Gaffr Scottish fantasy football: the run-in blueprint
How to attack double gameweek 29, structure for the split and time your final boosts.
The biggest double gameweek of the season is here and the split is looming. Most of us have one or two boosts left. From this point forward, rank will be decided by structure, nailed players and smart timing, rather than chaos.
We are now entering the decisive stretch of the season.
GW29 is the biggest double gameweek remaining.
From GW34, the league divides into top six and bottom six.
Many managers are heavily loaded on Dundee United and Aberdeen.
Most still have one or two boosts left.
This is where we stop reacting and start planning. From here on, the principles are simple:
Only buy nailed players.
Don’t wreck long-term structure for one week.
Attack the biggest double aggressively.
Think about the split before everyone else does.
Let’s build this properly!
Attacking DGW29: The right structure
GW29 is the biggest double of the season. You absolutely must play a boost. But more important than that is how you structure your squad around it.
The optimal set up for GW29 looks like this:
3 Motherwell, non-negotiable
At least 2 Celtic (Nygren + one full-back)
1-2 Dundee United including Will Ferry
1-2 Dundee
1 Aberdeen (Nisbet)
Optional St Mirren if you already own
1-2 Hearts who have a great single gameweek (Aberdeen H) to make up your XI
The key idea isn’t just “chase doubles” it is:
Chase strong doubles and keep strong singles.
Not all doubles are equal and playing the strong teams with the best fixtures is always the sensible play. With that in mind one team stands clearly above the rest.
Motherwell - the core of GW29
The 5–0 away win over St Mirren wasn’t lucky - it was dominant.
Motherwell are structured, aggressive, and totally consistent. Their GW29 double:
Dundee United (H)
Dundee (A)
And here is the most important detail of the entire gameweek:
There is a full week between their two fixtures.
Normally doubles are Saturday-Tuesday/Wednesday. That brings rotation, managed minutes and chaos. Motherwell have recovery time. That makes them the perfect Triple-Triple target. I expect minimal rotation and a very similar XI in both matches.
You must be tripled up. The core two are non-negotiable:
Maswanhise - Listed as a midfielder but playing up front. Explosive. Captain material, top scorer.
Elijah Just - The creative heartbeat. Assist and goal threat every game. Huge performance bonus profile.
The third slot is flexible:
Slattery - Highest attacking ceiling.
Ward - Safer floor through clean sheets and saves.
Longelo - Attacking defender with attacking upside.
If you’re playing Triple-Triple, having two or three Motherwell players as captains is absolutely recommended. Motherwell are the most important team in DGW29.
You must prioritise bringing them in over all other teams mentioned in this article.
Hearts - don’t blindly bench the single
Hearts don’t double in GW29. They have Aberdeen at home. And I strongly fancy them.
Hearts’ home record against Aberdeen is excellent, and structurally they are one of the strongest fantasy teams in the league, even without key players.
Their run until the split is arguably the best of the title contenders:
Aberdeen (H), Kilmarnock (A), Dundee (H), Livingston (A), Motherwell (H)
There are points all over that stretch. I predict Milne, Kyziridis and Braga to all return in GW29. This is where discipline matters. Do not take hits to bring in average doublers and bench strong Hearts assets.
The Hearts triple up is also simple and predictable. All 3 should play close to 90 from now until the end of the season and are consistently getting returns and bonus points. It’s been the same triple up for a long time: Harry Milne, Kyziridis, Claudio Braga
From GW30 onward, you should be on this triple up, if you aren’t already.
Celtic - be ruthless
Celtic are grinding out results. They are not dominant. You want exposure, but selective exposure.
Their double is Rangers (A) and Aberdeen (A). Tough fixtures.
The only three I would consider:
Nygren - The most reliable goal source. Essential. Plays both for me.
Araujo - Safest defensive minutes. Attacking role.
Kieran Tierney - Higher ceiling, slightly less secure for minutes, but did get a rest in Europe.
Avoid rotation traps. Avoid the centre-backs. Avoid forcing other midfielders.
Maeda is a sell. He looks out of form and is not guaranteed minutes.
Selective coverage only.
Dundee United & Aberdeen – short-term + split planning
Many of us are heavily invested here due to back-to-back doubles.
That’s fine. But don’t overload.
Dundee United:
Here’s who is popular and still worth considering if you have transfers.
Will Ferry - Wing-back, attacking, long-term viable.
Maynard-Brewer - Cheap goalkeeper that can be played this week and rotated after.
Sapsford - He could do well but is a minutes risk. I wouldn’t buy now but if you own you can hold and play.
After GW29, their fixtures toughen before the split. You can hold Ferry and Maynard-Brewer longer term though. If you have a third asset then prioritise selling post-DGW29.
