Gameweek 16 arrives at a pivotal moment in the season, with the Premier League table beginning to settle, Champions League fixtures over until next year and fixture patterns becoming clearer. FPL managers now have enough information to meaningfully combine a player’s recent output with their club’s trajectory and the difficulty of upcoming fixtures. Using the FPL 30-day form list, the current league table, and each team’s fixture difficulty for the next four Gameweeks (GW16–GW19), we can identify which midfielders present promising returns in both the short and medium term. From this cross-analysis, ten standout options emerge — all of whom have favourable combinations of form, club performance, and upcoming opportunities.

Rather than simply picking the highest-scoring players, this article identifies midfielders whose clubs rank well in the table, who have good fixture runs, and who are not flagged as likely absentees. With that filter applied, here are 10 promising midfielders for GW16. Don’t forget, the deadline for Gameweek 16 is set at 13h30 (UK time) on Saturday, 13th December 2025. The free to play FPL or pay to play season/weekend/daily games like FanTeam are ideal ways of following the Premier League action.

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Phil Foden – Manchester City

Manchester City sit firmly in second place, and Phil Foden heads into GW16 as the standout midfielder on the FPL 30-day form list. City’s fixture this week is an away match against 4th-placed Crystal Palace, which is not an easy opponent structurally but a fixture City typically dominate in territory and chance creation. What makes Foden especially appealing, however, is the run of games that follow: West Ham (H), Nottingham Forest (A), and Sunderland (A) in GW17–GW19. These are highly favourable from an attacking standpoint, offering exceptional potential for points. Foden’s improving consistency, plus set-piece involvement and strong underlying numbers, make him one of the top GW16 and medium-term midfield buys.

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Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United

Manchester United are 6th in the table, and Bruno Fernandes continues to feature near the top of the FPL 30-day form list thanks to his steady returns and set-piece duties including penalties. His GW16 fixture, Bournemouth at home, is encouraging — Bournemouth sit 13th, and despite occasional resilience, they concede enough chances for Fernandes to exploit. The fixtures tighten afterwards against Aston Villa (A) and Newcastle (H), but end strongly with Wolves (H) in GW19. Given Wolves are currently bottom (20th), the upside across these four fixtures remains high. Fernandes’ reliability in minutes, penalties and bonus points makes him a stable midfield core pick.

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Bruno Guimarães – Newcastle United

Newcastle’s fluctuating form has pushed them down to 12th in the standings, but Bruno Guimarães remains a key creative force and ranks well on the FPL 30-day form list. Newcastle enter GW16 with a spicy derby matchup away at 9th-placed Sunderland, where form often matters less than intensity — but Newcastle still enter as favourites. Their following fixtures include Chelsea (H), Manchester United (A), and Burnley (A), with Chelsea and United offering unpredictable but potentially open encounters. Burnley, sitting 19th, present a clear opportunity. While Bruno G. lacks explosive returns, his consistency, passing dominance, and bonus-point attraction make him a strong midfield differential for this fixture stretch.

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Merino – Arsenal

Arsenal remain top of the table (1st) and boast some of the most appealing fixtures in the league for GW16. Merino, included in the FPL 30-day form list as an Arsenal midfielder, benefits from excellent conditions going into a home fixture against 20th-placed Wolves. As the weakest side in the division, Wolves present a clear target for Arsenal’s attackers. Following that, Arsenal face Everton (A), Brighton (H), and Aston Villa (H) — a rising level of difficulty but still favourable enough for attacking returns. If Merino continues to feature in a forward-leaning midfield role, the Wolves fixture alone makes him a standout immediate pick for GW16, with potential to hold through to GW19.

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Eze – Arsenal

Eze, also listed as an Arsenal midfielder on the FPL 30-day form sheet, carries similar appeal to Merino in the short term thanks to Arsenal’s top-of-the-table form and the plum GW16 home game against Wolves. Arsenal’s creative players thrive in home fixtures against deep-defending sides, and Wolves’ defensive fragility makes this a high-upside week for Eze. The upcoming sequence of Everton, Brighton, and Aston Villa has mixed difficulty, yet Arsenal’s attacking strength ensures their midfielders remain valuable assets throughout. For managers seeking a differential within Arsenal’s ranks, Eze’s positioning and involvement make him a compelling short-term buy, especially if he’s starting regularly.

