Best Teams to Save for Late-Season LMS Picks

One of the most common mistakes in Last Man Standing is using your best teams too early. By Gameweek 30, you might find yourself staring at a fixture list with nothing but tough away games for your remaining options. Let's analyze which teams you should consider preserving.

The Problem with Early Usage

Consider this scenario: You've used Liverpool in GW3 (away at newly-promoted team), Arsenal in GW7 (home to a mid-table side), and City in GW12 (home vs. bottom-of-the-table). All wins, great picks at the time.

Now it's GW32, and looking at your remaining teams:

• Everton away at Tottenham
• West Ham away at Chelsea
• Crystal Palace away at Liverpool

Suddenly, survival looks very difficult. This is why strategic preservation matters.

Teams to Consider Saving

Tier 1: The Untouchables (Until You Really Need Them)

Liverpool With the strongest home record in the league, Liverpool at Anfield is your ultimate safety net. They typically have favorable fixtures in GW35-38 against relegation-threatened teams.

Manchester City Even in an off-year, City at home is usually among the safest picks available. Their late-season fixtures often include matchups against teams with nothing to play for.

Arsenal The Emirates is a fortress. Arsenal typically performs well in the run-in, especially when title race pressure builds.

Tier 2: Very Valuable

Newcastle St. James' Park is intimidating, and Newcastle's fixture list usually includes some favorable late-season home games.

Aston Villa Villa Park has become a difficult venue for visitors. They often finish strongly.

Tier 3: Situationally Important

Tottenham Can be unpredictable but often have favorable late fixtures.

Chelsea Variable form but fixture difficulty matters more than form for LMS.

Analyzing the Run-In

GW32-34: The Crunch Period

This is typically when fixture congestion is highest. Teams competing in Europe may have:

• FA Cup semi-finals
• Champions League quarter/semi-finals
• League catch-up games

Keep at least 2-3 top-six teams available for this period.

GW35-38: Survival Mode

Relegation battles intensify, meaning:

• Bottom teams fight desperately (unpredictable)
• Teams in mid-table may relax
• Title chasers maintain intensity

Having Liverpool or City for this period is invaluable.

The Golden Rules

Never use more than 2 top-six teams before GW20

Always have at least one "banker" available for GW35+

Check GW33-38 fixtures before using any big team

Mid-table teams with no European football are underrated

Current Season Analysis

Looking at this season's remaining fixtures, here are the key gameweeks to save top teams for:

GW33: Multiple top-six clashes reduce options GW35: Relegation six-pointers create chaos GW37: Penultimate week often sees upsets GW38: Final day is notoriously unpredictable

Conclusion

The difference between LMS success and failure often comes down to having the right teams available at the right time. Start planning your endgame from day one, and you'll thank yourself when crunch time arrives.