Dugout Discussion
29 December 2020 2330 comments
Colm Hayes Colm Hayes
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Heavy rotation has struck Fantasy Premier League managers once again as the gap between Gameweeks 15 and 16 takes its toll.

Owners of West Ham and Brighton assets are suffering the most from Tuesday’s team selections while Southampton and Leeds have proved the more reliable squads to rely on.

David Moyes has dropped Vladimir Coufal (£4.7m), Jarrod Bowen (£6.4m), Issa Diop (£4.3m) and Ben Johnson (£3.9m) to the bench, where they are joined by the returning Michail Antonio (£6.2m).

Sebastien Haller (£6.1m) still leads the line supported by Pablo Fornals (£6.1m), Manuel Lanzini (£6.4m) and Andriy Yarmolenko (£5.5m) in attacking midfield, while Ryan Fredericks (£4.2m) occupies Coufal’s right-back berth.

By contrast, a relatively unchanged Southampton have kept key Fantasy assets such as Che Adams (£6.1m) and Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.8m) in the starting line-up, where there is also a relatively surprise return of Danny Ings (£8.3m), who missed the last match with a hamstring problem.

Marcelo Bielsa has gone for a similar approach for Leeds’ trip to West Bromwich Albion naming a completely unchanged side, which means another start for Patrick Bamford (£6.5m), Raphinha (£5.4m), Stuart Dallas (£4.8m) and Illan Meslier (£4.6m).

West Bromwich Albion line-up in a 4-4-2 formation with Callum Robinson (£5.4m) and Karlan Grant (£5.8m) leading the line.

FPL midfielder Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.4m) returns to the Arsenal line-up for the first time since sustaining an injury ahead of Gameweek 14.

The Arsenal star is set to lead the Gunners’ line ahead of attacking midfield trio Gabriel Martinelli (£4.9m), Emile Smith-Rowe (£4.4m) and Bukayo Saka (£5.2m).

Aubameyang is the sole change to Mikel Arteta’s line-up from the 3-1 win against Chelsea in GW15, as Alexandre Lacazette (£8.2m) drops to the bench.

A positive Covid test rules Gabriel (£5.0m) out of Gameweeks 16 and 17, at least.

Graham Potter has made six changes from the XI that began the 2-2 draw at West Ham on Sunday.

Alexis Mac Allister (£5.3m), Pascal Gross (£5.8m), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (£5.4m), Davy Propper (£4.8m), budget defender Bernardo (£3.9m) and Joel Veltman (£4.3m) are all drafted in for the Seagulls.

Adam Lallana (£6.2m) misses out through injury while Ben White (£4.4m), Solly March (£5.0m), Leandro Trossard (£5.8m), Neal Maupay (£6.1m) and Danny Welbeck (£5.5m) are all on the bench.

Tariq Lamptey (£4.7m) is still sidelined with a hamstring injury. On Sunday, Potter said of the right-back:

“Tariq is going to be a few days, maybe weeks. He won’t be ready for the next game [Arsenal].” – Graham Potter

Chris Wilder has made just one change to the Sheffield United XI for their clash with Burnley at Turf Moor.

Lys Mousset (£5.8m) replaces budget midfielder Oliver Burke (£4.4m), with the Scot only fit enough for the bench due to an ongoing back issue.

That means Rhian Brewster (£4.5m) earns a third consecutive start in the Sheffield United forward line.

Having announced today that they recorded a number of positive Covid-19 tests, the Blades name seven substitutes out of a maximum of nine.

The Clarets also show just one alteration to their Gameweek 15 line-up, as Robbie Brady (£5.0m) replaces Josh Benson (£4.5m) at right-midfield.

Sean Dyche had hoped to also have Dwight McNeil (£5.7m) available, though the winger is not even fit enough to make the Burnley bench.

On the two widemen, the Burnley boss said in his pre-match press conference:

“With the two games in three days, we had to make a judgement call. We think they both have a chance [of facing Sheffield United] but we just felt the fatigue element of two games and what it might do, when you are coming out of a minor injury, we just had to make a decision.” – Sean Dyche

Gameweek 16 Line-ups

Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Sanchez; Burn, Dunk, Webster; Bernardo, Propper, Bissouma, Veltman; Mac Allister, Gross; Jahanbakhsh.

Arsenal XI: Leno; Tierney, Mari, Holding, Bellerin; Xhaka, Elneny; Martinelli, Smith-Rowe, Saka; Aubameyang.

Burnley XI: Pope; Taylor, Mee, Tarkowski, Lowton; Pieters, Westwood, Brownhill, Brady; Wood, Barnes.

