The Premier League has back-to-back DGWs for us in GW-28 and GW-29. We shall stick to the former for now, but know that the next is just on our planning horizon. Six teams are already scheduled to double in DGW-28: Aston Villa, Leeds, Wolves, Newcastle, Watford and Southampton.
In addition, the EPL schedulers have announced that Chelsea vs Norwich would be pulled forward into GW-28 if either or both advance in the FA Cup today. The Blues look to redeem their Carabao Cup Final loss to Liverpool by facing second-tier Luton Town and Norwich City hosts Jurgen Klopp’s Carabao Cup-winning Reds.
As always, FPL managers should wait until near deadline time before finalizing their plans, which means you’ll know the FA Cup effect on schedule.
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Opponents for teams that Double in FPL GW28:
- Leeds United - Leicester (A), Villa (H)
- Aston Villa - Southampton (H), Leeds (A)
- Southampton - Villa (A), Newcastle (H)
- Newcastle United - Brighton (H), Southampton (A)
- Wolves - Palace (H), Watford (H)
- Watford- Arsenal (H), Wolves (A)
- Chelsea^ - Burnley (A), Norwich (A)
- Norwich^ - Brentford (H), Chelsea (H) —
^ If Chelsea beats Luton Town and/or Norwich beats Liverpool in FA Cup Round 5.
Let’s analyze the players who can provide returns to fantasy managers (and for help choosing a captain, please see our DGW-28 Captain Staff Poll
Goalkeepers
Jose Sa (£5.3m, Wolves v Crystal Palace); Wolves v Watford)
Wolves replaced highly-rated Rui Patricio (who joined Roma last season) with Jose Sa, and Sa has been exceptional. Really a revelation for his side, he has conceded just 21 goals, and his saves-per ratios are impressive. Plus, his upcoming games are also friendly, so the Portuguese shot-stopper could earn a few clean sheets along the way.
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Edouard Mendy (£6.1m, Burnley v Chelsea, Norwich v Chelsea)
Mendy was phenomenal against Liverpool on Sunday. The same can’t really be said for teammate Kepa Arrizabalaga. However, the AFCON winner will be present for the Burnley game for sure, along with the Norwich game if Chelsea defeats Luton Town in the FA Cup. Both games are suitable for Chelsea to hunt for a clean sheet.
Defenders
Tino Livramento (£4.4m, Aston Villa v Southampton, Southampton v Newcastle)
Another revelation for Southampton to cherish, he’s back in form after injury. The fullback has gained 20 points in his previous two games, producing a clean sheet plus an assist. His attacking ability at such an affordable price is just a double bonus to have.
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Matthew Cash (£5.1m, Aston Villa v Southampton, Leeds v Aston Villa)
With a DGW, Cash is another decent option given his amount of overlapping runs into the box to create attacking opportunities. His strike against Brighton was phenomenal, and he could add at least one clean sheet to his name in these two fixtures against the in-form Saints and out-of-form Leeds.
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Marcos Alonso (£5.6m, Burnley v Chelsea, Norwich v Chelsea)
One of the most underrated left-backs, Alonso has been top-class for Thomas Tuchel. He always covers when needed, and his ability to cross the ball or even smash it into the top corner has proven to be consistent, given his 10 goal contributions this season. Reece James is another great option, but the right-back is slightly more expensive in price.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.5m, Liverpool v West Ham)
Despite playing 120 minutes plus the penalty shoot-out in the Carabao Cup against Chelsea, it’s really difficult to see TAA resting when the title race is tightening. The England international plays a key role for Liverpool and has pretty much delivered 8.5/10 points every single week.
Midfielders
Joseph Willock (£5.7m, Newcastle v Brighton, Southampton v Newcastle)
Newcastle is on fire of late, with Willock helping the Magpies with two goals and an assist in the last three fixtures. The midfielder has 24 points in his last three game-weeks and one can expect him to return with a decent number of points in his two fixtures following DGW.
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James Ward-Prowse (£6.5m, Aston Villa v Southampton, Southampton v Newcastle)
Another differential pick, James Ward-Prowse is a specialist in set-pieces and key-passes. Against Norwich alone, the playmaker managed to cross 15 times, provided three key passes and two shots on target. Given the Saints form, his set-piece duties and an affordable price-tag, James Ward-Prowse is a great option to think about.
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Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa v Southampton, Leeds v Aston Villa)
Despite Coutinho not having any goal contribution in his previous three fixtures, the Brazilian has two aluring matches to find his rhythm. Steven Gerrard’s men may have only one win in their last four games, but their 2-0 over Brighton may have brought enough confidence to aim for another three points. Jacob Ramsey (£4.8m) is another option to consider if you are looking for an enabler.
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Hakim Ziyech (£7.3m, Burnley v Chelsea, Norwich v Chelsea)
Winger Ziyech, currently a minor doubt DGW-28, has been brilliant lately and can be vital once again. The Moroccan international has scored in each of his last three games, earning 31 points in total. However, there is risk that Thomas Tuchel may not play the attacking winger in the full 90 minutes of both games (assuming Chelsea wins the FA Cup tie and faces Norwich in this DGW).
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Sadio Mane (£11.7m, Liverpool v West Ham)
Of course Mo Salah is the perfect Liverpool player to have in your squad, but for a differential pick, Sadio Mane is another option. This year’s AFCON champion has produced four goal contributions (three goals plus an assist) in his previous two games. At home, the Senegal international is entirely another beast of a player altogether.
Forwards
Che Adams (£6.9m, Aston Villa v Southampton, Southampton v Newcastle)
The Saints have been in tremendous form, losing just once in the previous ten games, and Che Adams has played a big part. The Southampton striker has three goals, an assist, and 27 points in his last four matches, making returns in each of those games. Not a bad pick, given the form the Saints are in. Armando Broja (£5.5m) is a more affordable alternative.
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Jamie Vardy (£10.3m v Burnley v Leicester)
Given the tough position they are facing at the moment, a Vardy Party is exactly what the Foxes desperately need. The England international is back after his long injury, on the bench against Burnley. With Leeds sacking Marcelo Bielsa in favor of new manager Jesse Marsch, improvement may take a while to emerge there, which gives the Leicester striker a perfect opportunity to hunt goals and make an instant impact.
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Harry Kane (£12.2m, Tottenham v Everton)
Tottenham’s striker looks like he’s back to his best form, his latest performance against Leeds justifing his price tag. The England captain has three goals in the previous three fixtures, finally clicking with Son Heung-Min (£10.8m). However, one never knows which Tottenham will appear on any given day, the side that beat number one Man City three weeks ago, or the side that subsequently lost to relegation fodder Burnley two weeks ago. YMMV.
[Stats and info referenced in this article were sourced from fantasy.premierleague.com.]
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What do you think of our picks this week? What is your FPL strategy? Who will be a hit or a miss? Who’s on your watch-list? Is anyone playing a chip this week? Please let us know in the comments below!
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