Captaincy is a big debate in Fantasy Premier League this week with three of the best players in the game all having a good favourable home fixture. Bukayo Saka plays Everton, Mohamed Salah hosts Fulham and Cole Palmer welcomes Brentford to Stamford Bridge.
Brentford have the worst away record in the Premier League and perhaps this is the fixture we should be targeting above the other two. Salah and Saka were both impressive in the Champions League this week, but surely Palmer has the advantage by having a midweek rest.
Chelsea, who put four past Tottenham last Sunday, are putting up the best attacking numbers in the league right now; they rank first for goals, first for expected goals, and second for big chances.
Double up on Chelsea
Own Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez alongside Cole Palmer
Chelsea's Cole Palmer.
Whilst Palmer is a must-have, you could argue owning the Englishman alone is not enough given the fact Chelsea are offering so much in attack and have a favourable run of fixtures ahead. Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Jackson are the two stand out options for those shopping for a second Chelsea attacker.
Enzo is thriving in his new position as an advanced number eight and he’s been playing with two defensive midfielders behind him in recent weeks, which has seen him score three goals and register two assists in the last four gameweeks, all in which he’s played 90 minutes. Before the positional change, he was in and out the team and offered little goal threat.
Target Newcastle
Toon have great fixture run
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Newcastle attackers should be on our radar this week as they have a brilliant three-match run with home fixtures versus Leicester and Aston Villa and an away trip to Ipswich in between. Alexander Isak doesn’t come cheap but he’s arguably the most in demand forward in the game right now and his ceiling in the next handful of games rivals the premium midfielders. He has 19 FPL points in the last two gameweeks and after a fairly slow start to the season, has found his rhythm. Surprisingly, he’s only 20% owned - but expect price rises if he delivers against Leicester.
Elsewhere at Newcastle, it’s slim pickings in attack. Anthony Gordon has been nursing a knock which saw him benched versus Brentford, but he’s expected to come back into the XI and always passes the eye test. He’s shown glimpses of his FPL potential recently and last season showed how dangerous he can be, earning 11 goals and 16 assists. He plays close to Isak, has very few defensive responsibilities and is around 1.5 million cheaper than Isak, which makes him more affordable.
Buy a Premium Defender
Trent Alexander-Arnold is worth the extra investment
Trent Alexander-Arnold in action for Liverpool
Premium defenders are now back on the wish list of the most engaged managers. Both Liverpool and Arsenal have put up healthy defensive numbers and clean sheets aplenty are forecast for both teams who have good fixture runs over the festive period. Whilst Arsenal have injury concerns at the back, many will look to Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold as players to buy this week. If money isn’t an issue, Alexander-Arnold is worth the additional funds despite relatively underwhelming returns so far. Many have questioned why we haven’t seen the attacking output from the game’s best defender.
His contract situation, a niggling injury and Arne Slot’s tactics are all potential reasons for a slump in attacking returns, but recent performances have offered hope. He hit the post against Manchester City and clocked two assists in 23 minutes versus Newcastle.
Gameweek 16 Top Tip
Invest in your bench
The Tottenham crest embroidered into a seat in the dugout.
With the fixtures coming thick and fast over the festive period, expect heavier rotation than usual. Buy players who are reliable for minutes and those who don’t suffer from mass rotation, like the Chelsea or Manchester City wide men. Consider investing a little more money on your bench to ensure you have the strength in depth to always field a playable XI.
Finally, don’t be afraid to roll the transfer if you don’t have any fires to put out. If you can, start to bank transfers ahead of the second half of the season where injuries, suspensions and the usage of the chips comes in to play.
See Gianni Buttice's team selection for Gameweek 16 in the video below.
The Mystery Chip
How it works
Liverpool boss Arne Slot celebrating
FPL have announced a new Assistant Manager Chip. Here is a summary of how it works:
You choose a real-life Premier League manager to join your squad for three Gameweeks.
The chip can be used from Gameweek 24 and cannot be active alongside any other chip.
Earn 6 points for a win, 3 points for a draw, 1 point for a defeat.
Earn bonus points if your assistant manager plays a team that is 5+ places above him in the table; +10 points for a win and +5 points for a draw.
Earn 1 point for a goal and 2 points for a clean sheet.
You'll have to pay for the manager out of your existing budget, priced between £0.5-1.5m.
Your assistant manager will count as one of your three club slots.
You can also transfer the manager to another manager during the three-gameweek window if you want, but it'll come out of your transfer allocation.
You can find out more information on FPL’s Mystery Chip in the video below.