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This article provides a preview of what Gameweek 17 has in store for fantasy managers, including top captain selections and strong picks for the weekly FPL Challenge game.
Spurs' explosive duo of Son Heung-min and James Maddison got double-digit hauls in a 5-0 victory against Southampton, while Man United's Amad Diallo's late winner gave the Red Devils bragging rights in the Manchester Derby. Gameweek 16 delivered an action-packed thriller, and Gameweek 17 promises even more.
The FPL Challenge introduces a new event series called the Festive Fixtures, where managers will take on a diverse set of festive challenges for the next four weeks. As always, we’ll offer weekly breakdowns of the top assets to target and help you maximize your point potential.
The Gameweek 17 deadline for the 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League season is Saturday, December 21, at 6:00 a.m. EST, when Aston Villa welcomes 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 EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
Which premium midfield asset will produce the biggest return in Gameweek 17? 🤔#FPL pic.twitter.com/wVCvvfJ88f
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) December 18, 2024
Gameweek 17 Tips
Invest in Chelsea, Fulham, and Newcastle's Assets
With 16 goals scored in its last five games, Chelsea, our London title contenders, has now won five consecutive Premier League games and is only two points behind league leader Liverpool.
Fulham succeeded in managing to secure points against both Arsenal and Liverpool in back-to-back games and remains unbeaten in its last four outings. Meanwhile, Newcastle's 4-0 win over Leicester in Gameweek 16 has sparked a high demand for its several FPL assets for the upcoming weekend.
With this in mind, FPL managers are advised to prioritize selecting FPL assets from either Chelsea, Fulham, or Newcastle for Gameweek 17.
💹 PL GW17 matchups
First look at projected goals and clean sheet odds for this weekend's round of Premier League games, via spread betting markets pic.twitter.com/Prexjojtq3
— Rob T (@robtFPL) December 18, 2024
According to goal projections, Fulham, Chelsea, and Newcastle are expected to produce 2.30 xG, 2.05 xG, and 2.00 xG (expected goals) in their upcoming fixtures, respectively.
Additionally, in defense, Fulham, Chelsea, and Newcastle have been projected to earn clean sheets in their upcoming encounters, with a likelihood of 38% for Fulham, 34% for Chelsea, and 31% for Newcastle.
Recommended FPL assets for Gameweek 17:
- Chelsea: Cole Palmer (on pens), Nico Jackson, and Levi Colwill
- Fulham: Raul Jimenez (on pens), Alex Iwobi, and Antonee Robinson
- Newcastle: Alexander Isak (on pens), Anthony Gordon, and Lewis Hall
Manager Watch: Wolves' Appoint Vitor Pereira as New Boss
On Sunday, December 15, 2024, Wolverhampton Wanderers decided to let go of the services of former manager Gary O'Neil, who was in charge for 16 months. This decision was largely due to poor league performances, as Wolves have secured only two wins in 16 matches, conceding 40 goals, and are currently in 19th place in the table.
With less than 48 hours until the Gameweek 17 deadline, the Wolves have gone in to acquire the services of Vitor Pereira. The 56-year-old Portuguese tactician comes into the Premier League with a strong dossier of successes across Portugal, Greece, China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
Welcome to Wolves, Vitor 🤝
— Wolves (@Wolves) December 19, 2024
The new boss faces the ultimate test of helping Wolves escape relegation and will leverage his past experiences to bring the best out of this Wolves side and, by extension, our favorite fantasy selection.
Top Wolves FPL assets like Matheus Cunha, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Jørgen Strand Larsen, and former protégé João Gomes could be appealing options to consider when Wolves' form improves.
Can we expect a "new manager bounce" soon? Only time will tell. Nonetheless, history has shown that with solid management in place, promising results will come. As a result, our favorite Wolves assets are firmly on our watchlist till the new year.
Gameweek 17 Top Captain Picks
The weekend fixtures present a list of fascinating options for your captaincy choice. Players like Alexander Isak against Ipswich, Jamie Vardy at home to Wolves, and Chelsea's Cole Palmer against Everton all present strong cases. However, my top three picks would be:
Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) - Man United
Coming off a super victory against local rivals, Manchester City, Man United's skipper, Bruno Fernandes, ascends to the top of our Gameweek 17 captaincy picks, thanks to a home tie against Bournemouth.
