Pointless star and Fulham superfan Richard Osman has FPL week to remember with lucky bench hauls

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The Thursday Murder Club author got away with a poor fantasy football benching choice as he attacked the Double Gameweek 36.

TV presenter and author Richard Osman has hit the fantasy football luck jackpot this week after a potentially awful benching decision has come up trumps. It's been a big week for Fantasy Premier League fans with just two Gameweeks left to claw back mini-league leads and beat friends, families and colleagues in the popular game.

Gameweek 36 has presented the perfect chance to do just that with a Double Gameweek for Brighton and Newcastle, meaning players from both sides can play twice in one round.

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A trip to Leeds and a home fixture against Brighton tempted fantasy managers to bring in Magpies acquisitions such as Callum Wilson, Alexander Isak and Nick Pope. Meanwhile, the Seagulls' visit to stuttering Arsenal before travelling to St James' Park made the likes of Kaoru Mitoma and Alexis MacAllister tempting prospects.

Osman, known for his former Pointless role and hit Thursday Murder Club series, was one such manager who went big on the Double Gameweek as he maxed out on players from Brighton and Newcastle United.

Richard Osman appeared on Pointless between 2009 and 2022 (Image: BBC)Richard Osman appeared on Pointless between 2009 and 2022 (Image: BBC)
Richard Osman appeared on Pointless between 2009 and 2022 (Image: BBC) | BBC

Pope, Kieran Trippier and Fabian Schar all appear in his Saturday Murder Club side, along with Brighton's Danny Welbeck, Solly March and Mitoma. This week, Osman made three transfers, bringing in City stars Kevin De Bruyne and Julian Alvarez ahead of their Double Gameweek 37, as well as Schar.

In all the Double Gameweek planning, the comedian relegated some big names to his bench which, if not for some mighty luck, would have come back to bite him. Osman benched Eberechi Eze and Ben Mee this week, both of whom pulled in huge hauls.

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The Crystal Palace man scored twice, registered a clean sheet and three bonus points against Bournemouth to take home 16 points. Meanwhile, Mee picked up a clean sheet, an assist and two bonus points for Brentford against West Ham, making a total of 11 points.

For most managers, they'd have had to look sadly at those 27 points on their bench and mourn their loss, but luckily for Osman injuries to Solly March and Marcus Rashford in his starting XI, as well as De Bruyne being benched, meant that those hauls would count.

Fellow comedian Luke Kempner wrote on Twitter with a screenshot of Osman's team: "@richardosman WHAT YOU’RE GETTING OFF THE BENCH HERE SHOULD BE ILLEGAL." Osman replied: "Had to throw caution to wind a bit this week, no point just playing with the usual squad any more. Really needed 2 Newcastle clean sheets as a differential. My race is run I think."

The two stars are competing in a Comedians FPL league, currently being won by none other than Russell Howard. Iain Stirling, Alex Brooker, Frankie Boyle Ardal O'Hanlon, Josh Widdicombe, Maisie Adam and Romesh Ranganathan are all in the standings with the latter sat rock bottom. Strangely enough, Leeds United star Patrick Bamford and England Women's star Mary Earps also feature in the league with mid-table positions as it stands.

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