Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 25 Staff Roundtable

Welcome to Gameweek 25, 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.

After a standard 10-game slate last weekend, this week's 10-game slate is anything but! With Manchester United and Newcastle United contesting the EFL Cup final, we have four teams without a fixture. Still, four teams have a double gameweek, making it all the more crucial to get your lineups set and maximized to try and capitalize on those bonus midweek fixtures.

The Gameweek 25 deadline is 11:00 am Eastern on Friday, February 24. 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.

And of course, #FPL can translate into #DFS, all of which we have plenty of at @RotoBaller https://t.co/U9pKeHkJYv pic.twitter.com/z2ubf1KeKj

— Jamie Steed (@Baseball_Jimbo) February 4, 2023

RotoBaller FPL Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 25

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 25!

It’s a blank gameweek with four teams not playing. How many players do you have from those clubs and will you be swapping them out?

• Euan Leith: I have Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, and Kieran Trippier from the blanking clubs. I could field 10 right now but have some question marks lurking in my lineup. The simple move will be to get rid of Bruno and Shaw for a couple of double GW players. However, I want to get through all the midweek European action before I finalize any decisions.
• Jamie Steed: Initially, I had six, but with a couple of transfers, I only have four, all of whom I can leave on the bench. On the flip side of that, I have seven in my lineup with two games this week so I’m pretty well set.

Strangely enough, it’s also a double gameweek and four teams play twice. Who are the top three players to get among those four clubs?

• Euan Leith: Arsenal and Liverpool should fill this list quite easily. Bukayo Saka and Mohamed Salah would be the top two picks. Then, anyone from Martin Ødegaard, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, or Eddie Nketiah would be excellent third options. I prefer the Norwegian midfielder as his expected minutes will be highest among the other four options.
• Jamie Steed: Bukayo Saka is my number one pick, followed by Martin Ødegaard, and then it’s someone I’ve been mentioning for the last couple of weeks and who is showing signs of coming good: Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo. In truth, Mo Salah could be a great play this week, too, but it may be difficult to afford to roster him, so pivoting to Gakpo is a reasonable alternative.

There was quite a swing in the captaincy in GW24 with Marcus Rashford coming out on top versus Erling Haaland. Does this make you more confident going against the Norwegian in future gameweek?

• Euan Leith: Man City has closed the gap on Arsenal at the top, but it’s been with some inconsistent performances. Haaland isn’t receiving the same type of on-a-plate service he saw before the World Cup. Fading the Norwegian is an exciting (but risky) strategy if you need to boost your overall rank or climb up your important mini-leagues.
• Jamie Steed: I wouldn’t say so as I still don’t believe Rashford will maintain this form (although I’m not expecting it to fall off a cliff). And the thing with Haaland is his goals tend to come en masse. He has four hat tricks and three braces so he has been a little boom or bust, albeit with more boom than bust.

Liverpool has seen the return of some key players. With two wins on the bounce, do you trust them as long-term assets after this double gameweek?

• Euan Leith: In their last two games, the Reds look different. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them go on a rampage for the remainder of the season. They looked quick and decisive in attack versus Everton and Newcastle. Diogo Jota, Robert Firmino, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, and a healthy Luis Diaz will be an insanely talented supporting cast for Salah. I think the Egyptian King will return to FPL royalty soon enough.
• Jamie Steed: I wouldn’t say I trust them (especially after that debacle against Real Madrid on Tuesday) but with a double gameweek, I’m certainly prepared to take a chance on a couple this week and run with them. They were always likely to come good at some point (even if not back to their best) so while rostering a Liverpool player hasn’t been useful recently, they shouldn’t be disregarded moving forward.

Meanwhile, Chelsea is going in the wrong direction under Graham Potter. Do you have any interest in a Stamford Bridge footballer?

• Euan Leith: The only man in blue for me right now is João Félix. However, he is a forward in the game. With Haaland and Harry Kane as non-negotiable on my side, it’s tough to fit him in the lineup. Reece James could come back into my thoughts soon, but I’ll wait for some more fixtures to drop and see if Chelsea gets another DGW.
• Jamie Steed: I’ve not been rostering any for some time now but Reece James is still a viable starter. Outside of him, I’ve got João Félix and Mykhailo Mudryk on my watchlist. I’m just not going to be rostering either unless I see some signs of life from this team.

Who is keeping a clean sheet in GW25?

• Euan Leith: Liverpool has a clean sheet in back-to-back games for the first time since October. Now they’ll get two bites at the apple with Crystal Palace (minus Wilfried Zaha) and Wolves.
• Jamie Steed: I fancy Liverpool to keep one (if not two) against Crystal Palace and Wolves. Among the teams with one game, West Ham United at home to Nottingham Forest and Everton at home to Aston Villa are my preferred choices.

Which defensive player is providing an attacking return?

• Euan Leith: James Tarkowski has been an absolute menace on set pieces. At £4.3 million with a double gameweek, he’s one of the players I’m considering bringing in as a longer-term option.
• Jamie Steed: Dare I say Trent Alexander-Arnold produces something in one of the two games, following on from his assist last weekend. As an outside shout, James Tarkowski has a goal, hit the woodwork, and was denied by a great save all in the three games since Sean Dyche took over, so with two games, I’d certainly consider him as an option.

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

• Euan Leith: It’s not the glamorous choice, but James Ward-Prowse deserves a mention. Southampton has a double gameweek in GW27. Plus, the midfielder is one free-kick shy of matching David Beckham for the all-time lead in set-piece goals in the Premier League.
• Jamie Steed: I mentioned him earlier, but Cody Gakpo. He’s scored in back-to-back games and his uptick in form is linked with Liverpool’s, so with two decent games this week and at just 4.2% rostered, Gakpo is definitely someone I’m rolling with this week.

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: Darwin Nunez seems to be clicking at exactly the right time. That finish versus Real Madrid was sublime and the goal against Newcastle seems to have opened the floodgates. If I bring him in, Harry Kane will have to make way, so it’s an incredibly tough choice.
• Jamie Steed: I’d really like Mo Salah this week if I could afford him, given he’s bagged 17 points in his last two games. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets that this week and will be a popular captain choice for those who have stuck with him during the rough spell.

Who's getting the Captain's armband?

• Euan Leith: Mohamed Salah will be the most popular captain. I’ll probably play it safe after my Marcus Rashford gamble last week and go with the masses backing Mo.
• Jamie Steed: I’m going with my number one choice for the week and that’s Bukayo Saka. There are plenty of good attack-minded players with two games this week so most all FPL managers will have one of those to captain this week.

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

• Euan Leith: Liverpool takes a maximum of six points from their two games. Southampton gets off the bottom of the table. And Graham Potter isn’t the Chelsea manager on Tuesday morning.
• Jamie Steed: After a bit of a dearth of goals last weekend (21 in 10 games, with six coming in the first game of the weekend), we’ll see over 35 in the 10 games this week. And there will be six teams separated by three points between 13^th and 18^th place.

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!