Fantasy Premier League 3u5z4s

Is Kevin De Bruyne Worth Buying In FPL? Gianni Buttice Looks At The Pros and Cons 6t3a45

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Gianni Buttice is back with his FPL tips ahead of Gameweek 33 and here he argues whether Man City star Kevin De Bruyne is worth buying ahead of the next set of fixtures.

FPL Tips: Is Kevin De Bruyne Worth Buying? 6x3q73

Is Kevin De Bruyne worth buying in FPL? Buying the Manchester City midfielder in recent times has always come with huge risk in FPL.

Consistent minutes has been an issue and the Belgian has carried lots of injuries in the last couple of seasons. That together with Pep Guardiola’s infamous ‘Pep Roulette’ – banking on starts hasn’t been possible this season.

After a double-digit return last time out against Crystal Palace however, FPL managers are interested once again.

Especially given his post-match quote: “The last month I’ve felt so much better. The pain went away. The difference for me to play pain-free is night and day.”

I’m open to a risk as an FPL manager, especially at this point in the season but I have to keep myself in line and always to evaluate the positives and negatives of such high-risk players.

So here, I’m going to list my five pros and cons to buying De Bruyne this week.

Kevin De Bruyne scored double-digit points last time around

Why We Should Buy De Bruyne 6d2s2a

  1. Best XI – City need him on the pitch to secure Champions League football next season. With no Erling Haaland, he is their talisman and they’re stronger with him in the XI.
  2. Fit – He’s finally playing injury-free.
  3. Form – He needs to show new suitors that he still has it and will surely need to keep his levels high.
  4. Position – Against Crystal Palace last time out he played in the free role. Often as the most advanced man in the No. 9 spot with no defensive responsibility. Omar Marmoush was played wide out on the left.
  5. Narrative – With him leaving in the summer, the narrative is set, this is his farewell and both De Bruyne and Guardiola will surely want to end with high-performance levels.

Why We Should Be Wary Of Buying De Bruyne 48634d

  1. Minutes – This is the big one, how often can we trust Guardiola to play him? In games he doesn’t start, cameos off the bench are very likely and with that, one-point blanks are very possible.
  2. Fixture congestion – City don’t have midweek Champions League distraction but do still have a busy schedule with their involvement in the FA Cup. The double this week is Saturday, Tuesday (after a week off) followed by a Sunday FA Cup semi-final which he will surely start in.
  3. Tactics – Guardiola likes to change his formation and with so many attacking options, he could opt for Phil Foden, Marmoush, Ilkay Gundogan or Bernardo Silva in the number 10 role.
  4. Bukayo Saka – Buying De Bruyne this week could mean no route to get Saka who is also a standout option to buy this week.
  5. Gameweek 38 – On the final day he plays Fulham away and the game before that will be Bournemouth at home or the FA Cup final at Wembley. I question if he is even in the matchday squad come the final day. I think his send-off will be at the Etihad or at Wembley with a medal around his neck.
Bukayo Saka is an alternative option to consider for FPL

Final Verdict: Is Kevin De Bruyne Worth Buying? 59364u

Minutes are the only concern. The big question no one other than Guardiola can answer is: Will he start three times in eight days?
Knowing he goes into that run with a free midweek beforehand and an early substitution or two in those games could keep him fresh, it’s a calculated risk and one worth taking if you like to play the game a bit differently.