FST’s Fantasy Football tips for GW16: Bamford for captaincy?

Updated on 5:07pm GMT 27 December 2020

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Before becoming a Sports Journalist for Free Super Tips, Aaron spent three years studying Sports Journalism at the University of Sunderland while taking in the Black Cats' 'glory years' under Martin O'Neill. Now back in Northern Ireland he turns niche stats into predictions for FST, while he's one of the few people on this island who is equally comfortable at Windsor Park and the Aviva.

Christmas Day may have been and gone but the FPL madness doesn’t stop there. With the next round of Premier League games starting just 18 hours after the last ended time is of the essence when it comes to getting your side ready.

Ahead of an incredibly busy week of FPL action we have the low-down on this week’s fixtures, form and captaincy options. If you’re struggling to settle on your side, we’ve put together the talents you need in your squad this week below.

Don’t forget that you can get a more in-depth look at each match this weekend in our Premier League predictions.

Fantasy Football GW16 Fixture List

Monday, December 28

Crystal Palace vs Leicester (Amazon Prime)

Chelsea vs Aston Villa (Amazon Prime)

Everton vs Man City (Amazon Prime)

Tuesday, December 29

Brighton vs Arsenal (Amazon Prime)

Burnley vs Sheffield United (Amazon Prime)

Southampton vs West Ham (Amazon Prime)

West Brom vs Leeds (Amazon Prime)

Man United vs Wolves (Amazon Prime)

Wednesday, December 30

Tottenham vs Fulham (Amazon Prime)

Newcastle vs Liverpool (Amazon Prime)

Best Fantasy Football Team for GW16

FST's FPL selection for GW16

Fantasy Football Transfer Tips this Week

Villa rotation

Emiliano Martinez (£4.9m) and Jack Grealish (£7.8m) have been regulars for most FPL managers this season. With Villa consistently scoring points, there’s room for a third of Dean Smith’s charges.

This week, we’re going for Anwar El Ghazi (£5.7m) as our third Villa choice. He’s a cheap option for our bench or to round out the midfield. He may only have 38 points so far, but 35 of those have come in the last four weeks.

Kane Spurs Europa League

Faith in the forward line

While Harry Kane (£11million) is hard to drop this season, there are some good-value forwards to go alongside him. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£8m) has started to tail off, so he’s not quite earning his big price tag.

Instead, Patrick Bamford (£6.4m) continues to produce after scoring the winner against Burnley at the weekend. Meanwhile, Burnley forward Chris Wood (£6.2m) has an opportunity to produce when he meets Sheffield United.

Defensive options everywhere

We wouldn’t recommend a five-man defence for your FPL 11 this week, but it’s easy to see the temptation. We’ve put our faith in big money name Andrew Robertson (£7.2m) and we’ve surrounded him with cheap options with good fixtures.

Stuart Dallas (£4.7m) is away to goal-shy West Brom, James Justin (£4.9m) can make an impression against Crystal Palace and Charlie Taylor (£4.5m) is our way into the Burnley defence before they face Sheffield United.

We’ve got no Man City defensive picks despite their recent good form and we’ve left Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.7m) on the bench despite a good season for him on the South Coast. Across those five, there’s plenty of potential for goals, assists and clean sheets.

Who to Captain in GW16

Patrick Bamford

It’s not a great gameweek for captaincy choices. Fulham have got their act together and could make life difficult for the Kane and Son double act. Bruno Fernandes is reliable but it’s hard to see United’s clash with Wolves opening up that much.

Chelsea’s clash with Villa rules out a few more options, while Newcastle aren’t conceding tons of goals at home, while Mo Salah usually does his best at home.

That means that Bamford looks appealing at West Brom. The forward has done his best work on the road this season, while West Brom remain a shambles defensively. Leeds are a brilliant side going forward and we think Bamford can do well at the Hawthorns. He’s unlikely to be a popular captain pick, which could give you an edge in your mini-league if this punt pays off.