Fantasy Football Tips Gameweek 22

Fantasy Football Tips Gameweek 22

Goalkeepers – Swirly

“It’s not often you would have a £5.5m goalkeeper in your squad” is a saying that may a seasoned FPL manager would say, as you look back to Emi Martinez’s brilliant campaign a few seasons ago where he was an essential – and, if like me, you didn’t have him, also a rank killer! Step forward Nick Pope who seems to be the 2022-23 version of just a player, albeit with more of an FPL legendary status after his antics at Burnley that kept the Clarets in the Premier League for longer than they would have otherwise been.

The stats speak for themselves when you’re looking for evidence of why he’s the second-most owned goalkeeper at the moment. Featuring in 24.9 per cent of squads – second only to Leicester’s Ward who, let’s face it, is most likely your back-up keeper – the 30-year-old has a whopping 12 clean sheets, of which half have been the last six consecutive weeks. That puts him on 103 points from 21 fixtures, equal with Mo Salah funnily enough.

Newcastle have West Ham this gameweek, which may be a bit tricky but, if the current form is anything to go by, there’ll probably be another clean sheet from that too – as much as the likes of Bowen have found a bit of form. After that is an away day to Bournemouth, before a rocky patch of Liverpool, Brighton and Man City, however this guy is a ‘keeper’ for the rest of the season anyway. Your rank will thank you, as the shot stopper’s ownership keeps rising.

We’ll continue to look at the FPL goalkeeper history books with the next pick, David de Gea. The Spaniard has had a mixed time when it comes to us managers, he’s been essential and one to miss in equal measure at different points of the last 11-and-a-half years and 397 appearances at Man United.

Of course, many – 86,000 at the time of writing – will be bringing in the former Atletico Madrid player for the double gameweek the Red Devils face: Crystal Palace and Leeds United. Both of these fixtures are at home and bring with them great points potential. But there is a caveat I will bring to investing in the Reds’ man between the sticks. You can only have three individuals from the same side, so the question is whether you think there will be two clean sheets and therefore around 12 points to rely on – or if you invest in attack.

The 32-year old does have eight clean sheets to his name so far this season and he faces sides who have had recent mixed fortunes when it comes to finding the back of the net. Crystal Palace have scored three in five, while Leeds have managed four in the same period.

Staying on a Spanish theme, we have Kepa Arrizabalaga. Last but, by no means, not least on the goalkeeper tips, the budget-friendly £4.6m man rewarded FPL managers who kept faith in him after his 10-point haul at home to Crystal Palace ahead of the trip to Anfield in Gameweek 21. Such trust came with a reward of nine very handy points; certainly better than the one that Leciester’s Ward picked up.

Fulham, West Ham and Southampton are the next three ties for Chelsea, with a nice run of ties until the end of April once they have played Spurs away.

Defenders – OddDane

Moving on to the defensive line. We’ve had to delay the tips as the recommendations for the week were Cancelo, Do’herty and uhm… Let’s say Mads Bech Sørensen, but alas that January transfer window got the better of us 😉

Seriously though, this week offers a double up for the likes of Shaw (MUN £5.3) and Martinez (MUN £4.5) as they face off against Crystal Palace and then Leeds both in the comfortable home arena of good Old Trafford. The Eagles are comfortably amongst the worst goal scores in the league and have managed just 0.9 goals scored per game thus far (their xG is practically the same) whereas Leeds is faring somewhat better with nearly 1.4 goals scored per game – LEE’s most recent form hasn’t been great though, whereas United Men’s chests have kept (most of) the balls at bay over the last handful PL games, conceding primarily to Arsenal and City. Odds then are good for at least one clean sheet from these two.

You could chance a double defensive side here, but if you had to pick just one then I’d slightly favor Martinez who seems to have worked his way back into a starting position. Why? Cheaper and appears to have a bit of goal threat – for a defender. Will they play both games? They should, but Shaw has had a bit of recent illness and Martinez is working on his form, coming back from a recent injury.

Next up we have Arsenal against Everton at Goodison Park. Granted those blue ones have just called upon some guy called Dyche to save the day, but their form is atrocious and the Gunners are firing at full capacity. Unsurprisingly you’ll see Arsenal amongst best teams on both goals against and xGA, with Everton in the other end of that table. My pick would be Gabriel (ARS £5.2) who seems the most nailed and again with a decent chance of goal involvement. That said I suppose anyone of White (£4.7) or Saliba (£5.3) may also get the job done.

Next up we have Estupiñán (BHA £4.5) or Lewis Dunk (BHA £4.7) against Bournemouth at home. Either should start so a bit of a coin flip, but we slightly favor Estupiñán due to his full-back role. To be honest, Brighton haven’t been super solid defensively, so no raised eyebrows from us if you feel this one is less obvious (BHA has managed only one clean sheet in their past 9 games). However, it is Bournemouth lads – and it is at home. Much like the aforementioned Evertonians, they have a spot of bad, no, terrible form. They too have their difficulties finding the net you see… Or rather their opponents’ net that is, having scored just one goal in their last five PL games.

