Fantasy Premier League: Double Gameweek 20 Staff Roundtable

Welcome to Double Gameweek 20, RotoBallers! Just like the previous campaign, we are continuing our soccer coverage to include the great game of the Fantasy Premier League. So, even if you are a seasoned veteran or a rookie navigating your first 38 gameweeks, we will set you straight. We're here to provide advice to help you snag those weekend-making green arrows and avoid the doom and gloom of a red arrow.

Two gameweeks have passed since the last Roundtable, and a lot happened. First, Darwin Nunez proved he could find the back of the net (in the F.A. Cup). Then, Pep Roulette took more twists and turns, with Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden, and Kyle Walker losing their starting XI spots. Plus, Manchester United looks incredibly exciting and has a double gameweek on the horizon. So let's break it all down and answer 11 questions ahead of the deadline.

The Gameweek 20 deadline is 1:30 pm Eastern on Friday, January 13. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the team gets you all set for every English Premier League and UEFA Champions League slate from a DFS and betting perspective.

RotoBaller FPL Staff Roundtable - Double Gameweek 20

The Staff Roundtable is an attempt to get you inside the mind of our FPL staff. Our top soccer writers will answer questions each gameweek to give you an idea of how they view the games. So without further ado, let's kick off Gameweek 20!

How did your squad get on during the first double gameweek of the season?

• Euan Leith: Chelsea and Fulham still have to play their second game, but overall it went well. Blanks from Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, and Darwin Nunez were frustrating. However, Harry Kane, Luke Shaw, and Marcus Rashford came through for the squad. I'm currently on a 350,000-place green arrow and feeling good.
• Jamie Steed: Pretty well. With three players still to go on Thursday (including my captain), I’m on an above-average 49 points. I am slightly tilting that after leaving 28 points on my bench a fortnight ago. I’ve got 16 points on my bench this week, but that’s how it breaks in this game.

Gameweek 20 will feature four teams with two fixtures. So who's one defender you would want to add from those squads?

• Euan Leith: I added him before GW 19, but Luke Shaw feels like a great grab. Manchester United has won four on the bounce and is fourth in expected goals against in the campaign. Matches against Manchester City and Crystal Palace will be a bit of a rollercoaster, but he's a bonus-points magnet in the current system and needs to be on more than 12.9 percent of FPL teams.
• Jamie Steed: After stacking Fulham for this past double gameweek, I needed a new defender, so I plumped for Luke Shaw. I’m not optimistic he’ll be keeping a clean sheet (although away at Crystal Palace represents a good chance), but he’s an attacking threat and the most likely to offer a positive return by playing in both games.

And a midfielder?

• Euan Leith: If you don't have KDB, then you likely have Mohamed Salah, and that's an easy transfer to make. However, Son Heung-min deserves a look if you're looking for a punt. The Spurs attacker found the net versus Crystal Palace and was delighted. We've had a couple of false starts with Son this year, but it was also around this time last season when he kicked it into high gear and caught Salah as the league's top goal scorer.
• Jamie Steed: Bit like with the defenders, there aren’t any of the four teams I’d target desperately, given none of them have two games I’d consider lucrative for FPL. But I can’t imagine Kevin de Bruyne doesn’t start both of Manchester City’s two games, and he’s gone four EPL games without a goal or assist. That will surely change this week.

Finally, a forward that's scoring some goals.

• Euan Leith: Sacrifices will have to be made to shove Harry Kane alongside Erling Haaland. So that'll be tough to accomplish despite the Englishman's attractive 19 returns in 18 Premier League games. Pep Guardiola has been toying with some strange rotations recently, so there's an outside shot that World Cup winner Julian Alvarez will find his way into the starting 11 for both matchups.
• Jamie Steed: The premium pair of Harry Kane or Erling Haaland are the obvious picks. I’d be surprised if 90% or more of FPL managers won’t have one of them in their teams, and both will score at least once in their two games.

Are you tempted to activate the Triple Captain chip with Erling Haaland's double gameweek?

• Euan Leith: Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes. He's healthy, and there's no Champions League to worry about right now. I remembered last year, people wanted to wait to activate the chip on Mohamed Salah in a later double gameweek, and he punished those overthinkers with three goals and an assist against Leeds and Norwich. While these fixtures (United and Spurs) are tougher for Haaland, there may not be a better chance to play the chip than this double gameweek.
• Jamie Steed: If he had easier opponents, then yes. But Manchester United has kept a clean sheet in each of their last five home EPL games, and Tottenham has kept back-to-back clean sheets (one in the league and one in the F.A. Cup) as they look to tighten things up defensively. Manchester City has also failed to score in three of their last five EPL games against Tottenham, so while I believe Haaland scores at least once this gameweek, triple captaining him feels like a trap.

