FPL top picks for Gameweek 29

Utilising the fixture ticker and underlying stats from the Fantasy Football Scout members area, we pick out some of the FPL top picks for Gameweek 29. Considering team and player form, fixture difficulty and stats will help us shortlist some of the best assets for the round ahead.

Looking at the FPL top picks for Gameweek 29 can be extremely useful to managers in their quest for success. Knowing which players to target for the round ahead can help with important decisions like transfers and captaincy.

Note: This article was written before Gameweek 28 started. Any changes in terms of injuries will be updated upon its republishing as we draw closer to the Gameweek 29 deadline. Stats will naturally change during the upcoming Gameweek but won’t take anything away from the selections.

Fixtures

Below we can see the teams at the top with the easiest fixtures all of the way down to the bottom to teams with the toughest fixtures. This will help us pick out some of the best options for Gameweek 29.

Goalkeepers – Jason Steele

Brighton rank third on the fixture ticker this week. The face a double Gameweek which means their assets have two attempts at returning points. Defensively Brighton are putting up some great underlying stats. In fact in the last six Gameweeks they rank joint second best for goals conceded (four), the best for shots in the box conceded (25), joint second best for shots on target conceded (12) and the best for big chances conceded (three).

The stats above show Brighton could have huge potential to keep clean sheets. Interestingly former number one Robert Sanchez (£4.6m) has failed to start the last two matches. In his place is Jason Steele (£3.9m) who looks set to start moving forward.

Keylor Navas

Nottingham Forest rank second on the fixture ticker. The promoted side play a double Gameweek in 29. They face Wolves and Leeds in the round ahead. Both of their opponents seem to be struggling for goals this season.

No team in the league this season has scored less goals than Wolves (20) who have also failed to score in two of their last six matches. Leeds have also failed to find the net in half of their last six matches. Because of this Keylor Navas (£4.5m) could have huge potential in the round ahead and for those reasons he makes the top picks for Gameweek 29.

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Chelsea also have a double Gameweek in 29. They face Aston Villa and Liverpool in the round ahead. The Blues have shown massive defensive capability in the past and their recent form is promising. In the last six Gameweeks they rank amongst the best five teams for goals conceded (five), shots in the box conceded (33) and big chances conceded (five).

The improving Chelsea form has not gone unnoticed within the FPL community as managers flock to their assets. One player who could be worth holding until the end of the season is Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.7m). The Spaniard has helped his team keep two clean sheets in his last three matches in all competitions. With two fixtures and in an improving defence, Kepa takes his place amongst the top picks for Gameweek 29.

Defenders – Pervis Estupinan

We have already seen that Brighton are maintaining some of the best underlying defensive stats in the league over the last six Gameweeks. Their clean sheet potential is reinforced by the fact that one of their opponents, Bournemouth, rank the worst for attempts on goal (38), joint second worst for shots in the box (20) and second worst for shots on target (13).

One way of investing in Brighton’s defence and attack is Pervis Estupinan (£4.8m). In his last 10 matches in all competitions he has picked up a huge five assists. Estupinan has also managed an FPL return in seven of his last 10 matches. With big clean sheet and assist potential, Estupinan is an easy addition into the top picks for Gameweek 29.

Kieran Trippier

Newcastle have a double Gameweek this week too. They face West Ham and Manchester United. Although suffering a recent defensive slump, this season amongst all teams Newcastle rank the best for goals conceded (19), joint first for clean sheets kept (12) and second best for big chances conceded (36).

Investing in the Newcastle defence may be questionable due to their latest period but one player offers a lot more than clean sheet potential. Kieran Trippier (£6.1m) ranks first amongst all defenders in the league this season for crosses, chances created and big chances created, reflecting his assist potential going into any given game.

Ben Chilwell

The main factor in the clamber for Chelsea’s assets isn’t just due to their uptake in form. Although that does contribute a significant part in the appeal, the fact they have reverted back to their back three system is also a massive factor.

Chelsea’s back three means that their wing-backs get into some of the most dangerous positions on the pitch. Ben Chilwell (£5.9m) spends most of his playing minutes in the opponents half. His potential can be reflected in the fact he has been directly involved in four of Chelsea’s last six goals. Against two opponents who have been conceding more big chances than any other team in the league as of late, Chilwell has to be considered amongst the top picks for Gameweek 29.

Luke Shaw

Manchester United have proved more than capable of keeping clean sheets this season. In fact the Reds rank as second best for clean sheets kept (11). They have a double Gameweek in the round ahead, facing Brentford and Newcastle.

Their opponents are less than convincing offensively and that only increases Manchester United’s defensive appeal. Luke Shaw (£5.2m) is the standout defensive option for the Reds. Shaw has managed an impressive five returns in his last 10 matches including a double-digit haul. The left back has great assist potential. He managed as many as four key passes leading to shots in his most recent match.

Timothy Castagne

Leicester sit at the top of the fixture ticker this week suggesting they have the easiest fixtures. Crystal Palace and Aston Villa lay ahead for the foxes. The former have recently lost their manager and have failed to score in four of their last six matches.

Leicester may be suffering at the moment but they have solid clean sheet potential coming into Gameweek 29. They play with a wing-back system which allows their wing-backs to get into some of the most advanced positions on the pitch. Timothy Castagne (£4.4m) has managed nine returns this season. His potential can be seen in the fact he went on a run of five consecutive matches picking up FPL returns this season.

