FPL Gameweek 20 Preview – Everything Fantasy Premier League Managers Need To Know For GW20

Gameweek 20 marks the beginning of a new year and the official opening of the January transfer window.

For Fantasy Premier League managers, it’s a pivotal time to start planning for double gameweeks, strategising the use of their second wildcard, and deciding how to manage transfers ahead of the release of the assistant manager chip.

While FPL is often described as a marathon rather than a sprint, reaching the halfway point of the season can bring added pressure, especially for those feeling underwhelmed by their points tally so far.

However, there’s still plenty of time to turn things around.

In this article, we’ll delve into key FPL talking points, highlight consistent performers, give some free FPL tips for GW20 and conduct player comparisons to help you prepare for the upcoming gameweek.

FPL Gameweek 20 Fixtures

Spurs are hosting Newcastle.

Leicester will travel to Aston Villa.

Bournemouth welcomes Everton.

Crystal Palace are at home to Chelsea.

West Ham have a trip to Manchester City.

Southampton have a home game against Brentford.

Arsenal are heading to Brighton.

Fulham will host Ipswich.

Liverpool clash against Manchester United at Anfield.

Nottingham Forest are away to Wolves.

FPL Assets Leading On Form For Gameweek 20

Let’s start by looking at the current form amongst FPL assets for Matchweek 20.

Goalkeepers: 

1. Jordan Pickford remains first with 6.2
2. Kepa Arrizabalaga is still second with 5.2
3. Matz Sels remains third with 4.5

Defenders: 

1. Lewis Hall jumps to first with 7.0
2. Dean Huijsen rivals him with 7.0
3. William Saliba drops to third with 6.8

Midfielders:

1. Mohamed Salah remains top with 13.8
2. Jacob Murphy moves to second with 7.3
3. Cole Palmer drops to third with 7.2

Forwards:

1. Alexander Isak still remains first with 9.3
2. Cody Gakpo stays second with 5.8
3. Matheus Cunha is still third with 5.7

Chris Wood Back In Demand

The Nottingham Forest striker kicked off the season in impressive fashion, averaging 6.6 FPL points per game across his first 10 matches.

However, his form took a downturn in the following 8 fixtures, where he only averaged 3.5 points per game, leading up to Nottingham Forest’s gameweek 19 match against Everton.

In the latest gameweek, Forest delivered another dominant performance, defeating Everton 2-0.

This result briefly lifted them to second place in the Premier League, before Arsenal’s victory over Brentford saw them drop back into third.

Chris Wood was instrumental in the win, scoring and providing an assist.

So far this season, he has netted 11 goals and registered 1 assist for the club.

Wood has now surpassed the 100-point mark, accumulating a total of 106 FPL points to date.

Priced at £6.7m, he remains a cost-effective option compared to the premium forwards in the league.

With 28.1% of FPL managers owning him, his popularity continues to rise.

Looking ahead, Nottingham Forest faces Wolves, Liverpool, Southampton, Bournemouth, Brighton, and Fulham in their next 6 Premier League fixtures.

With these matchups on the horizon, FPL managers seem to be confident that Wood will stay in form, making him the most transferred-in player ahead of Gameweek 20.

FPL Managers Cash Out On Jackson 

Not long ago, Chelsea were viewed as strong contenders for the Premier League title, with many expecting them to challenge Liverpool and Arsenal.

However, after a draw against Everton in Gameweek 17 followed by defeats to Fulham and Ipswich, their title hopes have all but evaporated.

Currently sitting in 4th place, 10 points behind leaders Liverpool (who still have a game in hand), Chelsea’s early-season promise now feels like a distant memory.

Among the standout performers during Chelsea’s early charge was striker Nicolas Jackson.

The Colombian forward has contributed to 13 goals in 17 starts, providing consistent returns for the FPL managers who invested in him.

Jackson’s form earlier in the season led to the largest price increase among all forwards, rising by £0.8m.

However, following his absence from the starting lineup in Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Ipswich, his value has dropped by £0.1m, bringing him to a current price of £8.2m.

