EPL GW-20 FPL Player Picks

Many thought that Liverpool was on its way to breaking Chelsea’s 86-game unbeaten home record in the Premier League, but it was Burnley who took center stage at Anfield Thursday and stopped Jurgen Klopp’s side at 68. However, it’s still an achievement for the reigning league champions to avoid home defeat over the past three years.

With the league’s first double-game week behind us, we get an almost normal 20-team single-game week. Just keep in mind that GW-20 begins Tuesday (January 26), and GW-23’s deadline is on February 6 with GW-21 & GW-22 in between, which means we will compress four game-weeks into a span of just 12 days. This isn’t festive period congestion anymore; we’re back to compensating for the late season start, at least until Champions League claims our midweek attention again in February.

Let’s check out which players can deliver the points that fantasy managers are eager to receive.

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Goalkeepers

David de Gea - £5.3m – Sheffield United (H)

League leaders Manchester United have been on fire lately, and their defensive approach has been tremendous. That puts De Gea in a comfortable spot to hunt for a clean sheet when facing a lowly side like Sheffield United that is having a nightmare of a season and struggling to put the ball in the net.

Ederson - £6.0m – West Brom (H)

With the dynamic duo of Stones-Dias in front of him, Ederson hardly has much to do nowadays except collect his clean sheets, ten so far this season. West Brom seeks to get out of the relegation zone but lacks goals, so this is a perfect chance for the Brazilian international to reach eleven.

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Defenders

Luke Shaw — £4.8m – Sheffield United (H)

The arrival of Alex Telles has brought life to Luke Shaw as he has been instrumental for United in recent games. At just £4.8m, the English left-back provides enough attacking threat and defensive approach to deliver decent points. However, if you are looking for someone with more game time, £5.4m Wan Bissaka and Harry Maguire are also not bad options.

Ben Mee — £4.9m – Aston Villa (H)

Burnley captain Mee deserves recognition not only for his rock solid performance against Liverpool but for serving Sean Dyche throughout the season. His partnership with Tarkowski is paying off, and the leadership helps his players to stay compact and be fully committed to saving the ball from the net. Against a Villa side that has been facing a dip in form despite facing tougher sides, Mee can capitalize and be vital for his team once again.

Ruben Dias - £5.8m – West Brom (H)

Dias could be the signing of the season because of the defensive impact of his partnership with John Stones. The Portuguese is the safest option against Pep Guardiola’s penchant for rotation even though it looks difficult to break the pairs’ partnership. The Citizens are already on ten clean sheets, and West Brom is the perfect match to add another.

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Midfielders

James Maddison - £7.1m – Everton (A)

With Jamie Vardy out, all attention will be on Maddison to continue Leicester’s momentum and keep the title race alive. The English playmaker looks to have his top form back, scoring in his previous three games, and he can contribute even more facing a recently fragile Everton side.

Paul Pogba - £7.7m – Sheffield United (H)

Ever since his agent Mino Riola spoke about Pogba leaving United, he has looked like the best version of himself, playing a massive role in putting the Red Devils on top of the league. The Frenchman looks fit as ever, creating chances, staying disciplined at the back, and scoring meaningful goals, which is why he deserves to be added in this week’s list, especially against a relegation-bound Sheffield United side.

Heung-Min Son - £9.7m – Liverpool (H)

Jose Mourinho will see the game against an out-of-form Liverpool as a perfect opportunity to grab three points, so he will likely put Son in a dangerous position with Harry Kane for the counter. Son has twelve league goals and six assists, so he can cause damage to Klopp’s men whose confidence has been shaken recently. Spurs can jump them to fourth spot with a win.

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Forwards

Michail Antonio - £6.3m – Crystal Palace (A)

Antonio has been deadly for West Ham since returning from his injuries, putting the ball in the net in each of his DGW matches. David Moyes’ side sits seventh in the table, and haven’t lost in the previous five (3W, 2D) games, and will look for Antonio’s scoring form to create problems for Palace’s defense.

Patrick Bamford - £6.7m – Newcastle (A)

It will be interesting to see how Leeds can break the deadlock against Newcastle given both teams are not really in their best form, especially the latter. The English striker has not scored since GW-15 against Brighton, but this opponent could be the tonic to bring back his goal scoring confidence.

Harry Kane - £11.1m – Liverpool (H)

Kane has been tremendous for Tottenham this season alongside his deadly strike-partner Son, and a win against out-of-form Liverpool could put them above the reigning champions, so his motivation and energy will cause Jurgen Klopp’s team difficulty. The “dynamic duo” will look to compliment and contribute for each other to ensure three points for Spurs.

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What do you think of our picks this week? Which player(s) are you chancing? Do you think Liverpool will bounce back against Spurs? Which player will shine in the spotlight? Please let us know in the comments section below!

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