Fantasy Premier League: Double Gameweek 23 Staff Roundtable

The RotoBaller Soccer staff gathers around the penalty box for their weekly FPL roundtable discussion. The team discusses the main questions surrounding Double Gameweek 23 of the 2022-23 Fantasy Premier League season.

Welcome to Double Gameweek 23, RotoBallers! Just like the previous campaign, we are continuing our soccer coverage to include the great game of the Fantasy Premier League. So, even if you are a seasoned veteran or a rookie navigating your first 38 gameweeks, we will set you straight. We're here to provide advice to help you snag those weekend-making green arrows and avoid the doom and gloom of a red arrow.

We roll from DGW22 straight into DGW23 with Manchester City and Arsenal playing two games. The week kicks off with a London derby between West Ham and Chelsea. Then, before the title showdown between City and Arsenal, we are treated to Leeds versus Manchester United, Fulham welcoming Nottingham Forest, a not-so-glamorous Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton, plus six other fixtures. It'll be a fantastic week of FPL action.

The Gameweek 23 deadline is 6:00 am Eastern, Saturday, February 11. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the team gets you all set for every English Premier League and UEFA Champions League slate from a DFS and betting perspective.

And of course, #FPL can translate into #DFS, all of which we have plenty of at @RotoBaller https://t.co/U9pKeHkJYv pic.twitter.com/z2ubf1KeKj

— Jamie Steed (@Baseball_Jimbo) February 4, 2023

RotoBaller FPL Staff Roundtable - Double Gameweek 23

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 Double Gameweek 23!

Gameweek 22 was full of several surprise benchings and early subs. Which one made the biggest impact on your FPL thoughts?

• Euan Leith: Graham Potter yanked recently recovered Reece James at 59 minutes. A few more seconds would've given his managers six points instead of one. However, I'm taking this positively because Chelsea is finally giving him the medical treatment he needs. The 23-year-old's been rushed back several times, and it's gone wrong every time. With this new, timid approach to his health, I'm considering bringing him into my squad over the next couple of weeks.
• Jamie Steed: Kevin de Bruyne was the shock omission, especially after Pep Guardiola stated it was for “tactical reasons.” I don’t wish to second-guess Pep, but I don’t know what tactics require you to bench your most creative player. It backfired as City lost 1-0 to Tottenham, but I’m not entirely sure something isn’t going on behind the scenes and whether or not this is something we see more.

Gameweek 23 brings another DGW for Arsenal and Man City. So which three Arsenal assets do FPL managers need?

• Euan Leith: Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka are non-negotiable this week and moving forward. It's the third spot where you can choose your flavor of the week. Gabriel Martinelli seems to be the first man gone for Leandro Trossard whenever manager Mikel Arteta wants to shake things up. Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Gabriel, William Saliba, Ben White, and Aaron Ramsdale are terrific options in defense. I like the triple-up in attack and would add Eddie Nketiah to Odegaard and Saka if possible.
• Jamie Steed: Saka, Odegaard and Nketiah. I’m leaving out Martinelli as his form isn’t that of the remaining trio (Without a goal or assist in his last four EPL matches). The fact he was taken off before the hour mark against Everton has me wondering if he starts both of Arsenal’s two games or if Trossard gets his first start for the Gunners.

And which three Man City players?

• Euan Leith: I want to answer this question with another question: Do we need three City players? This club is out of sync and not firing on all cylinders. FPL managers need another Citizen outside of Erling Haaland, and Riyad Mahrez is my dark horse. He returned for his managers in City's previous double gameweek. Plus, he's racked up six returns and the fourth-highest expected goal involvement per 90 minutes (0.74) since the restart. Gimme Mahrez over Kevin de Bruyne.
• Jamie Steed: Haaland is a slam dunk. Jack Grealish has been starting recently for City, so I’d probably look to start him if I rostered him, but I’m not targeting him. Outside of them, I’m not sure who will get two starts. I’d generally say de Bruyne is a guarantee, and I’m still plumping for him but not with much confidence. The same goes for Mahrez, who has been in good form but found himself subbed off early against Tottenham but has three assists and one goal in his last five EPL games against Arsenal. There’s no way I’d want to start de Bruyne and Mahrez, though. Just one dose of pain is enough.

Blank GW 25 is on the horizon with Man United, Newcastle, Brighton, and Brentford not playing. How many players do you have from those clubs, and how do you plan to deal with the BGW?

• Euan Leith: Right now, I have five players who blank in GW25. Still, I'm not worried about it too much, as I have two free transfers to get myself to a full 11. First, Bruno Fernandes likely makes way for Riyad Mahrez this weekend, and then Miguel Almiron exits stage left for a Liverpool asset. That's because we learned on Tuesday that Liverpool will have a double gameweek in 25 with Crystal Palace and Wolves.
• Jamie Steed: I have six, including my Newcastle stack of Nick Pope, Fabian Schar, and Kieran Trippier. I’m planning on ousting Alexis Mac Allister next week, so I’ll probably transfer out one more for GW25, leaving me with a bare XI. The missed games will need to be made up at some point, so having four locks for that future double gameweek leaves me in good stead.