Looking ahead, Chelsea faces a series of important fixtures: Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Wolves, Manchester City, West Ham, and Brighton.

Earlier in the campaign, many would have expected Chelsea to secure strong results in most of these matchups.

However, following recent struggles, there’s growing uncertainty around their attacking prospects, leading many FPL managers to become cautious about Jackson’s potential.

As a result, Jackson is now the second most transferred-out player for the upcoming gameweek, with only the suspended Matheus Cunha being sold off more than him.

Lewis Hall Sparks Interest 

Since gameweek 16, Newcastle have been in rampant form in the Premier League.

In their last four matches, the team has scored an impressive 13 goals.

Their most recent triumph came against Manchester United, where they added further misery to Ruben Amorim’s challenging start at the club with a 2-0 victory.

While Newcastle’s attacking prowess has certainly captured attention, their defensive stability has been equally remarkable, as they’ve kept four consecutive clean sheets.

During this run, defender Lewis Hall has been a standout, starting every match for Newcastle.

Along with the four clean sheets, Hall has also provided three assists, delivering an outstanding average of 10 FPL points per game over the last four gameweeks.

With a price tag of £4.8m, Hall offers great value compared to the top-tier defenders in the league.

Currently, he has accumulated 77 FPL points, ranking 4th among all defenders.

Looking ahead, Newcastle face Tottenham, Wolves, Bournemouth, Southampton, and Fulham in their next five matches.

Given their recent form, many FPL managers are backing Hall to continue delivering solid returns, making him the second most transferred-in defender ahead of the new gameweek.

Assets with 3 or more Dream Team Appearances 

With half of the season now completed, it’s a great time to review the players who have featured most frequently in Dream Team selections.

Here, we highlight the players who have earned at least three appearances in the Dream Team, along with their total FPL points so far.

Mohamed Salah – 8 Appearances (202 Points)

Cole Palmer – 6 Appearances (143 Points)

Bukyao Saka – 4 Appearances (107 Points)

Ollie Watkins – 4 Appearances (92 Points)

Ola Aina – 4 Appearances (89 Points)

Morgan Rogers – 3 Appearances (88 Points) 

Bryan Mbeumo – 3 Appearances (117 Points)

Yoane Wissa – 3 Appearances (80 Points)

Trevoh Chalobah – 3 Appearances (54 Points)

Jordan Pickford – 3 Appearances (83 Points)

Luis Díaz –  3 Appearances (95 Points)

Erling Haaland – 3 Appearances (110 Points)

Joelinton – 3 Appearances (68 Points)

James Maddison – 3 Appearances (98 Points)

Matheus Cunha – 3 Appearances (111 Points)

Martin Ødegaard vs Phil Foden

Martin Ødegaard and Phil Foden have been two of the Premier League’s most creative attacking forces, consistently delivering impressive returns for FPL managers over both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.

During this time, Ødegaard accumulated a total of 393 FPL points, while Foden closely followed with 372 points.

Though both players dealt with injury setbacks earlier in the current season, they have since regained full match fitness.

Now, let’s take a closer look at how their performances compare so far this season.

Martin Ødegaard has made 12 Premier League appearances this season, scoring 1 goal and providing 2 assists, with his sole goal coming from the penalty spot.

Meanwhile, Phil Foden has played 14 times, netting 1 goal and contributing 1 assist.

In terms of shots on goal, Ødegaard has taken 19, with 7 on target, while Foden has registered 33 shots, 8 of which were on target.

Ødegaard boasts a shooting accuracy of 53.8%, while Foden’s stands at 36.4%.

Both players have created 5 big chances for their teams.

Ødegaard has had 747 touches of the ball, slightly edging Foden, who has had 697 touches.

The passing accuracy of both players is fairly close, with Ødegaard at 87.8% and Foden at 88.8%.

Foden has attempted 52 crosses into the box, significantly more than Ødegaard’s 24.

When it comes to dispossessions, Ødegaard has been dispossessed 23 times, slightly more than Foden with 21.

