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Welcome to Blank Gameweek 18, 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.
17 gameweeks down, 21 to go. Due to commitments with the Club World Cup, Man City will not feature in Gameweek 18. As a result, neither will their scheduled opponent, Brentford. FPL managers have some headaches regarding who to bench or transfer out ahead of Gameweek 18. And to top it all off, we've got a Thursday deadline to remember. So stay on top of those lineup locks!
The Fantasy Premier League Blank Gameweek 18 deadline is 1:30 PM ET on Thursday, December 21, when Crystal Palace entertains Brighton. 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.
Fantasy Premier League Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 18 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 Blank Gameweek 18!
Man City and Brentford do not play in Gameweek 18. Would you transfer their players out if you had any?
- Euan Leith: Due to the injuries of Erling Haaland and Bryan Mbeumo, that headache has resolved itself, and I no longer have any players from those two squads. However, if you've kept a Julian Alvarez or Phil Foden for this run, I would hold them through the blank gameweek. It sounds like Haaland won't be fully fit for Gameweek 19 and allow Alvarez and Foden to lead the line against Everton next week.
- Jamie Steed: Depends on who they are, but generally, no. That’s providing you have at least one outfield player on your bench. Don’t forget this game needs to be made up at some point. If you can have four or more players for that particular double gameweek, it could make a huge difference.
- Tom Bellucco: I bailed on Erling Haaland after the injury news last week, so I'll make things easy and say yes, transfer out anyone on those two squads for now. There are plenty of value opportunities this week!
Richarlison has three goals in the last two games. Is the Brazilian back on the FPL radar?
- Euan: Yes, and I'm considering a hit to make it happen. In the first 15 gameweeks of the campaign, Richarlison had 32 points. In the last two games, he's bagged 24. His xGI/90 is up, and he's added three bonus points in the previous two contests. With Son Heung-min off to the Asian Cup in the coming weeks, Richarlison is the perfect price downgrade to keep the exposure to the Spurs' strikeforce.
- Jamie: Yes, but I’m not pulling the trigger based on two games. He’s been a flop for the entirety of his Tottenham career and can lose his head when things don’t go well. I need to see more from him before I’d be comfortable adding him, given the great midfield options in the game right now.
- Tom: Richarlison's form has been strong, and a role that includes passes from Son Heung-min is plenty valuable, but we've seen these hot flashes end in long droughts many times before. I'll steer clear for now in exchange for more trustworthy options.
Dan Burn returned in Gameweek 17, and Sven Botman is also close to a comeback. Outside of Keiran Trippier, who is the best Newcastle defensive asset in FPL?
- Euan: The entire Newcastle squad looks leggy after a brutal schedule that has eliminated them from European competitions and the League Cup. While the rest between games gets more manageable, I expect rotation along the backline until the fitness and health returns for the Magpies. As a result, I wouldn't rush to bring any Newcastle assets in, and my favorite asset for the Toon Army defense would be their goalkeeper, Martin Durbravka.
- Jamie: I’ve been running with Jamaal Lascelles recently as I picked him up for £4.0m. But I fear he reverts to a bench role when everyone is fit, so I’d say Dan Burn. Because he can play as a left-back or center-back, his versatility makes him more likely to play every week for Newcastle.
- Tom: Fabian Schar may not be out for long, but a couple of weeks as a precaution makes sense because Tino Livramento has been playing sound defense of late. With Burn, Botman, or Lascelles slated to remain at CB in Schar's absence, give me Livramento to finally start showing up on offense with some overlaps and crosses.
Darwin Nunez continues to disappoint in FPL. Would you hold onto the Uruguayan or cut bait?
- Euan: I want to cut bait, but I don't have enough transfers. Bringing Darwin Nunez for Ollie Watkins a few weeks ago was a disastrous punt. He'll eventually leave my team but will stick around for the next few games against Arsenal and Burnley. He's likely the sacrificial lamb to bring Erling Haaland back into my squad for Gameweek 20.
- Jamie: I’ve been fortunate enough not to roster Nunez at any point, largely down to his volatility. He’s still not a guaranteed starter every week, and nine points in his last five games does nothing to tempt me to change that. I’d be fine looking elsewhere.
- Tom: There are plenty of options I like more than Darwin Nunez. His ceiling is massive, but it's nearly impossible to pick the week it's coming. The inconsistency in his minutes is too risky to play with. I'll go elsewhere.
What is one thing you would add to your holiday wishlist for FPL?
- Euan: We have a wild card in the first and second half of the season, and I want to expand that to all chips. Logic dictates that you save your Bench Boost, Triple Captain, and Free Hit chips for double gameweeks later in the campaign. However, if they gave us those chips in the first half, we could all have more fun in the first 19 gameweeks.
- Jamie: I still want a rule change, so when a player’s price goes up, you can sell them for that price. It seems wrong to bring someone in; they perform well and have a price rise. Then, you don’t get rewarded for their form if you need to sell them. Oh, and another wild card would be nice.
- Tom: Adding even MORE midfielders in a starting lineup. Many attacking midfielders are making positive impacts on their squads these days. It's tough to keep it under five.
Who is keeping a clean sheet in Gameweek 18?