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Bukayo Saka – Arsenal

Saka needs no introduction and appears once again in the FPL 30-day form list with strong numbers. Arsenal’s fixture against bottom-placed Wolves in GW16 makes him arguably the single best midfield pick this week. Whether drifting wide or cutting inside, Saka’s combination of penalties, open-play involvement, and consistent minutes aligns perfectly with the fixtures ahead. The follow-up matches get slightly more difficult, but Arsenal remain one of the most reliable attacking sides in the league and are deservedly favourites for the EPL title. For managers seeking a captain alternative in GW16 or a secure long-term midfielder across GW16-GW19, Saka is one of the safest options available.

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Morgan Rogers – Aston Villa

Aston Villa sit an impressive 3rd in the league and come into GW16 with an objectively strong fixture: West Ham away, with West Ham currently 18th. Villa’s midfielders have become valuable FPL assets thanks to their aggressive attacking structure, and Rogers appears on the FPL 30-day form list in a promising position. His creative contributions and advanced role make him particularly appealing for GW16. The upcoming trio of Manchester United (H), Chelsea (A), and Arsenal (A) is trickier, but the immediate upside at West Ham makes him a valid pick for anyone looking to maximise GW16 returns and reassess afterwards.

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Boubacar Kamara – Aston Villa

Kamara, another Aston Villa midfielder on the form list, benefits from the same excellent GW16 fixture as Rogers: an away match at struggling West Ham (18th). His lower price tag and consistent minutes make him an underrated option heading into the weekend. While his attacking ceiling may be slightly lower, Aston Villa’s overall goal-scoring trend means Kamara still carries real potential for returns. Like Rogers, his long-term viability may decrease as the fixture list toughens, but for GW16 specifically, he represents strong value and a useful squad-balancing pick.

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Dewsbury-Hall – Everton

As an Everton midfielder, Dewsbury-Hall ranks second on the FPL 30-day form list. Everton sit 7th, which reflects a respectable run of results, but face a tough fixture away at 5th-placed Chelsea in GW16. This is not an immediate green fixture, but the upcoming run is attractive enough to justify investment: Arsenal (H) is tough, but then Everton travel to Burnley (A) and Nottingham Forest (A) in GW18–GW19 — both sides positioned low in the table and offering opportunities for returns. Dewsbury-Hall fits well as a rotation option or as part of a medium-term structure targeting the GW18–19 upswing.

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Harry Wilson – Fulham

Wilson ranks well in the FPL 30-day form list and benefits from Fulham’s favourable GW16 matchup away at 19th-placed Burnley. Fulham’s midfielders often thrive in open matches, and Burnley’s defensive struggles make this an appealing fixture. Forest at home in GW17 is another strong opportunity before the schedule becomes more balanced with West Ham (A) and Crystal Palace (A) in GW18–19. As a mid-priced midfielder who often provides assists and long-range threat, Wilson is an ideal pick for managers chasing immediate upside in GW16 without committing to a premium slot.

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Conclusion — Who Should You Prioritise for GW16?

Three midfielders stand out as top-tier options for both GW16 and the medium term: Foden, Saka, and Bruno Fernandes. Their form, minutes security, and club strength align almost perfectly with their fixtures. For short-term gains, Arsenal midfielders such as Merino and Eze (as listed) present excellent upside thanks to the home match against Wolves. Managers seeking differentials might look to Wilson, Kamara, or Rogers, while Dewsbury-Hall offers a medium-term rotation option with attractive GW18–19 fixtures.

With several teams offering favourable runs, GW16 is an ideal time to reinforce the midfield — and the FPL 30-day form list provides compelling evidence for these ten standout picks. For further discussions have a look at FISO’s FPL forum where you can also see the FPL mini-leagues and FPL side-games available.

It’s not exactly raining points for the majority of FPL managers at the moment. With an average of just 38 points, Gameweek 11 was the Gameweek with the lowest FPL points average so far this season. Managers who were hoping for a bounce-back got the short end of the stick though, as the Gameweek 12 average ended up being just one measly point higher. In other words, we have just had the lowest-scoring Gameweeks so far this season, back-to-back.

