FPL GW20 Tips & Preview – Best Midfielders, WC Structure + More

Welcome to Insanely Football’s Dilemmas blog for Gameweek 20 of the FPL 2023/24 season. This blog will break down all the popular Dilemmas FPL managers have this week and offer FPL GW20 tips that will help you address the key dilemmas and maximize your FPL points.

The blog is written by Insanely Football. Do subscribe to his YouTube channel Insanely Football for more FPL-related content. You can also follow him on Instagram for daily FPL updates.

Link to all our FPL GW20 blogs including Buy, Hold, Sell analysis, Differentials, Captaincy metrics, Scout picks, Wildcard Drafts, Tips, and more. Completely free to access as well!

FPL GW20 Tips – Key Questions/Dilemmas Answered

1) Is it worth saving a ‘Free Transfer’ this week?

Avoiding making forced transfers right now can be crucial for your rank at this Fantasy Premier League season stage. If you believe your team is in good shape and there aren’t any major issues to solve, saving a transfer is the right way.

We might get more information on Haaland post-GW20, and if he is available, you need to plan to get him back for GW21. Also, with Salah and Son gone soon, you will need replacements and having an additional free transfer can help avoid one or more hits for GW21.

No game-changing transfer trends are emerging apart from getting the likes of Trent or going for Alvarez as your 3rd striker. If you also have players like Mohammed Kudus and Hwang Hee-chan, I understand the need to make a move, but other than that, try to save this week.

Overall, unless you have picked a player at the risk of not starting in Gameweek 20 and you don’t have enough bench cover, you can save the transfer. This will give you two free transfers for Gameweek 21 and one additional gameweek’s worth of information, which can be vital. 

There is no right or wrong answer here, as there is no single way of playing FPL. It depends on how comfortable you are with your team this week and how much risk you will take. If any players would improve your squad, lock in that transfer before the deadline. 

Further Read: FPL Gameweek 20 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold & Sell

2) What to do with Erling Haaland ahead of FPL GW20?

Erling Haaland hasn’t featured in the Premier League since GW16 against Luton and has been out because of an injury. 

In the latest update, Pep has mentioned “He’s training a lot but not with the team yet,” 

“It’s not a stress or fracture but a question of when the pain will disappear. Hopefully [in January he will be back].

“He has a stress, the bone is fit but painful. He’s not like [Phil] Foden who is small and skinny, Erling is huge so it’s difficult at times.

That means Haaland will likely miss this weekend’s match against Sheffield United. He could also miss the GW21 fixture against Newcastle United. But the latter still needs to be confirmed.

To me, it’s straightforward. If you don’t have him, don’t buy him this week. He is most likely going to be out for GW20. GW21 is a few weeks away, and we will probably get a proper update on Haaland’s fitness then. Also, with Salah and Son leaving for AFCON/Asia Cup post-GW20, you can sell them and quickly get back to Haaland. (with a couple of transfers)

Further Read: FPL GW20 Transfer Targets and Watchlist

3) How do you structure your FPL GW20 Wildcard team

GW20 is the last gameweek to use the first Wildcard if it’s still available with you. Unlike earlier times, this week is tricky. You have a few decisions to make. The most important has to be what to do with Haaland (have him/ignore) and whether to go with premiums like Salah and Son, who immediately leave for AFCON post-GW20. 

Let’s finish the easy bits first. I still don’t think spending much money on goalkeepers is worth it. It’s still okay to look for a cheap rotating combination or have 1 cheap playing goalkeeper in your team. Areola/Dubravka + Turner is still one of the most reasonable playing goalkeeper combinations. 

If you are looking for one strong playing keeper with a slightly higher budget, look at Neto (£4.6m) from Bournemouth. The team has significantly improved defensively and isn’t the whipping boys like in the earlier parts of the season.

I don’t think Leno at £4.8m is worth it. If you have almost £5m for a keeper, I’d suggest you look at Raya from Arsenal. He is £4.9m and playing for a premium defence capable of getting clean sheets in the coming games.

Among defenders, Trent Alexander-Arnold has looked like a solid pick for a few weeks now, and I understand the logic behind going with him. The upcoming fixtures for Liverpool are mixed but Trent can do some damage wrt the attacking side of things. 

Going with an Arsenal defender (Gabriel still the cheapest) and Pedro Porro would be my next suggestion. Arsenal have some really good games coming up, and we all know what Porro can do going forward. 

Playing with 3 defenders is fine. But if you want to go for a 4th pick, you can get Malo Gusto (£4.1m) from Chelsea. With James still out, Gusto is expected to get more minutes, and despite Chelsea not being tight at the back, Gusto has potential. 

Newcastle’s defence is not a must-have. Having a Trippier + Trent may limit your midfield potential, where most of the points still are. I would also not opt for other Newcastle defenders, as better alternatives are available.

In midfield, you need to make a decision. I don’t think keeping Salah and Son makes sense, as you are already booking at least one transfer for GW21. If you plan to bring Haaland back in GW21, this could be even two. There is always that chance of losing out on a week’s points if both players perform well, but their respective fixtures aren’t easy. I won’t keep both, but I’d hold Salah and cover Son with Richarlison if I had to.  

