EPL GW-19 FPL Player Picks: Delayed Transfers

Congratulations to all the managers still in the overall FPL Cup. Surviving this long despite fixture uncertainty is no mean feat. Managers have had to deal with late postponements of matches and a huge of number of inactive stars. With Covid-19 cases still on the rise and TV contracts driving the league to go on with GW-19 fixtures where possible, fantasy managers are advised to wait till the last minute before making transfers.

Patience in making transfers helped me avoid buying Ollie Watkins into my team last week; when Aston Villa’s match was scratched, I went for Arsenal’s Martinelli instead, and he fetched me 15 huge points. If you need to set an alarm, please do, just make sure you wait to see as much late-breaking Covid and snow news as you can before locking in transfers.

UPDATE Thursday): Liverpool vs Leeds and Wolves vs Watford have now been scratched (and those picks have been “ruled” out below). Those would have been our two early matches, so our Sunday deadline should slide a couple hours. Is it worth discussing alternative picks yet? Feel free to join in the comments, but I suspect we will hear more bad news before we get a kickoff, so continue to keep your powder dry for as long as possible.

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Goalkeepers

David de Gea (£5.1m NEW vs MUN)

Man United’s run of two clean sheets is largely thanks to the exceptional performances of David de Gea in goal. The Spanish shot-stopper was particularly impressive in the match against Norwich as he made save after save to protect the Red Devils against going behind and also preserve the lead.

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Aaron Ramsdale (£5.1m NOR vs ARS)

Ramsdale’s performance in goal is one of the major reasons the Gunners currently sit fourth. The goalkeeper has been exceptional since displacing the shaky former #1 Bernd Leno. The keeper’s price rise from 4.6 at the beginning of the season to 5.1 is a testament to how good he has been this season. The goal-minder will be eager to add to his eight clean sheets when Arsenal faces goal-shy Norwich this weekend.

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Defenders

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.3m LIV vs LEE)

In the absence of highly-rated fellow full-back Andy Robertson, much of Liverpool creative responsibility will be on TAA in the match against Leeds. Leeds’ woeful run of form has seen them concede fourteen goals in just their last three league games, and that will be music to the ears of the attack minded Arnold. Fantasy managers looking for short term cheaper investment in Liverpool defense can however go for Konstantinos Tsimikas as he will deputize for Robertson during the three match (an EFL cup match plus two league game-weeks) suspension for the straight red card against Tottenham.

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Joao Cancelo (£6.8m MCI vs LEI)

Cancelo returned from his one match yellow-card accumulation suspension with a bang by tallying a remarkable game-week high 18 points last weekend. The right-back assisted the Citizens’ first goal and scored their second to set them on the path to victory. Cancelo’s performances continue to set him apart as one of the best fullbacks in the Premier League this season.

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Reece James (£6.3m AVL vs CHE)

James followed up his impressive performance against Everton by helping the Blues to a clean sheet against a dogged Wolves side last week. The goalless draw was Chelsea’s first clean sheet in six games.

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Diogo Dalot (£4.5m NEW vs MUN)

Dalot will be motivated to keep producing impressive performances that will enable him keep his starting place in the side ahead of Aaron Wan Bissaka. The Portuguese fullback has enjoyed a new lease of life under new manager Ralf Ragnick, starting the Red Devils’ last three league games.

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Midfielders

Diogo Jota (£8.1m LIV vs LEE)

Six goals in Liverpool’s last seven games shows how influential Jota has been in the absence of Firmino. The Portuguese International has done enough to keep Firmino on the bench despite return from Injury. With Liverpool welcoming an injury-hit Leeds team this weekend, expect more goals from the in-form striker.

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Mo Salah (£13.1m LIV vs LEE)

Salah’s blank against Tottenham last weekend was his first in fifteen game-weeks. Salah has set unbelievable standards that are almost impossible to be met. The Egyptian striker is at least forty FPL points ahead of the next most productive player (Alexander Arnold). With the kind of form Leeds is in right now, I need not say much about what to expect from Mo Salah.

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Emile Smith Rowe (£6.1m NOR vs ARS)

Six goals in his last seven games shows the kind of level Arsenal Academy graduate Smith Rowe is playing at right now. Despite not starting the Gunners’ last two matches since his return from injury, the England International has come on to score in those matches.

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Gabriel Martinelli (£5.3m NOR vs ARS)

Gabriel Martinelli’s transformation from bit part player to almost the first name on the team list in just three games has been magnificent. While his Arsenal teammates were missing chances in the first half against Leeds United, the Brazilian striker struck twice to set his team on the path to victory. Martinelli’s two goals against Leeds took him to three goals in two games, and with the Gunners facing bottom placed Norwich this weekend, it would be unwise to bet against him adding to his goal tally.

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Heung-Min Son (£10.3m TOT vs CRY)

Son celebrated Spurs’ return to action by scoring his seventh goal of the season against Liverpool. The Korean International has been Spurs’ major source of goals this season, with strike partner Harry Kane notching just his second in fourteen games.

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Mason Mount (£7.7m AVL vs CHE)

Mason Mount has been one of the few bright spots in a Chelsea team that has failed to impress in recent weeks. The midfielder was on a run of four goals and two assists in four games before the Blues played out a toothless nil draw against Wolves last week. The Blues travel to face Steven Gerrard’s Villans, and they’ll need Mount to be at his best if they are to get the better of their hosts.

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Bernardo Silva (£7.6m MCI vs LEI)

Bernardo Silva failed to deliver an attacking return for the second straight match, but he still makes our game-week selection due to his all-round involvement and importance to Man City’s creative play. Pep Guardiola’s decision to play Silva from the start against Newcastle despite picking up a knock in an earlier fixture shows how pivotal the midfielder is to the Citizens’ play. City will need Silva to be at his creative best if they are to get the better of a well-rested Leicester team this weekend.

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Strikers

Emmanuel Dennis (£6.0m WOL vs WAT)

FPL managers have been denied Dennis for two game-weeks now due to postponements. Despite this, a remarkable 37.9% have kept faith this game-week. The reluctance to sell off the forward shows how productive he has been this season. Dennis will hope to get the better of a Wolves defense that stopped Chelsea from scoring a goal last week. Dennis has a remarkable record of seven goals plus six assists this season.

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Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.5m NEW vs MUN)

Newcastle’s seven goals conceded in their last two games must have Ronaldo licking his lips after being out of action for two game-weeks due to Covid disruption of Premier League matches. Ronaldo will be eager to resume the run that saw him score three goals in three games before the enforced break.

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Stats and info referenced in this article were sourced from squawka.com, inews.co.uk, and fantasy.premierleague.com.

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What do you make of our FPL picks this week? How many of them are in your squad? Which players do think will surprise us this weekend? How have postponed matches affected your team? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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