The roughly 10% of FPL managers who, at the time of the GW12 deadline, had Eberechi Eze will have most likely felt very little of those low-scoring weeks. With a hattrick against Spurs and 20 FPL points as a result, the Arsenal midfielder was the highest-scoring player in the official fantasy game in Gameweek 12. He was followed by 2%-owned central defender Murillo from Nottingham Forest with 17 FPL points, courtesy of a goal and a clean sheet against Liverpool. The third place was shared by Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers (brace versus Leeds, 6.9% owned) and Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes (brace versus Man City, 0.9% owned) with 15 FPL points each.

Don’t forget, the deadline for Gameweek 13 is set at 13h30 (UK time) on Saturday, November 29^th, 2025. The free to play FPL or pay to play season/weekend/daily games like FanTeam are ideal ways of following the Premier League action.

Most transferred in/transferred out players (as per November 27^th, 2025)

	TRANSFERS OUT	TRANSFERS IN	POSSIBLE REASONS
GK	Raya (ARS), Sanchez (CHE), Dubravka (BUR)	Donnarumma (MCI), Martinez (AST), Roefs (SUN)
DEF	Gabriel (ARS), Virgil (LIV), James (CHE)	Muñoz (CRY), Timber (ARS), O’Reilly (MCI)	Gabriel injury, Muñoz + Timber direct Gabriel replacements
MID	Semenyo (BOU), Caicedo (CHE), Reijnders (MCI)	Eze (ARS), Rogers (AST), Minteh (BRI)	Semenyo injury doubt, Eze hattrick vs Spurs in GW12, Rogers brace vs Leeds in GW12
FOR	Pedro (CHE), Mateta (CRY), Ekitiké (LIV)	Thiago (BRE), Welbeck (BRI), Woltemade (NEW)	Ekitiké injury doubt, Thiago + Welbeck good form

Premium pick

Gameweek 12 was a disappointing one for Manchester City and Erling Haaland (£14.9m). The Cityzens went under 2-1 at Newcastle with their Norwegian superstar recording his third blank of the season so far. As a result, Man City now find themselves in third place in the Premier League, 7 points behind leaders Arsenal. Manager Pep Guardiola, while surely not content, will not be despairing just though, because their upcoming schedule looks outstanding for a side that is in need of a run of victories to get back to title-candidate form. On Saturday, Man City host Leeds United, followed by Fulham away in GW14, Sunderland at home in GW15, Crystal Palace away in GW16 and West Ham United at home in GW17. That is also why Erling Haaland is our preferred premium fantasy pick for Gameweek 13. The Norway international, currently sits on 14 goals and 1 assist from twelve league starts, and the upcoming schedule should see him build on those numbers. On the subject of Haaland, FanTeam Sportsbook have this offer for his match this weeknd v Leeds: Place a max £1 bet on the “Erling Haaland 1+ Shots on Target” market in Man City vs Leeds United. Winnings will be paid in cash at standard odds, with the difference to the enhanced price credited as Free Bet Builder Bets within 24 hours. You’ll receive 3×£10 Free Bet Builder Bets, valid for 14 days. T&Cs apply.

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Non-premium pick

Igor Thiago (£6.5m) was acquired by Brentford from Belgian side Club Brugge back in the summer of 2024 for a heavy £31 million and the Brazilian went on to severely underperform last season. In FPL terms, he got just a single start in the Premier League plus a few substitute appearances, which resulted in the grand total of 9 FPL points for the 2024 – 2025 season. That was last season though, because this season, the Cruzeiro academy graduate is absolutely on fire for the Bees. In twelve league starts, Thiago has scored no less than 9 goals and 64 FPL points. That makes him the second-highest-scoring forward in the official fantasy game, behind the inevitable Erling Haaland. Contrary to Haaland though, Thiago costs just £6.5m. That, plus the fact that Brentford are hosting Burnley on Saturday, has made us include the Brazilian as our non-premium fantasy pick for Gameweek 13. After that game, the Bees have two challenging fixtures (Arsenal and Spurs away), but those are following by two very appealing games: Leeds at home in GW16 and a visit to Molineux in GW17. At his current price of just £6.5m, Thiago looks like a no-brainer and you’re relatively on time as well to bring him in as he currently sits in about 17% of all FPL squads.

