The first half of the season is now officially behind us, as Gameweek 20 of this season’s Fantasy Premier League kicks off tomorrow.
Everyone once again has access to all of their chips, as they have refreshed for the second half of the season, and how you choose to use them in the coming weeks could be the difference between an excellent season and a disappointing one.
With the January transfer window now also open, keeping up to date with the latest developments will be crucial.
In this article, we aim to keep you up to date by discussing a defensive asset that could be one of the most essential picks this season.
We also compare two budget midfield options that have outperformed their price tags this campaign.
Finally, we look at the defensive options with the highest expected goal involvements this season.
Join TFA Fantasy Premier League Competition
And a reminder to all FPL fans, this season, we also invite you to join the TFA FPL League and enjoy the journey with us in the spirit of healthy competition.
Click here to join TFA FPL League
Can anyone take the top spot away from Grant Creegan?
FPL Gameweek 20 Deadline
The Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 20 deadline is Saturday, 3 January 2026 at 11:00 GMT.
FPL Gameweek 20 Fixtures
Aston Villa will host Nottingham Forest.
Burnley will visit Brighton.
Wolves welcome West Ham.
Arsenal travel to Bournemouth.
Leeds are at home to Manchester United.
Brentford are away to Everton.
Fulham will be hosting Liverpool.
Crystal Palace will play away against Newcastle.
Spurs will be welcoming Sunderland.
Chelsea clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
FPL Assets Leading On Form For Gameweek 20
Let’s start by looking at the current form amongst the best FPL players for Matchweek 20 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:
- Gianluigi Donnarumma is first with 5.8 points
- Jordan Pickford is second with 5.2 points
- Robin Roefs moves to third with 5.0 points
Defenders:
- Matheus Nunes moves to first with 8.0 points
- Rúben Dias is second with 7.4 points
- Joško Gvardiol is third with 7.0 points
Midfielders:
- Rayan Cherki jumps to first with 8.0 points
- Morgan Rogers moves to second with 6.7 points
- Antoine Semenyo is third with 6.6 points
Forwards:
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin moves back to first with 7.7 points
- Hugo Ekitike moves to second with 7.2 points
- Erling Haaland is third with 7.0 points
FPL Managers Are Desperate For Gabriel
The most expensive defender in the game has been proving his worth this season, as he is also the top-scoring defender in FPL.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães has been averaging 7.46 points per game, having accumulated a total of 97 FPL points across 13 appearances so far.
He missed every match from Gameweek 12 to Gameweek 17 due to injury, but made his first start since recovering against Aston Villa in Arsenal’s previous outing, where Gabriel scored 15 points.
It should come as no surprise that he is an extremely popular pick this week, given that he has the fifth-most points among all players in the game despite being sidelined for such a lengthy period.
Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures look tricky, as they face Bournemouth, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester United in their next four matches.
Despite this difficult run, FPL managers seem confident that the Gunners will at least keep a couple of clean sheets in the coming weeks, as Gabriel is the most transferred-in player ahead of the new gameweek.
In his 13 appearances so far, Gabriel has recorded four goal contributions, with two coming from goals and two from assists.
He has also received two bonus points from defensive contributions in four of his 12 starts, which is impressive for a defender primarily selected for his outstanding goal threat from set pieces.
With Gabriel’s ownership currently sitting at 18.2%, he could soon become an essential pick for FPL managers if Arsenal can maintain their defensive prowess for the rest of the season.
James Garner Vs Ryan Gravenberch
Two budget options in midfield that have been grabbing the attention of FPL managers in recent weeks are James Garner from Everton and Liverpool’s holding midfielder, Ryan Gravenberch.
When it comes to FPL performances, these two have been closely matched during the first half of the season.
James Garner has scored a total of 85 FPL points and is priced at £5.0m, while Ryan Gravenberch is priced at £5.7m after accumulating a total of 89 FPL points.
With Gravenberch being slightly more expensive and having only four more FPL points than Garner at this stage of the season, which one makes more sense going forward when looking at their performances on the pitch?
Gravenberch has played a total of 1502 minutes for Liverpool this season, which is less than Garner, who has been on the pitch for 1704 minutes.
Garner has been the more prominent creator, with three assists compared to Gravenberch’s two.
However, Gravenberch has scored more goals, with four compared to two from Garner.
Both players have had their fair share of bookings, with Gravenberch receiving three yellow cards and Garner four.
Despite scoring more goals, Gravenberch has a lower expected goals total than Garner, with 1.01 compared to 1.38.
Garner has also been much more active inside the box, with five shots compared to Gravenberch’s one.
Gravenberch, however, has taken more shots from distance, with ten compared to nine from Garner.
