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Fantasy Premier League (FPL) continues for Gameweek 20. This will be the fastest turnaround of the season -- there is not even a full 24 hours between the final Gameweek 19 fixture and the deadline for Gameweek 20.
COVID-19 continues to run amok in the Premier League: both the Leeds United vs. Aston Villa and Arsenal vs. Wolves matches have already been postponed due to Leeds and Wolves having insufficient players because of positive tests and injuries.
Managing an FPL team is challenging, but managing an FPL team during the current COVID-19 breakout can feel impossible at times. Thankfully, the FPL officials seem to agree and have gone ahead and gifted us with an extra “Free Hit” chip that becomes active this round. A Free Hit allows for unlimited transfers in a single Gameweek. However, the lineup will be returned to how it was at the start of the Gameweek for the next deadline.
Multiple players picked up injuries and suspensions during Gameweek 19. Thiago Silva and N’Golo Kanté were subbed off in the second half and are unlikely to play against Brighton. Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford was pulled in the first half for precautionary reasons due to a tight calf and will be reassessed before Wednesday’s match. Regarding suspensions, Tyrone Mings, Christian Norgaard, and Declan Rice will all miss their upcoming fixtures because they picked up their fifth yellow card. Wilfried Zaha will be inactive for round 20 as well after being sent off against Tottenham.
At any rate, you can keep up with all Premier League news on the NBC Sports Edge site HERE.
Switching gears to our NBC Sports league, congratulations to Heather Fear, manager of AFC Richmond, for scoring 112 points. Heather took advantage of one of the Free Hits and made a great captain choice in Lucas Moura, who scored 34. They also received double-digit performances from Bukayo Saka, Kieran Tierney, and James Maddison.
The App is Back! Don’t forget to download the NBC Sports EDGE app to receive real-time player news, mobile alerts and track your favorite players. Plus, now you can check out articles and player cards. Get it here!
Top Transfer Targets will look at the roster tiers in FPL, breaking down the best options in each. The tiers will be broken down as The 40 percent or more club, 25-40 percent owned, 15-24 percent, 10-15 percent, and under 10 percent.
Let’s look at this week’s fixtures:
Tuesday, December 28
Crystal Palace vs. Norwich
Southampton vs. Tottenham
Watford vs. West Ham
Leicester vs. Liverpool
Wednesday, December 29
Chelsea vs. Brighton
Brentford vs. Manchester City
Thursday, December 30
Manchester United vs. Burnley
No explanation needed (40 percent or more rostered):
Mohamed Salah saw a bit of an ownership drop due to Liverpool’s Gameweek 19 fixture being suspended. However, he is still the highest selected player with 64.5% ownership. His teammate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, is the only other player to crack the 40% club, being selected by 42.5% of managers. The two stars will be on the road against Leicester City this week.
Don’t get caught out in the crowd (25-40 percent rostered):
Conor Gallagher (MID Crystal Palace 6.1m, 25.6%): Conor Gallagher has blanked in his last two weeks, yet he still has the fifth-most fantasy points for midfielders this season (91). The 21-year-old has been directly involved in nine goals this season, with six goals and three assists. He has also earned two fantasy assists by drawing two penalties. Crystal Palace will be home against Norwich City tomorrow, favoring Gallagher and his chances to be involved in another goal. The Canaries are at the bottom of the table and have given up 11 goals in their last four matches.
Worth your consideration (16-24 percent rostered):
Virgil Van Dijk (DEF Liverpool 4.4m, 14.6%): Virgil Van Dijk is slightly under the ownership count for this category, but I still believe he is someone worth considering this week. So far, the Dutchman has led his team to 10 clean sheets this season and is a proven threat on set pieces. This season, Van Dijk has 17 shots and one goal. Liverpool will face Leicester City on Tuesday and it’s important to note that the Foxes are in the bottom half of the league for expected goal differential (-2.1).
Solid if not Steller (10-15 percent rostered):
Phil Foden (MID Manchester City 8.1m, 10.1%): Phil Foden was publicly punished by Pep Guardiola for breaking team protocol, playing just 19 minutes in the last two Gameweeks. However, Foden will be in the starting lineup on Tuesday, whether because he has served his full punishment or simply because the other players need to rest. The 21-year-old has seven-goal involvements, and 17% of the possessions he has been involved in this season end in a shot (eighth in EPL). Manchester City will be away against Brentford on Wednesday and the Bees have conceded multiple goals in four of their last five games.
Rolling the dice (under 10 percent rostered):
Jorginho (MID Chelsea 5.8m, 5.2%): Penalty kicks or not, Jorginho has scored six goals in his last six matches, and that is just something we cannot ignore. Jorginho has also become a bigger offensive threat overall as he has recorded seven key passes in his last six Premier League outings. Chelsea will be home against Brighton on Wednesday and it’s worth mentioning that the Bees have failed to win a game on the road since Gameweek 4.
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