The budget enabler

In the build-up to Gameweek 11, we went a bit differential for our FPL budget enabler by recommending Marcus Tavernier (£5.5m). The Bournemouth midfielder, who is on penalties for the Cherries, had just come off consecutive attacking returns in Gameweeks 8 and 9, and was about to embark on an interesting run of fixtures. While the blank at Villa Park in GW11 was a shame, the 7-pointer at home to West Ham last weekend must have felt great for the roughly 2% of FPL managers who own Tavernier. That made it 2 goals and 1 assist in his last five league games, with another set of relatively appealing fixtures coming up. Actually, we’re not excluding the possibility of a similar run for the Bournemouth midfielder over the coming five games, starting with Sunderland away on Saturday. After that it’s Everton at home, followed by Chelsea at home and a visit to Old Trafford before hosting Burnley in Gameweek 17. With a price tag of just £5.5m, Tavernier, who is a nailed-on part of Bournemouth’s starting eleven, could be the ideal fifth or even fourth midfielder for any FPL squad on the short and medium term.

The differential

Rather quietly, Phil Foden (£8.0m) has become Pep Guardiola’s most-used midfielder so far this season. We say “rather quietly”, because despite having played more minutes in the Prem than any other City midfielder after twelve Gameweeks, he has managed just 1 goal and 1 assist so far. That is also what makes him a big differential in our opinion, together with his current ownership of 5.1%, for the coming favourable run of fixtures for Manchester City. We already highlighted this when discussing Haaland as our premium fantasy pick for Gameweek 12: Leeds at home in GW13, Fulham away in GW14, Sunderland home in GW15, Palace away in GW16 and West Ham at home in GW17. As far as we are concerned, the major downside to Phil Foden as a differential fantasy pick is his relatively heavy price tag. Having said that, if you feel like Man City could go on a bit of a run, have some budget to spare and are looking for a way to catch up in your mini-league, bringing in the England international could be a shrewd move.

The (vice-)captaincy

With Erling Haaland facing off against Leeds at home this weekend, our armband is going on the current Premier League’s topscorer for Gameweek 13.

Despite their enormous slump in form, more than a few managers are still opting for Mohamed Salah as an alternative for Liverpool’s visit to West Ham on Sunday. We are personally keeping the Reds at a distance for now and would instead look at, for example, Igor Thiago at home against Burnley, Ollie Watkins at home to Wolves or Bukayo Saka for Arsenal’s visit to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

For further discussions have a look at FISO’s FPL forum where you can also see the FPL mini-leagues and FPL side-games available.

A huge day in the Premier League with six matches kicking off, goals across the grounds, and some big storylines at both ends of the table with FISO FPL Forum members glued to the results hoping their GW12 FPL Transfers and Captain choices were the correct ones. Let’s get straight into it.

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🔥 12:30 – Burnley 0–2 Chelsea

Goals: Neto 36’, Fernández 86’

We start at Turf Moor, where struggling 19th-placed Burnley looked to frustrate a Chelsea side sitting as high as 2nd.

And for half an hour, it worked. Chelsea probed without incision…
…until Pedro Neto produced the moment of class, drifting inside and firing into the far corner after 36 minutes.

Burnley pushed after the break, but Chelsea kept them at arm’s length.
Then, late on, Enzo Fernández sealed it — a slick late arriving run, cool finish, and the visitors walk away with a deserved win.

Chelsea efficient, Burnley blunt. A story of the season so far.

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🔥 15:00 – Bournemouth 2–2 West Ham

Goals: Bournemouth – Tavernier 69’, Ünal 81’
West Ham – Wilson 12’, 35’

Over to the Vitality, where we had a real ebb-and-flow encounter.

Callum Wilson, up against his former club, was ruthless — two composed finishes inside the first 35 minutes, putting West Ham 2–0 up and Bournemouth in real trouble.

But the Cherries came alive after the hour mark.
Marcus Tavernier, inevitable from range, cut the deficit with a drilled effort on 69’, and the comeback was on.

With West Ham rocking, Enes Ünal levelled it on 81’ — a striker’s instinct, quick feet, low finish.
Bournemouth, who posted a monstrous xG, may even feel they should’ve won it.

