Hold on to your hats, FPL managers! This season, forget splashing all your cash on superstar strikers – the real value lies in the midfield. We're talking game-changers priced at £7.1m or less! This week's dream team is packed with these budget-friendly heroes, and it's shaking up the entire Fantasy Premier League landscape, making it more unpredictable and exciting than ever before!
Rice, Watkins & Cunha Headline Our Gameweek 21 Dream Team
By Thomas Woods, BBC Sport Senior Journalist
It's not just Erling Haaland dominating the scoreboards anymore. After him, a whole host of players priced at or below £7.1m are proving to be top FPL assets. This shift is completely changing the game!
This week, our carefully selected team showcases this trend, featuring four such players: Gabriel, Declan Rice, Bruno Guimaraes, and Igor Thiago. The sheer number of viable options around the £7m mark has blown the traditional team template wide open. This allows for incredible squad diversity and it means more tactical flexibility, making FPL even more thrilling. Get ready for another week of potential upsets and unexpected point hauls!
Our Team of the Week is meticulously crafted to fit within the standard £100m budget, mirroring the constraints you'd face when playing a Free Hit. We aim to provide a balanced squad with high potential for returns across all positions.
Don't Miss Out! Join our FPL special Q&A with expert FPL Heisenberg, live on the BBC Sport website on Tuesday, January 6th at 15:30 GMT. Get your burning questions answered and gain an edge in your league!
How Did Last Week's Dream Team Perform?
Last week was a triumph! Thanks to massive hauls from Malick Thiaw (17 points!) and his Newcastle teammate Bruno Guimaraes (12 points), the team racked up a staggering 67 points! This more than made up for the previous gameweek's disappointing performance, proving that our selections are based on careful analysis and a bit of calculated risk.
BBC Sport's FPL Team of the Week for Gameweek 21: The Lineup
Keeper and Defence
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Manchester City (£5.7m) vs. Brighton (H): This week, we've got the budget for a premium keeper, and City's chances of a clean sheet against Brighton are excellent. Brighton, despite their attacking prowess, can be vulnerable defensively, especially away from home.
Gabriel, Arsenal (£6.6m) vs. Liverpool (H): Gabriel is now a must-have in your FPL team. He's a consistent performer who scores goals, contributes defensively (earning those crucial defcon points), and is a strong contender for clean sheets. And this is the part most people miss... Liverpool's attack is potentially weakened this week, with doubts surrounding several key players like Hugo Ekitike, alongside the confirmed absences of Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah. This significantly boosts Gabriel's clean sheet potential.
Malick Thiaw, Newcastle (£5.1m) vs. Leeds (H): After his incredible 17-point haul last gameweek, Thiaw retains his starting spot. Leeds are heading to St James' Park, and despite their recent improved form, their away record is concerning. They rank in the bottom four for goals scored away from home, bottom six for shots on target, and bottom eight for expected goals (xG). We're confident in Newcastle's chances of a clean sheet.
Ayden Heaven, Manchester United (£3.9m) vs. Burnley (A): Heaven is a budget enabler, allowing us to invest heavily in other areas. Burnley have struggled to score at home, failing to find the net in five of their ten home games. They've only managed two goals in their last four matches. Heaven has been playing well for United and consistently picking up defcon points in recent starts. A true bargain!
James Tarkowski, Everton (£5.6m) vs. Wolves (H): Backing the Everton defence backfired last time out when they conceded four against Brentford. However, Tarkowski still managed to secure defcon points. But here's where it gets controversial... While Wolves thrashed West Ham, it doesn't necessarily signal a complete turnaround. They have zero away wins and have only scored four goals on the road all season. If you believe Wolves have truly turned a corner, you might want to avoid Everton's defence. But we're backing Everton to keep things tight at home.
Midfielders
Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle (£7.1m) vs. Leeds (H): Guimaraes is another returning hero from last week's team, boasting two consecutive double-digit hauls. He's a prime example of why you shouldn't always rely solely on underlying data. He only had one shot against Crystal Palace but scored and earned 10 points. The week before, his goal was a late gift thanks to a goalkeeping error. Despite this, the points keep flowing, and he has a favorable home fixture. Pick him with confidence!
Matheus Cunha, Manchester United (£8.2m) vs. Burnley (A): Cunha is currently Manchester United's talisman, with three goals in his last five games. He's had more shots (22) than any other midfielder during that period. He's definitely worth backing against a struggling Burnley side.
Declan Rice, Arsenal (£7.2m) vs. Liverpool (H): Rice has ascended to the top of the FPL midfielder rankings after his two goals against Bournemouth. He's a fantastic all-round pick, capable of scoring goals and providing assists. Against Liverpool, he's also likely to accumulate defensive contribution points, guaranteeing a solid four-point floor. He's a consistent source of points across the board.
Strikers
Erling Haaland (captain), Manchester City (£15.1m) vs. Brighton (H): Haaland will almost always feature in this team given the lack of comparable premium striker options. But here's where it gets controversial... His recent form is a cause for concern and might tempt some FPL managers to captain someone else. Six blanks in nine games isn't exactly captaincy material. However, this week he faces a Brighton side that struggles defensively on the road, conceding 18 goals in 10 games. He also managed five shots in the draw with Chelsea, even though he didn't score. If he blanks again, then it's time to seriously consider alternatives.
Igor Thiago, Brentford (£6.9m) vs. Sunderland (H): Thiago unleashed his potential with a hat-trick against Everton, taking as many shots (six) in that single game as he had in the previous five combined! Owners will be hoping he can maintain this form against a decent Sunderland defence. He's also Brentford's penalty taker, which adds to his appeal. Given the scarcity of reliable striker options elsewhere, Thiago is a worthwhile gamble this week.
Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa (£8.7m) vs. Crystal Palace (A): Watkins has rediscovered his scoring touch, bagging four goals in his last three games. FPL managers can confidently jump on the bandwagon. In the past three gameweeks, no other striker has had more shots, big chances, or goals. Furthermore, he's facing a Crystal Palace side that has recently started conceding more goals.
Subs' Bench
- Martin Dubravka, Burnley, keeper, £4m vs Manchester United (H)
- Granit Xhaka, Sunderland, midfielder, £5.2m vs Brentford (A)
- James Garner, Everton, midfielder, £5.1m vs Wolves (H)
- Nathan Collins, Brentford, defender, £4.9m vs Sunderland (H)
Team Total Cost: £99.3m
What do you think of our selections? Do you agree with our assessment of Haaland? Are there any budget gems you think we've overlooked? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! We're eager to hear your opinions and discuss alternative strategies for Gameweek 21.
