After an intriguing FA Cup midweek, which featured a blend of upsets, wonder-goals and dominating wins, the Premier League returns on Saturday with another round of entertaining fixtures. FPL managers are scrambling to fit as many double gameweek assets as they can with eight teams having two fixtures, including the likes of Chelsea, Aston Villa and Leeds United. In this article, we will be highlighting one player from each double gameweek team who we believe can bring green arrows to your fantasy team.
Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa – 7.4m) – SOU (H) + LEE (A)
Villa undoubtedly have the pick of the double gameweek fixtures with two high upside fixtures in Southampton and Leeds. Despite suffering a blip under manager Steven Gerrard in February, the Villains seem to have bounced back with a commanding 2-0 win away at fellow mid-table side Brighton. Phillipe Coutinho is arguably the most exciting pick of this new-look Villa side, although Ollie Watkins (7.5m) and Jacob Ramsay (4.8m) offer alternate routes into their attack. Since his ‘second Premier league debut’, Coutinho tops Villa’s Goal involvements chart, with 5 G+A (2 goals and 3 assists) spread across 6 fixtures.
However, he has suffered a dry patch of late and was comparatively uninvolved in the game against Brighton – which must be taken into consideration by managers looking to bring him in. Nevertheless, Villa can bank on the attacking talent of Coutinho combined with the prospect of playing a lacklustre Leeds defence, and that makes him an exciting pick with captainable potential for the upcoming gameweek fixtures.
Joe Willock (Newcastle – 5.7m) – BHA(H) + SOU (A)
If fit, Allan Saint-Maximin (6.8m) is by far the best pick in Eddie Howe’s resurgent Newcastle side, but doubts over his fitness mean that FPL managers have had to look elsewhere for a route into Newcastle and their tempting fixtures. In Saint Maximin’s absence, Joe Willock has stepped up to deliver some much-needed goals for a relegation battling Newcastle United and offers a cheap midfield option for the upcoming weeks. In his last three fixtures, Willock has had 2 goals and an assist and faces a recently leaky Brighton defence and Southampton in his GW 28 fixtures. At 5.7 million, he not only offers good short-term potential but may be useful in the long term as well, with Newcastle the only team having the ‘double-double’, with a double gameweek fixture in GW29 as well.
Raphinha (Leeds – 6.5m) – LEI (A) + AVL (H)
Raphinha is the shining star in a dark and gloomy Leeds United team. His 104 points over the course of this season are the highest in the Leeds side by a considerable margin, with Daniel James (6.0m) second behind him with 74 points. The Lilywhites have recently been drawn into a relegation battle and their poor run of results have meant that fantasy returns have also started to dry up.
Raphinha, however, remains an exciting pick for Leeds’ upcoming fixtures, with two matches against relatively open defences and goalscoring potential. The Brazilian is not only their chief playmaker but also offers a goal threat and is on penalties – making him the standout option for DGW28. Leeds and Raphinha may also benefit from a new manager bounce after the signing of American Jesse Marsch as manager as they look to navigate fixtures against Leicester City and Aston Villa.
Ché Adams (Southampton – 7.0m) – AVL (A) + NEW (H)
With many managers opting for reasonably priced strike partner Armando Broja (5.5m), Ché Adams has been overlooked by many FPL managers. However, his recent form coupled with Southampton’s recent exploits has meant that he has started receiving the attention he deserves. Adams has scored 4 goals and notched a single assist in his last 7 fixtures, and is the most attacking player in Hasenhuttl’s bold Saint’s side. He was also rested against West Ham in the FA Cup match on Wednesday and will be raring to go against Villa and Newcastle in DGW 28. With Raul Jimenez (7.5m) and Michail Antonio (7.6m) misfiring, he is one of the standout picks in his price range and is definitely one to watch.
Ismaila Sarr (Watford – 5.7m) – ARS (H) + WOL (A)
Watford attackers should be avoided, given the nature of their two opponents in DGW 28. Both Arsenal and Wolves have been solid defensively this season, and given Roy Hodgson’s conservative approach, the Hornets will likely stay compact at the back and play to shut down the opposition attack rather than score themselves. However, if one had to pick a Watford asset other than the talismanic Emmanuel Dennis (6.1m), Sarr may be the way to go. His blistering pace and goal potential may offer attacking returns on the counter, and at 3.0% ownership, he is an interesting differential for DGW 28.
José Sá (Wolves – 5.3m) – CRY (H) + WAT (H)
The highest-scoring goalkeeper in the game, Jose Sá has slowly emerged as one of the contenders for the signing of the season. The Portuguese shot-stopper ranks third for saves overall and is second for bonus points among goalkeepers, making him a prime candidate for the goalkeeper position in the long and short term.
Wolves have been extremely solid defensively throughout the season and have conceded the fourth-least goals in the league, less than the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United and one more than title contenders Liverpool. Wolves’ DGW of Palace and Watford at home is favourable for their defence, as they face a Palace side who have been woeful away from home and a Watford team who have been lacklustre in front of goal under Hodgson.
Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea – 6.1m) – BUR (A) + NOR (A)
Tuchel’s Chelsea have built their success on being strong defensively. At the heart of his defence lies the rotation proof Antonio Rudiger, who at 6.1 million is a premium route into a miserly Chelsea defence. His double gameweek fixtures of Burnley and Norwich (albeit away) has huge clean sheet potential and the big German is a potent threat from set-pieces as well. Chelsea will embark on an appealing run from GW28 to GW33, with all 6 of their opponents ranked 2 on the FDR scale, which means that Rudiger may be in your team for the long haul.
Teemu Pukki (Norwich – 5.8m) – BRE (H) + CHE (H)
In a Norwich side that has been awful this season, Pukki is a ray of hope. The Finnish talisman has been their main source of goals this season but is nowhere near the heights he achieved during his iconic 2019-20 campaign that established him as an FPL cult hero. Norwich, simply put, are to be avoided and offer the least appealing fantasy assets in the game. However, with a huge clash against relegation rivals Brentford, Pukki may step up to the occasion and take advantage of one of the worst sides in the league on current form.
Written by Hrishikesh Chaudhuri | Feature Image by Clive Mason/Getty Images
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