Gameweek 22 of the Fantasy Premier League is set to get underway this weekend, and with so many developments off the pitch, such as players returning from AFCON, and the January transfer window heating up, staying up to date with the latest news is crucial.
In this article, we discuss one of the most popular forward picks, compare two brilliant midfield options, and identify the midfielders with the highest probability of gaining points from attacking contributions.
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Can anyone take the top spot away from Nathan Sanford?
FPL Gameweek 22 Deadline
The Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 22 deadline is Saturday, 17 January 2026 at 11:00 GMT.
FPL Gameweek 22 Fixtures
The Manchester Derby takes place at Old Trafford.
Brentford will travel to Chelsea.
Leeds will be hosting Fulham.
Burnley take on Liverpool at Anfield.
Sunderland will welcome Crystal Palace.
West Ham are on the road to Spurs.
Nottingham Forest are at home to Arsenal.
Newcastle will visit Wolves.
Aston Villa will host Everton.
Bournemouth will travel to Brighton.
FPL Assets Leading On Form For Gameweek 22
Let’s start by looking at the current form amongst the best FPL players for Matchweek 22 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:
- Caoimhín Kelleher is first with 7.6 points
- Bart Verbruggen is tied for second with 4.6 points
- Alisson Becker rivals him with 4.6 points
Defenders:
- Nathan Collins moves to first with 8.8 points
- Keane Lewis-Potter is second with 7.0 points
- Gabriel Magalhães is third with 6.2 points
Midfielders:
- Kevin Schade jumps to first with 7.6 points
- Declan Rice is tied for second with 7.2 points
- Vitaly Janelt rivals him with 7.2 points
Forwards:
- Igor Thiago moves back to first with 7.6 points
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin drops to second with 6.4 points
- Ollie Watkins is third with 6.2 points
Brentford’s Striker Becomes An Essential Pick
The player with the most surprising FPL output this season has undoubtedly been Brentford forward Igor Thiago.
The Brazilian striker started the campaign with a price tag of £6.0m, and after scoring 16 goals in 20 Premier League starts, Thiago’s price has risen to £7.1m.
No player has seen a higher price rise this season than Igor Thiago, and he still represents excellent value for money.
There are currently 14 strikers who are more expensive than Igor Thiago in FPL, which is surprising, considering only one of them has scored more FPL points than Thiago.
That player is the game’s most expensive asset, Erling Haaland.
To put Thiago’s value into further perspective, both Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, who has a total of one FPL point, and Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke, who has a total of two FPL points, are more expensive than Thiago, who currently has 120 FPL points.
Igor Thiago has scored five goals in his last two Premier League outings and has upcoming fixtures against Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa.
This is not the easiest run of fixtures Brentford will face this season, but Thiago’s form in front of goal will give them immense hope, as he is currently the most transferred-in player ahead of the new gameweek.
Declan Rice Vs Bruno Guimarães
Igor Thiago is not the only player who has surprised the FPL community with his points output this season, as Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães have also been consistently outperforming their price tags.
Declan Rice is currently priced at £7.3m and has accumulated a total of 122 FPL points this season, while Bruno Guimarães, who is priced at £7.2m, has scored a total of 117 FPL points so far.
With their price tags and points totals so similar, let us see how their performances compare on the pitch.
Both players have made 20 appearances this season, and both have produced three assists from midfield so far. Bruno has scored more goals than Declan, with eight goals compared to four from Rice.
Interestingly, Declan Rice has had more shots from inside the opposition box this season, with six shots inside the box compared to four from Bruno.
Both players have attempted eight shots from outside the box this season.
Bruno currently has the higher expected goals (xG) total with 3.89 compared to Declan’s 2.49.
Rice, however, has the higher expected assists (xA) total with 3.59 compared to Bruno’s 2.54.
Bruno has scored one penalty and one free kick so far, while Declan has scored four free kicks but no penalties.
Bruno has also hit the woodwork twice, while Rice is yet to hit the frame this season.
Declan edges it when it comes to crosses into the opposition box, with 30 crosses delivered compared to 28 from Bruno.
