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It’s that time of the year again! FPL managers will face quite a challenge as we enter the EPL’s festive period — there will be little time to prepare for game-weeks with the tight fixture schedule that is coming up.
But we’ve got you covered with player picks for game-week 13, where the marquee match-up is the top-of-the-table clash between Tottenham and Liverpool in what is bound to be an exciting game. The two clubs are tied on points for first place!
Let’s jump right in to the picks.
Goalkeepers
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Ederson - £6.0mil - West Brom (H)
The Citizens have kept nine clean sheets in their last eleven fixtures in all competitions, conceding just three goals. They have shown promising signs of improvement at the back, so facing West Bromwich Albion at home shouldn’t bother Pep’s men at all. I can see a comfortable victory and nice FPL returns for their Brazilian shot-stopper.
Emiliano Martinez - £4.8mil - Burnley (H)
Dean Smith’s men pulled off an amazing result at the weekend against Wolverhampton at Molineux. They jumped to 8th in the table, and now they face Burnley at home in a fixture in which they will be heavily favored. The Clarets currently sit 18th in the Premier League with just six points so far, and I don’t see them giving Villa too much trouble. Martinez earned 11 points in game-week 12, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he does something similar against Burnley.
Defenders
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Vladimir Coufal - £4.6mil - Crystal Palace (H)
West Ham United pulled off an amazing result away to Bielsa’s Leeds on the weekend. Coufal has been a reliable starter and is priced attractively as well. The Hammers have been performing well lately, and with just 2.5% ownership Coufal is a great pick for the visit of Crystal Palace. The Eagles have not looked particularly bad, but I think West Ham will have enough to get past Hodgson’s men at London Stadium.
Jannik Vestergaard - £4.9mil - Arsenal (A)
Maverick pick alert! Southampton jumped to fourth in the Premier League after thrashing the Blades in GW-12. They’re on fire right now, and even though this isn’t the easiest fixture on paper, I am backing Saints to prosper at the Emirates. Their well-priced CB from Denmark should prosper too; he’s a great option alongside right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who is also a solid fantasy choice given price and form.
Stuart Dallas - £4.6m - Newcastle (H)
Leeds have lost two consecutive away games in the Premier League, but they’re a side that is a totally different proposition at home. Steve Bruce’s men have had a mixed bag of results recently, and in my opinion, Leeds will be too much for them to deal with away from home. I expect their right-back to build on his impressive tally of 40 points so far in FPL.
Midfielders
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Kevin De Bruyne - £11.6mil - West Brom (H)
This is the most straightforward pick for this game-week. The Citizens drew against Manchester United at Old Trafford, and they just can’t afford any more slip-ups at the moment, so I am expecting little rotation in this fixture. I think the Belgian will start, and if he does, we all know how lethal he can be. West Brom will have little reply to what City does in attack, so KDB is potentially a captaincy pick as well. A huge score could well be in the cards for the City midfielder.
Bruno Fernandes - £10.9mil - Sheffield United (A)
The Blades have only managed only one measly point in the league table so far, so now they face an unprecedented uphill task to avoid relegation. By contrast, the Red Devils have done reasonably well to get results. Given the current form of Wilder’s men, it’s hard to see this match going their way, so goals will largely come from United’s Portuguese talisman. He is a great shout to return points for his many owners (40.7% of all managers in FPL!).
Jack Grealish - £7.8mil - Burnley (H)
Burnley has looked far from from its defensive best this season, and that is part of the reason the club currently sits 18th in the Premier League. Unlike them, Dean Smith’s men have shown good consistency and sit 10th in the table with 18 points from 10 matches. It looks like this will be a struggle for Dyche’s side, so I expect the English play-maker to be at the center of whatever Villa does going forward.
Forwards
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Patrick Bamford - £6.2mil - vs Newcastle (H)
This guy has been putting up pretty consistent FPL returns this season. He somehow manages to get chances even in tighter games, which makes him an attractive option at his price. Leeds lost at the weekend, but I am backing the side to bounce back at Bramall Lane, where I expect Bamford to build on his impressive tally of 75 FPL points so far.
Danny Ings - £8.4mil - Arsenal (A)
Ings has looked fixture-proof this season, and with Southampton’s form right now, an appointment with out-of-sorts Gunners could be another opportunity for him to capitalize. Arteta’s men have looked far from convincing at the back recently, so I fully expect the visiting side to take away something from this game. Ings is the focal point of whatever the Saints do in attack, so he’s a decent shout this game-week.
Ollie Watkins - £6.1mil - Burnley (H)
Watkins and Bamford have been great options in that mid-priced forward category this season. Aston Villa looks in great shape to host Burnley in game-week 13, and given how Dyche’s men have performed this season, a home win looks like the most likely result. With penalty duties, Watkins is a nice option this week, so he’s a great differential with just 8% ownership.
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What do you think of our picks this game-week? What transfers will you make? What other players do you think will perform well this game-week? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
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