Tom Carnduff delivers his fantasy football tips and advice for Gameweek 14 with transfers and captaincy choices discussed.
Who has the best fixtures in Gameweek 14?
The fact that Newcastle and Norwich play each other means that we don't have a standout fixture for someone against one of the Premier League's bottom two.
It may be a local derby but the contrasting forms of the two sides means LIVERPOOL should secure the points at Goodison Park. They sit 3rd in the Premier League standings while Everton are down in 14th.
They have also been in great goalscoring form though with 39 coming from an expected goals for (xGF) of 35.5.
Aston Villa may be enjoying a winning start to life under Steven Gerrard but MANCHESTER CITY will fancy their chances of victory given the attacking showings of their opponents.
Villa managed 0.83 xG when scoring twice against Brighton and an even smaller 0.45 in their 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend.
What are the best transfers to make for Gameweek 14?
Based on statistics, form and fixtures, we pick out three players worth considering for Gameweek 14.
Romelu Lukaku
- Position: FWD
- FPL price: £11.5m
- Sky price: £11.3m
Romelu Lukaku's recent absence through injury means that he only finds himself in 9.2% of FPL teams but his appearance as a second-half substitute against Manchester United shows that he is now match ready.
Gameweek 14 takes Chelsea to struggling Watford and Lukaku has every chance of a goal if he is in that starting XI. The Hornets are yet to keep a clean sheet in in the league this season.
Chelsea may have been held in a 1-1 draw last time out but the fact they posted 2.86 xG shows how unlucky they were not to claim all three points. In fact, alongside the goals they have been scoring, they have seen above 2.0 xG in each of their last seven games in the Premier League and Champions League.
The low selection rate may increase by the time the deadline hits but Lukaku looks a solid pick at this stage to provide points that many others won't have.
Sadio Mane
- Position: MID
- FPL price: £12.0m
- Sky price: £11.0m
I've mentioned in the past that there is a possibility of having Liverpool's forward trio in your FPL midfield and with the attention largely on Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane has been overlooked.
The winger is only in 5.0% of FPL teams going into Gameweek 14 but has delivered 74 points across the course of the campaign. He returned 12 with a goal, assist and clean sheet against Arsenal in Gameweek 12. Mane's goal tally currently sits at seven from 7.53 xG.
Wednesday sees a Merseyside derby against an Everton side who are struggling. They sit 14th in the Premier League table with 20 goals conceded from an expected goals against (xGA) figure of 19.6.
For Liverpool, they will fancy their chances of victory and this deadly front line - one that has played its part in the 39 goals scored by the Reds so far - can strike again at Goodison Park.
Jadon Sancho
- Position: MID
- FPL price: £8.9m
- Sky price: £10.3m
After a poor start to the campaign that saw him struggling for minutes let alone fantasy football points, now seems like a good time to seriously consider bringing in Jadon Sancho.
He scored in the draw with Chelsea last time out and the fact they had a clean sheet when he was taken off meant he rewarded the small number of FPL owners with nine points. Sancho is only in 2.0% of teams.
This week sees them take on Arsenal but Ralf Rangnick's arrival ties in well with a solid run of fixtures that should see points gained. United's Premier League fixtures from now until 2022 are Arsenal (H), Crystal Palace (H), Norwich (A), Brentford (A), Brighton (H), Newcastle (A) and Burnley (H).
Sancho will be someone who benefits from Rangnick's appointment and he will likely become a favourite of the interim head coach. Strong performances in those fixtures above will see his ownership percentage increase - acting now gets ahead of the curve.
Who is the best captain for Gameweek 14?
We usually say MOHAMED SALAH here - and there is every reason to keep him - but SADIO MANE's low selection percentage make him a differential who can deliver as Liverpool face Everton.
Salah is averaging 0.67 xG per 95 minutes while Mane is on 0.61. There isn't much difference between the two but Salah has more goals - Mane remains a strong pick though.
Manchester City's trip to Aston Villa - who has posted low xG totals in their two games under Gerrard - means that JOAO CANCELO looks a solid option if a defensive asset is targeted.
He registered two efforts on target in the 2-1 win over West Ham while grabbing an assist in games against Everton and Manchester United before it. He is a big threat going forward for Pep Guardiola's side.
If ROMELU LUKAKU is fit enough to start then Chelsea's trip to Watford is one with potential for him to get onto the scoresheet. He had three on his tally before injury forced him to miss out on four games through October and November.
FPL: Gameweek 14 captain picks
Safer options:
- Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joao Cancelo
Alternative options:
- Reece James, Romelu Lukaku, Harry Kane
Sky Sports Fantasy Football: Gameweek 16 captain picks
Tuesday:
- Raphinha, Rodrigo, Callum Wilson
Wednesday:
- Joao Cancelo, Reece James, Mohamed Salah
Thursday:
- Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Emile Smith Rowe