Harry Kane scored his 200th PL goal against Man City. Is he the only other must-have premium asset outside Erling Haaland?

• Euan Leith: I've had Mr. Kane for the majority of the year, and he is as consistent as they come. The 15-point outing hasn't been there, but he's good for six to nine points every gameweek. That's more than can be said for Mohamed Salah, de Bruyne, and the premium defenders. With money not being an issue this season, we have to spend it somewhere, and the England captain is as good an option as any in FPL.
• Jamie Steed: Yes, at that price point. Considering Liverpool’s struggles, Salah isn’t worth near to his current price, and de Bruyne’s uncertain starting status has dampened his worth, so there’s no one else I’m using such a large part of my budget on rostering.

Who's keeping a clean sheet in Gameweek 23?

• Euan Leith: Chelsea is rolling on the defensive end right now. Kepa Arrizabalaga has 29 points in his last three games thanks to three clean sheets, three save points, and eight bonus points. West Ham is averaging 0.9 goals per game this year, and, despite the new manager bounce, isn't a scary attack to face.
• Jamie Steed: Newcastle is the easiest option. Six clean sheets in seven make them an obvious choice but added to the fact their opponents Bournemouth have failed to score in five of their six games since the World Cup makes them as close to a lock for a clean sheet as you’ll see. My less obvious option is Fulham, who have conceded four goals in seven games since the World Cup, at home to a Nottingham Forest team that’s scored just three away games all season, and all three came against teams currently in the relegation zone.

Which defensive player is providing an attacking return?

• Euan Leith: Since the restart, Liverpool has the fifth-worst mark (2.7) in expected goals conceded from set pieces. Meanwhile, Everton is third in expected goals scored from set pieces (2.98) and enjoyed a new-manager bounce with Sean Dyche taking over. James Tarkowski scored the game-winning goal against Arsenal on the weekend and has the matchup to add another tally to his resume in the Monday night Merseyside derby.
• Jamie Steed: Kieran Trippier has gone five games without an assist, his longest spell since the start of the season. Newcastle’s set-piece taker now faces a Bournemouth team that’s conceded more goals from set-pieces than any other team. Ivan Perišić also makes an excellent option against a Leicester side that’s conceded an average of two goals a game since the World Cup. Of those 12 goals, three were scored or assisted by a left-sided player, and three were assisted by a full-back.

Who's a midfielder or forward rostered in less than 10 percent of teams that will grab us those FPL points?

• Euan Leith: James Maddison made his first start since GW16 and picked up where he left off with a goal in 66 minutes. He now has five attacking returns in his previous five starts. A home fixture against Spurs shouldn't deter FPL managers who want to jump on the England international earlier than most.
• Jamie Steed: I like Ruben Neves this week, facing a Southampton side in all sorts of disarray and is only rostered by 1.5% of teams. He scored last week and has been a critical figure in Wolves’ recent revival.

If you could bring in any player you don't have on your team for this gameweek, who would it be and why?

• Euan Leith: It's Bukayo Saka for DGW23. I would have to take another hit to fit him in my squad, but I love him as a differential captaincy option. Ben White is blocking me from getting to him, and I took a hit to get Martin Odegaard in for GW22. I'll be watching behind a sofa this week as Saka scores more FPL points versus Brentford and Man City.
• Jamie Steed: Harry Kane, given he’s facing such a leaky Leicester City defense, and his record against them in the EPL is nothing short of ridiculous. In 15 games against them, Kane has 18 goals, four assists with eight goals, and three assists in his last eight games against them.

Who's getting the Captain's armband?

• Euan Leith: Haaland is the sensible move, and some managers will use the Triple Captain chip with Man City's double gameweek coming up. However, I can't shake the feeling that Saka or Odegaard can outscore the Norwegian. So this may be the week I throw caution to the wind and fade Haaland.
• Jamie Steed: It’s got to be a Manchester City or Arsenal player, given the two games, and with Haaland at home to Aston Villa, he’s the most likely candidate. Bukayo Saka is next in line for me.

Finally, what's your bold prediction for this weekend's slate of games?

• Euan Leith: I'm backing my boys, Liverpool, to avoid the ultimate humiliation and beat Everton at Anfield. Plus, Man City will finish the week closer to Man United than Arsenal.
• Jamie Steed: Manchester City will either be top of the table or ten points adrift. Wolves beat Southampton, leading to Nathan Jones being sacked after just three months in charge. And Everton heaps more misery on their neighbors by extending Liverpool’s winless streak to five games.

Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on Twitter @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!