Aberdeen:
Kevin Nisbet – In a purple patch. Talisman. On penalties and set pieces.
That’s it. Aberdeen’s double is very tough: Hearts away, Celtic at home. It is genuinely close between playing Hearts singles and Aberdeen doubles. Aside from Nisbet I would play any Hearts player over a doubling Aberdeen one.
Post-split, both Dundee United and Aberdeen could benefit from bottom-six fixtures, so they may become useful again.
Rangers – wait until GW30
GW29 is Old Firm. Do not buy Rangers this week, and I’d bench any if owned in favour of DGW players. But from GW30-33, Rangers have a very strong run.
The two worth targeting from GW30:
Emmanuel Fernandez - Nailed centre-back, set-piece threat, bonus upside. He’s also been brilliant for most of the season now.
Mikey Moore - Emerging talisman, looks sharp, plays 90.
On Tavenier if you have him hold him as Sterling is injured again. If that remains the case Tav could become useful again. If he continues to be rotated he’s probably a transfer out waiting to happen.
Plan now → pivot in GW30.
Dundee - flying under the radar
Dundee have improved massively in recent weeks. Performances have been good for Pressley’s men and some top fantasy picks are emerging.
They also double of course and have three straight home games from DGW29:
Next 3: Hibs (H), Motherwell (H), Dundee United (H)
I like:
Simon Murray - On penalties, in scoring form, reliable and nailed.
Cameron Congreve - 7 assists, nailed 90, creative hub, cheap.
Don’t overload - but one asset makes sense. Both Murray and Congreve will also be great picks once they get to those bottom 6 fixtures. I actually fancy Dundee to challenge for 7th.
Overhaul / wildcard blueprint
I’m not recommending the Overhaul for most managers this week. For the majority of teams, it’s simply sub-optimal.
But if you:
Lack multiple DGW29 doublers
Are missing key premium assets
Or need to fix several weak spots at once
…then it can become a strategic move rather than a reactive one.
Used properly, it doesn’t just improve this week - it can put you a couple of transfers ahead of the field heading into the split.
I’ve still built an “if I had to” draft below. Not as a blanket recommendation, but as a structural guide, showing what the optimal squad shape looks like right now and where the real value sits.
This build gives you nine strong doublers this week, without compromising your GW30-33 structure. That balance is key with overhaul.
Goalkeepers
A clean rotation right through to the end of the season. You’re never forcing a bad fixture, and you’re always live for save points and bonus.
Defence
Heavy coverage from the strongest sides, with genuine attacking upside and bonus potential. Ferry becomes especially valuable post-split. At that point, he’s a set-and-forget starter most weeks.
Midfield
Five explosive picks, good double coverage. All have goal involvement, and none are passive “two-point” placeholders. This is where upside wins mini-leagues.
Strikers
Braga remains outstanding value and just keeps ticking over. The other two are focal points for their teams - high minutes, penalties, constant involvement. I like them for the double and I like them even more for the run-in.
Boost strategy
You must play a boost in GW29.
This week:
Best option: Triple-Triple
Focused on Motherwell due to form, fixtures and recovery gap.Second best: Performance Enhancement
Strong if you own bonus-heavy players like Milne, Kyziridis, Nygren, Braga, Just etc.
My take: I’d go Triple-Triple on 3 Motherwell players as long as that includes Maswanhise and Just. You could also consider Nygren of Celtic
Final boost planning
After this week if you still have one boost remaining, I would play it in either:
GW31
GW32 (slightly stronger in my view)
Across these two weeks:
Hearts, Rangers, Celtic and Motherwell have collectively strong fixtures.
Aberdeen have St Mirren away in GW32 (nice for Nisbet).
It aligns well with Performance Enhancement.
You could hold for a potential postponement, but:
No planned clashes or fixtures yet to be rearranged.
Scottish Cup semis are on their own weekend.
European disruption won’t happen now.
I’d say another double is possible but not probable.
Use the fixture ticker (updated to the split)
One of the biggest advantages you can give yourself right now is clarity on fixtures.
That means:
You can see the run from GW29-33 clearly.
You can compare Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Motherwell side by side.
You can identify when fixtures swing.
You can plan your final boost around actual runs rather than guessing.
You can see when to pivot off Dundee United and Aberdeen.
You can identify bottom-six value before everyone else reacts.
And finally…the split Is coming from GW34
What does this mean for our fantasy teams?
Top six teams only play each other. Every match becomes difficult.
Bottom six teams get more favourable fixtures, and that’s where assets like Dundee United, Aberdeen or Dundee players could suddenly become incredibly valuable.
That’s why:
I’m happy to hold certain double assets through tougher short-term fixtures.
I’m not overreacting to one poor performance.
I’m timing boosts before the split.
Once the split happens, flexibility reduces. Right now, you still have control.
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