Rice and Gabriel cause agony and ecstasy for FPL managers

An image of Declan Rice and Gabriel for FPL

Arsenal midfielder equals his best score in Fantasy after many managers would have sold him in order to bring in team-mate Gabriel

The most-bought defender in a Gameweek this season, Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.5m) delighted his one million new Fantasy Premier League owners with a nine-point return and his second goal in as many matches.

But there would have been mixed emotions for many managers, with Declan Rice (£7.1m), the most-sold player for Gameweek 20, scoring TWICE as Arsenal beat AFC Bournemouth 3-2.

Rice picked up 17 points, equalling his best-ever return in Fantasy, claiming maximum bonus in addition to picking up two defensive contribution points.

Most transfers for Gameweek 20
Most transfers in Most transfers out
Gabriel 1,053,077 Rice 688,604
Rogers 803,975 Thiago 361,623
Guimaraes 399,722 Foden 335,843
Bowen 364,157 Chalobah 291,124
Tarkowski 346,176 Semenyo 280,894

Gabriel moved clear at the top of the Fantasy defenders standings ahead of Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi (£5.3m) and team-mate Jurrien Timber (£6.4m) - despite having started only 13 matches. Since he returned from injury in Gameweek 18, he's totalled 25 points.

But the joy of Gabriel's third goal this season would have felt like agony for any managers who sold Rice in order to free up an Arsenal slot to acquire him.

Rice missed the midweek win over Aston Villa with a knee injury and was a doubt heading into the Bournemouth match. But a swift return to the starting line-up paid dividends for those who kept faith and punished those who didn't.

The only previous time he'd totalled this many points in a match was in Gameweek 24 of 2023/24 Fantasy, when he scored and supplied two assists against his former club, West Ham United.

Rogers and Bowen claim returns

The most-bought midfielder for Gameweek 20, Morgan Rogers (£7.5m), delivered an assist and five points for the 803,000+ who snapped him up as Aston Villa beat Nottingham Forest 3-1.

Over the season, he’s played a team-leading 34 successful passes into the opposition penalty area and created seven big chances.

And Jarrod Bowen (£7.7m), recruited by more than 364,000 Fantasy bosses, was unable to follow up his goal against Brighton & Hove Albion in Gameweek 19 as he failed to score for the third time in four outings in West Ham's 3-0 reverse at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

But he did earn two defensive contribution points, becoming the first forward to do so in two different matches this season.

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