Both players have had exactly 13 touches inside the opposition box, and both have hit the woodwork once.
Garner also leads Gravenberch in expected assists, with a total of 2.08 compared to 1.02.
Garner has completed four through balls this season, one more than Gravenberch’s three.
Gravenberch has been the better dribbler, completing 24 dribbles compared to Garner’s 21.
Garner has won more ground duels, with 92 compared to 80, while Gravenberch has won more aerial duels, 17 compared to Garner’s 12.
Garner also seems more likely to receive bonus points from defensive contributions, having completed 211 defensive actions compared to 154 from Gravenberch.
With these two players matching up so closely, it will be interesting to see which one finishes the season with more FPL points.
Top 10 Defenders With The Highest Expected Goal Involvement
Nothing can impact an FPL Gameweek quite as much as a defender that makes one or two goal contributions.
While it is rare to see the same defender make attacking contributions week after week, looking at their xGI (expected goal involvement) can help identify those with the highest probability of scoring extra points at the opposite end of the pitch.
Jurriën Timber
xGI: 4.88
FPL Points: 95
Price: £6.4m
Ownership: 28.4%
Daniel Muñoz
xGI: 3.77
FPL Points: 89
Price: £5.8m
Ownership: 6.9%
Marcos Senesi
xGI: 3.48
FPL Points: 81
Price: £4.9m
Ownership: 15.4%
Nico O’Reilly
xGI: 3.34
FPL Points: 76
Price: £5.3m
Ownership: 11.0%
Marc Guéhi
xGI: 3.27
FPL Points: 97
Price: £5.3m
Ownership: 41.5%
Maxim De Cuyper
xGI: 3.25
FPL Points: 47
Price: £4.3m
Ownership: 2.4%
Neco Williams
xGI: 3.23
FPL Points: 54
Price: £4.7m
Ownership: 3.5%
Ladislav Krejčí
xGI: 3.10
FPL Points: 31
Price: £4.5m
Ownership: 0.0%
Reece James
xGI: 2.96
FPL Points: 81
Price: £5.7m
Ownership: 11.2%
Riccardo Calafiori
xGI: 2.85
FPL Points: 77
Price: £5.7m
Ownership: 8.9%
Top 3 FPL Gameweek 20 Captain Picks:
- Erling Haaland vs Chelsea
- Bukayo Saka vs Bournemouth
- Hugo Ekitike vs Fulham
Differential Captain Pick Of The Week
Morgan Rogers
After scoring 15 points in Gameweek 16 against West Ham and another 15 points in Gameweek 17 against Manchester United, Morgan Rogers then faced two difficult away fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal, where he managed just 1 point in each game.
With a more favourable home fixture against Nottingham Forest this weekend, Rogers could return to his best form and reward those who hand him the captaincy this week.
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 GW20:
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma (£5.7m)
DEF: Gabriel Magalhães (£6.4m)
DEF: Malick Thiaw (£5.0m)
DEF: Ezri Konsa (£4.4m)
MID: Rayan Cherki (£6.7m)
MID: Morgan Rogers (£7.5m)
MID: Bukayo Saka (£10.3m)
MID: Harry Wilson (£5.8m)
FWD: Erling Haaland (£15.1m)
FWD: Hugo Ekitike (£9.1m)
FWD: Igor Thiago (£7.0m)
BENCH: Martin Dúbravka (£4.0m)
BENCH: James Garner (£5.0m)
BENCH: Nathaniel Clyne (£3.8m)
BENCH: Amara Nallo (£3.7m)
Final Thoughts
Gameweek 20 marks the beginning of the second half of the Fantasy Premier League season, offering managers a chance to reassess their squads and strategies.
With all four chips now refreshed, there is new flexibility in how you can approach upcoming fixtures, making long-term planning just as important as short-term gains.
The January transfer window adds another layer of uncertainty and opportunity.
Potential signings, departures, and shifting roles can quickly change the FPL landscape, so staying alert to developments off the pitch will be crucial.
Managers who react early to emerging starters or tactical changes could gain a valuable edge.
Fixture runs will once again play a key role in shaping decisions.
Some teams enter favourable stretches, while others face challenging schedules that may warrant short-term exits.
Balancing form, fixtures, and underlying data remains essential when deciding where to invest.
Budget options continue to be vital as managers look to maximise squad value.
Players offering consistent minutes and attacking potential at a low cost can provide the flexibility needed to navigate both rotation and transfer window impacts.
As Gameweek 20 approaches, keeping up with team news, press conferences, and transfer rumours will be key.
The choices made at this stage of the season can set the tone for the months ahead, so a measured yet proactive approach could prove decisive.