Sheffield United XI: Ramsdale; Robinson, Egan, Basham; Stevens, Osborn, Ampadu, Baldock; McGoldrick, Mousset, Brewster.

Southampton XI: A McCarthy; Bertrand, Bednarek, J Stephens, Walker-Peters; Walcott, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Djenepo; Adams, Ings.

West Ham United XI: Fabianski; Cresswell, Ogbonna, Dawson, Fredericks; Rice, Soucek; Fornals, Lanzini, Yarmolenko; Haller.

West Bromwich Albion XI: Johnstone; Gibbs, Ajayi, O’Shea, Furlong; Diangana, Gallagher, Sawyers, M Phillips; C Robinson, Grant.

Leeds United XI: Meslier; Alioski, Ayling, Struijk, Dallas; K Phillips; Harrison, Klich, Rodrigo, Raphinha; Bamford.

Article written by David Munday and Colm Hayes.

  1. Feloh
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 day ago

    What's up with the spurs game?

    1. Rolls-Royce
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 day ago

      What's up?

      1. @persecuted_by_mods
          5 years, 1 day ago

          Sup

        • The Big Fella
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 1 day ago

          Sup

      2. The Polymath
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 1 day ago

        2 Fulham Players have Covid, so should still go ahead.

        1. Scholes Out For Summer
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          5 years, 1 day ago

          Confirmed only 2?

    2. Jindaljain
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 1 day ago

      Bruno cap are real winners

      1. Party time
          5 years, 1 day ago

          Tonight we feast!

        • Lieutenant Frank Columbo
          • 13 Years
          5 years, 1 day ago

          My vice so if Liverpool game off, it could actually be a real result.

          1. Forever In Our Shadow
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Me too. The only thing going right at this point.

        • Flair
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 1 day ago

          Salah*

        • The Polymath
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          5 years, 1 day ago

          Don't speak too soon, he may blank. 😀

        • Homer21
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 1 day ago

          Premature much?

      2. Pukki Party
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 1 day ago

        Kind of like this week as every return will be massive

      3. @persecuted_by_mods
          5 years, 1 day ago

          Yves Bissouma with William's wish Wellingtons on

        • Flair
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 1 day ago

          A two week break would be excellent. Get COVID out of the way, players can recover from injuries, less disruptions going forward hopefully.

          1. Salah’s Sonnet
            • 14 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Nah I love the mayhem haha!

            1. Joey Tribbiani
              • 5 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              yea this is kinda interesting

          2. @persecuted_by_mods
              5 years, 1 day ago

              You trust these players with 2 weeks of free time?

              1. jdp219
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 8 Years
                5 years, 1 day ago

                I hardly trust Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish with no free time.

            • Weeb Kakashi
              • 9 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Its very likely and the right way to go about things.

            • jason_ni
              • 10 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              So a 2 week break and covid will magically disappear?!

            • Ginkapo FPL
              • 14 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Are you saying players are more likely to get covid from playing than parties in a break?

              The winter break is coming anyway

            • thegaffer82
              • 14 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Get Covid out of the way!?

              Bah, that’s optimism for you. Didn’t happen in the population at large, and won’t happen for PL players either unfortunately

            • Don Kloppeone
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              “Get Covid out the way” is going to take more than 2 weeks!

            • Pukki Party
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Two weeks and covid will just go away?

            • Flair
              • 5 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              I'm not saying COVID will go away, but I assume the PL will take precautions now that they're actually seeing the impact that their - and the players' - negligence has brought. Sorta like how it was post-restart.

            • Brosstan
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Lol covid Will surely go away in 2 weeks

          3. Steve The Spud
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 5 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Taylor was my only defender without an awful fixture next week

            1. Jindaljain
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Pope

            2. el polako
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              I only brought him in, looks like after 1 point is a transfer straight out.

              1. jason_ni
                • 10 Years
                5 years, 1 day ago

                I went early to get him in last night before the price rise.. fml

            3. MMN
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              My defence is Zouma, Stones, Cancelo, Taylor and Kilman lool

          4. Weeb Kakashi
            • 9 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Spurs game could go foward. Read on a Fulham forum that it is the staff that has been affected , a lot of them obviously.

            1. Flair
              • 5 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              PLEASE

            2. The Polymath
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 10 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              It was 2 Fulham Players but should still go ahead.

              1. The Polymath
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 10 Years
                5 years, 1 day ago

                Then again I may be wrong.

          5. the_duke
            • 5 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Dias, kdb, matip, taylor.

            Anyone else do better than that for next week haha?

            1. ivantys
              • 5 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Taylor, Lamptey, Coufal, Sterling

            2. MMN
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Zouma, Cancelo, Stones, Taylor, Kilman. Basically my whole defence is out for next week.