Who's keeping a clean sheet in Gameweek 20?

• Euan Leith: I stayed up past my bedtime to watch Southampton versus Nottingham Forest and was thoroughly disappointed in the toothless Southsiders. Therefore, I like Jordan Pickford and Everton to keep a clean sheet at Goodison Park. While the Toffees aren't defensively stout per se, they haven't lost to Southampton at home since 1997. That allows me to trust the blue side of Liverpool.
• Jamie Steed: Brentford will be an underused defense this week despite hosting a Bournemouth team that has failed to score in their three EPL games since the World Cup. Newcastle United is always a great option to keep a clean sheet, even against an in-form Fulham team.

Which defensive player is providing an attacking return?

• Euan Leith: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. After bagging a clean sheet on the road at Arsenal, Kieran Trippier returns home to St. James' Park versus Fulham. The England international is pivotal in the Magpies' attack and has the added safety of being a bonus-point magnet. Newcastle has kept four consecutive clean sheets at home. Meanwhile, Fulham's 13 goals conceded on the road compared to their 16.94 expected Goals Conceded is the third biggest gap in the league.
• Jamie Steed: Not only does Brentford have a great chance to keep a clean sheet, but don’t be surprised if one of their defenders gets on the scoresheet. Brentford has scored the fourth-most goals from set-pieces, while Bournemouth has conceded the most. Ben Mee has a couple of goals already this season, and they caused Liverpool no end of issues from set-pieces last time out.

Who's a midfielder or forward rostered in less than 10 percent of teams that will grab us those FPL points?

• Euan Leith: Kaoru Mitoma was a super-sub in Qatar for Japan, and he's carried that form into the Premier League. Since the restart, the Brighton midfielder has scored two goals and added one bonus point in the top flight. And he added another assist over the weekend in the F.A. Cup. At £4.9 million and the potential of a Seagulls' double gameweek on the horizon, Mitoma is an enticing short and long-term addition to your FPL side.
• Jamie Steed: Solly March has two goals and an assist in his last three games and has five assists on the season, including one against this week’s opponents, Liverpool. He’s in less than 1% of teams yet ranks 18^th among midfielders in points scored and is only £5m. On the other hand, Riyad Mahrez is only on 2.1% of squads and has been finding the net recently. I doubt he will start both of Manchester City’s games this week, but he will probably be in one starting lineup and is an excellent differential to Phil Foden and de Bruyne.

If you could bring in any player you don't have on your team for this gameweek, who would it be and why?

• Euan Leith: I have Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford on my side, yet I'm still tempted to bring Ederson as my third City player. With the blue side of Manchester staring at a double gameweek in 20 and 23, the backup Brazilian may be the best keeper on the market. Besides him, I'm also staring at Christian Eriksen, Ivan Perisic, Matt Doherty, and the meteoric rise of Rico Lewis.
• Jamie Steed: Tottenham will get a penalty in one of their two games, and Harry Kane will score it, but I can’t get him in my team without dropping Haaland, which isn’t happening anytime soon! He’s my primary FOMO candidate for this week.

Who's getting the Captain's armband?

• Euan Leith: Erling Haaland has two games and was rested in the F.A. Cup. The Norwegian is a clear standout pick. However, if you want to live on the edge, I don't mind Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane, or Haaland's teammate, De Bruyne.
• Jamie Steed: Although I’m not triple-captaining anyone this week, captaining someone with two games is the right call, so I’m leaning into Haaland, de Bruyne, or Marcus Rashford. I think Rashford will be the less captained of the trio and will likely go with him.

Finally, what's your bold prediction for this weekend's slate of games?

• Euan Leith: Manchester United and Tottenham win their respective derbies and throw the title chase into chaos. Plus, Liverpool and Chelsea continue to struggle and drift further from Champions League contention.
• Jamie Steed: Tottenham and Crystal Palace both go unbeaten in their two games, while the bottom three at the end of this weekend will be Southampton, Everton, and West Ham United, all of whom will have 15 points.

Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on Twitter @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!