- Euan: Emi Martinez tops the Rotoballer Gameweek 18 rankings, and three Aston Villa defenders are in the top five at their respective positions. A 50 percent chance at a clean sheet is good enough for me, as Villa kept Man City and Arsenal out of the net. Sheffield United's attack isn't close to those two sides, so I expect Martinez and his defense to come away with at least six points in FPL.
- Jamie: I fancy Aston Villa to blank Sheffield United. Villa conceded just five goals in eight home games and blanked Manchester City and Arsenal at home. Sheffield United is the league’s lowest scorer away from home, finding the net just four times on their travels. Their 4.6 xG away from home is also the worst in the league.
- Tom: Fulham and Nottingham Forest seem like prime candidates to bounce back at home after a rough Gameweek 17. They both have strong enough matchups to slow down the match and keep their opponents off the score sheet.
What defensive player is providing attacking returns?
- Euan: Antonee Robinson from Fulham has been popping up with attacking returns now and then. Plus, he's pretty nailed in Fulham's starting XI. The American has three assists in his last six league games and started 16 of Fulham's 17 games this season. A home game versus Burnley is a terrific opportunity to get another attacking return, as the Cottagers have scored 13 goals in their previous three home tilts.
- Jamie: Three consecutive blanks for Kieran Trippier and zero points in those games means he’s primed for a return this weekend. While away to Luton isn’t an easy game by any means, they’ve conceded seven set-piece goals. Only two sides have conceded more, and without their captain for the foreseeable future, they could be even more vulnerable from set-plays.
- Tom: The pickings are slim these days, but Pedro Porro has been consistent with minutes and assist-worthy passes, so I'll side with him at home against Everton this week.
Who's a midfielder or forward rostered on less than 10 percent of teams that will grab us those FPL points?
- Euan: Callum Wilson (4.2 percent) is back to lead the Newcastle line. Gameweek 17 marked his first Premier League start since Gameweek 11, and he looked plenty dangerous. He added a goal in Tuesday's League Cup defeat to Chelsea and scored his penalty in the shootout. With Alexander Isak (groin) not in the squad, Wilson is in line to be the tip of the spear for the Toon Army. The only question we should have is his health because playing three games a week usually doesn't end well for the Englishman.
- Jamie: Many have been jumping on the Dominic Solanke bandwagon, understandably so. But his teammate Marcus Tavernier (1.2 percent) has been just as crucial for Bournemouth lately. He bagged a pair of assists away against Manchester United and scored twice at Sheffield United. He’s boom or bust, but away at Sheffield United is a game he can boom in again.
- Tom: Bruno Guimaraes has been quiet offensively this season, but an away match at Luton Town should give him plenty of space to work with when he trickles in to the offensive area. Maybe he can finally put one in the corner this week after missing a few times over the last month.
Who is one player you want to, but can’t, have for the Gameweek 18 fixtures in Fantasy Premier League?
- Euan: Dominic Solanke remains my white whale for the festive fixtures. I'm in the mood to take a hit for Gameweek 18, but that's focused on my midfield and backline. Solanke will remain out of my grasp for a few more weeks because I'm determined to have two free transfers for Gameweek 20 when Erling Haaland returns to my FPL squad.
- Jamie: I like Dominic Solanke to continue his form, but I need to revamp my defense this weekend and don’t want to take a hit by making two transfers. I might hold my transfer this week and hope I remember I have an extra one to use during the Christmas festivities.
- Tom: One thing becoming increasingly clear of late is how vital Bryan Mbuemo is to this Brentford attack. It's not worth investing now with his week off and current injury situation, but as soon as we get positive word on him, I'll be back on the Mbuemo Train.
Who’s getting the Captain’s armband?
- Euan: Aston Villa is a monster at home, and I don't see anything less than three goals against Sheffield United. That usually results in Ollie Watkins getting his name on the scoresheet. With Liverpool and Arsenal playing each other, I'm betting on that being a cagey affair while Villa romps to a resounding Christmas win.
- Jamie: Ollie Watkins is the standout option for me. At home to Sheffield United is appealing enough. With Arsenal and Liverpool facing off and West Ham and Chelsea having challenging games, my other options aren’t ideal captain candidates.
- Tom: Mo Salah is the easy answer here. A massive match with Arsenal is on tap, and his form is as strong as ever. Liverpool's offensive success should run through the 31-year-old.
Finally, what’s your bold prediction for Gameweek 18?
- Euan: Arsenal claims its first win at Anfield since 2012 to top the table at Christmas in a tight 2-1 contest. Meanwhile, Manchester United gets it together to claim a road victory over West Ham (yes, that's considered bold these days). Finally, Everton beats Spurs and moves 10 points clear of the drop despite their 10-point deduction earlier in the season.
- Jamie: Villa tops the table at Christmas after Liverpool and Arsenal cancel each other out on Saturday. And Luton continues to show they’re a tough team to beat at home by taking a point against Newcastle United.
- Tom: Wolves bounces back from a lifeless 3-0 loss last week to take down Chelsea, who's coming off a big EFL Cup win, by a score of 2-1. Cunha and Hee Chan score the goals.
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!
