JuicyTalk
FPL gameweek 28 is a classic reset point. The doubles are done, blanks are looming in week 31, and now is when hanging onto the wrong “big name” can quietly drag your season down. Chelsea’s fixtures stiffen, Arsenal assets start to feel like a luxury with a blank on the horizon, and there are mid‑priced picks elsewhere with far better runs. This week’s sells are headlined by three popular Chelsea players and two Arsenal options.
João Pedro (7.7m)
If you jumped on João Pedro for Chelsea’s fixture run, you’ve been paid handsomely. Returns in six straight gameweeks is elite stuff and the form argument is strong. But now the fixtures turn, starting with Arsenal in Gameweek 28 and a tricky spell after that. A couple of his hauls have come from winning penalties, which won’t always be there, and with so many forwards and mids entering great runs, this feels like an ideal “sell high” moment. You could hold for Newcastle and Everton, but if moving to Igor Thiago or Hugo Ekitike upgrades your structure, it’s a perfectly reasonable time to cash out.
Enzo Fernández (6.8m)
Fernandez has been a brilliant pick for a while – huge minutes, good underlying numbers and real freedom in the final third under Liam Rosenior. But Chelsea’s nice spell is over and the fixture difficulty is about to spike, especially from an attacking perspective, with five of their next six opponents sitting in the top half for fewest expected goals conceded. When you factor in the opportunity cost, it makes sense to move him on now. Around his price you’ve got Harry Wilson, Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and even Dominik Szoboszlai, all with softer runs and more attractive short-term upside. Fernandez is still a great player, but for FPL, the smart play is to jump to friendlier schedules.
Jurriën Timber (6.4m)
Timber finally rewarded patient owners with an attacking return, but his Gameweek 27 pre-60-minute substitution was a reminder that his minutes are still being managed. Arsenal’s defence hasn’t looked as watertight recently either, with the title pressure beginning to show in a few nervy performances. Combine that with a confirmed blank in Gameweek 31 and he starts to look like a luxury pick you can’t really afford. At 6.4m, that money can be redistributed into someone like Virgil Van Dijk, who has stronger fixtures and more secure minutes, or into another premium defender with better short-term clean-sheet prospects. Timber’s a sell if you’re planning ahead.
Trevoh Chalobah (5.8m)
Trevoh Chalobah at 5.8m is difficult to justify now. Chelsea’s defensive metrics under Rosenior aren’t great, and in FPL terms they’re still conceding too many chances and the schedule is about to stiffen. When you’re paying close to 6m for a defender, you need regular clean sheets, strong DEFCON potential or genuine attacking threat. Chalobah doesn’t tick enough of those boxes right now, especially with cheaper Fulham, Brentford and Liverpool options offering more upside. With tougher fixtures on the horizon and his price making him an easy downgrade, this is a straightforward move: take the cash and reinvest into a defence with form plus fixtures.
Declan Rice (7.6m)
Declan Rice has been fantastic value and will likely continue to tick along with solid returns. But this is about timing and structure more than player quality. Arsenal blank in Gameweek 31, and with other mids entering brilliant fixture runs – Wilson’s next four, Ouattara and Schade’s Brentford spell, or Szoboszlai’s upcoming schedule – Rice becomes one of the more logical sacrifices. He’ll still grab the odd assist, DEFCON and the occasional goal, but the combination of a looming blank and the opportunity to attack softer fixtures elsewhere makes him sellable. If shifting him lets you target multiple high‑upside mids, it’s a move worth making.