Midfielders – Alexis Mac Allister

Brighton have a fantastic double Gameweek ahead and they have also been putting up some great offensive data. In the last six games amongst all teams they rank first for attempts on goal (104), first for shots in the box (70), third for big chances total (21) and first for shots on target (37).

Investing in the Brighton attack could be essential this week and one way to do that would be by selecting Alexis Mac Allister (£5.5m). Not only does he take his teams penalties and set pieces, providing additional routes to points but he has also taken up a new advanced attacking position within the side. With two returns in his last three games and considering the above, Alexis Mac Allister is an easy inclusion into the top picks for Gameweek 29.

Solly March

Brighton’s recent offensive stats are too hard to ignore. One of the teams they face in Gameweek 29 are Bournemouth. The Cherries has been putting up some very poor defensive data as of late. In the last six Gameweeks amongst all teams Bournemouth rank the worst for shots in the box (77), the worst for shots conceded (116) and the worst for shots on target conceded (36).

Another way into the Brighton attack could be Solly March (£5.1m). March ranks second amongst his offensive teammates in terms of non penalty expected goal involvement in the last six matches (1.94). The midfielder has also managed three double-digit hauls in his last 10 matches, reflecting huge explosiveness.

Kaoru Mitoma

Its a Brighton bonanza this week. Their attacking stats and fixtures could be a perfect opportunity for the explosive midfield to return big. Whilst already including his teammates it could be very unwise to leave out Kaoru Mitoma (£5.5m).

The Japanese attacker has been a breath of fresh air for Brighton and a very consistent FPL asset. Mitoma has returned a monstrous eight times in his last 10 matches, reflecting some of the most consistent form in the entire game. Picking at least two Brighton midfielders will be key this week and some may even decide to go all out attack with three.

Marcus Rashford

Manchester United’s double Gameweek indicates investing in their attack will be key. In the last six Gameweeks they rank amongst the best four teams in the league for attempts on goal (93), shots in the box (65) and shots on target (32).

The standout attacker is of course Marcus Rashford (£7.3m). Amongst all players in the league in the last six matches he ranks joint first for goals scored (five), joint fourth for attempts on goal (20) and joint third for big chances total (seven). Rashford could be considered as an essential going into the new round and because of that eases his way into the top picks for Gameweek 29.

Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United’s double looks promising. Although tough on paper Brentford have kept just two clean sheets in their last six games whilst Manchester United’s other opponent, Newcastle, have failed to keep a single clean sheet in the same period.

The second best option in the Reds offensive line is Bruno Fernandes (£9.6m). The midfielder has managed six returns in his last 10 matches, showing good form. In the last six games amongst all players in the league Fernandes also rank first for chances created (21) and second for big chances created (five). With a good double Gameweek, great distribution stats and taking his teams penalties, Fernandes makes the top picks for Gameweek 29.

James Maddison

Leicester are clear on the fixture ticker this week. They face Aston Villa and Crystal Palace. Aston Villa rank the joint worst team in the league for goals conceded in the last six Gameweeks (12) whilst also ranking the worst for big chances conceded (20).

Crystal Palace have also been struggling. They are now managerless which puts an even bigger target on their back. The best way into the Leicester attack could be James Maddison (£8.2m). The midfielder takes set pieces whilst also sitting as the Foxes most creative player. Maddison has multiple routes to points and that can be reflected in the nine goals and five assists he has picked up from 19 games this season.

Forwards – Kai Havertz

Chelsea are progressing in terms of their goal scoring. The Blues have scored six goals in their last three matches in all competitions, more than they managed in the 10 games previous to that. Both of their Gameweek 29 opponent’s have been conceding a lot of big chances in their last six matches so could be there to target.

The main route into the Chelsea attack is Kai Havertz (£7.6m). Not only is the German international the focal point to the offensive line but he also takes his teams penalties, giving him even more appeal. Havertz has picked up a goal in both of his last two matches in all competitions. His growing confidence and the increasing fluidity amongst the Chelsea attack is enough for him to be included amongst the top picks for Gameweek 29.

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa have a double Gameweek in the round ahead. They play fixtures against Chelsea and Leicester. Aston Villa may be inconsistent but their scoring plenty of goals. In fact in their last six Gameweeks they have netted nine times including goals against Arsenal and Manchester City.

The standout option in the Aston Villa attack is Ollie Watkins (£7.5m). No striker in the last six matches has scored more than Watkins (four). The striker has managed an impressive seven returns in his last 10 league matches, highlighting incredible form. Taking everything into account Watkins, who also takes his teams penalties, makes the top picks for Gameweek 29.

Erling Haaland

Manchester City will be looking to continue their fight for top spot with a huge match against Liverpool, Although they are one of the few teams that have just one fixture in the round ahead, it could be unwise to avoid their main man Erling Haaland (£12m).

Haaland dominates most of the key offensive data point this season. The Norwegian has racked up a brilliant 28 goals and five assists in the league so far. This has meant Haaland sits as the highest scoring and highest owned player in the game. As well as taking penalties he showed his world class explosiveness in his most recent Champions League match scoring five in around an and around an hour of gametime. For those that do not own Haaland or sold him recently, find a way to bring him back in, but only if he’s fit.