FPL Draft GW28 Waivers: Brentford's Jensen, Villa Defenders & Sesko

Villa and Bournemouth Defenders Offering Clean Sheet Potential

Several defensive options present strong waiver opportunities this gameweek, with Villa and Bournemouth assets leading the charge. Maatsen and Mings from Villa are worth targeting despite moderate ownership levels of 16.8% and 21.2% respectively in all leagues. Both face a favorable away trip to Wolves in GW28, offering genuine clean sheet potential with projected returns of 5.3 and 4.8 expected points.

Alex Jiménez from Bournemouth stands out as another compelling defensive option at just 18.8% overall ownership, though savvy managers in top 100 leagues have him at 65.3%. His home fixture against Sunderland presents an excellent opportunity, particularly with Sunderland potentially missing key players like Muki and possibly Brobbey due to injury. This makes Bournemouth even more likely to secure both points and a clean sheet.

The data supports these picks, with Jiménez averaging 4.0 points over his last five games and projected for 4.2 expected points against Sunderland with a 93% start probability. These defenders offer immediate returns and should be prioritized on waivers for Fantasy Premier League draft managers seeking defensive stability.

Alex Scott Continues Strong Form While Madueke Offers Arsenal Appeal

Alex Scott remains a standout midfield recommendation after delivering 5 points last week, justifying his pick-up recommendation. His consistency is impressive, accumulating 10 Defcon points across his last 9 games alongside teammates Hill and Senesi. While his non-penalty expected goal involvement of 0.25 per 90 isn't spectacular, it's sufficient for contributing attacking returns in FPL Draft leagues.

Scott's popularity is growing rapidly, with ownership jumping from under 50% to 38.8% overall, reaching 60.4% in top 100 leagues - a significant +25% delta that suggests elite managers are taking notice. His 5.8-point average over the last five games and upcoming fixture against Sunderland (5.2 expected points) make him a priority waiver target.

Madueke presents a different proposition for Arsenal assets. While he remains a feast-or-famine option, his situation has improved with the possibility of starting alongside Saka rather than instead of him. This makes him particularly attractive for classic scoring leagues over the next 2-3 gameweeks, despite his inconsistent 56% start probability against Chelsea.

United's Sesko Breakthrough and Midfield Options

Sesko continues his impressive scoring streak with another week, another goal - his fifth goal in seven appearances. The prediction that if Sesko didn't start at the weekend, this would be his breakthrough week remains strong. I expect him in the predicted lineup over Amad, with Fernandes and Amad shifting to the right wing for the favorable Palace matchup.

Kobbie Mainoo emerges as possibly the clearest benefactor of the Carrick era at United, starting every game with a couple of assists and consistent Defcon points. While not in electric form, he's showing multiple scoring avenues. At 21.8% overall ownership compared to Casemiro's hefty 84.3%, Mainoo offers similar production with better availability. Both suit this gameweek, but Mainoo provides better waiver value.

United faces Palace away, a fixture I fancy for another convincing result given Palace's current struggles. Mainoo projects for 5.4 expected points with an 87% start probability, while his excellent upcoming fixtures including Bournemouth, Leeds, and Villa make him a strong hold beyond this gameweek.

Brentford's Hidden Gem Jensen and Excellent Fixture Run

Jensen represents the standout hidden gem, performing exceptionally well since becoming a regular starter around New Year. His underlying numbers are compelling - ranking eighth overall in non-penalty expected goal involvement with 3.74 through that period. Crucially, he's currently underperforming these metrics, suggesting he's owed some returns.

At just 0.5% ownership in all leagues and 2.0% in top 100 leagues, Jensen offers tremendous waiver value. He appears fairly nailed on to keep starting over Damsgaard for the number 10 spot, with Damsgaard showing just a 24% start probability and minimal returns. Jensen's 90% start probability and upcoming fixtures make him an exceptional pickup.

Brentford's fixture list through the season's end is outstanding: away trips to Burnley and Bournemouth, then Wolves, Leeds, and Everton, plus favorable home games against West Ham and Palace. This schedule makes other Brentford assets attractive too, particularly Kevin Schade and especially Janelt, who I describe as 'an absolute defcon machine' that should be prioritized over many other options at just 10.0% overall ownership.

Avoid Chelsea Assets Due to Brutal Fixture List

Chelsea assets should be avoided completely due to their remaining fixture nightmare. The schedule reads like a who's who of difficult opponents: Arsenal away, Villa away, Newcastle at home, Everton away, City at home, Man United at home, Brighton away, Forest at home, Liverpool away, Spurs at home, and Sunderland away.

While there are a couple of easier games scattered throughout, there aren't many fixtures where Chelsea would be considered clear favorites. This makes even their premium assets like Pedro Neto and Caicedo poor holds despite their high ownership levels of 98.2% and 87.7% respectively.

FPL Draft managers clinging to Neto, Caicedo, or any Chelsea defenders should prioritize swapping them out as soon as possible. The fixture difficulty combined with Chelsea's inconsistent performances makes these players trade candidates rather than reliable starters. Their projected returns reflect this difficulty, with Neto managing just 3.7 expected points against Arsenal and Caicedo at 4.0 - hardly inspiring numbers for such highly-owned assets.