Fantasy Premier League

FPL Challenge: Players and Assistant Manager to target in remaining fixtures

8 Jan 2025
FPL Assistant Manager

FPL expert Alex Dakers on which Assistant Manager and players he is backing for big scores in Gameweek 28

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The Gameweek 28 Fantasy Challenge brings a twist on the Assistant Manager chip, with your chosen manager earning double points.

FPL managers should pick their Assistant Manager wisely, as the chip opens up several avenues to extra points.

There is a £100.0m budget for a 10-a-side team plus the Assistant Manager. You can pick one of eight formations: 3-3-3, 3-4-2, 3-5-1, 4-2-3, 4-3-2, 4-4-1, 5-2-2, 5-3-1.

Players will be locked from any changes once their team has started their first match of the Gameweek, but you can otherwise tweak any remaining slots in your line-up, and even enter a full squad, up until 16:30 GMT on Sunday 10 March when Manchester United take on Arsenal.

Here, FPL expert Alex Dakers identifies some of the best Fantasy Challenge picks for Gameweek 28.

Pick your Fantasy Challenge team NOW!

Sunday

FPL Challenge deadline: 14:00 GMT
Chelsea v Leicester City
Spurs v Bournemouth

Enzo Maresca (£1.5m) could be in line for another big Assistant Manager score as he faces his struggling former side Leicester City.

Makeshift striker Pedro Neto (£6.3m) and goalscoring defenders Marc Cucurella (£5.2m) and Levi Colwill (£4.4m) stole the show in Gameweek 27’s big win over Southampton, while the popular Cole Palmer (£11.0m) blanked for the fifth time in six matches.

The Chelsea talisman is still racking up chances, though, and could pay back those who keep the faith against a side who’ve conceded 12 times in their last four outings.

If Leicester are to score, chances are that Jamie Vardy (£5.3m) will be involved. The striker has been directly involved in each of his side’s last two goals (both of them on the road), scoring one and assisting the other.

Ange Postecoglou (£1.1m) could deliver a table-bonus haul if he can secure a result against a Bournemouth side potentially wounded by three defeats in their last four. 

Pape Sarr (£4.7m) and Wilson Odobert (£5.3m) had Spurs’ two big chances last time out, and defender Kevin Danso (£4.5m) also registered two attempts, though captain Son Heung-min (£9.7m) should come back into the XI this weekend.

Meanwhile the trio of Micky van de Ven (£4.5m), Dominic Solanke (£7.3m) and Cristian Romero (£4.9m) are available again after recovering from injury.

Son created one big chance against Manchester City last time out, as did Pedro Porro (£5.3m), who - along with James Maddison (£7.4m) - created four total chances each in that match.

Bournemouth penalty-taker Justin Kluivert (£6.1m) has scored or assisted in every match in which his side have managed at least one goal over the last seven Gameweeks, registering nine attacking returns in that time.

Dango Ouattara (£5.2m) has been Bournemouth’s striker for weeks now, but be warned - former first-choice forward Evanilson (£5.6m) made his return from injury off the bench in Gameweek 27, and started up top in his side’s FA Cup win against Wolves last weekend. But there are no table-bonus points available here for Andoni Iraola (£1.1m).

FPL Challenge deadline: 16:30 GMT
Man Utd v Arsenal

There are table-bonus points on offer for Ruben Amorim (£0.8m) if his Man Utd side avoid defeat against Arsenal, who have failed to win their last two league outings.

Bruno Fernandes (£8.3m) could be key in helping his fellow Portuguese do so, after bagging two assists in United’s victory of Ipswich Town - a win which saw both Harry Maguire (£4.9m) and Matthijs de Ligt (£4.8m) on the scoresheet.

Despite Arsenal’s lack of end product in their Gameweek 27 stalemate against Nottingham Forest, Ethan Nwaneri (£4.6m) starred once again for the Gunners with a match-high three attempts while Leandro Trossard (£6.8m) and Declan Rice (£6.2m) were the Gunners’ top chance creators.

In the reverse of this fixture, at Emirates Stadium in December, goals from defenders Jurrien Timber (£5.6m) and William Saliba (£6.2m) proved enough for Mikel Arteta’s (£1.5m) side to win.

Monday

FPL Challenge deadline: 20:00 GMT
West Ham v Newcastle

Graham Potter (£0.5m) produced a 19-point haul in Gameweek 26 thanks in large part to the table-bonus points associated with beating Arsenal, and the West Ham United head coach could achieve a similar feat by taking points off Newcastle United on Monday night.

The Hammers have won two straight league matches for the first time this season, with Jarrod Bowen’s (£7.5m) return from injury spurring them back into life; the England international has two goals and an assist in the last four matches.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.4m) has added back-to-back clean sheets to his season tally of two goals and three assists, while Gameweek 27 brought Tomas Soucek (£4.9m) his sixth goal and eighth attacking return of the campaign.

If chief goal threat Alexander Isak (£9.4m) is deemed unfit to start, Eddie Howe (£1.5m) may be forced to rely on Callum Wilson (£6.9m) or William Osula (£4.9m) up front.

However, the Newcastle head coach said that Isak is fine and was just fatigued after Newcastle's FA Cup match against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.

With Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) suspended, Harvey Barnes (£5.9m) could be in line to start, while Jacob Murphy (£5.1m) - with 13 attacking returns this season - is a strong budget enabler.

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