There’s just a single Boxing Day game this year, but FPL managers will still need to have their squad sorted ahead of then.
Whether you’re using up the last of your chips, or taking advantage of the promising fixtures to target this week, FPL manager alike will be hoping the festive period holds some high scores for their teams.
Here’s all you need to know ahead of GW18.
GW18 Best Transfers
Hugo Ekitike
Ekitike looks the ideal forward to bring in right now. He’s in form with 5 goals in his last 5 matches, and has some great fixtures coming up. He could do alot of damage in the next 2 especially.
With Isak expected to miss the next few months through injury, Ekitike’s minutes will be excellent for the forseeable future.
Liverpool’s starting striker with nailed minutes and great fixtures should be the priority move for FPL managers this week if it suits their team.
Florian Wirtz
Despite underwhelming for the most part so far in his debut season, Wirtz has begun to turn things around, bagging 2 assists in his last 4 games.
Additionally, he’s picked up bonus points in each of those games when he’s returned, which adds to the upside Wirtz offers.
With the injuries Liverpool have, Wirtz should be nailed for the forseeable, and while he’s a good asset on his own, the double up of him and Ekitike looks an exciting differential move given the fixtures they’ve got.
Matheus Cunha
It seems like a great time to bring in Cunha in FPL. He’s returned in his last 3 games and played 90 minutes in each of these.
He’s the obvious choice for managers looking to sell the injured Bruno Fernandes, as he’ll still enable you to take advantage of Man Utd’s strong upcoming fixtures.
Virgil Van Dijk
Van Dijk is the most nailed route into the Liverpool defence, which looks wise to target with the fixtures they’ve got.
The Dutch captain always offers attacking threat from set plays, and is putting up great defensive contributions numbers too of 10.53 per 90.
James Tarkowski
Everton look great to target from a defensive standpoint. Their fixtures are largely good up until GW26 and they’ve kept clean sheets in 4 of their last 7 games.
Tarkowski’s the best pick, boasting over 10 defensive contributions per game and importantly being absolutely nailed. The only slight drawback is that he’s on 4 yellow cards and will miss a game should he pick up another card before totals are rest in GW20.
Keane’s great as a short term pick. He’s putting up similar defensive contributions to Tarkowski and is £0.8m cheaper. Expect him to lose his place around GW22 though when Branthwaite is back to fitness.
Fixtures GW18 to GW21
Liverpool have some excellent fixtures to target within the next 5 gameweeks. If you can navigate GW21 when they play Arsenal, you’ll get all of Wolves, Burnely and Leeds at home form their assets.
Looking at our FPL FDR, Everton and West Ham also have really favourable fixtures. Most of their assets are fairly affordable and aren’t especially highly owned, offering the potential for a great boost to rank.
I’d also bare Newcastle players in mind for next week. They enter a run of 4 excellent fixtures on the bounce.
GW18 Predicted Points
- Ekitike: 6.9
- Haaland: 6.7
- Van Dijk: 5.9
- Saka: 5.7
- Wirtz: 5.7
With debatably the best fixture they’ll have all season this week, its no surprise that Liverpool assets top our points predictor for GW18. A double or even triple up looks great this week.
Brentford’s Thiago comes in 7th on our points predictor this week and 3rd for expected points across the next 4 gameweeks. He’s been transferred out by over 600,000 FPL managers, but I’d seriously consider hanging on to the Brazilian.
GW18 Clean Sheet Odds
- Liverpool: 51%
- Arsenal: 44%
- Everton: 40%
- Man City: 38%
- Chelsea: 34%
Liverpool and Arsenal are the best defences for FPL managers to target this week based on our clean sheet odds.
Everton defenders look great too, playing Burnley this week. Keane is probably the best cheaper defender to own this week.
GW18– Who’s Starting and Who Isn’t?
Bruno Fernandes picked up an injury in GW17. The extent of the injury is unclear, but with a short turnaround between GW18 and G19, he seems a safe sell.
Dominik Szoboszlai will miss GW18 through suspension. I’d look to hold him if possible due to the strength of Liverpool’s following fixtures and the fact he’ll likely be on penalties with Salah at AFCON.
Managers who’ve held onto Welbeck should look to sell him too. His fitness over the condensed Christmas schedule is unreliable, missing GW17, and he has a very difficult fixture this week anyway in Arsenal away.
Palace’s Richards picked up an injury in the league cup. Its not expected to be a long-term injury but Palace are starting to look a bit tired and vulnerable due to their thin squad and competing in Europe. It’s a fine time to sell Richards if you can’t hold him through this week.
Best Captain Pick GW18
For the 31% of managers owning Ekitike, there’s a real debate for captaincy this week. Wolves at home is an excellent fixture’ they’re yet to keep a clean sheet all season.
Haaland is the alternative, playing Forest away and topping our goalscorer odds.
Looking at Wolves and Forests’ last 6 games, both teams are averaging fairly similar underlying defensive data of between 1 and 1.5 expected goals conceded per game (aside from Wolves’ implosion against Man Utd in GW15).
Man City are in incredible attacking form, scoring at least 3 goals in their last 5 games, so I’d lean towards giving Haaland the armband, although Ekitike is an excellent pick too.