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Hi, and welcome to The Kitsman’s weekly Fantasy Premier League segment. Today marks Gameweek 20, and we are now moving into the second half of the Premier League season, and thus, the business end of the FPL timetable. I will be using OPTA, understat.com, fantasyfootballhub.co.uk, and other stat-based FPL resources to collate a comprehensive summary to advise you in your quest for Fantasy dominance.

 

GAMEWEEK 20

 

Fresh off a double Gameweek, FPL shows no immediate signs of slowing down, as there are two Gameweeks in the space of five days. You might have your wildcard team for the second half of the season already sorted, as a lot of FPL managers have already decided to cash in on their Fantasy chips, but if you have any remaining, I advise holding off until the next double Gameweek.

 

HOT

 

John Stones (5.1m) – Don’t say the Kitsman doesn’t look after you! The Kitsman’s recommendation recorded a whopping 33 points over Gameweeks 18 and 19, the highest among any player on FPL during that period. With 0.61 xG recorded against Crystal Palace, Stones scored two goals from corner kicks, demonstrating an ability to cash in on a relatively limited individual attacking output this season. There is every chance of him repeating his strong display, as West Bromwich Albion have conceded the most headed chances of any team this season.

 

Joao Cancelo (5.8m) – Doubling down on Manchester City defenders is a sensible tactic at the moment. Probably the most unfortunate player across the league to not have registered any attacking points this week, Cancelo is the most threatening City defender in attacking areas, and with KDB out, he has created the most chances in the City squad. There is a good chance Cancelo will top up a clean sheet with an assist or goal versus West Bromwich Albion.

 

Michail Antonio (6.3m) – Antonio is one of FPL’s bargain assets this season. As West Ham United’s only registered CF, he is a certain starter on one of the Premier League’s in-form teams. Only worse than West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace have conceded the second most amount of headed chances this season, so expect Antonio to convert from a Coufal or Cresswell delivery to carry on his excellent form.

 

COLD

 

Kevin De Bruyne (11.7m) – Describing De Bruyne as cold is harsh, but it is ESSENTIAL that you remember to remove him from your FPL team. After suffering a hamstring injury in Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, De Bruyne will not be available for four to six weeks.

 

Raheem Sterling (11.5m) – Sterling is not just converting chances, there has been a rapid decrease in his attacking numbers across the board this season, in comparison to his stellar 19/20 campaign. He is now averaging a shot in the box every 48 minutes, compared to 32 minutes last season and the minutes between registering a big chance has almost doubled from 81 to 150. Paired with De Bruyne’s injury, the likelihood of Sterling scoring will only diminish as City will be without the Premier League’s best creator of big chances.

 

JURY IS OUT

 

Mo Salah (12.5m) – Mo Salah will not keep registering blanks. He is FPL’s most expensive player for a reason, and sooner or later, he will have an upturn in form. Encouragingly, Mo Salah looked sharp for Liverpool’s loss versus Manchester Utd in the FA Cup this week, with two smart finishes. There is every chance Salah could explode versus Spurs, but with difficult trips to Manchester City and Leicester in their next five, I reluctantly advise you to hold out.

 

The Kitsman’s RECOMMENDATION

Ilkay Gundogan (5.6m) – With De Bruyne out, Gundogan is Manchester City’s most proficient attacking threat. Over the past six Gameweeks he has the highest number of shots in the box per 90, demonstrating his unique ability to find attacking positions from his more advanced central midfield role. In De Bruyne’s absence, Gundogan is also likely to be City’s penalty taker, so do not be surprised to see him add to the 5 goals he’s scored since the last time City faced WBA in Gameweek 13.

Author: Elias Burke