Fantasy EFL Triple Gameweek 21. One word: historic! 278 goals were scored in 103 matches, with plenty of highs and lows for managers along the way. We’ve now moved into Gameweek 22, which sees all 72 EFL sides feature this weekend, including six clubs featuring twice from League One and League Two.
On Thursday night, Bromley defeated Gillingham 0-3 away from home, securing 11 points as a club pick for 2.6%. AFC Wimbledon beat Newport County 1-2 on the road, banking nine points for 4.7%.
Looking back at Gameweek 21, there were plenty of talking points that can shape our thinking for future Gameweeks. As it stands – aside from Gameweek 22 and other mini-Doubles, there are eight more Double Gameweeks scheduled. The next major double is in Gameweek 24, which sees all Championship sides play twice.
Lesson One: The weather causes chaos…once again!
One lesson that seems to be a consistent conversation throughout the season. Originally, 106 fixtures were scheduled heading into Fantasy EFL Triple Gameweek 21. However, Boxing Day [matchday one] saw one game postponed.
Unfortunately for Tranmere Rovers and Accrington Stanley, their festive fun was cut short:
Sunday 29th matches went unscathed, while New Year’s Day saw two postponements. Due to severe local flooding, League One’s match between Wigan Athletic vs Huddersfield Town’s match was called off. Meanwhile Crawley Town vs Charlton, also in League One, was postponed just 21 minutes before kick-off!
In a Triple Gameweek, once your team is selected and locked in, you’re largely at the mercy of the managers’ decisions. You can only hope your players get minutes. However, for single Gameweeks, proactive line-up checks are crucial. If your key players aren’t starting, you have a window to make adjustments. The urgency of these checks is highlighted by the Crawley vs Charlton scenario. In a single Gameweek, if that match were happening, managers would have a mere 21 minutes to react to late team news and make necessary changes
While it might seem excessive, monitoring weather forecasts is crucial, especially during unpredictable periods. In Gameweek 22, the threat of snow across the UK could significantly impact matches. Considering teams located in regions less likely to be affected by severe weather conditions may offer a tactical advantage in such situations.
Lesson Two: Max Captaincy makes the difference
As noted in various articles, using your Max Captaincy chip for Fantasy EFL Triple Gameweek 21 proved effective.
Seven of the top 10 Gameweek 21 managers played the chip. The winning manager, as with the other top two managers, saw Luke Garbutt (D) of Salford City take the chip, totalling 72 points.
The full-back banked 36 points across his three appearances in the Triple Gameweek. He kicked off with an incredible 18-point haul, courtesy of one goal (+7), one clean sheet (+5), ten clearances (+3) and two blocks (+1). He then added an additional 10 points, when his side beat Morecambe 1-0, and completed the Triple Gameweek with an additional nine points, when his side beat Harrogate Town 0-2 away from home. His ownership of just 0.2% will certainly increase after this scintillating display as the Ammies have won five on the bounce.
The next Max Captaincy chip can be played from 1st February 2025 and is then available for the entire season.
Lesson Three: Formations make or break your season
Notably, despite only three formations available for managers to utilise and select, we’ve never seen more variation.
Within the top 10 scoring managers:
- Four opted for the 1-2-2-2 formation
- Three opted for the 1-3-2-1 formation
- Three opted for the 1-2-3-1 formation
The winner, with a score of 244 points, went big at the back and backed the more defensive of the three options. In their defence alone, they scored 146 of their 244 points. Defenders seemingly have a higher ceiling than both midfielders and strikers for points scoring. They can bank points from clean sheets (+5), clearances, blocks and tackles, alongside their attacking potential: +3 for an assist, and +7 for a goal scored. Both Leyton Orient’s Omar Beckles (D) and Salford’s Luke Garbutt (D) both bagged for their sides. With both defensive and attacking routes to points, we feel a 3-2-1 is proving to be most effective.
Lesson Four: Planning Club Picks is crucial
With eight Double Gameweeks to come [and the ongoing possibility of another Triple Gameweek for postponed matches], it’s never been more important to plan ahead.
Managers are granted five club selections throughout the entire season. Over-selecting a club can be detrimental, especially when they have the potential for multiple fixtures in a Gameweek. Player selections are not subject to this limitation, but prudent club selection is crucial. With eight Double Gameweeks currently scheduled, this factor becomes even more significant
Consider when to prioritize certain clubs, remembering that popular ‘template picks’ may not align with your own selection history.
Read here for our Fixture Ticker for all three divisions, all 39 Gameweeks and more.
Lesson Five: Unbeaten clubs prove essential
Various clubs entered the Triple Gameweek unbeaten across the three divisions: Read our article we wrote for EFL here about the unbeaten sides heading into 2025.
Although we saw various clubs lose their unbeaten streaks before the end of 2024, including Wycombe’s 19-game run or Watford’s remarkable home form, there were plenty of sides in great form. Eight clubs are in a rich vein of form and should be targeted, including Leeds United, Huddersfield Town and Walsall. Most importantly, the Terriers have two matches in Double Gameweek 22 and are a great side to target, provided that both of their matches go ahead.
Thus, keeping an eye on team form is important, particularly in Double/Triple Gameweeks. Although we always expect the unexpected in Fantasy EFL, nothing is better than logic, statistics and eye tests.
