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Welcome to Gameweek 21, 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.
20 gameweeks down, 18 to go. After a break for the domestic cup competitions, the Premier League returns, albeit in an unusual fashion. Gameweek 21 will last 11 days as the teams play their 21st fixture of the season over two weekends. As a result, injuries and surprises will pop up after the deadline. Make sensible transfers and try to limit the gambles this gameweek as there will be a lot of unknowns to pop up before some of our FPL players even kick a ball.
The Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 21 deadline is 1:15 PM ET on Friday, January 12, when Burnley welcomes Luton Town in a crucial relegation duel. 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.
Find someone who loves you as much as @Baseball_Jimbo loves Alfie Doughty after his great call in this week’s @RotoBaller #FPL preview pic.twitter.com/lKVqx48H3y
— Euan Leith (@EuanFPL) December 27, 2023
Fantasy Premier League Staff Roundtable - Gameweek 21 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 Gameweek 21!
Mohamed Salah, Son Heung-min, and others are off to their continental competitions. Do you have plans to get rid of them in your FPL squad?
- Euan Leith: I only have one Free Transfer for Gameweek 21, but it's likely getting used on Son Heung-min. The potential for Double Gameweek in Gameweek 25 will keep Mohamed Salah on my squad for one more week. Son is likely getting shipped out for Diogo Jota, Pascal Groß, or Anthony Elanga.
- Jamie Steed: I did plan on getting rid of Salah. But the problem with that (and a bugbear of mine) is you get the original price when selling him and others. So, you can’t use your entire budget to replace those guys if you intend to bring them back at the end of the month, as you have to pay for the price rises in season. If you only have one affected player, I’d probably consider keeping them.
- Tom Bellucco: Yes. The Asian Cup will run for a few weeks, and many of the most popular Premier League players will likely move past the Group Stage. As such, it's tough to justify holding on to them, even with their excellent form. They might also return slowly to avoid injury, so it's safe to look elsewhere for now and buy back in when they return.
Gameweek 21 is 10 days long. How can managers prepare for the inevitable surprises that pop up between now and the end of the gameweek?
- Euan: So much can happen between now and the end of Gameweek 21. I will put the armband on someone who I know is fit in the first weekend of fixtures and the vice-captaincy on someone in the second week. That's why Cole Palmer is one of the best transfers in that FPL managers can make for Gameweek 21.
- Jamie: Unless you have a standout captain option, I’d try to put the armband on someone playing this weekend. And make sure you utilize the vice-captaincy properly. The last thing you want is to captain a player on next weekend’s games, then find out next week that they’re injured and you’ve wasted the backup, too.
- Tom: I'll leave this one to the two more experienced FPL managers, as this is my first year diving into the strategic aspects of FPL. But my thinking would be to ensure your substitutes are reliable in case of a surprise!
Five fixtures this weekend, five more the following 👀
With 10 matches spread across 11 days, a panel of #FPL experts offer their advice on how best to deal with the split Gameweek 👇
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 9, 2024
Kevin De Bruyne returned to the pitch in the FA Cup. Is he in your FPL plans?
- Euan: No. The Belgian came out this week and said he's not likely to start in Gameweek 21, and his recovery from injury means he won't play many 90-minute matches. He's expensive and doesn't have a minutes guarantee. The upside is tantalizing, but minutes are the key to a steady stream of FPL points.
- Jamie: He’s on my watchlist, but I want to see him play a handful of games first. After a lengthy injury (and an ongoing problem), I’m hesitant to use such a large portion of my budget on a player who could wind up on the shelf again in a few weeks.
- Tom: Kevin De Bruyne played over 30 minutes, notching an assist in that time, and that was enough for me to buy back in! Surely, he won't play a full 90 minutes yet, but the Man City star is a perfect replacement for someone like Salah or Son.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland didn’t make the squad for the cup. Is he a must-have for Gameweek 21 despite his month-long absence?
- Euan: All signs point to me not bringing Erling Haaland for Gameweek 21. He's missed every game since the Gameweek 16 contest versus Aston Villa and wasn't even on the bench for the F.A. Cup tie against Huddersfield. I'll need to see the Norwegian back on the pitch before I plan to bring him back.
- Jamie: The fact Manchester City plays this weekend makes me believe he won’t feature. Manchester City can give him two more weeks of rest and only sit him out for one game. That seems like a sensible plan, and they’ve coped perfectly fine without him this far.
- Tom: If we get word that Erling Haaland is healthy and ready to return, he's a must-have with the absences of other critical stars due to the international play. If there's no word, by the time lineups lock, I'll be sitting out for one more gameweek.
Taking a starring role in Erling Haaland's absence 💫
Are you sticking by Julian Alvarez in Gameweek 21? 🤔#FPL pic.twitter.com/P6yfLOCOHQ
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 9, 2024
Kieran Trippier is well out of form. Is it time to drop the Newcastle defender?
- Euan: The form for Kieran Trippier and Newcastle cratered in December, and the vibes are not that of a top-four side. If you have him, I would drop him in a heartbeat for Tottenham's Pedro Porro.
- Jamie: Yes, that extra money you can save will give you many options to navigate through January. If Newcastle were in some sort of good form, I’d be more reluctant to oust him. But one clean sheet in six games and the individual errors don’t scream out “keep me”.
- Tom: Despite his struggles, finding the offensive upside from defenders that Kieran Trippier provides is tough. Newcastle's on-field captain is a true unicorn in terms of the way he can rack up points both offensively and defensively in FPL... when he's on. If we hear a more legitimate reason for Tripp's struggles, then I'll consider it. Until then, ride it out, especially with Trent Alexander-Arnold unlikely to play.
