FPL Top Transfer Recommendations: Gameweek 33

The Hard Tackle lists the five best options to consider to bring into your team heading into FPL Gameweek 33 of the 2025/26 season.

As the FPL run‑in hits fever‑pitch, Gameweek 33 is the kind of juncture managers cannot afford to approach lazily. With six clubs—Manchester City, Burnley, Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United, and Bournemouth—playing twice in the same round of fixtures, the board is stacked with volatility and opportunity.

This article breaks down the top FPL transfer recommendations for Gameweek 33, focusing on five players who quietly sit outside the most obvious “banker” conversations yet offer a surprisingly strong case for a double‑dose of points. The emphasis is on form, fixture quality, and how each player’s role fits into their side’s current rhythm.

Importantly, these picks are not about chasing the highest‑price assets or the most hyped names; they are about sniffing out players whose underlying role gives them a better shot at consistent returns in a DGW. That means looking beyond the first‑minute headline fixtures and asking: who actually gets the chances, who gets the minutes, and who faces the leakiest defences?

In that context, Nico O’Reilly, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Cole Palmer, Rayan Cherki, and Danny Welbeck emerge as some of the more sensible pivots for Gameweek 33, especially if you are trying to plug gaps in defence and midfield without over‑exposing your budget.

Nico O’Reilly

Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly has, in a matter of weeks, transformed from a promising academy graduate into one of the most talked‑about defenders in the FPL ecosystem. His match‑winning double in the EFL Cup final against Arsenal, where he scored twice in four minutes to sink the Gunners, was the moment that catapulted his name into the mainstream. That final was not just a fairytale cameo; it reinforced how regularly he finds himself in advanced positions and how comfortably he moves into the box at set‑pieces.

Since then, the youngster has carried that attacking confidence into the Premier League, most notably by breaking the deadlock against Chelsea in Gameweek 32 with a crucial header, completing a 3‑0 win that tightened the title race and underlined his importance in both boxes.

Equally compelling for FPL managers is his involvement history. O’Reilly has already produced three double‑digit scoring returns since Gameweek 26, underlining that when he plays, he rarely disappears. His recent four‑match stretch for City has seen him heavily involved in the goalscoring picture, with multiple shots on target, big chances, and defensive contributions that stack up nicely against more illustrious teammates.

On top of that, Gameweek 33 sees Manchester City play twice, meaning O’Reilly’s appeal is amplified by the prospect of a double‑game haul rather than a single‑game gamble. The combination of genuine attacking threat, clean‑sheet potential against a win‑hungry Arsenal and a defensively frail Burnley, and a growing role in Pep Guardiola’s side, makes him one of the smarter defensive upgrades for Gameweek 33.

Gabriel Gudmundsson

On paper, Leeds United’s defensive record this season is far from reassuring. The Whites have struggled to keep regular clean sheets, and their backline has often been exposed by the more structured attacks in the top half. That, however, is where the narrative and the FPL opportunity start to diverge.

Gabriel Gudmundsson is a left‑back whose value lies as much in his attacking output as in his defensive solidity, and his fixtures in Gameweek 33 present a rare window where his offensive upside could be fully realised. Both Wolves and Bournemouth have been inconsistent in the final third, making them appealing targets for a DGW haul.

Gudmundsson’s profile is particularly attractive because he is not just a defensive placeholder. During his time at LOSC Lille, he regularly created chances and took shots, traits that translate well to a DGW where even a single good game can bail out a shaky clean‑sheet record. Leeds have also shown a willingness to push numbers forward when they need points, which increases the likelihood of him being involved in build‑up phases and exposure to set‑piece opportunities.

The Swede’s low‑profile status means he often flies under the radar in the transfer market, so managers introducing him ahead of Gameweek 33 can pick him up at a relatively modest price while still benefiting from a double‑fixture run against two teams that are far from watertight at the back. In a week where defensive value is being priced heavily, Gudmundsson offers that rare blend of attacking potential and schedule‑driven upside.

Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer’s recent spell has been a classic FPL “what’s gone wrong?” storyline. Despite being one of the most creative and technically tidy midfielders in the division, Chelsea’s run of poor results has dampened his returns and made some managers nervous about continuing to trust him.