Bruno has, however, completed more through balls, with 16 compared to Rice’s seven.
Rice has made more defensive contributions between the two, with 205 compared to 172 defensive contributions from Bruno.
With Bruno looking like the sharper finisher and Rice seemingly the more creative and defensive option, it will be interesting to see which of the two finishes the campaign with more FPL points.
Top 10 Midfielders With The Highest Expected Goal Involvement
Selecting midfield options who tend to contribute assists and goals on a regular basis has always been one of the main goals for any FPL manager who intends to perform well throughout the season.
With high-profile players like Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer underperforming this season, it feels trickier than ever to select the right group of midfielders.
Listed below are the top 10 midfielders with the highest xGI (expected goal involvement), and some of the names on this list might surprise you.
Bruno Fernandes
xGI: 12.16
FPL Points: 106
Price: £9.1m
Ownership: 13.0%
Enzo Fernández
xGI: 11.66
FPL Points: 92
Price: £6.4m
Ownership: 10.4%
Bukayo Saka
xGI: 9.68
FPL Points: 98
Price: £10.2m
Ownership: 20.0%
Kevin Schade
xGI: 9.13
FPL Points: 85
Price: £7.1m
Ownership: 2.6%
Bryan Mbeumo
xGI: 8.76
FPL Points: 74
Price: £8.1m
Ownership: 9.0%
Antoine Semenyo
xGI: 8.52
FPL Points: 120
Price: £7.6m
Ownership: 44.0%
Phil Foden
xGI: 8.39
FPL Points: 100
Price: £8.7m
Ownership: 32.8%
Cody Gakpo
xGI: 7.62
FPL Points: 76
Price: £7.3m
Ownership: 5.6%
Pedro Neto
xGI: 7.57
FPL Points: 88
Price: £7.1m
Ownership: 6.5%
Morgan Gibbs-White
xGI: 7.37
FPL Points: 81
Price: £7.3m
Ownership: 3.0%
Top 3 FPL Gameweek 22 Captain Picks:
- Erling Haaland vs Manchester United
- Bukayo Saka vs Nottingham Forest
- Hugo Ekitike vs Burnley
Differential Captain Pick Of The Week
Florian Wirtz
Liverpool’s big summer signing has been looking lively in his last few outings.
He came off the bench to score and provide an assist in the FA Cup against Barnsley on Monday night and also has three goal contributions in his last five Premier League matches.
With an upcoming game against Burnley, Florian Wirtz is poised to build on his rise in form and could reward those who trust him with the FPL armband this weekend.
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 GW22:
GK: Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m)
DEF: Gabriel Magalhães (£6.7m)
DEF: Malick Thiaw (£5.1m)
DEF: Ezri Konsa (£4.4m)
MID: Brenden Aaronson (£5.4m)
MID: Morgan Rogers (£7.7m)
MID: Bukayo Saka (£10.2m)
MID: Florian Wirtz (£8.2m)
FWD: Erling Haaland (£15.1m)
FWD: Hugo Ekitike (£8.9m)
FWD: Igor Thiago (£7.1m)
BENCH: Martin Dúbravka (£4.0m)
BENCH: James Garner (£5.1m)
BENCH: Amara Nallo (£3.7m)
BENCH: Brayden Clarke (£3.8m)
Final Thoughts
Gameweek 22 is here, and FPL managers have another chance to make smart moves and ride the momentum of in-form players.
Fixtures will once again shape our decisions.
Some teams have easier runs coming up, making them attractive short-term picks, while others face tougher schedules that may require patience.
Looking at both form and underlying stats, such as expected goals and assists, can help spot who is most likely to deliver.
Budget options are just as important as ever.
Players who play regularly and contribute goals or assists at a low cost give you the flexibility to strengthen other areas of your squad without breaking the bank.
Chips have recently refreshed, so timing their use wisely could make a big difference in the coming weeks.
Staying up to date with team news, injuries, and tactical tweaks will ensure your transfers and captain picks are well-informed.
Gameweek 22 is all about balancing form, fixtures, and squad value.
Make the right moves now, and you could set yourself up for a strong run in the weeks ahead.