The Portuguese maestro has amassed 31 points in his last five games and is Manchester United's top FPL scorer. Gameweek 17 provides an excellent opportunity for Fernandes to score against the Cherries, and he is well-positioned to help the Red Devils secure victory at the Theatre of Dreams.
2+1...+1 more 😉
Make that FOUR attacking returns in FOUR Gameweeks for Bruno Fernandes...Is he in your plans for Gameweek 17? 💰#FPL pic.twitter.com/ScjAODen5g
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) December 18, 2024
Mohamed Salah (£13.4m) - Liverpool
Topping the FPL rankings with 156 points, averaging 10.4 points per match, and delivering yet another attacking return for eight consecutive gameweeks. Our Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, has been the safest bet for the armband in recent weeks and is a top contender once more for the upcoming weekend.
With a record of 12 goals scored and two assists provided in his last 20 outings against his next opponents, the 32-year-old experienced veteran is set to impress once more in a high-stakes game against Tottenham.
Bryan Mbeumo (£7.6m) - Brentford
The 25-year-old has scored 10 goals for the Bees this season, eight of which were scored at the Gtech Community Stadium. Brentford's FPL top scorer, Bryan Mbeumo, has been in impeccable form for the club and recently crossed the 100-point FPL mark.
With the next matchup against Nottingham Forest at home, Mbeumo appeals as an alternative route to the armband and is one of our top captain picks for Gameweek 17.
FPL Challenge: Festive Fixtures
The FPL Challenge section for the 2024-25 season is back, and RotoBaller remains your go-to source for valuable insights on selecting the right assets for any challenge.
The 16th challenge, "Bargains," focused on selecting a team of 11 players with a budget of £100m, where players cost £6m and under earned double points. Our RotoBaller Goal Diggers series garnered 336 points between Gameweeks 12 to 16, finishing in the top 10% for the five-week challenge.
A new event series is underway, and our job is to assist you in maximizing points for each task presented. Here is a breakdown of what is expected from the FPL Challenge: Festive Fixtures event.
Fantasy Challenge is LIVE for 2024/25 🚨
Build your squad for Gameweek 1 now 👇#FPLChallengeAccepted
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 24, 2024
The Festive Fixtures is a four-gameweek run that tasks fantasy managers to take on diverse festive challenges while celebrating the holidays and anticipating the new year. This series covers four tests focusing on earning points through different players and play styles.
- Gameweek 17: Home for the Holidays - Players at home earn double points.
- Gameweek 18: Out of the Box - Goals "outside the box" are worth seven extra points.
- Gameweek 19: Final Countdown - The formation must be 2-0-2-5.
- Gameweek 20: New Year, New Chance - Big chances created are worth five additional points.
It's time to come together.
It's time for the #FestiveFixtures. pic.twitter.com/SSDKSjf44h
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 18, 2024
Festive Fixtures FPL Challenge: Home for the Holidays - Players to Target
Week 17 of the FPL Challenge highlights selecting a team of nine players with an unlimited budget. This week's task is to select top FPL assets while fitting in the majority of players with a favorable home tie.
RotoBaller's top picks for this week's challenge are:
- In goal, Andre Onana presently ranks third among goalkeepers with 67 points, boasting six clean sheets in the league, and is likely to keep a clean sheet against Bournemouth.
- In defense, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Nathan Collins, and Antonee Robinson are excellent attacking wingbacks likely to offer attacking returns.
- In midfield, Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka, Bryan Mbeumo, and Bruno Fernandes come in. Fernandes takes the spotlight as our captain of the week.
- For the forwards, Jamie Vardy completes the attack, rounding off our lineup in a 3-4-1 formation.
Note: There is a mix of seven home players for the challenge, with Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer being the away fixtures exemptions here.
Remember, there is nothing carved in stone, which means fantasy managers are at liberty to select any other top FPL Challenge alternatives not mentioned above. Best of luck to everyone participating in this week's challenge!
Join the RotoBaller FPL League
Fancy pitting your wits against fellow RotoBallers? Then, join our free league to compete against the team and our dedicated FPL fans. Head to the official FPL site, click the leagues and cups tab, and enter the RotoBaller league code: b278pa.
Go head-to-head against your friends and family in mini-leagues 🏆
Pick your squad and compete for #FPL glory now! ⬇️
— 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!
