FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE: MO SALAH IN, BUKAYO SAKA OUT IN GAMEWEEK 30 FOR HIGH-FLYING HONGKONGER

Fantasy football returns after a hiatus for the international break, and so does the Post's coverage
We meet a Hongkonger riding high in the global standings and discuss who to pick this week

After a two-week hiatus during the international break, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) will return at the weekend with Gameweek 30 kicking off on Saturday.

Last week, double Gameweeks 34 and 37 were announced, meaning players have important decisions to make about when to use their Wildcard, Bench Boost and Free Hit, should they have any left.

Chelsea and Spurs are also expected to double in Gameweek 35 or 36.

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Justen Li Kwok-yee, 36, has only been playing fantasy football since the Euros in 2021, but the Liverpool-supporting lawyer currently sits second in the Hong Kong league and is ranked 301 overall.

How did you get to 2nd place in Hong Kong and 301 overall?

"My luck started early in the season when I decided to Wildcard and ditch Erling Haaland and brought in Mohamed Salah a bit earlier than everyone else did," Li said.

That came in Gameweek 8, when he brought in Salah for Haaland, with the Egyptian scoring 30 points as his captain and the Norwegian blanking against Arsenal.

Li describes himself as a conservative player who takes a handful of calculated risks during the season.

Just before the Haaland-Salah switch, he doubled up on Newcastle defenders Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman, who brought in 42 points over Gameweeks 6 and 7.

"So that's where I climbed from the several hundred thousandth places into the top 10,000 globally," Li said.

"After that, I reverted to buying players widely owned by people in the top 10,000 to 50,000 of the overall ranking."

What are you planning for Gameweek 30?

"This week, I'm bringing in Salah, Cole Palmer and maybe getting Anthony Gordon from Newcastle back.

"I'm hoping the Gordon pick will be a little bit of a differential, because I know a lot of people did have him, but not now.

"Again, I'm gambling on the Arsenal versus Man City game after I jumped rank about 20 weeks ago. I'm taking out essentially all my City and Arsenal players.

"The gamble will potentially be taking Ross Barkley, Jarrod Bowen and Bukayo Saka out, which doesn't sound good, but I think I should do something wild."

What is your strategy for the season run-in?

"I used my second wildcard in Gameweek 28. I'll use my Free Hit in Gameweek 34 and the Bench Boost is coming in 37."

What tips would you give players for the rest of the season?

"Get Spurs players and Palmer, and keep them for the rest of the season, because they will have at least two more double Gameweeks.

"Use your transfers to bulk up to maybe six to eight double Gameweek players in 34, and then use your Wildcard in Gameweek 35, then the Bench Boost in 37, which is another double Gameweek.

"That's how you could kill people like me who don't have their Wildcard."