In the Premier League’s pre-postponement and some would argue better days, the main worry concerning Fantasy Premier League managers was about which player to sign for the weekend ahead. That is still very much an important consideration, but increasingly, transfer decision-making boils down to which teams are more likely to play.
Lucas Moura, James Maddison, Josh King and Harry Kane all featured in i‘s Gameweek 22 picks on the proviso that all four would have the opportunity to play in two fixtures that week. Leicester’s first game of the double gameweek against Burnley was cancelled before the transfer deadline, however, both Tottenham vs Arsenal and Burnley vs Watford were pulled from the schedule after the round of games had already started.
Tottenham’s statement on Saturday strongly suggested that Arsenal had engaged in some skullduggery in order to get the north London derby rearranged and FPL managers who captained Kane would have been inclined to agree. As reported by i, Arsenal’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool could also be under threat, so hold off buying any of their players until the situation starts to clear up. Especially as they are due to face the Premier League’s forgotten side Burnley on Saturday.
All that managers can do to navigate these choppy waters is to try to control what can be controlled. That means keeping abreast of any new developments and ideally, waiting until just before the deadline before finalising your transfer and captain choices.
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Assuming everything goes to plan – admittedly it’s a heavy assumption given how things have panned out recently – here are the players to target with your transfers.
Jose Sa (Wolves)
A few weeks ago, Gary Neville picked out Jose Sa as the best signing made by a Premier League club last summer. Increasingly, it is looking like an inspired choice. The Portuguese goalkeeper – somehow still uncapped by his country at senior level – has been a revelation at Molineux and on FPL for those who have been paying attention. Sa has conceded just three times in his previous six matches; against Liverpool and Manchester City and James Ward-Prowse’s traction engine of a right foot.
Price: £5.2m Points: 95 Gameweek 23 fixture: Brentford (a)
Lucas Digne (Aston Villa)
In amongst a crowded field, selling Lucas Digne to Aston Villa because he had fallen out with Rafa Benitez only to then fire Benitez three days later is perhaps the most Everton thing that Everton have ever done. The Frenchman hadn’t been at his best this season, but looked more like his old self on his Villa debut, creating two chances and attempting two shots on goal in the draw against Manchester United. He will be eager to make an impact on his first return to Goodison Park.
Price: £5.0m Points: 27 Gameweek 23 fixture: Everton (a)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
An assist against Brentford took Trent Alexander-Arnold to 10 for the Premier League season, making him the first defender in the competition’s history to register 10 or more in three different campaigns. In other words, he’s pretty bloody good. Alexander-Arnold has only failed to provide a return – goal, assist or clean sheet – in four of his 19 appearances, which helps to explain why he has overtaken Mo Salah as the most-owned player in FPL.
Price: £8.4m Points: 142 Gameweek 23 fixture: Crystal Palace (a)
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Speaking of ridiculous full-backs, Joao Cancelo has been rather handy for Manchester City this term. Like Alexander-Arnold, he registered an assist and a clean sheet during City’s 1-0 win over Chelsea in Gameweek 22, earning a sixth double-digit haul of the FPL season in the process. City are doing that thing where they win multiple games in a row and you wonder whether any team is ever going to stop them. It might not be a great advert for the Premier League, but that freakish consistency is certainly good news for FPL managers.
Price: £7.0m Points: 132 Gameweek 23 fixture: Southampton (a)
Raphinha (Leeds)
It’s always tempting to sign a player after they have racked up a monster score the previous gameweek but avoid falling into the trap of signing Jack Harrison after his magnificent hat-trick against West Ham and just get Raphina instead. The Brazilian provided an assist for one of Harrison’s goals at the London Stadium and was hugely unfortunate to miss out on a double-digit return of his own after rattling the crossbar with a superb free-kick.
Price: £6.5m Points: 90 Gameweek 23 fixture: Newcastle (h)
Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa)
Why pick just one of Aston Villa’s glamorous new recruits when you can have two? Reaction to Philippe Coutinho‘s surprise move from Barcelona was understandably positive from Villa’s supporters; the Brazilian is probably the club’s most high-profile signing in the Premier League era. But as he removed his tracksuit top on the touchline last Saturday, nobody was sure quite what to expect. Based on his goalscoring debut it looks like a savvy pick up from Steven Gerrard.
Price: £7.0m Points: 6 Gameweek 23 fixture: Everton (a)
Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)
Following a run of one solitary goal and no assists in his previous eight games in the competition, Bruno Fernandes offered a reminder of his qualities during Manchester United’s helter-skelter 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, scoring twice to put his side 2-0 up. To the surprise of nobody, Fernandes looked infinitely more comfortable in his favoured No 10 role and it was perhaps telling that he was at his most effective without Cristiano Ronaldo in the side. Fernandes could profit from facing a shaky-looking West Ham defence this weekend.
Price: £11.7m Points: 86 Gameweek 23 fixture: West Ham (h)
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Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)
Just as Fernandes looks like a good option against West Ham, so too does Jarrod Bowen against an equally leaky Manchester United. Bowen was the hero of double gameweek 21 for some FPL managers, supplying 21 points in total and it could have been even more profitable given he hit the post and bar in the second of those fixtures against Norwich. Bowen has netted four times in his last three games in all competitions and has leapt to fourth in the overall FPL standings for the campaign.
Price: £6.8m Points: 122 Gameweek 23 fixture: Man Utd (a)
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Kevin De Bruyne saved his best performance of the season for Manchester City’s Premier League title clincher, scoring the only goal and genuinely running the show in last weekend’s win against Chelsea. The goal – a nonchalant, bending effort from range – was plucked straight from the De Bruyne archives. That strike aside, the Belgian posted some extremely encouraging numbers from a No 10 role, attempting a game-leading four shots and creating two chances.
Price: £12.1m Points: 78 Gameweek 23 fixture: Southampton (a)
Emmanuel Dennis (Watford)
Emmanuel Dennis has endured a mini-slump lately, in part due to injury and possibly as a result of the kerfuffle over his participation at the Africa Cup of Nations. Watford will be desperately hoping that he or well anybody really, will grab the moose by the horns in Friday’s pivotal clash with fellow strugglers Norwich City. The Nigerian has scored four goals and provided three assists in nine league games at Vicarage Road.
Price: £6.1m Points: 94 Gameweek 23 fixture: Norwich (h)
Patson Daka (Leicester)
Completing an African 1-2 in attack is Leicester’s Zambian Patson Daka, who has recently returned from injury at an opportune time for Brendan Rodgers. With Kelechi Iheanacho at Afcon and Jamie Vardy injured, Daka should expect to lead the line against Brighton this weekend. Although the summer signing has featured sparingly for the Foxes, he has still scored seven times in 17 appearances in total, including against Newcastle in his previous game. Owned by fewer than one per cent of managers, he could be a nice differential this weekend.
Price: £7.1 Points: 28 Gameweek 23 fixture: Brighton (h)
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