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Welcome to the Gameweek 15 FPL Staff Roundtable, RotoBallers! Another quick turnaround for us FPL managers as Gameweek 14 ended Thursday evening.
There are great games all weekend, and the Merseyside derby kicks things off. Elsewhere, Man United hosts Nottingham Forest, and Spurs meet Chelsea in the battle for European spots.
The Gameweek 15 deadline of the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League season is Saturday, December 7, at 6:00 a.m. ET, when Everton and Liverpool do battle in the Merseyside derby. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every EPL and UCL slate with our DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
Fantasy Premier League Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 15 Preview
The Staff Roundtable is an attempt to get you inside the minds of our FPL writers. 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 15!
Who is Keeping a Clean Sheet in Gameweek 15?
Euan Leith: Arsenal kept Man United in check on Wednesday night and will attempt to do the same in a London derby versus Fulham. The Cottagers scored three goals versus Brighton on Thursday, but the Gunner's defense is on an entirely different level.
Jamie Steed: Manchester United suffered their first loss under Ruben Amorim on Wednesday. But I expect them to win and shut out Nottingham Forest this weekend. Forest blanked for the second time in three games on Wednesday. That was their successive 3-0 away loss, and I expect Andre Onana (£5.2m) to add to his league-leading six clean sheets.
The FPL Manual (Wale): Man United has been exceptional in defense, securing the most clean sheets this season. With a home match against Nottingham Forest, I’m backing the Red Devils to keep a clean sheet ahead of Gameweek 15.
Double-up on the Arsenal defence or attack? 🛡️⚔️@LaurensJulien is favouring doubling-up at the back with the Gunners 💪#FPLPod | #FPL
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) December 6, 2024
What Defensive Player is Providing Attacking Returns?
Euan: Trent Alexander Arnold (£6.9m) came off the bench and provided his second and third assists of the season in a 3-3 draw with Newcastle. The English fullback is the most creative defender in the league and will want to quiet the Goodison Park crowd one last time with some magic moments.
Jamie: Aston Villa returned to winning ways in midweek, and that should continue with a home game against Southampton this weekend. The Saints conceded 11 goals in their last four games after being thumped 5-1 by Chelsea on Wednesday. All of that leads me to back Lucas Digne (£4.7m) to provide a big points haul this week.
Wale: Ipswich defender Leif Davis (£4.5m) is currently third in the league for big chances created, with 10 so far. The Tractor Boys are yet to secure a home win this season; however, I expect Gameweek 15 to be a turning point, with Davis potentially contributing an attacking return.
Best Midfielder or Forward Who Isn't Rostered
Who is rostered in 10 percent of teams or less who can grab those FPL points?
Euan: Since returning in Gameweek 11, Martin Odegaard (£8.3m) has one goal and two assists. Even on Wednesday night, when he "blanked," the Norwegian produced 0.44 xGI. He is the engine that keeps Arsenal turning, and he often thrives in these games against non-top six competition.
Jamie: Evanilson (£6.0m) bagged a hat-trick of assists last weekend. That gave the Summer signing eight goal involvements on the season in 11 starts. A home game against Ipswich Town may not be as easy as it seems on paper, given they’ve conceded no more than once in a game over their last five matches. But Evanilson is a sneaky good striking option with a nice run of fixtures this month, starting on Sunday.
Wale: Brighton’s forward Georginio Rutter (£5.6m) recently recorded six shot attempts against Southampton in Gameweek 13. Although he was unlucky to score then, the 22-year-old has been on my radar for a while.
At less than 2% ownership, I anticipate Rutter as a top differential option for Gameweek 15, when the Seagulls travel to play against Leicester at the King Power Stadium.
Who is a Player You Want but Can’t Get for Gameweek 15 in FPL?
Euan: Nicolas Jackson (£8.2m) got his rest midweek against Southampton and should go right back into the starting lineup versus Spurs. Unfortunately, I'm riding with Alexander Isak (£8.4m) at that price, and that takes me out of the running to acquire the Senegalese striker.
Jamie: I was fully prepared to oust Erling Haaland this week if he and City struggled again. But we saw signs of life from both, which means I’m reluctant to move on from Haaland. Until then, I won’t be rostering Mo Salah (£13.2m), a mistake that looks worse each week. Salah is primed to hurt me again.
Wale: West Ham United's captain, Jarrod Bowen (£7.4m), is an attractive fantasy option due to the club's upcoming favorable fixtures. Unfortunately, I don’t have the funds to bring in Bowen, except at the cost of another essential fantasy asset in my team.
The 'most-transferred in curse' strikes again 😑
Were you one of the 888,855 managers who bought Nicolas Jackson for Gameweek 14? 😅#FPL pic.twitter.com/013pMX9fkJ
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) December 5, 2024
Who’s Getting the Captain’s Armband?
Euan: After another double-digit haul against Newcastle, Mohamed Salah (£13.2m) is getting the armband. He's on pace for a record-breaking 409 FPL points this season, and I don't see that run of form stopping against Everton.
Jamie: My policy of captaining Bryan Mbeumo (£7.7m) in home games bit me last weekend. Despite Brentford scoring four, Mbeumo blanked. I’m ready to get hurt again, so I will be sticking to the policy and hoping Brentford can take advantage of a Newcastle United side that gave everything in midweek and conceded three goals in the process.
Wale: With back-to-back double digits for four consecutive weeks, the simple answer is Mohamed Salah (£13.2m). He is likely a perma-captain FPL option for the busy holiday fixtures, and with the Merseyside Derby next, you can expect the Egyptian king to step up in these high-stake games and score a goal.
The #FPL points rankings make for some very interesting reading 🇪🇬👑
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107 - Palmer pic.twitter.com/SlhuvkvcTq— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) December 5, 2024
What’s your Bold Prediction for Gameweek 15?
Euan: The losing manager from the West Ham and Wolves match will be fired before Gameweek 16. Regarding FPL, Mohamed Salah makes it another double-digit haul with a hat-trick against his Merseyside rivals.
Jamie: Tottenham and Chelsea play out a seven-goal thriller which sees six different scorers. Ultimately, Nicholas Jackson (£8.2m) ends the weekend as the highest-scorer in FPL.
Wale: Ipswich, West Ham, and Brentford secure home victories against their opponents, while the Tottenham vs. Chelsea clash ends in a draw. Regarding fantasy returns, Yoanne Wissa (£6.2m) continues his goal-scoring form at the Gtech Community stadium, while Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m) scores a pen for Man United.
Join the Rotoballer FPL League
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— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 18, 2024
Stick around for more 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League content coming soon. Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