A classic south-coast scrap: guts, chaos, goals.

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🔥 15:00 – Brighton 2–1 Brentford

Goals: Brighton – Welbeck 71’, Hinshelwood 84’
Brentford – Thiago 29’

To the Amex next, where Brighton had to come from behind.
Thiago broke the deadlock for Brentford just before half an hour — clever movement and a tidy finish.

Brighton, though, dominated long spells and finally broke through when it mattered:
Danny Welbeck, still delivering big moments, powered home the leveller on 71′.
Then came Jack Hinshelwood, this increasingly influential academy gem, popping up late with a composed winner at 84’.

A deserved win despite Brentford generating the better xG. Brighton: clinical when it counted.

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🔥 15:00 – Fulham 1–0 Sunderland

Goal: Jiménez 83’

At Craven Cottage, patience was the word of the day.

Fulham peppered the Sunderland goal with chance after chance — a huge xG — but it took until the 83rd minute for Raúl Jiménez to finally break Black Cats hearts, turning in from close range after sustained pressure.

A gritty, narrow win that lifts Fulham away from trouble. Sunderland offered moments but never enough.

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🔥 15:00 – Liverpool 0–3 Nottingham Forest

Goals: Murillo 30’, Savona 46’, Gibbs-White 78’

The shock of the weekend.
At Anfield, few could have predicted Nottingham Forest would not only win — but win comfortably.

Murillo started it on 30 minutes, rising above everyone to head Forest into the lead.
Straight after the break, Savona pounced on a loose touch to make it 2–0, silencing the Kop.
And with Liverpool pushing forward recklessly, Morgan Gibbs-White curled in the killer third on 78 minutes.

Liverpool’s xG reflects chances missed — but Forest were clinical, organised, and fearless.

A statement win for the visitors.

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🔥 15:00 – Wolves 0–2 Crystal Palace

Goals: Muñoz 63’, Pino 69’

Bottom-placed Wolves continue their misery.
They battled hard but lacked sharpness in both boxes, and Crystal Palace — a side playing with swagger this season — punished them.

Muñoz broke the deadlock just after the hour, guiding in from a tight angle, before Yeremy Pino added a stylish second six minutes later.

Palace climb; Wolves sink. The table tells the story.

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🔥 17:30 – Newcastle 2–1 Manchester City

Goals: Newcastle – Barnes 64’, 70’
Man City – Dias 68’

The late kickoff delivered as promised.

City dominated possession early but Newcastle sat tight, soaked pressure, and waited for the game to open up.

Enter Harvey Barnes — a six-minute, match-winning explosion.

First, on 64’, he finished a rapid counterattack.
Two minutes later, Rúben Dias knocked in an equaliser for City.
But back came Barnes again at 70’ — cutting inside, bending one past the keeper, St James’ Park erupting.

City pushed late, but Newcastle held firm. A huge scalp and a badly-needed win for the Magpies.

Sunday, 23 November 2025

After a dramatic Saturday, Sunday delivered even more storylines — relegation tension at Elland Road and a North London derby filled with fireworks.

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🔥 14:00 – Leeds United 1–2 Aston Villa

Goals: Leeds – Nmecha 8’
Villa – Rogers 48’, 75’

We begin at Elland Road, where 18th-placed Leeds hoped to claw their way out of danger, and they got the perfect start.

Inside eight minutes, Lukas Nmecha pounced — strong run, crisp finish, the stadium bouncing.

But Villa — sitting in a Champions League spot and playing with real authority — grew into the game.
Just after the break, Morgan Rogers levelled it with a confident strike at 48’.
Leeds wobbled… and Rogers struck again at 75’, drifting into space and bending a low effort into the far corner.

Villa’s quality shone through when it mattered, while Leeds’ bright start faded as the pressure of the relegation battle returned.

Close on chances, but Villa’s composure made the difference.

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🔥 16:30 – Arsenal 4–1 Tottenham Hotspur

Goals: Arsenal – Trossard 36’, Eze 41’, 46’, 76’
Spurs – Richarlison

The headline act: Arsenal vs Tottenham, the North London derby.
First vs ninth. Form vs chaos. And from early on, it was one-way traffic.

