Booster strategies for Gameweek 13: Max Captain viable amid injury concerns, 12th Man options

ALL three Boosters are best saved for double Gameweeks and so now is a perfectly good time to activate either Park the Bus, 12th Man or Max Captain.

No fewer than eight clubs are set to pull double duty in Gameweek 13 with the European competitions set to resume after a full round of Premier League fixtures.

With that in mind, lets’s analyse how each of the three Boosters might be best deployed…

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Dream TeamA spanner in the works[/caption]

Park the Bus

Dream Team’s most-powerful Booster doubles the points of all your defenders.

If you’re going to flip the switch this week then you should use your transfers to revert to a formation with five at the back.

The main reason not to activate Park the Bus ahead of Gameweek 13 is the headline fixture, Manchester City v Liverpool.

Generally, Park the Bus gaffers would hope to make use of the league’s top two sides but such a plan is scuppered when the clubs in question are in direct competition.

Arsenal boast the top flight’s joint-best defensive record alongside the Reds at this stage of the campaign but an away trip to Brentford is a match-up for medium difficulty at the vert least.

The Gunners have a home game against Lens in midweek so it’s entirely possible William Saliba (£3.7m) and friends could provide healthy returns but there are likely to be more inviting opportunities to play Park the Bus in the coming weeks/months.

That being said, there are big returns to be had with some inviting European match-ups in midweek so if you strike upon a back five that feels strong then crack on.

Max Captain

Max Captain is always on the cards if Haaland isn’t a sure betAlamy

Saturday lunchtime’s mouthwatering clash at the Etihad may hinder the viability of Park the Bus but it increases the likelihood of an effective Max Captain deployment.

This Booster doubles the points of your XI’s best performer for the duration of the Gameweek, essentially ensuring the optimum choice.

Erling Haaland (£7.7m) is always the most-selected captain but there are question marks over his availability after he picked up a foot injury while on Norway duty.

City’s prolific No9 may well pull through but even so, Liverpool represent a tough weekend opponent – he’s got a great record against RB Leipzig though and the treble winners host the Bunesliga club in midweek.

Mohamed Salah (£6.6m) has scored more than his fair share of goals against Pep Guardiola’s men in the past but a trip to the Etihad can never be considered a truly favourable match-up.

Activating Max Captain would eliminate this week’s sizeable captaincy headache and act as insurance in case Haaland sits out.

However, if the prolific poacher is fit enough to play both games and he adds to his goal tally – as he tends to do – then there’s a risk of a Booster going to waste.

All things considered, the combination of availability issues and the standout options of Haaland and Salah facing tough opposition makes Max Captain a very appealing option.

12th Man

Dream TeamWildcard[/caption]

This Booster allows you to pick an additional player to score points on top of your usual XI for one Gameweek only.

So which individuals would fit the bill for the coming days?

West Ham’s double header of Burnley and Backa Topola seems ripe for points, especially given the Hammers have not one, not two, but three midfielders in Dream Team’s top six right now.

Jarrod Bowen (£5.2m) is a major injury concern but James Ward-Prowse (£4.2m) and Lucas Paqueta (£3.9m) are more than capable of providing a double-digit haul in Gameweek 13.

It’s also possible Mohammed Kudus (£4.2m) will step up for David Moyes if Bowen has indeed joined Michail Antonio (£2.6m) on the sidelines.

Although the Ghana star is something of an injury doubt himself so seek out an update before fully committing.

Bukayo Saka (£6.5m) feels like too obvious a suggestion for 12th Man as he’s the third-most popular player in the game currently but it may be that some gaffers are unable to afford the Arsenal winger.

If that’s the case, using 12th Man to recruit Dream Team’s top midfielder for his outings against Brentford and Lens could be a very profitable strategy.

Bruno Fernandes (£5.7m) is a decent shout too – he plays Everton then Galatasaray.

Good luck to you if you decide to pull the trigger on a Booster for Gameweek 13 – fingers crossed for a lorry-load of points!