FPL gameweek five: keep Rayan Cherki, buy Nottingham Forest, sell Bruno Fernandes long-term

BBC Sport's Fantasy Premier League expert FPL Heisenberg has answered the biggest gameweek five dilemmas, telling managers to hold Rayan Cherki, acquire Nottingham Forest assets immediately and keep Bruno Fernandes for one more week before considering a sale.

  • Competition: Premier League Fantasy Football, gameweek five
  • Headline call: Hold Rayan Cherki (£7.8m) despite recent disappointment
  • Best buys: Nottingham Forest assets including Morgan Gibbs-White (£8.0m), Daniel Munoz (£5.4m) and Neco Williams (£5.0m)
  • Long-term sale: Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m), who is probably overpriced
  • Wait until: Gameweek seven to invest in Bournemouth players
  • Top Newcastle picks: Lewis Hall (£5.2m), Yoane Wissa (£6.2m) and Harvey Barnes (£6.0m)

Should you buy Nottingham Forest assets for gameweek five?

Yes, absolutely. FPL Heisenberg advises managers to acquire Nottingham Forest players now because they face Coventry in gameweek five and their fixtures after that are decent too, apart from the Arsenal fixture on 18 October.

Morgan Gibbs-White (£8.0m) is described as their talisman. He plays 90 minutes regularly, takes their penalties and is heavily involved in their attacking play. New signing Daniel Munoz (£5.4m) was very unlucky not to register at least one assist last game, and Neco Williams (£5.0m) also has very good attacking threat.

Liam Delap (£5.5m) is an interesting one. He looked good against Aston Villa last weekend, but Heisenberg still worries about his minutes with the likes of Igor Jesus (£5.8m) and Chris Wood (£5.8m) potentially eating into his game time.

Which Newcastle players should you pick?

Heisenberg's top three Newcastle picks are Lewis Hall (£5.2m), Yoane Wissa (£6.2m) and Harvey Barnes (£6.0m).

As a left-back, Hall has good assist threat and is decent for defensive contributions. He is also good on the bonus system, so should he get a clean sheet or an attacking return, there is a decent chance he will come away with a share of the bonus points too.

Wissa is on penalties and should be reasonably nailed on. However, his recent form is not the best, so you would be gambling on his form returning in this favourable run of fixtures.

Barnes is Heisenberg's differential pick from Newcastle. He has the quality to score goals and create chances for his team-mates, but he can be inconsistent at times.

Keep or sell Rayan Cherki?

Rayan Cherki (£7.8m) has disappointed recently, but with Phil Foden (£7.0m) suspended, he should be more likely to start the next two Premier League games.

He can be explosive, as we saw in gameweeks one and two, where he claimed two assists and two goals in just 108 minutes of football. Sunderland at home in gameweek five is a decent enough fixture, so Heisenberg is holding him and hoping he hauls.

What should you do with Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo?

If you had either Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) or Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m), Heisenberg would hold them for gameweek five as Fulham is a good fixture for goals.

Longer term, he would potentially be looking to sell Fernandes. Not because he is a bad FPL asset — he will score points of course. However, he is probably overpriced at £12.0m and you may be better off spreading the funds around the rest of your team instead.

Is now a good time to buy Bournemouth players?

Not yet. Yes, some like Marcus Tavernier (£6.1m) are doing very well, but Heisenberg believes waiting until gameweek seven is the best strategy.

This is because their fixtures turn for the better at that point, starting with Sunderland at home. In gameweek seven he will be considering Antonio Silva (£5.0m), Alex Scott (£6.1m), Tavernier and Evanilson (£6.0m). He will check their recent form at this point and make an educated decision.

And what about Dominik Szoboszlai?

Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) is actually in decent form, despite three low-scoring FPL gameweeks on the bounce. He has scored two goals in Liverpool's past three games in all competitions, bagging against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and a long-range screamer in the Carabao Cup win over Spurs.

Szoboszlai will come good in FPL. He is on penalties, corners and has quality shooting from outside the box. He can even chip in with defensive contributions too, so he is an easy hold.

Why Cherki remains the biggest gamble of gameweek five

The central tension in Heisenberg's advice is Cherki. A £7.8m midfielder who has disappointed recently would normally be a sell, but the Foden suspension changes the calculus entirely. With Foden unavailable, Cherki should start the next two Premier League games, and his early-season output — two assists and two goals in 108 minutes — shows the ceiling. The Sunderland home fixture is the ideal stage for him to justify the hold.

Elsewhere, the Nottingham Forest advice is a classic fixture-based play. Coventry in gameweek five, then a decent run until Arsenal on 18 October, makes their assets attractive now rather than later. Gibbs-White is the safest route into that attack because of his minutes, penalties and involvement. Munoz and Williams offer cheaper defensive routes with attacking threat, while Delap is the riskier pick due to competition from Igor Jesus and Chris Wood.

Newcastle's favourable fixtures make Hall, Wissa and Barnes viable, but each comes with a caveat. Hall is the most reliable because of bonus potential. Wissa relies on penalties and a form return. Barnes is the differential but inconsistent. On Bournemouth, patience is the message — wait until gameweek seven, when the fixtures turn, and then assess Tavernier, Silva, Scott and Evanilson.

Talking points

  • Is holding Cherki justified purely because of Foden's suspension, or should managers sell now before his price drops further?
  • Nottingham Forest face Coventry in gameweek five, but is investing before the Arsenal fixture on 18 October too short-term a strategy?
  • Bruno Fernandes at £12.0m is probably overpriced, but selling a premium asset before Fulham could backfire badly.
  • Bournemouth assets like Tavernier are performing well now, so waiting until gameweek seven risks missing price rises and points.

What happens next

Gameweek five decisions must be locked in before the deadline. Heisenberg's advice is clear: hold Cherki and Fernandes for now, buy Nottingham Forest assets immediately, consider Newcastle's Hall, Wissa and Barnes, and delay Bournemouth investment until gameweek seven. The next two Premier League games will determine whether the Cherki hold pays off, while the Arsenal fixture on 18 October marks the end of Forest's favourable run.

Frequently asked questions

Should I keep or sell Rayan Cherki for FPL gameweek five?

FPL Heisenberg is holding Cherki because Phil Foden is suspended, which should mean more starts, and Sunderland at home is a decent fixture.

Which Newcastle players should I buy for FPL gameweek five?

The top three Newcastle picks are Lewis Hall (£5.2m), Yoane Wissa (£6.2m) and Harvey Barnes (£6.0m), according to FPL Heisenberg.

Is Bruno Fernandes worth keeping in FPL gameweek five?

Yes, hold him for gameweek five as Fulham is a good fixture for goals, but longer term he is probably overpriced at £12.0m and could be sold.

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