Arsenal dominated the ball, penned Spurs back, and eventually broke through on 36 minutes when Leandro Trossard clipped home after a slick move.

Moments later, Eberechi Eze took over the show.

• 41’ – Jinks inside, low curler. 2–0.
• 46’ – Seconds after halftime, he wins the ball high and slams in another. 3–0.
• 76’ – Completes the hat-trick, a majestic finish from distance. Emirates in raptures.

Tottenham’s only moment of joy came from Richarlison, who volleyed in a ‘worldie’ consolation on 55′ … but virtually non-existent xG for Spurs say it all. This wasn’t a derby — it was a dismantling.

Eze, in one of the great derby displays, put Arsenal firmly in control of the title race.

Manchester United v Everton on Monday evening rounds off GW12.

The third international break of the 2025 – 2026 season is now behind us and it was an emotional one. England qualified for the 2026 World Cup with ease, beating Serbia (2-0) and Albania (0-2) to make get the maximum score of 24 points from 8 games in Group K without conceding one goal. Scotland did the same, but in more dramatic fashion, by scoring a bunch of worldies against Denmark (4-2) and finishing first in Group C with 13 points from 6 games. There was drama in Ireland as well as Troy Parrott’s unbelievable five goals in two games (2-0 vs Portugal, he scored both, and 2-3 against Hungary, he scored all three) got Na Buachaillí I Nglas into the 2026 WC playoffs. Wales also booked a spot in those playoffs, courtesy of a 0-1 victory in Liechtenstein followed by a 7-1 thumping of North Macedonia. Finally, Northern Ireland made it into the playoffs despite finishing third in Group A, but making full use of the Nations League safety net.

Overall, good to great performances from the UK teams and Ireland, but in the end, this is not about World Cup football. It’s about the Fantasy Premier League and in terms of the FPL the international break has left some marks this time. Plenty of players have returned to England with injuries (or injury niggles), including a host of popular fantasy picks. Arsenal’s Gabriel, Tottenham’s Mohamed Kudus and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo are just a few examples. Therefore, we strongly recommend going over the current injury news once more and to make sure your squads are ready for the upcoming block of intense Premier League action.

(Ben Dinnery’s “Premier Injuries” is an excellent source for injury-related FPL news, by the way)

Don’t forget, the deadline for Gameweek 12 is set at 11h00 (UK time) on Saturday, November 22^nd, 2025. The free to play FPL or pay to play season/weekend/daily games like FanTeam are ideal ways of following the Premier League action.

Most transferred in/transferred out players (as per November 20^th, 2025)

	TRANSFERS OUT	TRANSFERS IN	POSSIBLE REASONS
GK	Pope (NEW), Vicario (TOT), Raya (ARS)	Roefs (SUN), Martinez (AST), Raya (ARS)
DEF	Gabriel (ARS), Burn (NEW), Guehi (CRY)	Muñoz (CRY), O’Reilly (MCI), Timber (ARS)	Gabriel + Guehi injury doubts, Burn suspension
MID	Kudus (TOT), Semenyo (BOU), Reijnders (MCI)	Mbeumo (MUN), Doku (MCI), Rice (ARS)	Kudus + Semenyo injury doubts
FOR	Woltemade (NEW), Gyökeres (ARS), Sesko (MUN)	Thiago (BRE), Mateta (CRY), Pedro (CHE)	Gyökeres + Sesko (injury doubts, all most-transferred-in forwards in good form

Premium pick

No forward or midfielder as our premium fantasy pick for Gameweek 12, and that has everything to do with the international break injuries we mentioned in our intro. Probably the most impactful injury to come out of the break is that of Gabriel (£6.6m), one of Arsenal’s absolute top performers so far this season. As a matter of fact, the Brazilian currently has more FPL points (81) than any other Gunner and by some difference. Number two is Jurrien Timber with 67 FPL points. Gabriel is now injured for what sounds like about a month, as confirmed by various reputable sources. There are a few good replacements for the Brazilian, think for example Crystal Palace’s Daniel Muñoz or Man United’s Matthijs de Ligt, but we have decided to keep it simple this time. As far as we are concerned, the best direct replacement for Gabriel is found on that same Arsenal roster, in the person of Jurrien Timber (£6.2m). Exactly, the Jurrien Timber we mentioned earlier as the second-highest points scorer for Arsenal after eleven Gameweeks. Like that, you remain invested in the league’s most solid defence, you maintain decent attacking threat from your backline (Timber’s got 2 goals and 2 assists from ten league starts) and you save £0.4m to boot. Whilst Timber also suffered a knee injury scare during the break this was later reported as just a cut.

