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Welcome to the Gameweek 19 FPL Staff Roundtable, RotoBallers! The previous Gameweek ended yesterday, but there's no rest for the wicked during the FPL festive fixture crunch.
Clubs up and down the table are looking to keep their players fit, so FPL managers need to prepare for rotation and build a deeper-than-usual bench together. It's also a tough stretch because we want to accumulate transfers to react to significant injuries, such as the Bukayo Saka situation from last week.
The Gameweek 19 deadline for the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League season is Sunday, December 29, at 8:00 a.m. ET, when Leicester hosts Man City. 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 19 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 19!
Who is Keeping a Clean Sheet in Gameweek 19?
Euan Leith: Crystal Palace hasn't been a rock at the back this year, but it's hard to overlook a home tie versus Southampton. The Saints have scored a league-low four goals away from home this season. I'm backing the Eagles to soar and secure back-to-back clean sheets for the first time this season.
Jamie Steed: Southampton has only scored four goals in nine games away from home. Crystal Palace bounced back from a 5-1 thumping by Arsenal by drawing with Bournemouth 0-0. I fancy the Eagles will shut out the Saints this week.
The FPL Manual (Wale): I will back Crystal Palace to keep a clean sheet in Gameweek 19. The Eagles blocked out an in-form, goal-scoring Bournemouth side, and I favor Palace to carry on with their excellent defensive prowess against Southampton at Selhurst Park.
If you have any Palace defensive assets, consider yourself lucky for potential clean sheet points this week.
Nothing to separate Bournemouth and Crystal Palace 🤝#BOUCRY | #FestiveFixtures pic.twitter.com/GMro8vPqiK
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 26, 2024
What Defensive Player is Providing Attacking Returns?
Euan: Josko Gvardiol (£6.0m) banged a header off the post against Everton and had another good chance in the prior game versus Aston Villa. The Croatian defender has produced at least 0.37 xGI in four of his last seven games but only has one return in that stretch.
Leicester shipped three goals to Liverpool on Thursday evening, and it could've been more. The Foxes fail to guard set pieces regularly, and it won't be surprising to see Gvardiol grabbing a goal in the Gameweek's opening match.
Jamie: Tottenham’s defense has been decimated by injuries. That could leave the door open for Rayan Aït-Nouri (£4.8m) to get his seventh goal involvement of the season. He’s had 17 shots and 36 shot-creating actions in 17 games. Aït-Nouri has a great chance to reward FPL managers this week.
Wale: Despite Man City’s recent struggles, Josko Gvardiol stands out as an excellent attacking option in City’s defense, scoring four goals this season. The Cityzens next matchup against Leicester presents a good opportunity for Gvardiol to contribute an attacking return for FPL managers.
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: With Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.3m) suspended for the West Ham match, FPL managers can cast their eye over to Alexis Mac Allister (£6.2m) at Liverpool. The Argentinian midfielder has three returns in his last two games, and he's started four of the previous five matches for the Reds.
The Hammers have conceded the second-most xG (17.1) at home this season, while Liverpool has scored the second-most goals (22) in away fixtures. Mac Allister is in 1.4 percent of FPL squads and is an excellent punt if you want to make a big leap heading into 2025.
Jamie: Jacob Murphy (£5.0m) has three goals and four assists in his last four games. Newcastle will fancy their chances of beating a completely out-of-form Manchester United this weekend. Murphy is in a great position to reward the 2.7% of FPL managers rostering him.
Wale: When I see a Spurs home game, I always tend to favor one of their attackers as a differential option. Tottenham’s captain, Son Heung-min (£9.8m), has been quiet since his 14-point haul in Gameweek 16, and I anticipate the South Korean will find his scoring boots.
With under 7% ownership, I’ll be backing Sonny to go all out and secure a double-digit return in Gameweek 19.
A brace for Jacob Murphy! 💥 pic.twitter.com/hQKBfXSeIH
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 14, 2024
Who is a Player You Want but Can’t Get for Gameweek 19 in FPL?
Euan: If I told you in Gameweek 1 there was a world where FPL managers weren't trying feverishly to get Erling Haaland (£14.8m) into our teams before a Leicester match, you would've questioned my sanity. However, that is the reality we live in right now.
Acquiring the Norwegian for one week would be a fantastic differential, but it would compromise the rest of my squad too much. I'll have to let the Robot run rampant on Sunday afternoon without him on my team. An angry hat-trick feels well within reach for Haaland.
Jamie: Having to replace Bukayo Saka (£10.4m) has meant I can only bring in a midfielder unless I take a minus. As a result, I’ll be unable to bring in Ollie Watkins (£8.8m). With Jhon Duran (£5.9m) now suspended, Watkins will want to win back his starting spot and we could see a mini hot streak from the English forward.
Wale: My current FPL nemesis would be Wolves talisman Matheus Cunha (£7.1m). Cunha recently overtook Haaland among the top-ranking FPL forwards, scoring 10 goals for Wolves before the new year. It’s quite a shame, as I have never had the Brazilian in my FPL team.
Gameweek 19 is the perfect opportunity to invest in Cunha and jump on the bandwagon; however, I have missed the Cunha train and will likely avoid him due to Wolves tough schedule ahead.
Who’s Getting the Captain’s Armband?
Euan: Mohamed Salah (£13.5m) has 16 goals and 11 assists in 18 games. There's no need to overthink this choice. However, I don't mind Cole Palmer (£11.3m) if you're trying to end the 2024 calendar year with a differential bang.
Jamie: I find myself with ten outfield players starting for me, playing away from home. So, without any home advantage, I’m opting for a safety-first approach and giving the armband to Mo Salah.
Wale: Simple answer: Mohamed Salah. ‘Mr. Consistent,’ as I call him, has been involved in 27 attacking contributions for the Reds in the league. The Egyptian King is also just 14 points away from hitting the 200-point FPL mark and could achieve that record before the new year.
Therefore, Salah will remain an easy perma-captain option for my FPL team for the foreseeable future.
Mohamed Salah coming in clutch for #FPL managers (as well as his Liverpool side, of course...) pic.twitter.com/5L8RfxYJoJ
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) December 27, 2024
What’s your Bold Prediction for Gameweek 19?
Euan: It's a little tongue in cheek, but Man City manages to grab its first away win since Gameweek 8. In FPL land, Diogo Jota (£7.2m) and Luis Diaz (£7.5m) bag a brace of returns each to outscore Mohamed Salah. Plus, Daniel Munoz (£4.7m) is the highest-scoring defender.
Jamie: Erling Haaland finds the net this weekend along with Alexander Isak (£9.1m) and Matheus Cunha (£7.1m). The top three points scoring forwards all staking a claim as being vital pieces for FPL teams.
Wale: Nottingham Forest defeats Everton at Goodison Park and secures a fifth consecutive win in December. Tottenham return to winning ways with a 2-1 victory against Wolves and end Vitor Pereira’s “new manager bounce” honeymoon, while Mohamed Salah crosses 200 FPL points this weekend.
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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!
