The first half of the Premier League season will officially be completed for some clubs this weekend as a scattered fixture calendar sees the start of Fantasy Premier League Game Week 21.
What follows double game week 20 is a difficult fixture schedule, especially for defensive picks. Nevertheless, the FootballCastle provides guided tips on players to select for game week 21 ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 GMT deadline.
Goalkeepers
Nick Pope (£5.4m)
The Newcastle shot-stopper is averaging 6.8 points per game, the highest for any goalkeeper since the World Cup and he faces Crystal Palace on the back of five consecutive clean sheets.
Ederson (£5.4m)
Although clean sheets have been in short supply recently, Ederson offers a route into Manchester City’s defence in GW20 against Wolverhampton Wanderers after a shutout produced six points in the reverse fixture in GW8.
Defenders
Gabriel (£5.2m)
Despite the threat of suspension should he be booked against Manchester United, the Brazilian is well capable of attacking returns before a GW22 trip to Everton is followed by a DGW23.
Kieran Trippier (£6.0m)
Trippier offers multiple routes to returns and has remarkably delivered 18 bonus points in seven successive games, amassing 67 points for three assists and seven clean sheets.
There is little to suggest the full-back won’t continue that run in GW21 against Crystal Palace.
Serge Aurier (£4.5m)
The Ivorian has been an FPL success story since breaking into the side in GW12 as he combined one goal with five clean sheets and eight bonus points during that time.
Aurier is now the top Nottingham Forest asset after amassing 26 points in his last three GWs. He next faces Bournemouth, Leeds United and Fulham with high chances of returns.
Fabian Schär (£5.0m)
The Swiss offers a double-up on Newcastle’s defence alongside Trippier who is the only defender with more FPL points this season.
Schär has combined 12 clean sheets with one goal and six bonus points while he has totalled seven shots in the box in the last four GWs. Ahead of facing Crystal Palace, West Ham and Bournemouth, you must be adding to his very low 14.1 per cent ownership.
Midfielders
Kaoru Mitoma (£5.0m)
The Japanese winger has delivered two goals and an assist since the restart yet he is still owned by 2.0 per cent of managers.
Brighton have won three of their last four games, scoring 12 goals, and Mitoma remains under the radar despite their brilliant performances.
Martin Odegaard (£6.8m)
The Arsenal captain’s 112 points in FPL is unmatched by another midfielder after eight goals and five assists. Odegaard is only alongside compatriot Erling Haaland for players who returned six double-digit point totals this season
Indeed, Casemiro’s suspension in GW21 further improves the playmaker’s prospects as he has two goals and three assists since the restart.
Kevin De Bruyne (£12.5m)
One of the seven midfielders with over 100 FPL points has a prolific record against Wolves with four goals, two assists and 34 points in his last two meetings against them.
De Bruyne should get a recall in GW21 after sitting out the Tottenham game and you can expect more of his trademark brilliance
Marcus Rashford (£7.1m)
The England star’s standout seven-game scoring run in all competitions ended in DGW20 but Rashford delivered his highest points haul of the season (18) against GW21 opponents Arsenal and he can recreate those heroics.
Forwards
Ivan Toney (£7.5m)
The Brentford marksman is the most-bought player ahead of GW21 as he has been involved in 13 goals and three assists, just one short of his combined 17 goal involvements last season.
Toney has five goals and an assist in his last four Premier League games as only Haaland and Harry Kane have more league goals in 2022/23.
Evan Ferguson (£4.5m)
The young Brighton striker has provided a major source of value in FPL since the restart with two goals and as many assists in only 172 total minutes as he’s yet to complete 90 minutes of a Premier League game.
Ferguson is still owned by 1.5 per cent of managers and you can enjoy some of that differential value over a good run of upcoming fixtures.
Erling Haaland (£12.2m)
A mammoth 85.1 per cent ownership means the Norwegian retains his popular captaincy role but the big question is; is it time to stop captaining Haaland?
Haaland has ‘only’ scored four times in five games since the restart as he endured consecutive blanks, although he ended that goalless streak against Tottenham, GW21 brings Wolves who have only one away clean sheet this term.
Wilfried Gnonto (£5.0m)
The Italian youngster has been in explosive form recently with three goals in his last four games in all competitions.
Indeed, a well-taken cup brace in midweek will stand Gnonto in good stead ahead of a good run of fixtures, considering his price and less than 1% ownership. A super differential option
