Leeds United striker should be your Fantasy Premier League captain - Who’s Hot, Who’s Not, Captain’s Pick

With games coming so thick and fast, there is no doubt that we will see a lot of squad rotation, so picking players who are guaranteed to start will be a priority.

The gameweek 13 transfer deadline is tonight at 4.30pm.

Follow the in-house Yorkshire Post Fantasy Football expert John Mount (@Gameweek38) on Twitter for more FPL hints and tips.

Captain Picks

Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) vs West Brom (H)

Although he blanked against Man United on Saturday, De Bruyne remains a great captain pick.

He’s scored one goal and assisted three times across his last three games, and against the worst defence in the league, you’d fancy his chances to continue his recent form. Across the three games he has played against the Baggies, the Belgian has scored twice and assisted thrice.

Bruno Fernandes (£10.9m) vs Sheffield United (A)

Yet to blank away from home, Fernandes’ strong form on the road could continue this week as Man United take on the bottom of the league.

Having taken fourteen shots across the last four gameweeks, the Portuguese midfielder remains Man United’s most potent threat; and with the added responsibility of penalties, you can never rule him out as a captain.

Patrick Bamford (£6.3m) vs Newcastle (H)

With a goal and an assist across his last two games, Bamford continues to lead the Leeds’ attack.

Over the last four gameweeks, no player in the league has taken more shots inside the box or had more chances from open play.

Selected by 40% of managers, Bamford is the sixth highest owned player in the game…so on the off chance that he doesn’t perform, you’ll have comfort in knowing that others feel your pain.

The Form Guide - Who’s Hot?

John Stones (Man City, £4.8m)

Stones was absent in the league throughout October and most of November, but his surprisingly strong return to the City XI has been refreshing to see. He has played every minute of City’s last three league games and hasn’t conceded a goal so I see no reason why he would miss out on City’s upcoming fixtures against West Brom, Southampton and Newcastle.

Said Benrahma (West Ham, £6.0m)

After completing his summer move from Brentford, Benrahma is slowly making his way into becoming a first team regular. He made his first premier league start on Friday and took six shots – the joint most in the league for the gameweek.

Although he is yet to score in the top-flight, his seventeen goals and nine assists in the Championship last season show that he has the potential to be a great Fantasy asset. His next three games are against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Brighton.

Danny Welbeck (Brighton, £5.5m)

We are not even halfway through the season yet Welbeck has already equalled last season’s goal involvement tally.

He has scored once and assisted twice across his last four games and with Fulham and Sheffield United up next, you’d hope for him to add to this as he takes on the two worst defences in the league.

With the busy festive schedule in mind, Welbeck was subbed off after 62 minutes as the game had already been lost, meaning he should be fresh for Wednesday.

The Form Guide - Who’s Not?

Diogo Jota (Liverpool, £6.9m)

Jota’s Christmas holidays began early this year as he picked up an unlucky knee injury, set to rule him out for six to eight weeks.

It’s a shame because the Portuguese international had settled into the Liverpool team well and was on track to add to the five league goals he’s already scored this season.

Andy Robertson (Liverpool, £7.2m)

Working with a makeshift back line, Liverpool’s defence doesn’t look as strong as it did last season and for £7.2m you’d expect more security. Up against Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham on Wednesday, the chance for a clean sheet or an attacking return will be slim; so it might be time to cash in on the Scot sooner rather than later.

Ones to Watch (Less than 5% ownership)

Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace, £5.5m, 0.4%)

Second to Bamford, Benteke has taken the most shots inside the box (fourteen) in the league over the last four gameweeks. Despite being an unfashionable player to watch, Roy Hodgson has rediscovered faith in the Belgian as he’s started him in Palace’s last two games. It has been a tough couple of seasons for Benteke but if he can reach anywhere near the heights that we saw from him in a Villa shirt, then for £5.5m he’ll be a bargain!

Pascal Grossβ (Brighton, £5.8m, 1.0%)

Penalty takers are always appealing Fantasy assets and Groβ is no exception. Since taking on the responsibility, he’s scored two penalties in his last three games and similar to Welbeck has the nice fixtures of Fulham and Sheffield United up next.

Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham, £5.1m, 4.8%)

With 58 points to his name, Fabianski is the leading goalkeeper in this year’s game. He was unlucky not to extend his lead over the other goalkeepers on Friday when his penalty save was ruled out for being a centimetre off his line.

He has scored over 100 points in five of the six last seasons, so it is surprising that more managers don’t own him. He only plays a ‘top six’ side once in his next eight games too.

The Explainer

Transfers

After picking your initial squad, you receive 1 free transfer each Gameweek. Each additional transfer you make in the same Gameweek will deduct 4 points from your score.

If you do not use your free transfer, you are able to make an additional free transfer the following Gameweek. If you do not use this saved free transfer in the following Gameweek, it will be carried over until you do. You can never have more than 1 saved transfer.

For example, since you get 1 free transfer per gameweek, if you make no transfers between gameweeks, you will have 2 free transfers in preparation for the next gameweek. You will incur a 4 point hit per transfer over your free transfer allowance.

Point Scoring

During the season, your fantasy football players will be allocated points based on their performance in the Premier League. Remember, every week your captain scores double points, so pick them wisely!

Points Action

1 For playing up to 60 minutes

2 For playing 60 minutes or more (excluding stoppage time)

6 For each goal scored by a goalkeeper or defender

5 For each goal scored by a midfielder

4 For each goal scored by a forward

3 For each goal assist

4 For a clean sheet by a goalkeeper or defender

1 For a clean sheet by a midfielder

1 For every 3 shot saves by a goalkeeper

5 For each penalty save

-2 For each penalty miss

1 to 3 Bonus points for the best players in a match

-1 For every 2 goals conceded by a goalkeeper or defender

-1 For each yellow card

-3 For each red card

-2 For each own goal

For more information on the rules of the game, visit https://fantasy.premierleague.com/help/rules

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