On a side note, I personally fancy one of Alex Moreno (AVL £4.5) or, if fit, Pascal Struijk (LEE £4.5) both of whom I think will do well this week, but which didn’t quite make the cut here (fixture-wise you may want to consider if you have good rotation options the following few weeks, in case you were thinking along these lines too).

Finally, we should say that we’d recommend Trippier (NEW £6.1) too, but everybody and their dog already have him so what’s the point. Right…? Anyway, I don’t really favor a double NEW defense vs. the Hammers with the other options available this week, even if the latter are on a spot of bad form – maybe this is why I’m having a terrible season thus far… alas those are the defender tips for the coming GW22!

Midfielders – Swirly

We don’t talk about Bruno. Bruno Fernandes, that is – or at least was. After the 2020/21 season, where the Portuguese scored 18 and set up 14 others – and that was just in the Premier League – the club’s mixed fortunes last year resulted in another 10 and 7 respectively. Indeed, going into the season that we know now, you had to wait until Gameweek 11 for his first double-digit haul. Gameweek 18 then saw a real difference as Erik Ten Hag’s masterplan came into fruition and, I’m sure, no coincidence that Cristiano Ronaldo had been sent packing. The last five ties since have seen an impressive 36 points accrued and it looks like the guy we knew and loved just over two years ago is back.

As you’ll have hopefully read in my appraisal of David de Gea, Man United are in double gameweek territory this Gameweek 21, with Crystal Palace and Leeds United visiting Old Trafford. A quick look through the history books reveals that Bruno’s one goal in six against the Eagles doesn’t exactly set the world alight, however the record against Leeds is definitely one that will turn a few heads. Yes, there was a 0-0 result, however you will no doubt remember the hat-trick against the Whites on the first game of last season, where he rewarded owners with 20 points. That 5-1 win is also joined by 6-2 and 4-2 results in the Mancunians’ favour, which amassed three goals and two assists from the very same player. That means the 28-year-old is responsible for finding the back of the net six times and setting up another two in just four meetings with the Yorkshiremen. Would it be daft to use the triple captain chip on him this gameweek? I’m tempted.

Marcus Rashford deserves a quick shout-out here, simply for his ridiculous form at the moment. Having scored five and set up another in the last six, contributing to nine and three respectively over the course of the season. And that’s just the Premier League. Appearing in just under 50 per cent of FPL squads at the time of writing, he’ll be battering the ranks of those brave – or just stupid – to not go with him. Especially with this double gameweek we’re looking at.

Right, after posting such an obvious player, which basically half of all FPL managers have in their team, I’ve had a little break and I’m back fighting fit with my next pick of the very budget-friendly Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton. Setting you back just £5.1m, this guy is still a brilliant differential with just 6.1 per cent ownership. That means those few people who happened to have a crystal ball and bring him in ahead of the 4-2 defeat at the hands of Arsenal have since benefitted from 31 points. Not bad for four games. That said, a look a bit further back reveals a goal versus Wolves and an assist against Chelsea, so perhaps the writing was on the wall. That or, most likely, he wanted to show his new boss what he could do, having not started a single Premier League tie before Gameweek 14.

The replacement for the similarly-priced Almiron, should you wish to give up hope on the Newcastle midfielder, has Bournemouth at home this gameweek – a side that has conceded 10 in the last five. In fact, Brighton now have a run of fixtures that show up green or grey on the FPL website between now and 8 April. Not that teams in the top half of the table have been particularly terrifying to the Seagulls, as they found the back of the net thrice against Liverpool and twice against Arsenal. Of course, the Japanese international’s form isn’t going to last forever, so it’s worth picking him up while you can. Especially with that current low ownership.

Whilst they do not have a double gameweek this week, Arsenal’s midfielders are definitely worth mentioning. As you’ll no doubt know, Gameweek 23 sees them welcome Brentford and Man City to the Emirates, as they look to keep the dream of winning their first Premier League title since 2004. Ah, 2004 – a simpler time.

There are a fair few of the Gunners squad who make excellent FPL assets. Gabriel Martinelli’s form at the start of the season sees him still appear in 42 per cent of squads, with defender William Saliba coming second as he sits in almost a third of sides. It is, however, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka who I would suggest for your team, plus either a defender or the 6.7 per cent-owned Eddie Nketiah. When it comes to the men in bold, you have eight goals, along with six set up, for the Norwegian number eight, while the 21-year-old Englishman has found the back of the net seven times and assisted seven others.

It always pays to plan ahead when it comes to FPL and bringing in an Arsenal player ahead of travelling to a dire Everton side a week ahead of the double gameweek wouldn’t be a stupid idea – even with the hope you’ll have to have that they don’t get injured or suspended for the big Gameweek 23.

Another player and another mention of a double gameweek. Like Arsenal, Man City are playing twice after this weekend and Riyad Mahrez is my pick for both that and this week’s game against Spurs’ leaky defence. While the North Londoners kept a clean sheet in the 1-0 win over Fulham, that followed 10 goals conceded in just five ties and this is a man who could easily make the most of the flaws in front of him. We have to look at players’ minutes when it comes to Pep Guardiola’s Man City and in the 457 that the Algerian international has played in the last six games, he’s registered three goals and assisted four others, of which the highlight was the 17-point haul in the 4-2 win against guess who? Yes, you’re right, Spurs. Could we quickly see history repeat itself just two-and-a-half weeks later?

There’s then the double gameweek. Villa and Arsenal are the teams the Cityzens face and, presuming Mahrez plays a decent amount of minutes against them, he can look to his record of two goals and four assists in 16 meetings with the Gunners, with two goals and three set up in the 10 versus the Villans.

A favourite at the start of this season, thanks to 35 points in just the first three fixtures, Leeds’ Rodrigo Moreno has shown some occasional flashes since, with two goals in the 4-3 defeat at Spurs and finding the back of the net against Fulham, Liverpool, Bournemouth and West Ham. Keeping on the double gameweek theme, the £6.4m player faces Nottingham Forest and Man United. Whilst it’s clear to see one tie is trickier than the other, we have an explosive differential who appears in just 9 per cent of teams, and playing twice at that.

Forwards – Rosco

With blanks and double-game weeks kicking off there’s a chance most of you will be considering switching up your front line if not now, then imminently. This week’s article looks at the likely lads, pros, cons, and more watch outs than a Pep Guardiola-predicted line-up.

‘Bloody Toney’ is A statement Smash has dropped more than once in our group chat in recent weeks. Ivan Toney (£7.7m) allegedly likes a bet or two and we all expected a weighty ban to drop on him as soon as the World Cup wrapped. He hasn’t and to make matters worse, he’s bagged 27pts thanks to 3 goals and an assist. The fixtures are mixed, he’ll probably keep scoring but with a likely blank in GW25 we can’t really go there. So, yeah, bloody Toney.

Harry Kane (£11.7m) just keeps ticking along. 38pts since GW17, 6 attacking returns (4 goals, 2 assists), if you’ve got him I wouldn’t be selling him and if you can afford him he seems a safe route to a steady stream of points from now till the end of eternity.

Eddie Nketiah (£6.7m) has bagged himself 30pts since the restart. He’s been a more than admirable replacement for the injured Jesus. 4 goals in his 5 games with an xG of 4.61 that means if anything, he’s very slightly underperformed. Arsenal have a double in GW23 and my advice for anyone with space for an Arsenal player in their 15 is to get Eddie in. Jesus could be back by GW25 but I’d expect him to be eased in so for now, have at it.

Wout Weghorst (£6.0m) in a double-game week. We’ve been here before, right? Whilst many will have mixed emotions about the former Burnley man in FPL, he is leading the line for a considerably better side this time around. It’s 2 league appearances thus far for the Dutchman with no attacking returns. The good news is that he scored in the EFL cup, so he’s not a total donkey, and with a double this week against Palace and Leeds at Old Trafford, he will get chances. Whilst everyone is chucking transfers and armbands at Rashford and Fernandes wouldn’t it just be prime FPL if it’s the 0.9% owned Weghorst who comes out on top? You know what to do.

The blanks in GW25 for Manchester United and Newcastle (get in!) will see most managers in need of a full squad. That means it’s time to say goodbye to Sam Greenwood and if you’re looking for a cheap alternative then Wilfred Gnonto (£5.0m) is one who I imagine a few will turn to. The good news is he seems nailed having played 90 in 4 of Leeds’ last 5 fixtures, but with just 1 goal and underlying stats that don’t promise much more is the Italian a transfer waiting to happen? Maybe, but he doubles this week and in GW25 when you’re likely to need him most, Leeds play Southampton (H). Canny bag of Tudor.

Had he not picked up an injury against Liverpool at the weekend, I’d imagine a few would have considered Evan Ferguson (£4.6m) an easy Greenwood upgrade. But he left the Amex on crutches wearing a leg brace, he’s not nailed when he is fit and despite picking up 28pts since the restart thanks to 5 attacking returns (3 goals, 2 assists), like every other FPL asset of note, likely blanks in GW25. Bugger.

One who has perhaps slipped under the radar is Brennan Johnson (£5.6m). Forest have started to look a lot better in recent weeks, thanks in so small part to Johnson who has weighed in with 4 attacking returns (2 goals 2 assists). That’s 25 fpl points for Johnson and with Leeds (H) and Fulham (A) up next followed by a trip to a less-than-solid City (H) in 24 he could add to that tally. More importantly, he plays West Ham (A) in BGW25 which is not perfect, but it ain’t so bad either.

Finally, we have Alexander Isak (£6.6m). He’s only recently returned in GW20, 2 appearances off the bench scoring the winner in GW20. The pros are he’s likely to see increased minutes in the coming weeks, the cons are that he blanks in GW25. Ain’t that a bitch.

Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Tips Gameweek 22. This article was written by Rosco, Swirly and Odd.

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