FPL Gameweek 17: Best forwards for unlimited transfers

With unlimited transfers at their disposal ahead of Gameweek 17, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers can completely overhaul their squads.

It’s effectively an extra Wildcard in all but name and it gives us a chance to not just react to the mid-season World Cup and any fresh injuries but also set ourselves up for the coming months.

Here, we go through some of the top targets by position ahead of the Boxing Day deadline.

You can read a rundown of the standout goalkeepers here and midfielders here, with defenders to follow.

ERLING HAALAND

• Price: £12.2m
• Ownership: 83.2%

Having risen to over 83% ownership ahead of the Gameweek 17 restart, Erling Haaland (£12.2m) is simply a must-have.

The Norwegian has 18 goals to his name already – averaging a whopping 9.5 points per match – and has been resting during the World Cup. Returning to action in the Carabao Cup earlier this week, it took Haaland just 10 minutes to find the net.

Furthermore, his 49 shots inside the box, 21 big chances and 29 efforts on target are all league-leading figures.

Manchester City, meanwhile, have scored at least seven more goals than any top-flight side so far and are the most reliable attack in the division under Pep Guardiola.

Haaland is the overwhelming armband favourite most weeks in FPL, and with Double Gameweeks on the horizon, should be locked in your team.

HARRY KANE

• Price: £11.6m
• Ownership: 27.3%

Harry Kane (£11.6m) has blanked in just three of his 15 appearances this season, with his total of 102 points second only to the 123 of Haaland. In that time, he has netted 12 goals and contributed three assists, averaging 6.8 points per match.

Now, the only question mark is how Kane reacts to his penalty miss with England. However, he was back at Hotspur Way earlier this week and has traditionally thrived during the festive period, offering encouragement to his owners.

The return of Dejan Kulusevski (£8.0m) should also hand him a boost: the Swede has already provided three assists for Kane this season, while eight of his 17 chances created have fallen to the England captain.

As for Tottenham Hotspur, their Premier League campaign resumes against Brentford on Boxing Day. Fixtures follow against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, before a potential Double Gameweek 20. However, their match with Man City will only go ahead if neither side is involved in an FA Cup third-round replay.

With his ownership sitting at 27.3%, Kane has been relatively overlooked for the restart, but his consistency of returns under Antonio Conte is excellent. One thing to remember, mind, is that he is currently on four yellow cards and is just one caution away from a ban.

CALLUM WILSON

• Price: £7.4m
• Ownership: 8.5%

Callum Wilson (£7.4m) has combined six goals with three assists in 11 appearances so far this season, averaging 5.0 points per match.

As a result, the England international is an obvious candidate for our frontlines due to Aleksandar Mitrovic’s (£6.8m) ongoing fitness issues, and actually trumps the Serb for big chances and xG per 90 minutes (p90) in 2022/23.

Newcastle United’s attacking form is a key reason behind those numbers. The Magpies are averaging almost two goals scored per game, which has rightfully put them in the mix for a Champions League place.

READ MORE: The FPL half-term report: Newcastle United

Now, they will look to build on their impressive first-half showing, with their short-term home fixtures looking particularly tasty. Indeed, Leeds United and Fulham are both at the wrong end of the table for goals conceded, with 26 allowed each.

Furthermore, Eddie Howe’s troops have only lost one game at St James’ Park in the whole of 2022, so Wilson’s prospects look especially good in Gameweeks 18 and 20.

DARWIN NUNEZ

• Price: £9.0m
• Ownership: 13.8%

Darwin Nunez (£9.0m) produced four goals and one assist in his final six league matches before the World Cup break, and is the second most-bought player in the unlimited transfers period, earning over 600,000 new owners.

The Uruguayan has been quick to make an impact since returning from Qatar, scoring twice in a 4-1 friendly win over AC Milan last week and providing the assist for Mohamed Salah’s (£12.8m) equaliser against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

His finishing at the Etihad left a lot to be desired – four chances came his way but were all missed – yet the fact he is getting opportunities is of course encouraging from an FPL perspective. And that’s been the case throughout the season, with a whopping 1.75 big chances p90 registered across his 10 league outings.

READ MORE: FPL notes – EFL Cup: De Bruyne great, Darwin wasteful, Alexander-Arnold ill

With fellow attackers Luis Diaz (£7.8m) and Diogo Jota (£8.8m) set to be out until February at the earliest, along with Roberto Firmino’s (£8.1m) recent injury, Darwin looks almost certain to start over the festive period.

Liverpool are now set to embark on a kind longer-term schedule. They face just two of the current top-six sides in their next 12 fixtures, facing Newcastle United in Gameweek 24 and Manchester United in Gameweek 26.

OTHER CANDIDATES

With Aleksandar Mitrovic a doubt for Gameweek 17, some FPL managers may choose to simply bench the Serb in the hope he returns (and avoids a booking) for Fulham’s Double Gameweek 19.

And that will be appealing for some, given that he has been a real talisman for Marco Silva’s side this season, having blanked in only four of his 12 starts.

However, in addition to Wilson who we mentioned above, there are other appealing candidates for those wishing to replace him.

Eddie Nketiah (£6.5m) is expected to start up front for Arsenal after first-choice striker Gabriel Jesus (£8.0m) was injured during the World Cup. He scored five goals across Arsenal’s final eight games in 2021/22, showing he can produce at this level.

READ MORE: Gameweek 17 differentials: Eddie Nketiah

Elsewhere, Anthony Martial (£6.7m) looks set to start for Manchester United at home to Nottingham Forest in Gameweek 17, having featured in all of his side’s mid-season friendlies. His next three games include home meetings with promoted pair Forest and Bournemouth, both of whom rank in the bottom two for goals conceded, with 30 and 32 respectively.

Che Adams (£6.4m) has already made an impact under new Southampton manager Nathan Jones, netting in the 3-1 defeat at Anfield in Gameweek 16. He certainly has the platform to produce, with the Saints placed third on our Season Ticker for fixture difficulty across the next six Gameweeks.

Another cheap option worth considering is Dominic Solanke (£5.8m), who from Gameweek 5 onwards (Gary O’Neil’s first match in charge) is the fourth-highest scoring forward with 54 points.

Meanwhile, a potential ban for Ivan Toney (£7.4) is the only reason he isn’t included here.

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