Wrt Arsenal, I currently like Martin Odegaard more than Bukayo Saka. Saka has had no returns in his last 4 games; Odegaard also just has 1 but has looked a lot more attacking in the recent matches.

As mentioned above, Richarlison is an excellent midfielder option. He will likely lead Tottenham’s attack in Son’s absence and is pretty much locked in the team. Bowen and Foden are other mid-priced midfielders worth going for right now. Bowen is the standout attacker, and Foden has been getting regular starts across and has a great run of fixtures coming up.

Cole Palmer is still the standout budget midfield pick. He provides much value in the Chelsea attack and is a good 5th midfield pick.

You can retain the likes of Watkins and Solanke for your attackers if you already have them. If you still need to, get both on your team. Both have been in good form and are among the top 3 attackers in the game. The third spot is where things get a bit tricky. You can either get in Haaland and keep him on the bench. Or you can get Alvarez and upgrade him or Solanke to Haaland when we have clarity on his fitness.  

For FPL GW20 Wildcard Drafts checkout our blog below!

FPL GW20 Wildcard Team & Drafts to Consider | Wildcard Guide

Further Read: FPL Gameweek 20 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold & Sell

4) What do we do with Newcastle players ahead of FPL Gameweek 20?

Newcastle has lost 4 of the last 5 Premier League games, and things aren’t looking great either from an FPL point of view. The defence has only managed to keep a clean sheet in their last 5 games, conceding 11 goals, and look quite vulnerable at the back. The long-term injury to Nick Pope hasn’t helped, and to make matters worse, Kieran Trippier has only managed to score 3 points across the last 5 gameweeks.

Trent looks like a better premium than Trippier, and there is value elsewhere in defence. I won’t even recommend Schar or any other defenders from the Newcastle team. GW23 is when the fixtures start looking better, and at least one of the defenders can be brought back.

The situation with Dubravka is also challenging. Newcastle will likely get a new keeper, making Dubravka a risky budget goalkeeper pick. He is okay if you have a second-paying goalkeeper to cover. If not, I’d avoid him too.

I am also not very keen on their attackers right now. Gordon has been the standout pick, but with Salah and Son gone soon, many attackers are coming up. Even Isak is not very convincing right now. The following 3 games are against Liverpool, Man City and Aston Villa. I would avoid any attackers till then. Post that based on how Newcastle is performing. We can take a call and go for one at the maximum.

If you have Trippier, I’d recommend to try to upgrade him to Trent if you have Schar and can afford to keep him on the bench. If not, and there is nothing else to do, sell him for a different defender. (Trent/Porro/Arsenal defender).

Gordon and Isak are also sells if you have no other fires to put. You can get Palmer/Richarlison/Bowen and Solanke/Alvarez as your replacement picks based on your budget.

Further Read: FPL GW20 Wildcard Guide- Best Drafts and Players to Target

5) Who are the best FPL midfielders to target?

With a fair amount of players leaving for the AFCON/Asia Cup, FPL managers are looking for replacements. You must find alternatives soon if you have Salah, Son, Kudus or even Hwang Hee-Chan.

With the wide-open field, there are many options to choose from. 

Having at least one Arsenal midfielder still looks like the right strategy. Bukayo Saka has been the standout pick in the Arsenal attack, but his returns in the last 5 games have dried up. If you are willing to risk, Martin Odegaard is another option. He has done slightly better than Saka, with 2 returns at the same time. 

My other slightly expensive recommendation would be Bowen from West Ham. The Hammers have been on a good run of late, and Bowen is one of the main reasons behind it. He is ranked 3rd among MIDs for FPL points and already has 11 goals for the season. Despite the slightly trickier games coming up, he is a good pick.

If you are looking for slightly differential options, you have Phil Foden. Man City has a great run of games coming up, and Foden can give you a considerable rank boost. Raheem Sterling is still a good option, and because the managers are going for the slightly cheaper Palmer, Sterling’s ownership won’t be skyrocketing.

 Tottenham’s Richarlison is another player who has seen a change of fortune in recent games. His numbers have improved, and he will likely be Spur’s leading man in attack after Son leaves for the Asia Cup. 

Suppose you are considering the budget category and assuming you already own Palmer. In that case, you can even look at Olise from Crystal Palace. The team has not won a game since GW11, but Olise has done okay in attack. He has 4 attacking returns since then and can be an excellent differential pick.

That will be all from my side for this week! I wish you all the best for FPL Gameweek 20, and I will see you all next week.

You can subscribe to my YouTube channel Insanely Football for more FPL-related content. Follow me on Instagram for daily FPL updates.

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Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW20

Premier League Players who will miss PL due to AFCON
FPL GW20 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis, and Matchups
Top FPL GW20 Differential Picks to Consider Ahead of Deadline
Top FPL Gameweek 20 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL GW20 Tips & Preview – Best Midfielders, WC Structure + More
FPL GW20 Wildcard Guide- Best Drafts and Players to Target
FPL Gameweek 20 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold & Sell
FPL GW20 Transfer Targets and Watchlist
FPL GW20 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More

Link to all our FPL GW20 blogs including buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!

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What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 20 of the 2023/24 FPL Season?

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