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Welcome to Gameweek 26, RotoBallers! 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.
As we come down from the chaos of Gameweek 25, we get to enjoy a classic, 10-game slate of Premier League action. Manchester City and Newcastle United kick it off on Saturday before a tasty clash between Liverpool and Manchester United wraps up the weekend. Plus, we get a Monday night football game as Brentford entertains Fulham in the (approximately) 400th London derby of the season.
The Gameweek 26 deadline is 6:00 am Eastern on Saturday, March 4. 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 - Gameweek 26
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 Gameweek 26!
DGW25 was filled with disappointment. Will you still attack these types of weeks with the same vigor moving forward?
- Euan Leith: I will always go after a double gameweek, but I'll try to be more thoughtful about it in the future. My gut told me all week not to go too heavy on Liverpool, but I took a last-minute hit to partner Darwin Nunez with Mohamed Salah. The casualty for my Darwin transfer was Harry Kane, who proceeded to outscore Nunez in one game. Liverpool hasn't been in good form for 8 eight months, but I let my DGW goggles lure me into their enticing assets.
- Jamie Steed: Yes, as if it hits, it can pay off huge. I don’t like taking a minus unless it’s as close of a sure thing to pay dividends as possible anyway so that won’t change. But trying to be smart in the weeks before a lopsided gameweek is still the way to go for me.
- Euan Leith: I don't want to give too much away so early in the article, but I think I'm hitting the Wildcard chip this week. I'm going to grab David Raya, Ben Mee, and Ivan Toney (barring suspension) from Brentford. Then couple the trio of Bees with a defender and one or two midfielders from Brighton. Crystal Palace and Southampton don't interest me at the moment, but I'm going heavy on the two other teams.
- Jamie Steed: Brighton is the only one from that quartet with a cluster of viable options with the other three only having one (maybe two) players that are rostered significantly or worth having on your teams. So, I’d just look to ensure I have a couple of the key players but I’m not willing to go crazy as the fixtures look like being a bit of a trap.
The FA Cup 5th round is complete, and we have a better picture of the upcoming FPL schedule. Has a chip strategy become more clear for your squad?
- Euan Leith: It's Wildcard time for The Leithal Weapons in GW26. It should set me up to bench boost in GW29 and use my free hit in another bigger double gameweek in the last 10 weeks of the season. My team is in shambles right now, and I need to perform some quick surgery to keep my hopes alive in my mini-leagues and Overall ranking.
- Jamie Steed: I’m certainly going to try and use my bench boost asap as the opportunities for having a fully available bench are becoming fewer each passing week. I still have an idea in my mind when to use the free hit with gameweek,29 potentially having 16 fixtures so unless things change drastically, that’s where I’m looking right now.
Riyad Mahrez was a trendy pick in FPL since the restart. However, Phil Foden just came back into the picture. Is this another reason to avoid City players not named Erling Haaland?
- Euan Leith: Exactly right. I'm done with City players not named Erling Haaland. It's been nothing but headaches since I brought in Mahrez and Rico Lewis, and I don't have enough advil in my house to keep me going for the next three months.
- Jamie Steed: Yes. I mention this in the EPL preview article but it’s hard to trust City’s lineups long-term. I fully expect Foden to start this week and contribute but that could easily change again in a couple of weeks so you have to be prepared to cut bait on any City player at short notice.
Eddie Nketiah was benched in both games of the double gameweek, and Gabriel Jesus is still recovering from injury. So, does Arsenal suddenly have a striker problem?
- Euan Leith: I don't think it's a striker problem exactly, but I am cooling on Eddie Nketiah. I don't plan to have him in my Wildcard team and will instead focus on grabbing Bukayo Saka, a defender, and then choosing between Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard. The Gunners put four past Everton on Wednesday, so it's still an attractive attacking team, but Nketiah won't be part of my plans moving forward.
