The second half of the Fantasy Premier League campaign starts in less than three weeks, and FPL managers have been given the perfect opportunity to refine their teams before then.
We all received a generous five free transfers after Gameweek 15 concluded due to the imminent start of AFCON, but how you use these additional transfers could be the difference between a strong start to the new year and falling behind because of poor decisions.
In this article, we will discuss a defensive asset that has been attracting a lot of attention recently.
We also look at who can replace one of the game’s best forward options, who is now an injury doubt for the coming weeks.
Lastly, we compare two electrifying midfield options who could both be considered excellent budget picks.
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Can anyone take the top spot away from Andy Ward?
FPL Gameweek 16 Deadline
The Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 16 deadline is Saturday, 13 December 2025 at 13:30 GMT.
FPL Gameweek 16 Fixtures
Chelsea will host Everton.
Brighton travel to Liverpool.
Burnley welcomes Fulham.
Wolves face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Manchester City are away to Crystal Palace.
Nottingham Forest will be hosting Spurs.
Newcastle will visit Sunderland.
West Ham are at home to Aston Villa.
Leeds will play away against Brentford.
Manchester United face Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
FPL Assets Leading On Form For Gameweek 16
Let’s start by looking at the current form amongst the best FPL players for Matchweek 16 before getting into our free fantasy football tips.
(Form is a metric that’s issued on the official FPL platform, which uses a player’s average score per match, calculated from all matches played by his club in the last 30 days.)
Goalkeepers:
- Jordan Pickford remains first with 6.0 points
- Robert Sánchez is second with 5.0 points
- Dean Henderson stays third with 4.5 points
Defenders:
- James Tarkowski moves to first with 7.5 points
- Daniel Muñoz is second with 7.2 points
- Trevoh Chalobah is third with 6.8 points
Midfielders:
- Phil Foden remains first with 11.5 points
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall moves to second with 9.8 points
- Bruno Fernandes is third with 8.8 points
Forwards:
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin moves to first with 5.8 points
- Igor Thiago is tied for second with 5.0 points
- Erling Haaland rivals him with 5.0 points
FPL Managers Are Moving For Matty Cash
Aston Villa fans have been enjoying an excellent few days after their club beat league leaders Arsenal in their previous outing.
Villa’s recent performances have seen them climb up the Premier League table, and they are currently only three points behind first place.
There will undoubtedly be strong aspirations for Champions League football next season for Aston Villa, and even though players like Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins are often viewed as the club’s main stars, it is Matty Cash who has been receiving a lot of praise in recent times.
Cash has started every game for Villa this season, helping them secure five clean sheets in 15 matches.
However, it has been his ability to contribute to Aston Villa’s attack that has caught the attention of FPL managers.
Cash is currently priced at £4.8m, which comfortably places him in the budget category.
He has accumulated a total of 73 FPL points so far, ranking him among the top eight highest-scoring defenders in the league.
Matty Cash has scored three goals this season, with his most recent being the opening goal of the game against Arsenal.
He has provided only one assist so far, which came in Gameweek 14 against Brighton.
Aston Villa play West Ham, Manchester United, and Chelsea in their next three fixtures, and it seems FPL managers believe they can perform well in these matches, as Matty Cash is currently the most transferred-in defender ahead of Gameweek 16.
Who Can Replace Jean-Philippe Mateta?
One of the most trustworthy forwards this season has been Crystal Palace striker Jean Philippe Mateta.
Mateta has accumulated a total of 61 FPL points so far, ranking him among the top five highest-scoring forwards in the game.
He is currently flagged with a knee injury, and with an upcoming fixture against Manchester City in Gameweek 16, it may be a wise decision to use one of your free transfers to replace him.
For those who are planning to replace Mateta before tomorrow’s deadline, here are three options that could potentially match his output this season:
Igor Thiago
Brentford’s Igor Thiago would be the most obvious move to make.
Thiago has been excellent this season, outscoring Mateta in both Premier League goals and FPL points.
He has scored 11 goals so far, with only Erling Haaland scoring more, with 15.
Thiago also has the second most points among all forwards in the game, again only trailing behind Haaland.
At a price of £7.0m, Thiago is a cheaper option than Mateta and has already performed better this season.
He could be the perfect replacement for the French forward.
Danny Welbeck
A slightly riskier option than Igor Thiago would be Brighton’s Danny Welbeck.
The only reason he could be considered a risky option is due to uncertainty regarding his minutes on the pitch.
Welbeck has started 11 out of 15 Premier League games for Brighton so far, and he has performed remarkably well when he has played.
Danny Welbeck has scored the same number of Premier League goals this season as Mateta, with seven goals.
If Welbeck manages to secure regular minutes on the pitch for Brighton in the coming weeks, he could be the ideal replacement for Mateta, especially since he is also a cheaper option than Palace’s injured forward.
Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa’s best finisher in recent seasons has been Ollie Watkins.
This season, however, Watkins has had a very slow start in front of goal.
Between Gameweek 1 and Gameweek 13, he managed to score only one goal in the Premier League.
So, with this in mind, why could he be a good replacement for Mateta?
The answer is that we have seen signs of Watkins’ form returning in recent weeks, and he could be one of the best differential picks if he manages to fully regain his form.
He scored two goals against Brighton in Gameweek 14 but only played 65 minutes against Arsenal last weekend.
Watkins would be the riskiest option among the three forwards we have highlighted, but sometimes it is the risky options that pay off the most.
Mohammed Kudus Vs Yankuba Minteh
Two midfield options that have consistently looked poised for attacking returns this season are Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus and Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh.
Their FPL performances have been similar, with Kudus totaling 65 FPL points and Minteh reaching 69 points.
They are also close in price, with Minteh slightly cheaper at £6.2m and Kudus priced at £6.5m.
With their points and prices so close, which one seems like the better pick when considering their performances on the pitch?
In terms of minutes played, they match up closely, with Kudus having played 1,213 minutes this season and Minteh 1,285 minutes.
Kudus has had more goal contributions so far, with two goals and five assists compared to Minteh’s one goal and four assists.
Minteh, however, has a much higher expected goals (xG) total than Kudus, with 2.48 compared to 1.63.
This is understandable given that Minteh has had 104 touches in the opposition box this season, compared to 47 for Kudus.
Minteh has also had more shots from inside the box, while Kudus has taken more shots from outside the box.
Kudus has delivered more crosses into the box this season, with 62 attempted compared to 53 from Minteh.
Minteh, however, has a higher expected assists (xA) total than Kudus, with 2.27 compared to 2.06.
Kudus has also lost points due to bookings more frequently, receiving three yellow cards, while Minteh has yet to be shown a single card this season.
With both Tottenham and Brighton aiming to climb the Premier League table, it will be interesting to see which of these two midfield options finishes the season with more FPL points.
Top 3 FPL Gameweek 16 Captain Picks:
- Bukayo Saka vs Wolves
- Erling Haaland vs Crystal Palace
- Phil Foden vs Crystal Palace
Differential Captain Pick Of The Week
Morgan Rogers
After gaining a total of 26 FPL points in his last four Premier League outings, Morgan Rogers might be an excellent shout for a differential captain this weekend.
Aston Villa face a struggling West Ham side, and Rogers, who has scored three goals and provided three assists in 15 starts so far this season, could be a massive thorn in West Ham’s side in Gameweek 16.
Playing Your Free Hit?
FPL managers who are considering using their Free Hit Chip this weekend might find some value below in our FPL Tips for GW16:
GK: Robert Sánchez (£4.9m)
DEF: Joachim Andersen (£4.6m)
DEF: Piero Hincapié (£5.4m)
DEF: Ezri Konsa (£4.4m)
MID: Phil Foden (£8.6m)
MID: Bryan Mbeumo (£8.4m)
MID: Morgan Rogers (£7.0m)
MID: Bukayo Saka (£10.2m)
FWD: Nick Woltemade (£7.5m)
FWD: Erling Haaland (£15.0m)
FWD: Igor Thiago (£7.0m)
BENCH: Martin Dúbravka (£4.0m)
BENCH: Micky van de Ven (£4.7m)
BENCH: Nathaniel Clyne (£3.8m)
BENCH: Trey Nyoni (£4.3m)
Final Thoughts
Gameweek 16 brings a mix of enticing fixtures and tricky matchups for Fantasy Premier League managers, making squad planning more critical than ever.
With rotation still a possibility and some players returning from injuries, careful analysis will separate the successful managers from the rest.
Form remains a key factor.
Players who have shown consistency in recent weeks are likely to continue delivering, but spotting differential options among those benefiting from tactical changes or unexpected opportunities could give an edge.
Reviewing both recent performances and underlying statistics can highlight which players are truly dependable.
Fixtures will play a major role this weekend.
Teams with favourable schedules could provide excellent returns, while others face challenging games that require a flexible approach.
Weighing short-term gains against long-term squad balance will be critical in making the right choices.
Budget players remain essential.
Affordable options allow managers to spread resources across the squad, reduce rotation risks, and free up funds to target high-impact stars.
They can often make the difference in maximizing points without overspending.
As Gameweek 16 approaches, stay alert to lineup announcements, monitor press conferences, and prioritise players with secure starting positions and proven attacking returns.
Thoughtful planning now can set the tone for a strong run through the busy festive period.
Here’s to a gameweek of smart transfers, bold captain choices, and points that move your squad up the rankings.
