POSITIONAL RANKINGS 2018/19: FPL Gameweek 22
With so many transfer trends and varying levels of form impacting the strategies of FPL players around the world, ahead of each Gameweek we will be providing our top ten selections in each position (GK, DEF, MID, FOR) for standalone rounds of games. Our player selections will be based purely on our opinion of those players on our watchlist any given week, with may positively sway FPL or Draft players with their own thoughts and decisions heading in to a Gameweek. All aboard.
Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 22 Deadline
For the 2016/17 Premier League season, the FPL deadline will be one hour before the commencement of the week's first game. The Premier League website lists each FPL deadline, you can always ask on social media, and you can also view a real time countdown on our Weekly Hype page.
FPL Gameweek 22: Goalkeeper Selections
1) Neil Etheridge (CAR): £4.6m - vs. Huddersfield (H)
2) Alisson (LIV): £5.9m - vs. Brighton (a)
3) Tom Heaton (BUR): £4.8m - vs. Fulham (H)
4) Kepa Arrizabalaga (CHE): £5.6m - vs. Newcastle (H)
5) Vicente Guaita (CRY): £4.2m - vs. Watford (H)
The start of a new year in the Premier League can sometimes mean a refresh of form and fortunes, especially with the January transfer window potentially transforming the fortunes of a few teams fighting relegation.
One team hoping for some fortune heading into the new year is Cardiff, with the FPL's second best shot-stopper, Neil Etheridge facing a spell of heavily favourable fixtures. Cardiff face Huddersfield (H), Newcastle (A), Arsenal (A), Bournemouth (H) and Southampton (A) in their next 5 fixtures. With 3 penalty saves and a clear run, FPL players are considering the Philippines international a must-have, and he tops the list of recommendations this week with The low-scoring Terriers visiting town.
Tom Heaton's forced his way back into Burnley's team and should see minutes against Fulham, another side struggling in front of goal, whilst Vicente Guaita will hope that Palace's defensive fortunes continue against a Watford side who have traditionally fallen off the face of the earth in the second half of recent seasons'.
The heavyweight options this week sees Alisson (12 clean sheets) and Kepa (10 clean sheets) feature against another pairing of sides that struggle for goals, and it most certainly helps that only those 2 keepers have kept 10+ clean sheets so far this season.
FPL Gameweek 22: Defender Selections
1) Andrew Robertson (LIV): £6.6m - vs. Brighton (a)
2) Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV): £5.2m - vs. Brighton (a)
3) Virgil van Dijk (LIV): £6.4m - vs. Brighton (a)
4) Marcos Alonso (CHE): £6.8m - vs. Newcastle (H)
5) Ricardo Pereira (LEI): £5.3m - vs. Southampton (H)
6) Kieran Trippier (TOT): £6.1m - vs. Man United (H)
7) Aaron Wan-Bissaka (CRY): £4.5m - vs. Watford (H)
8) Sean Morrison (CAR): £4.7m - vs. Huddersfield (H)
9) James Tarkowski (BUR): £4.7m - vs. Fulham (H)
10) Lucas Digne (EVE): £5.2m - vs. Bournemouth (H)
Defensive options ahead of Gameweek 22 come in no better form than the out-of-position Ricardo Pereira right now. Playing as a winger in recent weeks (both on the left and the right), the Portuguese international has 3 returns from his last 4 matches (1 goal, 1 assist, 2 clean sheets) and is a popular transfer leading into the weekend.
Liverpool and Chelsea also feature heavily this week, with the trio of Liverpool assets a no-brainer this weekend. Trent Alexander-Arnold's return to fitness will be a massive plus given his cheap £5.2 million price tag, whilst we also believe that a lot of discontent aimed at Marcos Alonso has been unjustified.
Alonso has proven to be a set-and-forget option this season and has back-to-back clean sheets to boost his Fantasy appeal, all that has been missing recently are those rich attacking returns that we've come accustomed to.
Lucas Digne's been testing the faith of FPL players despite a massive 17-point haul against Burnley (GW17), only managing 2 points in 3 surrounding fixtures. With a few favourable fixtures on Digne's side, he just about holds his spot at the rear of our consideration due to his set-piece potential, but now is the time to deliver of face a mass exodus in ownership.
FPL Gameweek 22: Midfielder Selections
1) Mohamed Salah (LIV): £13.3m - vs. Brighton (a)
2) Eden Hazard (CHE): £11.1m - vs. Newcastle (H)
3) Raheem Sterling (MCI): £11.3m - vs. Wolves (H)
4) Leroy Sane (MCI): £9.5m - vs. Wolves (H)
5) Son Heung-Min (TOT): £8.8m - vs. Man United (H)
6) Richarlison (EVE): £6.9m - vs. Bournemouth (H)
7) Gylfi Sigurdsson (EVE): £7.3m - vs. Bournemouth (H)
8) Callum Patterson (CAR): £5.3m - vs. Huddersfield (H)
9) Roberto Pereyra (WAT): £6.3m - vs. Crystal Palace (a)
10) James Maddison (LEI): £6.8m - vs. Southampton (H)
This week's coverage amongst the FPL Community has been Salah-heavy in regards to his potential this week, but in truth most midfield options from 'Top 6' clubs are in prime position for attacking returns this weekend.
Newcastle and Wolves at home for Chelsea and Man City put Eden Hazard's expectant owners on high alert, whilst those who held faith with Raheem Sterling in a rough patch could find themselves with a nice differential to boast if all goes to plan for the chasing champions at The Etihad this coming Monday.
Roberto Pereyra, who didn't manage a goal or assist in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Bournemouth, has been producing the goods for Watford on the road, recently securing 2 assists against both Everton (GW16) and West Ham (GW18) and if Palace start the year slowly, this could be another weekend to remember for the Argentine.
Cardiff's Callum Patterson is still playing out of position in attack for The Bluebirds though is finding himself drifting out to the right of midfield at times, with Bobby Reid floating into the number 9 role. Patterson's price and fixture against a Huddersfield team on an 8-game losing streak though puts him in direct focus this weekend.
FPL Gameweek 22: Forward Selections
1) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ARS): £11.4m - vs. West Ham (a)
2) Harry Kane (TOT): £12.6m - vs. Man United (H)
3) Jamie Vardy (LEI): £8.9m - vs. Southampton (H)
4) Roberto Firmino (LIV): £9.2m - vs. Brighton (a)
5) Marcus Rashford (MUN): £7.3m - vs. Spurs (a)
You'll not be shocked to see that Auba and Kane top the list of Forward targets this weekend, with both in supreme form. Kane at this point is pretty much an option in every game, whilst a trip to West Ham has the potential to see the goals reign in for Auba owners.
Opposing Kane this weekend is Man United and Marcus Rashford, with the England international jostling with Kane for a position in the team, has become a real cut-price option with back-to-back games with double-digit FPL returns. There will be a lot of players hoping for goals on both sides, with Kane and Rashford both involved.
Vardy and Firmino are the last 2 in line of consideration, with both frustratingly impossible to predict. Firmino had failed to score in 4 games and had fallen out of form, you take him out for Vardy. Vardy then blanked against Cardiff and Firmino scores a treble against Arsenal. Bobby then followed his hat-trick up against Arsenal with an opportunistic header against Man City. Who knows what we'll get out of the pair this weekend, but we fancy a Vardy goal against Southampton as we anticipate Firmino will drop slightly deeper against Brighton.
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All aboard.
