FPL GW8 Review: A Bad Buy Is Not Always a Sell

Palmer was the most-recommended incoming player in The Algorithm’s GW8 plans, and he returned minus one. That purchase lost its opening week. It is still not a reason to sell him for a Premier League suspension he will not serve.

His one-match ban covers Wednesday’s cup tie at Liverpool. Fernandes presents a different problem: he remained an unused substitute against Bournemouth. A damaging score and a changed starting role require different responses.

The wider result was disappointing too. Across the matched scored records with a whole-plan result, The Algorithm’s recommendation averaged 0.9 points below what managers actually scored. The individual successes below do not erase that shortfall.

GW8 is complete and checked. Prices, ownership and availability were checked on 27 October 2026. Any player forecasts being marked below were published on 23 October, before the GW8 deadline, for an eight-gameweek window covering GW8–15.

The receipts: which GW8 transfers worked?

Palmer appeared among the recommended purchases in 61% of pre-deadline plans. Those recommendations depended on members’ existing squads. They were not a universal instruction to buy him.

These named switches show the wins and losses:

These differences exclude hits, captaincy, automatic substitutes and other moves. They are not whole-team gains. If an absent Saka would have been replaced by a scoring substitute, that substitute belongs in the comparison with Le Fée.

The Haaland sale hurt most among these listed switches. An eight-gameweek move can lose its first round, but that loss still belongs on the record. The Palmer purchases also lost against the outgoing players’ raw returns, before any deduction.

Le Fée’s three points were a positive return from one route out of an absent player. They were not a haul, or proof that every manager needed the same replacement.

What happened to the captaincy call?

The pre-deadline plans recommended Haaland in 55% of cases and Fernandes in 44%. Their outcomes diverged sharply.

Haaland scored and collected two bonus points. Fernandes never left the bench. The close forecast did not translate into a close result.

There is an important scoring distinction. A Fernandes captaincy no-show passes the armband to a playing vice-captain; it does not simply produce zero captain points. For someone with Palmer as vice, that meant doubling a negative return. Bench replacements also affect the final XI.

I would not describe the cost to every Fernandes captain as the same number. It depends on the vice-captain and legal substitutes. Our bench-order guide explains the replacement rules.

Should Palmer owners sell before GW9?

I would not sell because of the red card alone. Chelsea’s £9.8m midfielder is 27.5% owned, with 37 points from 698 league minutes. Two bookings against Spurs produced the dismissal and his minus-one return.

The Premier League confirms that his automatic one-match suspension will be served against Liverpool in the EFL Cup on Wednesday 28 October. It does not rule him out of the league meeting with Manchester United on Saturday.

That makes him eligible, not a confirmed starter. Chelsea’s attack also needs reassessing after João Pedro’s injury. The Algorithm currently expects Chelsea to score 2.0 goals against United; that team-level forecast does not settle Palmer’s individual return.

For an existing owner, check the post-cup news and the full eight-gameweek alternatives before spending another transfer. The failed GW8 purchase is a result to acknowledge, not a suspension-based reason to reverse it.

Which holdings need a different response?

Fernandes needs a selection check. Man United’s £11.7m midfielder is 24.5% owned and has 33 points from 630 minutes. He had played every league minute before GW8, then played none against Bournemouth. That changes the assumption behind treating him as an automatic starter or captain. I would wait for clear selection evidence before restoring that confidence.

João Pedro needs an injury decision. Chelsea’s £7.9m forward is 69.6% owned, with 47 points from 521 minutes. He missed Spurs after being injured in training. Chelsea confirmed that tests were needed; the current FPL listing gives no return date. Do not treat his absence as equivalent to Palmer’s cup-only ban. Check the latest diagnosis and your playable cover before deciding whether to sell.

Le Fée is a budget option to assess, not a score to chase. Sunderland’s £5.7m midfielder is 2.8% owned, with 27 points from 686 minutes. He played 78 minutes in GW8 and hosts Coventry next. His three-point return supports recording the move honestly, but cannot establish that he is your best new purchase.

GW8 review questions

Is Palmer suspended for GW9?

His one-match ban covers the Liverpool cup tie. On the confirmed disciplinary schedule, he remains eligible against Manchester United.

Did Haaland to Barry lose six points for every manager?

The players returned eight and two respectively. The raw difference is six; captaincy, substitutes, hits and the other transfers determine the squad’s actual outcome.

When is the GW9 deadline?

Saturday 31 October at 11:00 UK time, which is 12:00 in Tirana. Both countries have changed clocks since GW8.

Check the capture date on the eight-gameweek predicted-points table before using a ranking for GW9, then test the whole change in the free team planner. Repair confirmed absences and changed roles; do not spend a transfer solving a league suspension that is not there.