Fantasy Football tips and advice: Gameweek 21 transfers, selections and captain choices
It's another fairly quick turnaround between gameweeks.
Thursday night's contest between Manchester City and Tottenham means we have around 36 hours between that and the next deadline.
Of course, as ever, we can plan ahead by focusing on players not included in those fixtures, and the fact that it is a solo game makes things much easier.
A tough fixture list combined with mixed form of big hitters also make Gameweek 21 a difficult one. It wouldn't be a surprise to see this being a low scorer.
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When is the FPL Gameweek 21 deadline?
The FPL Gameweek 21 deadline is Saturday January 21 at 11:00 GMT, with the first game kicking off at 12:30 GMT.
How do the FPL chips work?
- Bench Boost: This counts the points of those on your bench alongside your starting XI - this can only be used once a season
- Triple Captain: The captain earns 3x the amount of points for that gameweek - this can only be used once a season
- Free Hit: This allows unlimited changes for one gameweek only. A team reverts back to how it was before once this has been played - this can only be used once a season
Who has the best fixtures in Gameweek 21?
Gameweek 21 brings some intriguing games, with four of the traditional 'big hitters' facing each other.
Liverpool and Chelsea meet in Saturday's early kick-off - two teams desperate for some form - while Saturday's main game sees Arsenal take on Manchester United.
At the bottom, Bournemouth welcome Nottingham Forest and West Ham host Everton - you can see why this is a difficult one for fantasy football players.
One team worth considering is BRIGHTON, who head to Leicester on the back of a brilliant result against Liverpool last time out.
Roberto De Zerbi's men are pushing for the European places, while the Foxes find themselves sliding back towards the relegation zone.
Another to target, as has been the case throughout the season, is NEWCASTLE. They feature in Saturday's late kick-off against Crystal Palace.
Sat comfortably in the top-four, Eddie Howe and his side will be targeting this fixture as another one they can secure victory here.
Who are the best players to bring in for Gameweek 21?
There is no double gameweek this time around, and the fixtures discussed above highlight why this one could well be a low-scoring one.
A number of contests look like they won't see many goals, so maybe it is a week to approach with a defence first mentality.
There are a couple of teams who can see victory though, Brighton and Newcastle being two of course, and those who possess players from those clubs could enjoy a good weekend.
With Gameweek 21 in focus, who are the players to consider?
Alexander Isak
- Position: FWD
- Club: Newcastle
- Opponent: Crystal Palace (A)
- FPL Price: £6.6m
Alexander Isak was the hero for Newcastle in their victory over Fulham - emerging from the bench in the second-half to scored the only goal of the contest.
He's returned from injury and it'll be interesting to see how Newcastle use him. The club record signing should now start seeing more regular minutes.
Isak could line up alongside Callum Wilson as strike partners, but you imagine at some stage he will become the top forward at the club again.
The striker has three goals from 3.14 xG this season despite making just four appearances. That means he's averaging a ridiculously high 1.02 xG/95, although we should be aware of the small sample size.
Solly March
- Position: MID
- Club: Brighton
- Opponent: Leicester (A)
- FPL Price: £5.1m
Solly March has been in brilliant scoring form for Brighton, and yet his 3.0% ownership suggests that it has gone under the radar of many players.
He's not seen a huge number of chances but he's been converting them. Featuring in an advanced position, March has scored four goals across his last four games.
That means he's returned 44 points from Gameweek 17 onwards, and a trip to Leicester could well end up in another win for De Zerbi's side.
With a £5.1m price tag, March is a solid differential option who is delivering, while also freeing up budget to use elsewhere.
Wilfried Gnonto
- Position: FWD
- Club: Leeds
- Opponent: Brentford (H)
- FPL Price: £5.0m
Another forward, but a great option to consider if budget is tight as Wilfried Gnonto only costs £5.0m.
He's been in great form since becoming a starting player in this Leeds side. He scored in the 2-2 draw against West Ham while also netting a brace as they beat Cardiff 5-2 in the FA Cup in midweek.
His last four starts have brought two shots in each - which is made even more impressive when we consider that two of those were Manchester City (H) and Newcastle (A).
Gnonto's opening goal on Wednesday night gathered one million views on the official ITV channel at the time of writing. People are starting to take notice, yet at 0.4% ownership he remains a great differential at this stage.
Fabian Schär
- Position: DEF
- Club: Newcastle
- Opponent: Crystal Palace (A)
- FPL Price: £5.0m
Kieran Trippier is the most selected defender on the game - and rightly so given his returns so far - but Fabian Schär has returned at least six points in each of his last five given Newcastle's clean sheets.
His only goal of the season came in the opening weekend win over Nottingham Forest, but the underlying numbers show that he should have had more.
The centre-back has returned 24 shots and 2.58 xG across his 18 games so far this season. He's a secondary free-kick option to Trippier and struck the post in their last league contest.
Despite a draw against Manchester United, Palace have struggled in attack this season and Eddie Howe's side have another great opportunity for a clean sheet in Saturday's late kick-off.
Who should I captain in Gameweek 21?
With it being an interesting fixture list, this could well be the week where it pays off to look around for alternative captains.
Of course, ERLING HAALAND and KEVIN DE BRUYNE remain great options with Manchester City having a home game against Wolves, but targeting the teams mentioned above could prove to be a good move.
Brighton assets are hot property at the moment given their showings under De Zerbi. SOLLY MARCH could be a brave pick that pays off in a good way.
KAORU MITOMA - in just 1.7% of teams - feels like the ultimate differential captain given his low ownership but he has returned at least six points in each of his last three.
Any Newcastle player could also be a good option, while a defence first approach may make KIERAN TRIPPIER a player who returns a decent amount of points.
If unsure, you can always rely on the comfort of the big hitters, but be wary of the potential low-scoring contests when two top teams face each other.
FPL: Gameweek 21 captain choices
Safer options:
- Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Marcus Rashford
Alternative options:
- Solly March, Kaoru Mitoma, Kieran Trippier
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