Yet underneath the short‑term slump lie encouraging indicators: Chelsea rank first for expected goals over the last six Gameweeks, and they sit in the top four for big chances created, suggesting that the quality of opportunity is still there even if the finishing has not been. Palmer, as the main creative heartbeat of the side, has been at the heart of that process, logging shots, crosses, and chances that simply have not translated into points as consistently as his reputation might suggest.

Gameweek 33 changes that equation by giving him a double‑fixture ticket against two teams with creaky defensive records. Both fixtures are heavily skewed towards Chelsea’s attacking strengths and away from their opponents’ defensive reliability, which stacks the odds in Palmer’s favour for a haul‑style return.

In a DGW, even a single good game can salvage months of frustration, and Palmer’s profile makes him the ideal candidate to capitalise on that. For managers who have been cautious about Chelsea, Gameweek 33 is a logical point to re‑engage with their midfield, with Palmer as the most natural conduit.

Rayan Cherki

Rayan Cherki’s rise into Manchester City’s first‑team fold has been quiet but steady. Operating in a crowded midfield that includes Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Tijjani Reijnders, the Frenchman has carved out a role as a creative spark off the bench and, increasingly, as a starter in specific fixtures.

His recent points‑haul history shows an upward trajectory. That kind of consistency in the background is exactly what makes him attractive heading into a double‑fixture week. When Cherki plays, he does not just drift around the pitch; he actively seeks the ball in the final third, weaving through tight spaces and creating chances that their more renowned forwards can convert.

Gameweek 33’s schedule amplifies his appeal. His ability to drift between the lines, combine with runners like Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo, and strike from distance means he is well‑suited to exploit the kind of disorganisation that characterises both Arsenal and Burnley’s current defensive moods. In FPL terms, he represents a slightly cheaper alternative to their more expensive midfielders, but with enough creative juice to make him a compelling DGW‑specific upgrade.

Danny Welbeck

Danny Welbeck is the kind of player whose worth is best judged over a four‑ or five‑match stretch rather than a single week. Over the last four starts, he has scored four goals and accumulated 32 points, which is an excellent return for someone who often comes in at a lower price than many frontline strikers.

The Englishman’s recent FPL popularity is no accident: Brighton managers have been piling into his assets, making him one of the most‑bought players heading into Gameweek 32, and that trend is tied directly to the fixture list rather than pure sentiment. The Seagulls’ short‑term schedule has been unusually kind, and Gameweek 33 doubles down on that with a double‑game block against Tottenham at home and Chelsea at home, two teams whose defensive records have been less than solid.

Tottenham’s defence has looked disjointed in recent weeks, leaking goals in games where they should have been more secure, while Chelsea’s backline has been exposed both at home and away. Welbeck’s role as a high‑work‑rate forward fits these fixtures perfectly: he presses high, pulls defenders out of position, and benefits from the space created by Brighton’s wide players.

The veteran striker’s recent form suggests that he is not only getting into the box but also finishing, and in a double‑Gameweek where even a single goal‑plus‑assist outing can swing an entire week’s fortunes, he ticks multiple boxes. For managers who want exposure to Brighton’s attacking set‑up without necessarily committing to the full complement of their defenders, Welbeck is the most direct and logical option.

FPL Transfer Recommendations at a glance

Honourable mentions

Beyond the five headline picks, there are several other names worth keeping on the watchlist for Gameweek 33. James Hill offers appealing hauls at a lower price point. Jaka Bijol and Ferdi Kadioglu are intriguing for their defensive contributions. Bruno Fernandes, despite Manchester United’s inconsistencies, remains a set‑piece threat against Chelsea.

Diego Gomez, Morgan Gibbs‑White, and Alex Scott are all players whose roles are slowly evolving in the background, making them useful speculative enablers for mid‑range budgets. Eli Junior Kroupi and Erling Haaland are obvious high‑risk‑high‑reward options, while Joao Pedro, Evanilson, and Dominic Calvert‑Lewin offer alternative forward routes if Welbeck is already crowded in your league.