Ødegaard has completed 10 through balls, while Foden has managed 6.

As for expected goal involvement (xGI), Ødegaard has a figure of 5.11, while Foden’s is higher at 6.39.

Ødegaard is currently priced at £8.4m, has accumulated 43 FPL points, and is owned by 7.0% of FPL managers.

Foden, priced at £9.2m, has earned 38 FPL points and is owned by 5.5% of managers.

As the season progresses, it will be fascinating to see which of these two can finish strong, delivering solid returns for the FPL managers who have backed them.

Antonee’s Assists Are Accumulating 

At the start of the season, many FPL managers would have expected Trent Alexander-Arnold to lead the assists chart among defenders heading into the new year.

However, it’s Antonee Robinson of Fulham who currently holds the top spot, and by a fair margin.

While Alexander-Arnold sits on 4 assists, just one behind Wolverhampton’s Rayan Aït-Nouri, Robinson has already registered 7 assists.

Fulham has attempted the second-most crosses in the Premier League this season, with 414 crosses made.

Robinson has been instrumental in this, contributing 21.2% of all the crosses from the London club.

Despite Fulham keeping only 3 clean sheets in 19 matches so far, Robinson has amassed 66 FPL points, ranking him 11th among all defenders in the game.

Priced at £5.0m and owned by 23.8% of managers, Robinson remains an attractive option for FPL teams.

With upcoming fixtures against Ipswich, West Ham, and Leicester, it will be interesting to see if Robinson can continue to provide attacking returns from defence.

Matz Sels Shines Between The Sticks

Matz Sels may only be the seventh most-selected goalkeeper in FPL, but he’s been having an exceptional season in goal for Nottingham Forest.

With fans dreaming of a potential Champions League qualification, their defensive record backs up that optimism.

Forest are currently tied with leaders Liverpool for the most clean sheets this season, each with 8. Defenders like Ola Aina and Nikola Milenković have been delivering impressive returns, both ranking among the top 5 FPL points scorers for defenders.

Meanwhile, Sels has proven himself to be an invaluable asset for FPL managers, accumulating the highest points tally among all goalkeepers in the league.

Looking ahead, Forest’s upcoming fixtures include games against Wolves, Liverpool, Southampton, Bournemouth, Brighton, and Fulham.

Given their current form, the club could see some strong results in the coming weeks.

Differential Captain Pick Of The Week:

Ollie Watkins

After a 2-2 draw against Brighton in their last match, Aston Villa will be eager to get back to winning ways when they host Leicester this weekend.

Ollie Watkins, fresh off a goal and assist in his previous outing, will be looking to build on his strong form.

FPL managers who place their trust in Villa’s striker could be in for rewarding returns if he maintains his recent performances against Leicester.

Playing Your Free Hit? 

Most managers will be saving their free hit for double gameweeks later on in the season.

Those who are tempted to use their free hit this weekend might find some value below: 

GK: Kepa (£4.5m) 

DEF: Konsa (£4.4m)

DEF: Robinson (£5.0m)

DEF: Huijsen (£4.4m)

MID: Palmer (£11.4m) 

MID: Iwobi (£5.9m)

MID: Salah © (£13.6m)

MID: Semenyo (£5.6m)

FWD: Jiménez (£5.5m)

FWD: Haaland (£14.8m)

FWD: Watkins (£8.8m)

BENCH: Vladimarsson (£3.9m)

BENCH: Choudhury (£4.3m) 

BENCH: Quansah (£3.9m)

BENCH: Townsend (£3.9m)

Final Thoughts

As we move into the new year and the second half of the FPL season, managers face an exciting period of strategic decisions.

With the January transfer window now open, there will be plenty of opportunity to refresh squads and take advantage of new arrivals.

The first half of the season has highlighted some standout performers, while others have faltered, leaving room for fresh investments.

As fixtures pile up and the race for the top intensifies, staying up to date with form, injuries, and transfers will be crucial.

Here’s to a successful second half of the season for all FPL managers!