The FPL players on the Watchlist ahead of Gameweek 21

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.

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

David De Gea (£5.2m) jumps to the top of the Watchlist with a great run of fixtures over the next six Gameweeks. Defensive solidity is a concern for the Red Devils but, with two fixtures pending a reschedule, he’s a great option for the long-term with saves and bonus point potential to top up any clean sheets.

Aaron Ramsdale (£5.1m) drops to second with a tough run of fixtures and a couple of blanks coming up for the Gunners in Gameweeks 25 and 27. His north London counterpart Hugo Lloris (£5.4m) comes in at third, Spurs also have a lot of fixtures to reschedule and have been a lot tighter defensively under Conte.

Jordan Pickford (£4.9m) is a new entrant, as Everton are top of the fixture ticker for the next six Gameweeks and he should bring some clean sheets and saves at a decent price. The Toffees also have a Double Gameweek 21.

The Watchlist: Best FPL Defenders

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.3m) and Joao Cancelo (£6.9m) retain their top two spots but there are changes down below. Both Chelsea wing-backs drop out due to injury and a difficult run of fixtures with Sergio Reguilon (£5.4m) taking up third. The Spurs defender pick was a tough one; Reguilon has already been a victim of rotation but his on-pitch attacking numbers are vastly superior to Emerson Royal‘s (£4.9m).

Ruben Dias (£6.2m) would have probably been a bit higher on this list but the lack of potential Double Gameweeks for Manchester City in the short term see him at fourth.

Luke Shaw (£5.0m) is a new entrant following a great display against Burnley. Though he failed to register a clean sheet, the left-back showed enough to indicate that he could be first choice for that spot over Alex Telles (£5.0m).

With injury doubts surrounding Tino Livramento (£4.4m), Ben Johnson (£4.0m) – whose West Ham side double in Gameweek 21 – takes his spot as the budget defensive option.

The Watchlist: Best FPL Midfielders

With Mohamed Salah (£12.9m) facing Chelsea and then two likely blanks when away at AFCON, the Egyptian King drops out of the Watchlist for the first time this season. His teammate Diogo Jota (£8.1m) leaps to top spot with assured minutes during this absence.

Jarrod Bowen (£6.6m) has emerged as the West Ham United attacker of choice over recent weeks and, with a great run of fixtures on the horizon and a Double Gameweek 21, he occupies third on the Watchlist.

The preferred Man City midfielder is Phil Foden (£8.1m). There are always rotation concerns around their attackers but he appears to have the best upside at a more affordable price than the likes of Raheem Sterling (£10.7m).

Raphinha (£6.5m) is also a riser, with Leeds United having a favourable schedule and their Covid postponements hopefully out of the way. Demarai Gray (£5.5m) has a great run of fixtures starting this weekend and the return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7.9m) should enhance his prospects. James Maddison (£6.9m) drops to eighth because Leicester City’s fixture against Norwich City has been postponed.

The Watchlist: Best FPL Forwards

Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.5m) justified his spot at the top of the forward rankings with a haul against Burnley and his rotation risk concerns have been largely alleviated by him playing twice in this short span.

Harry Kane (£12.2m) is a big mover up to second. The England captain has finally shown signs of getting back to his best and was very unlucky to not register a brace against Southampton.

Watford have a great run of fixtures once the Spurs game is out of the way and, with his planned exit for AFCON now shelved, Emmanuel Dennis (£6.1m) joins Joshua King (£5.8m) in the forwards’ Watchlist.

Alexandre Lacazette (£8.4m) also makes an appearance due to Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang’s (£9.6m) exile ensuring him consistent minutes in a prolific Arsenal side. The difficult fixtures and blanks are off-putting though.

Also worthy of consideration is Odsonne Edouard (£6.4m), having temporarily lost competition for the Crystal Palace starting XI with the imminent AFCON departures for Wilfried Zaha (£6.8m) and Jordan Ayew (£5.8m).

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