The Scout highlights the opportunities available for managers who have the Assistant Manager chip active in Gameweek 35 of Fantasy Premier League.
It’s important to note that activating the Assistant Manager chip in Gameweek 35 would mean you CANNOT use another chip until Gameweek 38.
Who is the best Assistant Manager for Gameweek 35?
If you are one of the 196,000 Fantasy managers who activated their Assistant Manager chip in Double Gameweek 33, there is now just one Gameweek remaining to earn more points.
On top of that, more than 86,000 managers activated the chip either in Blank Gameweek 34 or so far ahead of Gameweek 35. So, who is the best pick for Gameweek 35 fixtures?
There are two tactics to consider with the Assistant Manager chip.
You can pick a club from the top of the table with a favourable fixture - a tactic which is more reliable but has a lower ceiling for points.
Alternatively, you can target managers from clubs who can earn table bonus - a riskier approach which has a greater ceiling.
You can see the four clubs (in bold below) whose manager can earn table bonus against a team who are ranked at least five places higher in the Premier League table at the start of the Gameweek.
Gameweek 35 fixtures
Man City v Wolves
Aston Villa v Fulham
Everton v Ipswich
Leicester v Southampton
Arsenal v Bournemouth
Brentford v Man Utd
Brighton v Newcastle
West Ham v Spurs
Chelsea v Liverpool
Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest
Guardiola the most reliable pick?
Manchester City's recent upturn in form has seen Pep Guardiola (£1.5m) pick up 44 points across his last five matches, winning four and delivering 11 goals and three clean sheets.
Over the last six Gameweeks, no team has created more big chances (25) and only Newcastle United have bettered Man City's Expected Goals (xG) tally of 11.64.
Guardiola's prospects are further buoyed by the news that Erling Haaland (£14.8m) and Rodri (£6.2m) have returned to training.
Gameweek 35 opponents, Wolverhampton Wanderers, have been in sensational form of late, winning their last six matches. However, they are yet to play a team of Man City's calibre during that run, facing only the seven teams currently below them in the league table.
It remains to be seen what sort of Liverpool team will turn up at Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, having secured the Premier League title last weekend.
This makes the prospects of the top-scoring manager in Fantasy, Arne Slot (£1.5m), slightly more uncertain than usual.
Moyes versus Ipswich?
Usually targeting the three relegated teams, Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton, is a rewarding strategy for Fantasy managers playing the Assistant Manager chip.
But in Gameweek 35, Leicester host Southampton in a match that is difficult to predict. Both teams have won just once since Gameweek 15.
As such, the only opportunity to target a relegated team is David Moyes (£0.5m), with his Everton side facing Ipswich at Goodison Park. Moyes sits third in the Assistant Manager standings with 94 points since Gameweek 23.
The Toffees have lost just one of their last seven home matches, impressively holding Liverpool and Arsenal to draws in that run.
Despite not scoring in each of their last two matches, Everton will confident of ending that sequence this weekend. No team have conceded more shots on target over the last six Gameweeks than Ipswich, with 38.
Glasner the best for table bonus?
As mentioned previously, four managers can collect table bonus in Gameweek 35.
Of those four managers, Oliver Glasner (£0.8m) looks the standout pick as Palace, unbeaten in their last four home matches, welcome Nottingham Forest to Selhurst Park.
Over the course of the season, Glasner has proven his table-bonus potential. The Austrian returned back-to-back 20 point hauls against Fulham and Aston Villa in Gameweeks 26 and 27.
Furthermore, Palace held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw in their last match, delivering Glasner more table-bonus points.
Fabian Hurzeler (£1.1m) is also deserving of a mention, with the German eligible for table bonus against Newcastle. Impressively, Brighton are unbeaten in their seven Premier League contests against the Magpies at Amex Stadium.
Finally, Andoni Iraola (£1.1m) may benefit from facing a rotated Arsenal team, with their Gameweek 35 meeting sandwiched between the two legs of the Gunners' UEFA Champions League semi-final. Bournemouth did beat Arsenal 2-0 in the reverse fixture.
So, who is the best pick for Gameweek 35?
For Fantasy managers looking to play it safe, Guardiola and Moyes both have a good chance of delivering a win.
However it's worth looking towards the managers who can earn table bonus, especially if you are chasing rank or looking to climb your mini-league. Glasner is preferred to Hurzeler when considering the £0.3m price difference and Forest's inconsistent form.