Kieran Trippier falls in price to £6.7m... 📉
Next up: Man City 🔜 #FPL pic.twitter.com/mvC40fswY3
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 7, 2024
Who is keeping a clean sheet in Gameweek 21?
- Euan: Alphonse Areola has three clean sheets on the bounce, and I'm backing him to make it four in a row next Sunday. The French shot-stopper has accumulated 29 points over the last three fixtures, and another 6-10-point haul is in the cards versus a toothless Sheffield United squad.
- Jamie: After losing 5-0 at Fulham, West Ham have gone on to keep four consecutive clean sheets in the league. They have some critical absentees in attack and have reverted to keeping things tight defensively as a basis of their play, like in recent years. Sheffield United scored four goals in their last seven EPL games, blanking in four.
- Tom: Brentford at home against an overperforming Nottingham Forest of late seems like the perfect place for a clean sheet. Sign me up. I don't see much else that entices me.
What defensive player is providing attacking returns?
- Euan: Pervis Estupinan returned to Brighton's starting XI in Gameweek 20 and made an immediate impact. He scored a goal in a substitute appearance versus Tottenham and helped the Seagulls keep their first clean sheet against West Ham. The Ecuadorian defender is incredibly attacking and creative. He's in less than 21 percent of squads, but that will rise after another return versus Wolves to end Gameweek 21.
- Jamie: Who else but my main man, Alfie Doughty. Five goal involvements in his last five games has him ranked second among defenders in the FPL form guide. Only Nottingham Forest has conceded more set-piece goals than Burnley, while Luton has scored the joint third-most set-piece goals themselves. Largely down to Doughty’s delivery.
- Tom: I'll stick with Pedro Porro in what should be a fun, up-tempo match at Manchester United. With Son out of the equation, Porro may be a bigger asset in terms of building up play and facilitating the offense.
Who's a midfielder or forward rostered on less than 10 percent of teams that will grab us those FPL points?
- Euan: It's not a spicy pick, but Pascal Groß is getting it done on the offensive end for Brighton. The German international has six attacking returns in his previous seven Premier League starts. Brighton also has the easiest set of games over the next six gameweeks, so now is a perfect time to jump on the under-the-radar points-getter.
- Jamie: As impressive as Aston Villa have been this season, their away record isn’t excellent. Everton need to bounce back after three consecutive league defeats and are set to be without Dominic Calvert-Lewin (suspension) and Abdoulaye Doucouré (injured). They’ll need to find goals from somewhere, so step up Jack Harrison (0.1% rostered). He scored in Everton’s last home game and could exploit Villa’s personnel issues at full-back.
- Tom: Luis Diaz should continue to get plenty of minutes with Salah out for a bit. When he finds success, it comes in bunches. I expect more touches for the 26-year-old as he becomes Liverpool's most consistent attacking option until Salah's return.
Who is one player you want but can’t have for the Gameweek 21 fixtures in Fantasy Premier League?
- Euan: Phil Foden has turned in some fantastic performances over the last few weeks. However, I'm still wary of his minutes with Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, and (hopefully) Erling Haaland returning to the squad. It's a lot of mouths to feed for the defending champions. With so many other fires to extinguish in my team, transferring in Phil Foden feels like I'm giving myself a headache.
- Jamie: Regrettably, I need to replace Mohammed Kudus and Jamaal Lascelles, but I want to replace Ben White to give myself some additional money to tinker with. That all equates to my inability to bring in Martin Ødegaard, who I feel is set for a big performance against Crystal Palace. He’s been trying to put Arsenal on his back in recent games and would have had a big points haul if it wasn’t for their profligacy in front of goal. That run won’t last much longer, so the Arsenal skipper is my FOMO.
- Tom: Erling Haaland becomes a rare talent in a different tier than the rest with Salah and Son out of the equation, but until we hear that he's back and starting, it's tough to cement a spot in FPL lineups. If there's no word, I have to sit out and see what happens.
Who’s getting the Captain’s armband?
- Euan: Cole Palmer plays early in Gameweek 21 versus Fulham after an 18-point haul versus Luton Town two weeks ago. The English midfielder looked very attacking in the Carabao Cup match versus Middlesborough and should've had a couple of goals to his name. However, his lack of clinical finishing won't last long, and I expect him to thrive in another London derby.
- Jamie: For the same reasons as wanting Ødegaard, I’d like to captain Bukayo Saka. But he’s been playing through an Achilles injury for several weeks, and given Arsenal play next weekend, I’m going to be a bit more cautious and captain Cole Palmer. He’s been boom or bust, with a 14-point and an 18-point return in his last four games, sandwiching two duds. Here’s hoping for another big boom.
- Tom: Darwin Nunez should get every opportunity to score against Bournemouth this week. With limited options that we can truly trust, it might be a great week to go for the upside of Nunez. Hold your breath, and hope for a brace.
Finally, what’s your bold prediction for Gameweek 21?
- Euan: Something drastic will happen after the deadline. With the 10 fixtures split over two weekends, we have yet to learn a lot of information. In real-world football, Spurs completes the domestic double over Manchester United for the first time since the 1989/90 season.
- Jamie: After 200 appearances for Liverpool, Joe Gomez finally scores his first goal for the club. Mathias Jensen helps end Brentford’s five-game losing streak with a goal involvement against Nottingham Forest. And someone is scoring a hat trick this Gameweek.
- Tom: With the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup working in tandem with the international duties mentioned above, finding the players likely to play 90 minutes becomes even more important than usual. I expect it to be a lower-scoring week, so my bold prediction will be that only two teams or less will score three goals this weekend. Find those 90-minute guys who are continuously involved in the offense, and you should find success.
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!
