Fantasy Premier League Planning for Gameweek 18 & 19

We take a look at Fantasy Premier League planning Gameweek 18 and 19. With the help of the Fantasy Football Scout members area we can utilise its fixture ticker and underlying stats to pick out the best teams and players to target for the Gameweeks ahead.

Fantasy Premier League planning for Gameweek 18 and 19 can be absolutely vital to the success of any given managers season. The early stage of the campaign is one of the most important periods in FPL so being able to target the right teams and players could be key.

Gameweek 18 & 19 Fixtures

As we can see Manchester City and Brentford do not have a fixture in Gameweek 18, this is called a Blank Gameweek.

With that in mind it could be worth selling or benching the few players you have from those teams.

Best players for Gameweek 18 & 19

Newcastle – The Magpies sit at the top of the ticker for the next two rounds. They come up against two of the most out of form teams in the league. The cheapest and most reliable way into the strong defence is goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (£4.1m). With the uncertainty at the back with players returning from injury the most reliable defender in terms of minutes could be Fabian Schar (£5.3m). However, the standout pick is Kieran Trippier (£6.9m) who has managed a huge seven assists this season. In attack the rotation amongst the strikers could be risky. For that reason, midfielder Anthony Gordon (£6.2m) remains the safest option. Gordon has managed four double-digit hauls this season making him one of the most explosive assets in the game so far.

Fulham – It’s not very often we get opportunities to want to buy Fulham players but here we are. The Cottagers have shown very good recent form – dismantling both West Ham and Nottingham Forest 5-0 in two of their last matches. They also have games against Burnley and Bournemouth next. The goalkeeper problem many are experiencing this season could be solved by Bernd Leno (£4.7m). In attack some could opt for midfielder Willian (£5.3m). The Brazilian has returned four times in his last four matches. Leading the frontline is striker Raul Jimenez (£5.3m). He has accumulated a huge 22 points in his last two matches.

Chelsea – The Blues also sit high on the fixture ticker. Chelsea have meetings with both Wolves and Crystal Palace next who have struggled in different areas of their game recently. For those looking to invest in the Chelsea backline then goalkeeper Robert Sanchez (£4.6m) may be the safest way in in terms of minutes moving forward. It may also be worth monitoring right-back Malo Gusto (£4.1m) who could step in fulltime in replacement of the injured Reece James. In attack the standout option remains to be midfielder Cole Palmer (£5.5m) who takes his sides penalties. Striker Nicolas Jackson (£6.9m) could also be a good option. Jackson sits as one of the best players in the league recently for non-penalty expected goal involvement. It may also be worth monitoring Christopher Nkunku (£7.3m). The French striker was fantastic in pre-season before picking up a long-term injury.

Who else should we targeting?

Tottenham – Tottenham have been inconsistent as of late but their assets still have huge potential going into any given game due to their playing style. They have matches against Everton and Brighton next. Whilst Tottenham aren’t keeping many clean sheets defender Pedro Porro (£5.4m) could still be a great buy. The full-back has been one of the most creative players in the league recently – bagging four assists in his last five games. A cheaper alternative could be fellow full-back Destiny Udogie (£4.8m). He scored in one of his most recent matches. The standout attacker is Son Heung-Min (£9.7m) who takes penalties and managed a whopping 17 points recently. Some could even take a chance on the likes of midfielders Dejan Kulusevski (£7.1m) or Richarlison (£6.6m).

Other assets with potential

Dominic Solanke (£6.7m) – Bournemouth have been producing some of the best underlying offensive data in the league recently. The Cherries also have matches against Nottingham Forest and Fulham next. Solanke has managed four returns in his last five matches and takes his sides penalties.

Mohamed Salah (£13.2m) – The Egyptian may face Arsenal but he also has a game against Burnley. Liverpool have one of the best attacks in the division and Arsenal have been leaking goals. With that in mind Salah remains a very good option.

Ollie Watkins (£8.4m) – Aston Villa are one of the most in-form teams in the league currently. Manchester United and Sheffield United have both proven inconsistent at the back so Watkins could have massive potential. He sits as one of the highest scoring players in the game this season due to his excellent consistency.

Should we use a chip?

Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 18 and 19 planning should also include the use of chips.

The most experienced managers usually use their Bench Boost, Triple Captain and Free Hit chip during medium or large blank and double Gameweeks. Now, although there is a Blank Gameweek ahead, it’s only small so easily manageable. There will also be a much bigger Blank Gameweek ahead that will be a lot harder to navigate without the use of a chip.