This article is part of our Fantrax Waiver Wire series.
Well, we're here. The schedule is about to get crazy with 39 league matches over the next 13 days. Instead of writing up something new before every gameweek and try to guess what managers will do, I'll look ahead to the next two weeks (four gameweeks). At this point, it's impossible to predict who will start which matches, but we know what the schedule looks like and who has the best matchups.
FPL DIFFERENTIALS
I'd probably transfer out every Liverpool and West Ham player in this stretch unless they're cheap and on your bench. In addition to not playing Gameweek 18, they both have difficult schedules over the holidays, and that's before taking into account players who will be rested. Since West Ham are one of the most unpopular teams at the Premier League's official fantasy game, this is more about finding replacements for Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Liverpool defenders. I can't stop you from swapping in Kevin De Bruyne, but he could soon be the most owned player in the game.
Of course, there aren't many more places to spend money in the midfield, which means you'll have to make a couple transactions to bring in a forward, and that's the strategy I'd use because Gabriel Jesus remains under owned. Sergio Aguero is back in training, but it'd be a surprise if he started more than two of the next five matches given his injury. Man City manager Pep Guardiola may try and get Jesus and
Well, we're here. The schedule is about to get crazy with 39 league matches over the next 13 days. Instead of writing up something new before every gameweek and try to guess what managers will do, I'll look ahead to the next two weeks (four gameweeks). At this point, it's impossible to predict who will start which matches, but we know what the schedule looks like and who has the best matchups.
FPL DIFFERENTIALS
I'd probably transfer out every Liverpool and West Ham player in this stretch unless they're cheap and on your bench. In addition to not playing Gameweek 18, they both have difficult schedules over the holidays, and that's before taking into account players who will be rested. Since West Ham are one of the most unpopular teams at the Premier League's official fantasy game, this is more about finding replacements for Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Liverpool defenders. I can't stop you from swapping in Kevin De Bruyne, but he could soon be the most owned player in the game.
Of course, there aren't many more places to spend money in the midfield, which means you'll have to make a couple transactions to bring in a forward, and that's the strategy I'd use because Gabriel Jesus remains under owned. Sergio Aguero is back in training, but it'd be a surprise if he started more than two of the next five matches given his injury. Man City manager Pep Guardiola may try and get Jesus and Aguero in every match, letting the starter go around 60 or 70 minutes before being subbed out. Playing time isn't guaranteed for Jesus, but I think he'll get more action during the busy season because he's in form and Guardiola won't want to push Aguero too hard.
Otherwise, it's a bleak situation at forward, with Joshua King and Ashley Barnes in the conversation again because they are both back from injury. I still like Chris Wood a tad more than Barnes, while David McGoldrick is a shot in the dark. Christian Benteke is another possibility because he should receive a few more starts and has a favorable stretch against Newcastle, West Ham, Southampton and Norwich City. Wesley Moraes is as inconsistent as they come, but he's started every match for Aston Villa and draws Southampton, Norwich and Watford in the next three. Speaking of Villa, Jack Grealish and John McGinn remain on the radar because of the schedule. Grealish's ownership is creeping higher and will likely surpass 10 percent at FPL in the next week.
Also in the midfield, Luka Milivojevic rarely misses out on the starting lineup and is always in play for penalties, though I'd lean a little more toward Joao Moutinho and Adama Traore, who are a bit more potent. While they have a couple difficult matchups, there will be opportunities at home against an iffy Man City back line, and then they have Watford and Newcastle following the trip to Liverpool. Since Son Heung-Min is no longer a differential, Dele Alli is worth a look with a nice string of matches ahead, and I'm including the home contest against Chelsea. Alli has five goals and three assists in nine league starts.
If you want to let go of a Liverpool defender or say goodbye to Ricardo Pereira, there are plenty of choices. Harry Maguire is unlikely to miss any matches for Man United, and they have a reasonable schedule (at Watford, vs. Newcastle, at Burnley, at Arsenal, vs. Norwich). I'm less confident in Crystal Palace than before because of their injuries, but Martin Kelly and Scott Dann are cheap and viable. I'd put Aston Villa in this spot, but outside of Matt Targett, the back line is a work in progress due to Tyrone Mings' injury. If you want to back a big club, I'd take Jan Vertonghen slightly ahead of Serge Aurier, who will likely be rested at least once in the coming weeks.
FANTRAX FINDS
There are good and bad things about draft leagues for the busy season. On one end, leagues like Fantrax let you swap out players until the game starts (FPL closes an hour before the gameweek), but during the busy season, you may be left with multiple changes to make and depending on how many bench spots you get, could be forced to start someone who is benched.
Maybe the biggest news from last gameweek is that there are possibly two starting forwards available in the majority of leagues. Christian Benteke went the full 90 in place of the injured Andros Townsend, and he could continue to receive minutes. The same goes for Andy Carroll, who started up front because of Allan Saint-Maximin's injury. While there are players who could get a random start like Mason Greenwood, Benteke and Carroll could see numerous starts over the busy period due to injuries.
The options are plentiful in the midfield, with regulars like Fred and Leander Dendoncker, but also Lucas Torreira and Aaron Mooy, who have become starters in the last month or two. Given Wolverhampton's schedule, this is also a viable period for Romain Saiss because while he's listed as a midfielder, he plays center-back and there will be chances for either clean sheets or a ton of defensive action in all upcoming matches (at Norwich, vs. Man City, at Liverpool, at Watford). It's kind of the same situation for Alexander Tettey at Norwich, while Dan Gosling made his first start of the season last match and grabbed a goal.
There should be a lot of defenders available on the wire, especially with more injuries possible in this period. Players like Jack Stacey and Kortney Hause both put in quality outings last weekend and are available in almost every league at Fantrax. If you want to bank on Crystal Palace's schedule, it may be worth it to back Scott Dann for Gameweek 18, but keep an eye on the lineup in case Mamadou Sakho returns to the starting XI following suspension in Gameweek 19. The options are endless at defender, though it takes a little work because you have to monitor lineups and injuries.
CAPTAIN DEEP DIVES
If you need weekly captain picks, we have you covered at RotoWire, where you can also find rankings for every gameweek. As for Gameweek 18, a lot of people will be looking for armband advice due to the schedule. Marcus Rashford is a possibility at Watford, and Spurs are worth a look at home against Chelsea, though many will still turn to De Bruyne and City at home against Leicester. I think there could be a few goals between Norwich and Wolverhampton, and Raul Jimenez is most likely to take part in one of them. Grealish is intriguing as a captain at home against Southampton, while Neal Maupay could be a sneaky option because I think there will be more goals in his match than people think.