Non-premium pick

One popular fantasy pick who did come out of the international break unscathed is Bryan Mbeumo (£8.5m). The Cameroon international travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the semi-finals of the African World Cup qualifiers, in which he featured for the full 90 minutes. He and his teammates unfortunately were eliminated by the home side, but the upside for FPL managers is that this allowed him to return to Manchester a couple of days early. Mbeumo is now preparing for the home game against Everton on Monday and he is doing so in great form. With 4 goals in the last six league games, the midfielder/forward has been the most productive midfielder in the whole FPL in terms of goals and FPL points over that period, while his underlying statistics rank among the best in the league as well. To top it off, the Red Devils have also got a nice set of fixtures coming up on the short and medium term. The upcoming home game versus Everton is followed by a visit to Selhurst Park in GW13, a home game against West Ham in GW14, a visit to Wolves in GW15 and a home game against Bournemouth in GW16. In his current form and with Manchester United as a whole seemingly picking up a bit of momentum as well, we feel Mbeumo is one of the stand-out non-premium fantasy picks at the moment.

The budget enabler

Our budget enabler for Gameweek 12 is a bit of a mix of a very affordable price tag and a serious differential, so keep that in mind. Emiliano Buendia (£5.3m) has started just 4 league games for Aston Villa so far this season, but he nevertheless sits on 3 goals and 2 assists at the time of writing. One of those goals came in the Gameweek right before the international break, when he helped Villa to a victory over Bournemouth and himself to a lovely 11 FPL points. That’s not all though, because Emi was also called up for the Argentinian national team over the international break and he featured against Angola for 20 minutes. That might not seem too significant to some people, but it should be noted that this was only Buendia’s second national team appearance ever. What we’re trying to say is that we would not be surprised if the attacking midfielder is currently brimming with confidence. Aston Villa are facing Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday, followed by a home game against Wolves in Gameweek 13 as well. So, if you’ve got some transfers to spare and/or need some budget urgently to reinforce your squad in other positions, Buendia could be a shrewd investment, at least in the short term to provide you with at least one good day from him.

The differential

If you feel Man United are on the up and you are tempted by Mbeumo, but lack the budget to bring him in, the slightly less expensive Matheus Cunha (£7.9m) could be an interesting alternative. Now, just to get this out of the way, you are not bringing in the Brazilian based on his FPL-points-scoring form, as he has amassed just 26 FPL points so far. He has only one goal to his name, against Brighton in Gameweek 9 at Old Trafford, but his underlying stats are good. Only six midfielders have taken more shots than Cunha over the last six Gameweeks and he also ranks second for chance involvement among his teammates over the same period. And we haven’t even mentioned the eye test yet, because watching Cunha play is watching perhaps one of the best footballers in the league play. What we are hoping for is that his undeniable qualities will result in more FPL points over the coming Gameweeks, as United have a favourable run of fixtures coming up (see Mbeumo above), starting with a home game against Everton on Monday.

The (vice-)captaincy

The captaincy debate is expected to be rather wide open this weekend, as Erling Haaland has a difficult away game at Newcastle and Mohamed Salah, while facing Nottingham Forest at home, is not in form at all at the moment. We expect more than a few managers to go with the Egyptian nonetheless, but our armband is going on Bryan Mbeumo in Gameweek 12 for Man United’s home game against Everton.

We already mentioned Haaland and Salah as excellent alternatives for the Cameroon international, and many managers will captain one of the two. Keep that in mind when going with Mbeumo or another option. Those options include Joao Pedro for Chelsea’s visit to Turf Moor on Saturday, Bukayo Saka for the North London Derby against Spurs and Bruno Fernandes for Man United’s home game against Everton.

For further discussions have a look at FISO’s FPL forum where you can also see the FPL mini-leagues and FPL side-games available.