging 4.3 points per game. Forest face Liverpool at home in GW27, a fixture where clean sheet probability is low.

With 16,000 transfers out already, managers are losing faith. His expected points have dropped to just 4.7.

Verdict: SELL. Downgrade to free up funds for premium attackers like João Pedro or Palmer.

Price: £6.4m | Ownership: 2.4%

The Chelsea midfielder has struggled for minutes, playing just 63 in GW26. While 2 goals and 5 assists across the season sounds decent, he's averaging under 3 points per game.

He's a rotation risk even with decent fixtures. Over 11,000 managers have already moved him out.

Verdict: SELL. Chelsea have better options - stick with Palmer or João Pedro instead.

Price: £5.0m | GW26 Points: 8 | Total Points: 92

8 points in GW26 with a clean sheet and 2 bonus against Brighton. He's kept 6 clean sheets this season, and Villa face Leeds at home in GW27. Differential goalkeepers can be league winners, and at £5.0m with just 4.1% ownership, Martinez offers excellent value.

Price: £5.5m | Ownership: 0.4%

3 goals and 3 assists this season, playing the full 90 minutes consistently. West Ham host Bournemouth in GW27, and at that ownership, if he hauls, you gain massive ground. A true differential for the brave.

Price: £5.1m | Ownership: 0.6% | GW26 Points: 15 (1 goal, 1 assist)

Across both GW26 matches, he played 170 minutes, scored 1, assisted 1, and collected 15 points total with 3 bonus. His season tally stands at 1 goal and 1 assist for 57 total points.

Arsenal face Spurs away in the North London derby, a fixture where defenders can grab attacking returns. At that price and ownership, he's a massive differential for the biggest match of the gameweek.

Safe Choice: João Pedro against Burnley at home. 11 expected points, 46% ownership means he's the consensus captain. It's the safe play that protects your rank.

Differential Armband: Palmer offers similar upside with lower ownership (15.6%). If you want to take a calculated risk to gain ground, this is the week to do it with Chelsea facing Burnley.

Don't knee-jerk on that Virgil haul. Liverpool's fixtures remain strong through GW30, so if you're bringing him in, plan to keep him for the long haul. Short-term transfers waste valuable team value.

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