A decent average of 44 FPL points in gameweek 13 has kicked off a period of extreme fixture congestion, with two more gameweek deadlines to be dealt with this week alone. Less than 36 hours will be between the final whistle of GW14 on Thursday night and the starting whistle of GW15’s opening game on Saturday. This means an action-packed week of FPL fun and desperation, and the start of a potentially unprecedented period of fatigue, fitness doubts and rotation for FPL managers, especially if Mother Nature continues to throw match-stopping blizzards into the mix.
Looking at the gameweek at hand, we seem to be dealing with an interesting set of fixtures. From a fantasy manager’s point of view, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City’s away games look appealing, against Watford, Everton and Villa respectively. Spurs hosting Brentford is as a fixture to consider, while there could be fantasy joy in Crystal Palace’s visit to Leeds as well.
Don’t forget, the deadline for gameweek 14 is set at 18h00 (UK time) on Tuesday, November 30th.
Most transferred in/transferred out players (as per November 29th, 2021)
| TRANSFERS OUT | TRANSFERS IN | POSSIBLE REASONS | |
| GK | Martinez (AST), Schmeichel (LEI), Raya (BRE) | Ramsdale (ARS), Mendy (CHE), Sá (WOL) | |
| DEF | Chilwell (CHE), Duffy (BRI), Tsimikas (LIV) | James (CHE), Alexander-Arnold (LIV), Cancelo (MCI) | Form of the transferred-in defenders, Chilwell injury |
| MID | Foden (MCI), Sarr (WAT), Benrahma (WHU) | Jota (LIV), Gallagher (CRY), Bernardo (MCI) | Foden injury doubt, Jota and Gallagher goal-scoring form |
| FOR | Ronaldo (MUN), Antonio (WHU), Aubameyang (ARS) | Vardy (LEI), Dennis (WAT), Saint-Maximim (NEW) | Vardy brace in GW13, Ronaldo sub against Chelsea, Antonio lack of returns |
Premium pick
It’s hard not to mention Mo Salah here, as the Egyptian made it 20 attacking returns from 13 league starts this weekend when he provided the assist for Jota’s second goal. Still, with Spurs hosting Brentford on Thursday, this feels like a good opportunity to highlight another premium fantasy asset for once, though there really isn’t much to write home about when it comes to Harry Kane (£12.3m) so far this season. He’s scored just the one goal and he’s only given a single assist on top of that, so this is definitely a fixture-over-form kind of pick. It was a shame that Spurs’ visit to Burnley was cut short due to the snowy conditions at Turf Moor, as it would have given us a much better idea of the direction in which new manager Antonio Conte has his team moving in terms of tactics and form, but we’ll now have to wait for that until this Thursday evening. The home encounter with Brentford should be a good opportunity for both Spurs and Kane to show the world that they’re improving and still in it particularly with Spurs having had a rest in GW13 unlike Brentford who had a hard-fought win against Everton on Sunday.
Non-premium pick
Not very often do we highlight a defender as a stand-out non-premium fantasy pick of the week, but with Ben Chilwell out injured for the foreseeable future and with Chelsea playing away at Watford on Wednesday, Marcos Alonso (£5.6m) could bring joy at both ends of the pitch. In seven league starts so far this season, the Spanish wing-back collected 4 clean sheets, 1 goal and 1 assist, and he looks set for a consistent run of starts over the busy coming period. Watford rank amongst the bottom-three teams in the league for both expected goals conceded and actual goals conceded, while most of their underlying attacking stats place them somewhere along the bottom-half of the table. Chelsea will want to make up for losing two points against Manchester United over the weekend and we feel that Alonso has the potential to benefit enormously from that, partly as he’s taking corners.
The budget enabler
We wrote earlier that Norwich have not been terrible of late and we’re confirming that statement by highlighting the considerable budget-enabling qualities of Brandon Williams (£3.9m). That’s right, a Norwich defender. Rather quietly, the Canaries have collected nine points from their last seven games, which has actually lifted them out of last place and into their current joint-18th position. They have also booked 3 clean sheets over that run, including the shut-out versus Wolves at home from last weekend. Manchester United loanee Williams got 7 FPL points from that encounter, courtesy of a clean sheet plus a bonus point while carrying a price tag of just 3.9m. The lowest of any starting player in the official game right now. It’s true that Norwich will struggle to this season’s very end, but Williams could be a useful fifth defender in your squad, especially with an interesting game against Newcastle at Saint James Park coming up next.
The differential
Callum Wilson (£7.3m) has not scored or assisted since hitting the back of the net in two consecutive gameweeks in GW8 and GW9, but with two home games against Norwich and Burnley up next, we feel he could be a good option for the short term. What adds to his appeal, is that he is currently owned by just 3.2% of managers, making him a serious differential asset. Newcastle’s opponents on Tuesday, Norwich, are ranked 19th in the entire league for both goals conceded (17) and expected goals conceded (24), and a poacher like Wilson can take advantage of the situation. On top of that, the former Bournemouth man is also on penalty duties for the Toon, which adds to his appeal. Considering the current scarcity of decent forward options in the official game, Wilson could be the differential you’re looking for without breaking the bank.
For more GW14 FPL transfer options, see what fiso forum members are considering.
The (vice-)captaincy
As you know by now, our advice is to stick with Mo Salah as your captain until further notice. The Liverpool talisman has been extraordinary again this season and there is just no arguing with a player who has accrued a ridiculous 131 FPL points after 13 rounds. That’s just over 10 FPL points on average.
Still, for those of us looking to mix it up, gameweek 14 offers a few more than decent alternatives to Salah. Lukaku, Alonso or James for Chelsea at Watford? Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son at home against Brentford also come to mind, as do a few Manchester City assets as they prepare for a visit to Villa Park. The question is, as always, who will start for the Cityzens? Jota is in very good form at the moment and could be a good choice for the captaincy. The likes of Raul Jimenez at home versus Burnley, Jamie Vardy away at Saint Mary’s where Southampton have lost two on the bounce, and Callum Wilson at home to Norwich can pay off handsomely as well.
Discuss your FPL opinions on FISO’s Fantasy Premier League forum.