EPL GW-30 FPL Player Picks

With twelve teams playing twice, Round 29 offered up the season’s biggest double gameweek, prompting FPL managers to set a record for most Bench Boost chips played in the history of the game. Hopefully the week brought some nice returns for you!

But Round 30 now returns us to normal, with just the usual 10 matches and each team playing once. Let’s have a look at some names to consider this week.

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Goalkeepers

Emi Martínez (£4.9m, Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest)

Aston Villa is one of the most in-form teams in the league, and is even chasing a European place that seemed pretty much out of reach not so long ago. Relegation-threatened teams are beginning to get desperate, so you never quite know what Forest might do this weekend. But the away form of the Tricky Trees is poor, so there’s a decent clean sheet chance here for Martinez.

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Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.7m, Wolves v Chelsea)

There’s not a lot to like about Chelsea at the moment. They’re winless over their last three and on Sunday they parted ways with Graham Potter just seven months into the gaffer’s five-year contract. But the Blues’ defense continues to be OK, and at the time of writing Wolves are joint-bottom for goals-scored.

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Defenders

Ben White (£4.8m, Liverpool v Arsenal)

Having found his scoring boots, White is suddenly the Arsenal defender to own, with two goals in the past four games, plus one assist and three clean sheets over the past six. He’s also cheap for an Arsenal defender, so what’s not to like? Liverpool away would normally be off-putting, but given the way the two teams are going, a comfortable Arsenal win is a strong possibility.

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Tyrone Mings (£4.4m, Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest)

Mings has been in terrific form recently, with clean sheets plus bonus points in four of the past six games. A home game against Forest offers an excellent chance for more.

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Ben Chilwell (£6.0m, Wolves v Chelsea)

Chilwell has been scoring pretty well since since his return from injury, including a clean sheet plus full bonus against Liverpool. This game offers possibilities at both ends of the field. If you can’t quite afford him, then for £5.8m you can pick up teammate Reece James, who offers similar attacking and defensive potential at a slightly cheaper price.

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Luke Shaw (£5.2m, Manchester United v Everton)

He still has a game to play on Wednesday (at time of writing), and United’s performances over the past four games are a cause for concern. But a home tie with Everton offers a good chance for points, even allowing for the Toffees’ improvement under Sean Dyche.

Edited to add: After this article published, Shaw was withdrawn in the 37th minute of the Brentford match with a hamstring issue.

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Midfielders

Jack Grealish (£6.8m, Southampton v Manchester City)

Grealish is finding top form just at the right time for City, as they’ve been forced to cope with a few injuries. Fresh off a 12-point haul against Liverpool, now he faces the league’s bottom team. And let’s just be honest — those grapefruit calves can improve the look of anyone’s lineup.

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Kevin De Bruyne (£12.0m, Southampton v Manchester City)

This fixture makes all of City’s attacking players enticing, and it could pay dividends to double or triple up on them. KDB scored 13 points against Liverpool, and must be licking his lips at the thought of facing the Southampton defense.

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Alexis Mac Allister (£5.5m, Spurs v Brighton)

Brighton midfielders have been very popular in recent weeks, and they’ve rewarded their investors with handsome returns. But for me it’s Mac Allister who gets the nod against Spurs. This is likely to be a close-fought game, and the fact that he’s on penalties is a big plus. This is a key game near the top of the table, and given how unsettled Spurs are at the moment, it’s a great opportunity for Brighton to cement their hopes for a European spot.

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Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m, Fulham v West Ham)

There’s not a lot of form to back this up, but West Ham are showing signs of inching away from the bottom of the table, and a game against Fulham may offer some chances for Bowen to re-find some of last season’s form.

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Forwards

Ollie Watkins (£7.5m, Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest)

He now has 8 goals in his past 10 appearances and has only failed to produce an attacking return once over that period. A home tie against Forest presents the perfect opportunity for him to add to this amazing run of form.

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Erling Haaland (£12.0m, Southampton v Manchester City), Julián Álvarez (£6.0m, Southampton v Manchester City)

Surely City will score some goals in this game, and if Haaland is back from injury you’d be brave to bet against him. Keep an eye on team news though, because if he isn’t (and maybe even if he is) his half-price teammate Álvarez offers excellent potential too, having scored in both of his last two starts.

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Gabriel Jesus (£8.0m, Liverpool v Arsenal)

Easter is just around the corner, and Jesus has risen! He’s been gradually working his way back from injury, managing 59 minutes against Leeds during which he scored twice. It seems likely he’ll get at least as many minutes against Liverpool, and this season’s Reds are not the defensive unit of yesteryear.

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Who are you planning to captain - dare you risk Haaland, or do others appeal? Do you back my picks? On whom did I miss out? Please join and let us know in the comments below!

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