Gameweek 15 was only completed on Wednesday night but Gameweek 16 is already almost upon us. This article tries to help you plan your squad before the deadline of 08 December, 11:30.
Preview: Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 16
The Dreaded Wheel of Rotation
With so many matches to be played in such a short period of time, rotation is the order of the day among the Premier League managers. Team news is also in short supply and most of the time there are unmentioned injuries. So, it is quite challenging to manage this festive period. There are some players immune to this rotation because of their importance and fitness but most of the players will be rotated. Let’s just take a deep breath and hope for the best.
Captaincy Picks
The previous template of owning Eden Hazard, Mohamed Salah and Sergio Aguero has already been shattered by the emergence of Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. This makes things interesting with many different combinations emerging.
Which Arsenal Forward?
The standout fixture of this round from a fantasy perspective is definitely Arsenal v Huddersfield. The obvious temptation would definitely be to buy Aubameyang if you don’t already have him and then captain him. The Gabonese is the top scorer right now in the league and has been in fine form of late as well. However, he played 90 minutes in two tough games against Spurs and Manchester United. Alexandre Lacazette, on the other hand, was on the bench for both of these matches. Before getting injured, Lacazette and Aubameyang were starting together with the Frenchman playing upfront and Auba deployed in a wide position. Against United, Lacazette was brought on and Aubameyang was moved out wide. With Mesut Özil out of favour and Aaron Ramsey getting a knock, Emery might decide to play the pair together against Huddersfield. There is also a chance of him deciding to bench Auba as he has played two tough matches in a row. Lacazette is probably the better pick for this week.
Other Top Contenders
Another strong contender for the armband is Raheem Sterling. He was rested against Watford and should start against Chelsea. One might consider this game at Stamford Bridge to be a tough game Manchester City could win this one quite easily. Chelsea have looked out of sorts and lost to Wolves last night. Chelsea fans must be fearing this fixture. From this match, David Silva could also be considered. Leroy Sané might get benched as he played the whole game at Vicarage Road. It all depends on the fitness levels though so Pep might just start his strongest team.
Harry Kane is also a good choice this week as your captain. He is in fine form and could score in any game. Leicester away could be tricky, though.
Mohamed Salah also is a decent shout even though Liverpool have a tough looking away fixture at Bournemouth. Klopp rested most of his players against Burnley in preparation for this match. This could be a really exciting game with goals for both teams.
Differentials to Consider
Richarlison at home to Watford could be a good pick. Marco Silva has started him in every possible Premier League match so far and the young Brazillian might continue that trend this week. From this game, Lucas Digne and Gylfi Sigurdsson are worth considering as well.
West Ham have a good looking home fixture against Crystal Palace this weekend. With Marko Arnautovic injured, one might look at Felipe Anderson. Lucas Pérez came on and scored a brace so he might get a rare start. One might consider him also. Another Hammer to consider is Robert Snodgrass who also had a good game and should keep his place in the side. The obvious candidate from West Ham is Lukasz Fabianski in goal. Palace, though, are no pushovers and this is a London derby.
Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser are both in good form. Despite having a very difficult game against Liverpool, they still could do well.
Top Picks
- Alexandre Lacazette (9.6)
- Raheem Sterling (11.5)
- Harry Kane (12.5)
- Richarlison (7.1)
- Mohamed Salah (13.0)
- Felipe Anderson (7.2)
- Callum Wilson (7.0)
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (11.2)
- David Silva (8.7)
- Lukasz Fabianski (4.5)
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