Last updated on November 30th, 2021
By MATTHEW PETERSEN @Matt_Petersen13
Gameweek 13 was another topsy-turvy one as the English winter affected games across the country, including the postponement of the Burnley vs Spurs fixture, much to the dismay of Son (£10.4m) and Kane (£12.2m) owners. Elsewhere, Liverpool and Man City picked up wins to capitalise on Chelsea’s draw with Man United, leaving each side one point apart from each other. Arsenal bounced back from the Liverpool defeat to beat Newcastle 2-0. New bosses, Steven Gerrard and Dean Smith, both remain unbeaten at their new clubs, Aston Villa and Norwich, respectively. On the FPL front, a gameweek average of 44 points saw a below-par week by this season’s standards, meanwhile, three of last week’s picks returned points. This December period is a busy one for FPL managers so stay tuned regularly to Premier Fantasy Tools for my latest insights.
Gameweek 13 top 3 performers
1. James Maddison – 16 points (87 minutes, 1 goal, 2 assists, 3BPS)
2. Virgil Van Dijk – 15 points (90 minutes, 1 goal, clean sheet, 3BPS)
3. Diogo Jota – 14 points (80 minutes, 2 goals, clean sheet, 1BPS)
Note: Due to the season heading towards the midway mark, there will start to be a repetitive stream of players within the space of a couple of gameweeks. This is due to the fact that I only pick six players per week and I rate the best options for that given week, meaning repeat players are likely.
With that said, let’s take a look at the best picks for this week, reviewing their GW13 performance and previewing their points potential for GW14, based on recent form, favourable fixtures and passing the eye test.
1. Heung-min Son – £10.4m (MID); 20.8% ownership
GW13 review – Game postponed due to snow
GW14 preview – Brentford (H)
Son’s inclusion is down to two factors. Their fixture postponement from last week and the fact that Spurs need to bounce back from their embarrassing defeat to Miura in the UEFA Conference League last Thursday. Spurs are still finding their rhythm under Antonio Conte but Son remains a threat under any manager so I expect him to be at the heart of Spurs attacking chances against Brentford, a newly promoted side that Spurs simply cannot afford to lose to. Spurs do play Norwich next week too so current Son owners should definitely not get rid of him just yet.
2. James Maddison – £6.6m (MID); 4.6% ownership
GW13 review – performance noted under top 3 performers
GW14 preview – Southampton (A)
Maddison produced a performance that plenty of FPL managers became used to when he joined Leicester in 2018. A brilliant set-piece taker and capable of producing long-range goals and picking key passes, Maddison has picked up form at a time that Leicester really needs him with Youri Tielemans (£6.4m) out for the next three weeks. Leicester do have a good run of fixtures coming up so Maddison becomes a great alternative to many other midfield options in that £6-7m price range.
3. Diogo Jota – £7.7m (MID); 21.3% ownership
GW13 review – performance noted under top 3 performers
GW14 preview – Everton (A)
Jota has stepped up phenomenally to take over the striking reins from Roberto Firmino (£8.8m) who is currently out with a hamstring injury, meaning Jota has become a brilliant OOP option. He has seven goals for the season which sees him joint 3rd with teammate Sadio Mane (£12.0m) this season. Jota scored twice last week and will be hungry to net a goal in the derby against Everton. He is also fixture-proof at least until Firmino is fully fit so he is one to have on your watchlist for this December period.
4. Jorginho – £5.8m (MID); 4.6% ownership
GW13 review – 8 points (90 minutes, 1 goal, yellow card, 2BPS)
GW14 preview – Watford (A)
Jorginho has been incredible over the past year and has been key to Chelsea leading the league this season. Not an orthodox pick due to his deep-lying playmaker status but he is on penalties for Chelsea and there is every chance he could net from open play too. He has two penalty goals and one assist so far this season and with the imminent return of Romelu Lukaku (£11.4m) to the starting lineup, more assists and more penalties could be on the way.
5. Christian Benteke – £6.4m (FOR); 3.2% ownership
GW13 review – 2 points (90 minutes)
GW14 preview – Leeds (A)
Leeds have not been the same side as they were last season so this fixture does look enticing for the big Belgian striker who has been reborn under Patrick Vieira’s stewardship. Both sides are not the strongest defensively but have good attacks so this is an opportunity for a high-scoring game. Benteke has four goals and an assist this season and he will undoubtedly add more to his tally this season. That could all start this week against a Leeds side who will be desperate to get away from the drop zone.
6. Callum Wilson – £7.4m (FOR); 3.3% ownership
GW13 review – 2 points (90 minutes)
GW14 preview – Norwich (H)
Despite Norwich’s improvements, Callum Wilson is my pick against Norwich this week. Newcastle are still winless so far but Wilson is capable of scoring, especially when he is fit and firing. He has been mightily unlucky with injuries during his time at Newcastle but despite missing five gameweeks of this season, he has still netted four goals so far. He is now being managed by the same manager who brought him to the Premier League, Eddie Howe, who coached him when he had his most prolific PL season in 2018/19 (14 goals and 12 assists, 168 FPL points). This week presents the best opportunity for the Toon Army to pick up their first win of the season and Wilson will be the go-to man for goals.
*Prices and ownership statistics are correct as of 29 November 2021*
To see the picks from last week, click the link below:
