FPL Gameweek 8: Should You Buy Marcus Tavernier or Sell Bruno Fernandes?

Transfer traffic ahead of Gameweek 8 is loud, but it doesn’t make every popular move a good one. Marcus Tavernier is drawing buyers while Bruno Fernandes and Yoane Wissa are losing owners; the useful question is whether the underlying case supports those instincts.

Here’s the week’s busiest transfer activity before Friday’s deadline:

We’ll look at the reasoning behind several of these moves, while avoiding repeats from last week: Maxim De Cuyper (£5.3m) was already a buy recommendation, and Rayan Cherki (£8.0m) a hold.

Some departures are easier to explain. Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.8m), Christos Tzolis (£6.2m) and Antoine Semenyo (£8.3m) are injured, with Semenyo not expected back until December. Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.9m), by contrast, is expected to be available for Gameweek 8. He looks a keep if Oliver Glasner confirms that outlook before the match; Nottingham Forest face an Ipswich Town side that has yet to keep a clean sheet.

Marcus Tavernier

At £6.2m, Bournemouth midfielder Marcus Tavernier has made a persuasive start: four goals in seven matches put him third among FPL midfielders for points, behind Pascal Gross (£6.2m) and Cherki. His 16 shots and 12 chances created give that output some statistical support.

Availability strengthens the case. Tavernier has started every league match despite Bournemouth’s European schedule, averaging just under 75 minutes in Gameweeks 5–7.

He also takes some of Bournemouth’s corners and free-kicks. The Cherries rank fifth for expected goals from set plays, giving Tavernier another way to contribute. At 9.1% ownership, he’s a credible differential for managers backing Bournemouth through a strong run of fixtures to the end of the year, with Gameweek 15 the notable exception.

There are caveats. Justin Kluivert (£5.9m) is back from injury and may be ahead of Tavernier for penalties, according to the club penalty-taker guide. Bournemouth also host AC Milan in Europe on Thursday, leaving a short turnaround before Manchester United, one of only two sides yet to keep a clean sheet this season.

If Tavernier comes through Thursday without a problem, the upside looks worth the risk for managers seeking a lower-owned midfielder.

VERDICT: BUY

Bruno Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes (£11.8m) set a high bar early, scoring a hat-trick and adding an assist against Ipswich Town for 23 points in Gameweek 2. Five blanks in a row have since prompted a wave of sales. The fixture list offers one reason to worry: Manchester United sit near the bottom of the Fixture Ticker rankings for the next five Gameweeks.

Fernandes is still involved, but his recent production has fallen sharply: he has been part of just one big chance in his last five matches. Across Gameweeks 3–7, his non-penalty expected goal involvement (xGI) is 1.32, ranking 31st among midfielders. Bryan Mbeumo (£7.8m) is seventh on 2.16.

Bruno Fernandes (left) and Bryan Mbeumo (right): shot maps for Gameweeks 3–7.

The five-match blank run alone doesn’t settle the decision, but the fixtures and weaker underlying numbers make selling defensible. If you want a United midfielder, Mbeumo currently has the stronger statistical case.

VERDICT: SELL

Yoane Wissa

Yoane Wissa (£6.1m) attracted plenty of managers before Gameweek 3, and the early signs seemed to justify the move. Newcastle United should have seen out their opening-weekend match against Liverpool, then beat Tottenham Hotspur 2–0.

What followed has been a poor return: Wissa blanked against Bournemouth, Leeds United, Hull City—missing a penalty in that match—Coventry City and Aston Villa. Across those five games, he managed just six points.

WISSA

Wissa’s switch to centre-forward brought more shots against Unai Emery’s side, but seven attempts produced no shots on target. That’s activity without much evidence of threat.

Crystal Palace away on Sunday makes him a difficult sell this week. Still, his place up front at Selhurst Park isn’t secure, with Will Osula (£5.8m) getting closer to full fitness. If Newcastle go behind, the match could turn against them quickly; for the next few weeks, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) and Nicolas Jackson (£6.6m) look safer forward options.

Newcastle’s underlying attack offers little reassurance: they rank 17th for xG so far in 2026/27.

VERDICT: SELL

Alexander Isak

Isak’s scoring run is the headline: only Erling Haaland (£15.7m) has more goals this season. He’s flourishing under Andoni Iraola, with five goals in six matches, though goals appear to be the main route to his Fantasy points.

There’s a potential bonus in the short term. With Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.8m) injured, Isak could take Liverpool’s penalties. His shot volume backs up the goals, too: 17 attempts, 16 from inside the box.

He doesn’t contribute much to Liverpool’s build-up under Iraola. For FPL managers, that may be fine: Isak is getting into scoring positions and converting chances. This is more significant than it looks for a forward whose value rests so heavily on finishing.

Above: Alexander Isak’s shot map in 2026/27 so far

The immediate schedule complicates the decision. Liverpool host Brighton and Hove Albion in Gameweek 8, then Arsenal in Gameweek 9; those aren’t inviting fixtures. If you need a forward now, Isak is a defensible choice. Otherwise, waiting until Gameweek 10 makes sense, when Liverpool’s fixtures improve considerably.

Hugo Ekitike (£7.4m) remains injured and is unlikely to return before December or January.

VERDICT: BUY IF YOU NEED A FORWARD; OTHERWISE WAIT UNTIL GAMEWEEK 10

Pedro Neto

Neto was the match winner in Gameweek 7, scoring twice and creating five chances on Merseyside. More than 96,000 managers have already transferred him in this week. That surge is understandable, but one big performance deserves a closer look.

As Chelsea’s right wing-back, he has started six league games in a row under Xabi Alonso. He played at least 80 minutes in each of his last five, giving him a reliable run of minutes.

Across those six starts, he has three goals and an assist, averaging 5.5 points per match. The output is strong. The underlying comparison, however, still favors Cole Palmer (£9.7m), Morgan Rogers (£8.0m) and Joao Pedro (£7.9m), especially once Palmer’s penalty duties are factored in.

Neto’s wing-back role gives him a clear route to crosses, but Chelsea’s next three opponents—Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Sunderland—rank third equal, seventh equal and ninth for allowing the fewest crosses from their left flank. That could blunt his supply of assists. He has also taken only two corners across his last two matches, with Jordan Henderson (£4.9m) taking a share of set plays.

Current owners can hold. If you’re choosing a new Chelsea midfielder, Neto doesn’t need to jump the queue.

VERDICT: KEEP; DON’T RUSH TO BUY