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This article provides a preview of what Gameweek 21 has in store for fantasy managers, including top captain selections and strong picks for the weekly FPL Challenge game.
Liverpool and Man United shared the spoils in the North-West Derby, while Nottingham Forest secured an away victory against Wolves. Gameweek 20 delivered a mouthwatering meal for FPL managers as Man City's Erling Haaland and Brentford's Bryan Mbuemo each scored a brace and finished with double-digit returns.
The FPL Challenge introduces a new event series called the Transfer Window Special, where managers will show off their skills with three transfer-themed challenges in January. As always, we’ll offer weekly breakdowns of the top assets to target and help you maximize your point potential.
The Gameweek 21 deadline for the 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League season is Tuesday, January 14, at 1:00 p.m. EST, when three games kick off. 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.
FPL Gameweek 21 Tips
Target Man United, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace Attacking Assets
With no wins in their past four games, Manchester United and Chelsea are determined to end their poor run of form soon. The Red Devils sit seven points above the drop zone, while the Blues are just one point away from sliding out of the top four spots. A favorable home tie in Gameweek 21 is a must-win for both teams.
Leicester, Crystal Palace's next opponent, has conceded 44 goals this season and is ranked 19th in the league. The Eagles are currently unbeaten in their previous three matches and will attempt to exploit the Foxes' defensive shortcomings when they visit the King Power Stadium.
With this in mind, FPL managers are advised to prioritize selecting attacking options from Man United, Chelsea, or Crystal Palace for Gameweek 21.
💹 PL GW21 matchups
Early look at projected goals and clean sheet odds for the next midweek round of Premier League games, via spread betting markets pic.twitter.com/SDySjSAF2w
— Rob T (@robtFPL) January 10, 2025
According to goal projections, Man United, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace are expected to produce 2.55 xG, 2.20 xG, and 1.80 xG (expected goals) in their upcoming fixtures, respectively.
Recommended FPL attacking assets for Gameweek 21
- Man United: Bruno Fernandes (on pens) and Amad Diallo.
- Chelsea: Cole Palmer (on pens), Enzo Fernandes, and Nico Jackson.
- Crystal Palace: Jean Phillipe-Mateta (on pens), Eberechi Eze, and Ismaila Sarr.
Assistant Manager Chip: Top Managers Price Unveiled
The mystery chip for the 2024–2025 season, "Assistant Manager," is getting closer to being available. Starting Gameweek 24, FPL managers can select team managers as part of their fantasy selection when the mystery chip is activated.
Here is a list of the price reveal for all 20 assistant managers:
Introducing all 20 Assistant Manager #FPL prices!
➡️ https://t.co/8ab43m5DaQ pic.twitter.com/qM2dxsAIQV
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 10, 2025
Note: Everton's newly appointed boss, David Moyes, is priced at £0.5m.
As it stands, Liverpool's Arne Slot leads the FPL Managers point table with 159 points, while Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola has the best three-gameweek score with 47 points.
With less than a month in office, Wolves' new boss, Vitor Pereira, amassed 41 points in three gameweeks. Targeting struggling teams trying to recover from a difficult patch of form seems to be the ideal time to activate the Assistant Manager chip.
We explained the rules and point system in our Gameweek 16 Preview piece. However, just to summarize the essentials, note that:
- When you activate the Assistant Manager chip, you will score points for a club's results for three Gameweeks in a row.
- Once the chip is activated, choosing your Assistant Manager does not cost a “free transfer.” But if you want to change your manager during this three-gameweek period, it will cost a transfer the same as the players.
- If you activate the Assistant Manager chip in a Double Gameweek, you can earn points from four matches over a three-gameweek spell.
The Assistant Manager chip introduces an innovative approach to playing the game. Selecting the right manager for a specific time period could be the best strategy for defeating your fierce FPL rivals in the mini-leagues.
FPL Gameweek 21 Top Captain Picks
The weekend fixtures present a list of fascinating options for your captaincy choice. Players like Erling Haaland against Brentford, Bruno Fernandes at home to Southampton, and Chelsea's Cole Palmer against Bournemouth all present strong cases. However, my top two picks would be:
Alexander Isak (£9.3m) - Newcastle
Alexander Isak, the newly awarded December Premier League player of the month, climbs to the top of our FPL captaincy rankings this week. In his previous five outings, Isak has amassed 50 FPL points, averaging 6.6 points per match.
The Swedish forward will fancy his chances of extending his goal-scoring streak against Wolves, who have conceded 45 goals this season. Isak is our Rotoballer top captain pick for Gameweek 21.
A seriously impressive month for @NUFC's star striker ⚫️⚪️
Alexander Isak is December's @EASPORTSFC Player of the Month winner!#PLAwards pic.twitter.com/Zw6Pwuup4W
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 10, 2025
Mohamed Salah (£13.7m) - Liverpool
Topping the FPL rankings with 209 points, averaging 11 points per match, Mohamed Salah remains the go-to option for the captain's armband. However, Liverpool face a difficult task ahead in breaking down a defensively solid Nottingham Forest, who are third on the table.
Mo Salah's 10 attacking returns in Gameweeks 16 and 20 highlight how the Egyptian King can be depended on, even in a high-stakes encounter. 'Mr. Consistent' is poised to hit the mark again in Gameweek 21.
12 Gameweeks, 0 blanks 😮💨
Describe Mo Salah's current form in one word 👇#FPL pic.twitter.com/BW5dcaimlc
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 6, 2025
FPL Challenge: Transfer Window Special
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 20th challenge, "New Year, New Chance," focused on selecting a team of nine players with an unlimited budget, where a big chance created earned an additional five points.
A new event series is underway, and our job is to help you maximize points for each task presented. Here is a breakdown of what to expect from the FPL Challenge: Transfer Window Special event.
Fantasy Challenge is LIVE for 2024/25 🚨
Build your squad for Gameweek 1 now 👇#FPLChallengeAccepted
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 24, 2024
The Transfer Window Special is a three-gameweek run that tasks fantasy managers to show off their managerial skills with transfer-themed challenges in the January transfer window. This series covers three tests focusing on earning points through different players and play styles.
- Gameweek 21: Legends - Players who have been at their club for 5+ seasons earn double points.
- Gameweek 22: Restricted Budget: Make a team selection with a limited budget of £25 million.
- Gameweek 23: Instant Impact - Players signed in the January transfer window earn double points.
Transfer Window Special FPL Challenge: Legends - Players to Target
Week 21 of the FPL Challenge involves selecting a team of five players with an unlimited budget. Double points are awarded for longevity. This week's task is to select Premier League icons like Mohamed Salah, who has been at Liverpool for almost eight years.
RotoBaller's top picks for this week's challenge are:
- In goal, Jordan Pickford is our top goalkeeper of the week thanks to a strong home advantage and 61 saves made (5th ranked for saves) this season, showcasing his excellent shot-stopping abilities. Pickford meets this week's task as he signed for Everton in July 2017.
- In defense, Fabian Schar comes in; the Switzerland international has been at Newcastle since July 2018 and is a solid defensive option that can contribute attacking returns from set pieces.
- In midfield, Mohamed Salah and Gabriel Martinelli have over five years of experience for their respective teams and are poised to score this week. Salah takes the spotlight as our captain of the week.
- In attack, we'll back the in-form Alexander Isak as our sole forward, rounding off our lineup in a 1-2-1 formation.
Remember, you are at liberty to select any other top FPL Challenge alternatives that are 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!
