We pick out the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players who are the best medium-term targets in each position based on fixtures, form and value.
FPL managers are approaching a period of 10 Gameweeks in the space of 40 days, so a bit of forward planning is advised after the November international break.
Seven-time top 10k finisher and Scout regular Zophar is taking the reins for this series in 2021/22, producing a fortnightly piece and discussing the rankings by position, and talks us through our latest update here.
ABOUT THE WATCHLIST
Our regularly updated Watchlist, which is visible on the sidebar, ranks players in each position for the month ahead – or rather, the next four Gameweeks.
This allows site users to get a longer-term view on recommended players beyond the weekly Scout Picks.
Players are selected according to factors such as FPL’s form rating*, club injuries, club morale, forthcoming fixtures and whether or not the player in question is likely to be a bargain in FPL.
The table displays the player name and club, along with the abbreviation for the factors that played a part in their ranking. A key for these factors can be found below the player in the table and looks like this:
Arrows before the name indicate whether a player has climbed or fallen in our reckoning since the previous update or if they are a new entry into the tables.
*points divided by a club’s matches played over the last 30 days
The Watchlist: Best FPL Goalkeepers
Aaron Ramsdale (£4.7m) retains his spot at the top despite the Gunners embarking on a tricky run of fixtures. The Arsenal number one picked up a bonus point with just one save against Watford and he will likely have to make plenty more stops against his coming opponents.
Robert Sanchez (£4.6m) is suspended for Gameweek 12 due to his red card against Newcastle United but an absence of only one week is hardly enough to see the Spaniard drop.
Speaking of Spaniards, Vicente Guaita (£4.6m) moves up to third in the goalkeeper rankings. Crystal Palace are ranked second for expected goals conceded (xGC) only to Manchester City this season and have a decent run of fixtures all the way through to Gameweek 20.
Hugo Lloris (£5.4m) is another one that sees his stock rise: the Tottenham Hotspur captain should have better clean sheet potential under Antonio Conte and has a great run of fixtures as well.
The Watchlist: Best FPL Defenders
Not much needs to be said about the in-form quartet at the top of the defender rankings: Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.7m), Reece James (£5.9m), Joao Cancelo (£6.5m) and Ben Chilwell (£6.0m) have all picked up attacking returns recently and play for teams that are challenging right at the top of the table.
Sergio Reguilon (£5.0m) is a new entry. The Spaniard has gone on record to state that Conte has afforded him more freedom to create chances and take shots in a wing-back role, while Spurs’ fixtures are great over the next five Gameweeks. A big haul could be just around the corner.
Tyrick Mitchell (£4.5m) also moves up a few spots: he has been the more creative of the Crystal Palace full-backs but it is worth mentioning that his teammate, the centre-half Marc Guehi (£4.5m), fares better for bonus points potential.
Despite finding the back of the net against Norwich, Rico Henry’s (£4.5m) stock has dropped with all the injuries to the Brentford backline and the goalkeeper behind them.
The Watchlist: Best FPL Midfielders
Despite some poor performances of late, Son Heung-min (£10.3m) retains his spot in second amongst midfielders due to the new manager bounce expected under Conte and Spurs’ kind run. He is likely to play a more central role and is significantly cheaper than Harry Kane.
Phil Foden (£8.3m) was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet at Old Trafford and further returns look to be on the cards in the coming weeks. Rotation does seem inevitable over the busy Christmas period, however, with all the options that Manchester City have at their disposal.
With the injury to Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota (£7.5m) is a great pick in the short term. We still don’t have complete clarity about the length of Firmino’s absence but with the Gameweeks packed so close together, we could get five to six matches out of Jota before the Brazilian returns.
The hardest bit was ordering these five in-form budget midfielders: Conor Gallagher (£5.8m), Raphinha (£6.6m), Leandro Trossard (£6.5m), Emile Smith Rowe (£5.8m) and Jarrod Bowen (£6.3m) have all been in sparkling form of late and you could really find an argument to put them in any order/ranking. Bowen has the best underlying numbers of the lot but with West Ham’s run a bit tricky, he is possibly a bit unfairly ranked bottom.
The Watchlist: Best FPL Forwards
With seven goals over the international break, a new manager bounce, a kind run of fixtures and a penchant to do well in December, Harry Kane (£12.2m) sits at the top of the forward rankings. I really can’t give you any underlying numbers to justify this, just that Kane is a world-class player who is too good to stay out of the Fantasy periphery forever.
Callum Wilson (£7.3m) is another big mover. Reunited with his old manager Eddie Howe, who is known for his attacking philosophy, Wilson faces Brentford, Burnley and Norwich in three of his next four matches, all at home. His goal involvement is ridiculously high when he’s fit and the Magpies will be looking to him to win these crucial matches.
With zero shots on target over the last three Gameweeks, Jamie Vardy’s (£10.8m) stock has fallen a bit. After the Chelsea game, Leicester do have a good run of fixtures but I worry about the veteran striker’s ability to play three games a week in a congested period.
Ivan Toney (£6.7m) has fallen significantly, as well, and managers’ patience will surely be wearing thin after his blank against Norwich City. However, he is on penalties and seemingly nailed to play 90 minutes every week, which is hugely valuable over December.
Christian Benteke (£6.3m) replaces Odsonne Edouard (£6.5m), with the latter playing out wide quite often. Hwang Hee-chan (£5.8m) drops out and is replaced by Adam Armstrong (£5.9m), meanwhile: the Saints play Norwich next and Armstrong looks to have won his battle to reclaim one of the two striker spots for now.
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