EPL GW-22 FPL Player Picks: Friday Deadline

The Premier League returns after a one-week break that gave room for Carabao and FA Cup fixtures. In the interim, activity in the January transfer market means we have some players to remove from our teams (Cancelo!), as well as some newcomers to consider adding (please see our series of profiles on some of these new names).

Manchester United and Leeds are scheduled to play two games this week. This obviously increases the appeal of players from those teams. Fantasy managers should also take note of the upcoming double gameweek for Manchester City and league-leaders Arsenal in gameweek-23.

We have a Friday deadline this week, so don’t get caught sleeping and miss it!

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Goalkeeper

David De Gea (£4.9m, MUN v CRY, MUN v LEE)

Manchester United is one of the two teams with a double in GW-22. Matches against Crystal Palace and Leeds increases the allure of Manchester United’s netminder. Manchester United’s record of three clean sheets in their last six games is a testament to the side’s improved defensive performance.

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Defenders

Kieran Trippier (£6.1m, NEW v WHU)

Owned by 68.9% of managers, Trippier trails only Erling Haaland among the most owned players. Six straight clean sheets makes Trippier a shoo-in for gameweek-22 and his record of having delivered attacking or defensive returns in all but one gameweek this season only increases his appeal even more.

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Sven Botman (£4.5m, NEW v WHU)

Just like in gameweek-21, I’m once again doubling up on Newcastle’s defense. Botman and Trippier yielded 14 points in the last gameweek, and I’m hoping for something similar against the Hammers.

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Gabriel Magalhaes (£5.2m, EVE v ARS)

The top-scoring defender in the Premier League last season takes his place in our gameweek team of the week due to Arsenal’s impressive clean sheet record away from home this season. The Gunners have secured seven shutouts in ten away games. Plus, Gabriel has already scored two goals.

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Luke Shaw (£5.2m, MUN v CRY, MUN v LEE)

Manchester United’s double gameweek makes the decision to go with two players from the Red Devils’ defensive corps sensible. The Red Devils’ improved defense makes clean sheets in both games a real possibility, and Shaw’s prowess going forward means there’s always a possibility of attacking returns as well.

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Midfielders

Bukayo Saka (£8.2m, EVE v ARS)

Three goals and one assist in the Gunners last four games makes Saka a hot prospect for gameweek-22. Saka has picked up form after a slow start to the season and is looking like the league leaders’ main threat going forward. A fixture against an Everton side that has struggled all season looks like the perfect opportunity to increase his tally.

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Martin Odegaard (£6.9m, EVE v ARS)

Three double figures in the last six gameweeks has put Odegaard’s stock on the rise. Odegaard has proved pivotal to linking the Gunners midfield with attack. The midfielder should be raring to go against Everton after he was rested for the FA Cup clash against Manchester City.

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Marcus Rashford (£7.2m, MUN v CRY, MUN v LEE)

Rashford finally blanked for the first time in ten home games when he came up empty in the Red Devils’ 3-1 FA Cup victory over Reading last week. While that Old Trafford goal-scoring run has ended, the attacker remains in red hot form and will be confident of starting a new one during the Red Devils’ double-gameweek fixtures.

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Riyad Mahrez (£7.7m, TOT v MCI)

Mahrez backed up his impressive brace plus an assist against Spurs by grabbing another assist in the Citizens 3-nil victory over Everton. Mahrez has enjoyed a new lease on life since the end of the World Cup and seems like one of those who is (relatively) immune to Pep roulette at the moment.

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Kaoru Mitoma (£5.1m, BHA v BOU)

Mitoma made it two goals against Liverpool in less than three weeks when he scored the Seagulls’ winner against the Reds in the FA Cup on Sunday. The Japan international’s stock has been on the rise since his return from the World Cup. The attacker has scored or assisted in Brighton’s last four games.

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Strikers

Erling Haaland (£12.2m, TOT v MCI)

Haaland has recovered from his mini goal drought to score in two consecutive games for Pep Guardiola’s Man City. The lanky striker returned to his clinical best by grabbing his fourth hattrick of the season in the Citizens’ three-nil defeat of Everton.

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Ivan Toney (£7.7m, BRE v SOU)

Ivan Toney will be eager to return to goal-scoring ways when he comes up against last-place Southampton this weekend. The England striker is currently being outscored by only Kane and Haaland in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.

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What do you make of our picks this game-week? How many DGW players are you going for, and are you taking hits to bring them in? Are you considering playing a chip? Please log in and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!