- Jamie Steed: No. Trossard deputized for Nketiah and put in a man-of-the-match performance against Leicester. The fact he links up and interchanges with Martinelli so well is a good sign so while I probably won’t be advocating Nketiah as a must-roster option any more, I don’t believe this will harm the other Arsenal attacking players.
Who's keeping a clean sheet in Gameweek 25?
- Euan Leith: Crystal Palace has been a bit lifeless in recent weeks. I don't think they have the firepower to get a goal against Aston Villa this weekend. A clean sheet at Everton was exactly what Villa needed after shipping 11 goals in three games. They will kick on from that positive result and shutout Palace on Saturday afternoon.
- Jamie Steed: Man City haven’t kept one in a while but Newcastle is really struggling to find the net lately. If you chuck in a City defender or Ederson alongside Haaland and Foden, it makes total sense. Chelsea is a team I’ve been avoiding apart from Reece James but adding in another defender or Kepa with James and avoiding their attacking players is also a sound option against a Leeds team that has struggled for goals.
Which defensive player is providing an attacking return?
- Euan Leith: Kieran Trippier has gone three games without a goal, assists, clean sheet, or bonus point. That will change in the early game against Man City. In the reverse fixture, these teams played out a 3-3 draw, with the England international getting on the scoresheet. Man City is still leaky at the back, and Trippier has enough quality to reward the patience of his FPL managers.
- Jamie Steed: Arsenal has scored the joint third most set-piece goals this season. Bournemouth has conceded the most. Saliba and Gabriel are both in play, especially after Saliba scored that memorable goal at Bournemouth earlier this season. Reece James might be Chelsea’s best option to conjure a goal from a dead-ball situation given their insipid attack so is also a good play.
Who's a midfielder or forward rostered in less than 10 percent of teams that will grab us those FPL points?
- Euan Leith: Many FPL minds are locking in on James Maddison, but I wouldn't mind a punt on Harvey Barnes. The Welshman is on 1.8 percent of teams, and has two goals and two assists in his last five games. Southampton is bottom of the league for a reason, and Leicester could put any relegation fears to bed with a significant result. It really is a classic six-point game.
- Jamie Steed: I don’t like chasing form but Ollie Watkins has scored in each of Aston Villa’s last five games and now faces Crystal Palace at home. He’s only on 6.3% of teams and seems to be the perfect pivot from Nketiah or a struggling Mitrovic.
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: Come back to me, Harry! I never should've doubted you. Fortunately, with my Wildcard going live this week, I can bring the Spurs star right back into my squad. I'll never doubt you again, sir!
- Jamie Steed: Jarrod Bowen. I’m ousting Cody Gakpo this week to make room for a Brighton midfielder in a bid to maximize their DGW next week. Bowen ranks seventh among midfielders in expected goal involvement (xGI) but is only 17th in total points at the position. However, he has two goals and two assists in his last five games, hit the post last week, and finally looks like the player everyone thought they were getting when the season began.
Who's getting the Captain's armband?
- Euan Leith: Despite all the excitement of my Wildcard, I will be serving myself a scoop of vanilla ice cream and giving Erling Haaland the armband.
- Jamie Steed: I generally don’t like to do it but I’m going with Haaland. He’s had a goal involvement in 11 of 12 home games this season and two-thirds of his goals have come at home. Unfortunately, there isn’t a real standout option apart from one of the Arsenal midfield trio, so I’ll stick the armband on Haaland this weekend.
Finally, what's your bold prediction for this weekend's slate of games?
- Euan Leith: Out of desperation, I have to back my Liverpool boys to win against Manchester United at Anfield. I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. Man City will slip up in the title race against Newcastle.
- Jamie Steed: I fancy West Ham to take something from their trip to Brighton but don’t see many upset possibilities this weekend. Maybe Trossard being Arsenal’s highest points scorer this weekend is a thing. Is Chelsea winning a game a bold prediction nowadays??????
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!