          6. Salan
            • 16 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            This week result will be decided by Salah vs Bruno vs Son/Kane.

            1. Scholes Out For Summer
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 12 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              So every other week

          7. FPL Scoop
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Cmon Patty B

            1. Don Kloppeone
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Lol weirdly this is the first time I’ve heard someone call him that.

          8. camarozz
            • 11 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Waited all day for this lol.

            On 9pts tho with everyone playing so far bar Taylor injury.

            And two spurs. Do we think that game goes ahead maybe?

          9. Feloh
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            I just want Brewster to do well here today. He deserves it.

            1. Leaf
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 15 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              You me you own him ...me too

              1. Feloh
                • 8 Years
                5 years, 1 day ago

                Don't even own him. He is a young lad who gets a lot of stick for playing for a trash team not creating chances for him.

          10. TyroneGAA
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Never really invested much in a bench .. this was the year

          11. Free Hat
            • 6 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            So west brom defenders back to their normal self. ..

            1. Traction Engine Foot
              • 7 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              They only play well when my captains are playing against them

              1. Free Hat
                • 6 Years
                5 years, 1 day ago

                Same.

          12. Flair
            • 5 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Oh Taylor whefore art thou Taylor

          13. Niho992
            • 7 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Any chance that Taylor will be ready for DGW?

            1. Hazz
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              *shrug*

            2. Ajax Hamsterdam
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Hopefully

          14. Fudgy
            • 6 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            West Brom robbed

            1. Kodap
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Hahahahahahaha

          15. Jindaljain
            • 11 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            instead of Taylor should have gone with maguire

          16. Rolls-Royce
            • 12 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            The Gameweek is dark and full of horrors...

          17. Jindaljain
            • 11 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Where is BAM BAM today?

          18. OptimusBlack
            • 12 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Chances that Southampton CS gone ?

            1. Bury94
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Couple of threatening Creswell deliveries so far but other than that not a lot else from WHU. More likely Southampton score

            2. Dynamic Duos
              • 12 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Moyes doesn't like goals

          19. Shark Team
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            I'm not going to Bench Boost in this rate. My last two transfers were Balbuena and Taylor ffs...

            1. _Ninja_
              • 15 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Same i had planned to BB19 but have Taylor James, Matip.

            2. Steve The Spud
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 5 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              I think I’ll just focus on building a strong team for it still, maybe contemplate a hit at the last minute and play it but certainly not dead set on it now

            3. FPL Scoop
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Neither I don’t think. Already had DCL KDB Mitchell Davis as planned transfers out across 2 weeks - Taylor injury and games in doubt plus Ings back means I’ll probably just do DCL Davis KDB to Vardy Ings 5.2

          20. camarozz
            • 11 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            What bred of dog is in Marley and me? Coz iv not taken my eyes off Jennifer Aniston 🙂

            Shes hot

            1. Simon69
              • 13 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Legend

          21. Oggle22
            • 9 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Unbelievable brought Chilwell in injured! Transfered out for matip injured transferred out for Taylor injured!

            1. Ode
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Who’s next?

              1. Oggle22
                • 9 Years
                5 years, 1 day ago

                Any requests?

          22. FPL Scoop
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            GW riding on Soucek Bamford Dallas currently. What a time

            1. JONALDINHO
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Mines riding on Brewster Coufal and Douglas. One of which isn’t even in the league.

            2. camarozz
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Me too so fsr. Salah capt /Bruno/Son and Kane hopefully too

          23. Kodap
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            You’re joking... Taylor gone off injured?

          24. JONALDINHO
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            People with Taylor should be grateful their getting a point. Coufal is coming in for me no matter what

          25. Chalobah's Witness
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            So much discussion on here about games being postponed ...
            is there anything I've missed? Liverpool game still on?

          26. Scots Gooner
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 9 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Brought Taylor in this week. Lovely stuff.

            Keep them coming GW16

            1. Jindaljain
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              If you have Spurs players than long way to go

              1. Scots Gooner
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 9 Years
                5 years, 1 day ago

                Just the 2 x Spurs, 3 x City, Coufal and Taylor. Loving FPL right now

                1. FFSbet.com
                  • 10 Years
                  5 years, 1 day ago

                  No worries,we are preparing for their DGW

            2. moment
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 14 Years
              5 years, 1 day ago

              Did it last night for -4 to beat the price rise. Now he's injured before he even gets to play for me.

              1. Scots Gooner
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 9 Years
                5 years, 1 day ago

                Unlucky mate

          27. Steve The Spud
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 5 Years
            5 years, 1 day ago

            Raphinia hardly involved