RADIO
Welcome to Gameweek 20, RotoBallers! This is our third year covering FPL, and we are bringing you more coverage than ever. We publish two weekly articles: a staff roundtable preview and our weekly rankings. Then, once a month, we have our newest report, The Watchlist, a review of the previous month and a look ahead to the upcoming fixtures.
Nineteen gameweeks down, 19 to go. The gameweeks are coming fast and furious, but the festive fixture crunch finally ends with Gameweek 20. After this, we have two weeks to catch our FPL breath and reset for the campaign's second half. It's a bit of a strange schedule, as there are games from Saturday until Tuesday. The gameweek highlight is Monday night when Liverpool looks to pull the double over Newcastle with a win at Anfield.
The Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 20 deadline is 6:00 AM ET on Saturday, December 30, when Luton Town welcomes Chelsea. Also, look out for the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League, Major League Soccer, and UEFA Champions League slate from a DFS and betting perspective.
Find someone who loves you as much as @Baseball_Jimbo loves Alfie Doughty after his great call in this week’s @RotoBaller #FPL preview pic.twitter.com/lKVqx48H3y
— Euan Leith (@EuanFPL) December 27, 2023
Fantasy Premier League Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 20 Preview
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!
Who is keeping a clean sheet in Gameweek 20?
- Euan Leith: On Tuesday evening, Aston Villa and Emi Martinez were shellshocked in the second half at Old Trafford. After leading 2-0 at halftime, Villa conceded three straight goals to blow an opportunity to move into second in the league. Unai Emery won't let his team keep their heads down for long, and they've got a 41 percent chance at a clean sheet, according to the betting world.
- Jamie Steed: Manchester City and Aston Villa are the likeliest options given their opponents. But as a less popular option, I fancy Crystal Palace to shut out Brentford. Their home form hasn’t been great, but Brentford’s only scored eight goals in eight games on their travels. They’ve blanked in two of their last three away games and will still be without Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo.
- Tom Bellucco: Aston Villa and Tottenham are great examples of teams emphasizing sound defense and clean play coming off frustrating losses. Their matchups bode well for them to keep clean sheets at home. Man City is also an easy answer at home against Sheffield United.
What defensive player is providing attacking returns?
- Euan: Since Gameweek 14, Newcastle is 19th for expected goals conceded (xGC) and was knocked out by Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day. Liverpool is still a juggernaut at Anfield despite some lackluster offensive performances in previous weeks. Trent Alexander Arnold is flying now and has returned to his rightful position as the best defender in the game. He is quickly becoming an essential FPL asset.
- Jamie: Sorry Alfie Doughty. I still love you, but I’m going with Alex Moreno. Lucas Digne is set for a (short) spell on the sidelines, and Moreno showed last year he’s an attacking threat. After joining the club in January, he started 14 games for Villa and tallied three assists. For Betis and Villa, Moreno had five goals and nine assists over the last two seasons and he scored in his only EPL start of this campaign on Matchday 17.
- Tom: Pedro Porro is in great offensive form of late, and he picked up a late assist despite the shocking Tottenham loss on Thursday. The Spanish right-back is an excellent bet for more production at home against Bournemouth this week.
Who's a midfielder or forward rostered on less than 10 percent of teams that will grab us those FPL points?
- Euan: Despite his team putting up four goals versus Tottenham on Thursday, Brighton's Pascal Groß (3.6 percent) wasn't involved in any of them. It was unusual for the Seagull's midfielder as he's registered at least 0.30 xGI in seven consecutive starts. With Brighton flying high and employing a relentless attack, I expect the German to get back in the assist column or on the score sheet soon enough against West Ham.
- Jamie: I did like Jack Grealish this weekend, but he picked up a fifth yellow card of the season on Wednesday, meaning he’s suspended. That should ensure Bernardo Silva continues in the advanced role he’s been deployed in since Erling Haaland’s injury. Wednesday saw Silva score and assist a goal during his 11th consecutive EPL start. All of which he’s played at least 80 minutes of. Being on 3.3% of FPL rosters makes him a great play this week.
- Tom: Now might be the time to start buying in on Mykhailo Mudryk. He's still not getting full 90-minute runs, but he looked powerful in his 70 minutes against Crystal Palace, creating a handful of chances and making great runs en route to his goal. He appears to be a key that can unlock more offensive potential for Chelsea, and they get Luton this week, which could become transitional in a hurry if things break right.
Victory against Spurs was only Brighton's third victory since #FPL Gameweek 6!
Are you presuaded to invest in Seagulls players by a kind run of upcoming fixtures? 🟢 pic.twitter.com/1xRPMBUkvq
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) December 29, 2023
Who is one player you want to, but can’t, have for the Gameweek 20 fixtures in Fantasy Premier League?
- Euan: At £4.7 million, Alejandro Garnacho is mighty tempting as a reactionary transfer. His two goals on Tuesday night got Man United back into its contest with Aston Villa. I'm holding off one more week because I'm considering a defensive transfer to get Jamaal Lascelles out of my team or upgrading Darwin Nunez to Julian Alvarez versus Sheffield United.
- Jamie: I have three injured players (two defenders) and two midfielders set to head off to the African Cup of Nations. So, I need to change one defender this week to ensure I can field a full XI. That means I can’t bring in an extra Man City player for their weekend cake-walk game. So Bernardo Silva is my FOMO this weekend.
- Tom: I have to wait one more week to clear some salary, but Guglielmo Vicario is someone I'm dying to get on my squad ASAP, and GW 20 is a great time to get aboard if you're able. The Italian keeper was peppered with shots from the jump against Brighton and made some incredible saves despite allowing four goals (two on penalties). Don't let one bad result steer you away because Vicario is the real deal on a solid team that will bounce back defensively. I'll be buying in within the next week or two.
Who’s getting the Captain’s armband?
- Euan: Newcastle has been incredibly leaky over the last six games, and Anthony Elanga and Chris Wood tore them apart at home. Elanga plays on the same side as a certain Mohamed Salah. With the Egyptian King about to depart for AFCON, he'll want to give the Anfield faithful a pleasant memory to remember him by over the next month.
- Jamie: I’m edging towards Mohammed Kudus over Jarrod Bowen this week. Brighton can’t keep a clean sheet, and both West Ham midfielders have been in excellent form. However, Bowen hasn’t scored a bonus point over their last seven games, while Kudus has nine in that span. It feels like Bowen is safer, but Kudus has a greater chance of a 20-point haul with the armband.
- Tom: If Mo Salah is on your squad, he's the easy answer against a nightmare Newcastle defense. If not, Son Heung-min remains as reliable as it gets to create goals. You can't go wrong with either of those two.
Mohammed Kudus since #FPL Gameweek 11:
⚽ Five goals
🅰️ Three assists
🎯 10 bonus points
💰 60 points (the most of any midfielder)Will he contribute again in #ARSWHU? pic.twitter.com/R9dVjbVbmo
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) December 28, 2023
Finally, what’s your bold prediction for Gameweek 20?
- Euan: Luton beats Chelsea to kick off Gameweek 20. Meanwhile, there are five goals in the Spurs-Bournemouth contest, and West Ham grabs another impressive victory with a win over Brighton on Tuesday evening.
- Jamie: Now that I’ve said it, I'll will it into existence; Kudus will score at least ten points. Forest brings Manchester United back down to Earth with a bump. And the team of the week will consist of four players from West Ham and Crystal Palace.
- Tom: Man City gets its mojo back, winning 6-0 against a completely outmatched Sheffield United squad. Meanwhile, our two New Year matches combine for eight goals or more, providing fireworks as we head into January.
Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
