Premier League Gameweek Fantasy Football Picks – Round 21

01/05/2026 4167

Deadline: Tuesday, 6 January, 20:30 GMT.

Arsenal are 6 points clear and Haaland haven't scored in 3 consecutive games - what does this mean for FPL managers? Here are our thoughts on Gameweek 21 in the Fantasy Premier League!

We’ve built a GW21 squad around favorable fixtures, secure minutes, set-piece routes and Bonus Point System (BPS) upside, sense-checking prices and recent momentum on the official Transfers page. The idea is simple: look for meaningful trends, ignore accidental dips in form, lock a reliable defensive base, add midfielders with multiple paths to returns, and back strikers who look likely to score in GM21.

The 15-man Squad (3–4–3)

Goalkeepers

Robert Sánchez (GK, CHE)

Sánchez gives you set-and-forget stability at a friendly price. Chelsea’s defensive metrics have tightened versus mid-table opponents and, when they manage game state, Sánchez stacks the small things that the BPS notices—confident claims, quick restarts and clean distribution. On tougher days he still banks save points from medium-danger efforts, which cushions your floor if the clean sheet slips. The appeal is structural: he’s inexpensive enough to preserve a premium attack, yet good enough that you don’t feel compelled to play weekly goalkeeper roulette. In green home fixtures you can project six to nine points without heroics—exactly what GW21 managers need.

Jordan Pickford (GK, EVE)

Pickford is expecting a favorable fixture against Wolves at home and his workload is tailor-made for the FPL: regular medium-range shots turn into save points, while Everton’s compact block secures clean sheets against peers. He’s elite at managing tempo—slowing the game when needed and springing quick counters—which adds baseline BPS in 1–0s. The set-piece organisation in front of him helps lock down late leads, and when that happens he often nicks bonus. Crucially, his price sits a tier below the priciest keepers while offering comparable ceilings across a friendly run. Rotate him with your other stopper when the matchup reddens; otherwise, he’s a weekly start who preserves transfers for higher-impact moves.

Defenders

Trevoh Chalobah (DEF, CHE)

Like Sánchez, Chalobah goes against a Fulham side that is undefeated in 5 in the Premier League, but isn't exactly high-scoring or high-flying either. Plus, Chalobah offers a clean, budget route into a defence trending upward. He reads danger early and racks up clearances, blocks and interceptions—BPS fuel in low-event wins. On attacking set pieces he’s a genuine aerial target, meaning a routine six can become a ten with one connection. Positional flexibility (CB/RB) keeps him relevant through injuries elsewhere, and, when he starts, minutes are typically secure. At his price, you can deploy him confidently at home or against mid-table sides and bench him versus elite attacks. That flexibility lets you push funds into midfield and the forward line without sacrificing defensive stability.

Reece James (DEF, CHE)

The third piece in our Chelsea defensive core, James is an FPL ceiling play masquerading as a defender. Chelsea’s width and cut-backs amplify his assist potential, while progressive carries and underlaps give him additional open-play routes to returns. Defensively he wins duels and hoovers up recoveries, nudging him into bonus when Chelsea edge a 1–0. Minutes deserve monitoring, but the risk is largely baked into his price—and every 80–90 minute outing carries genuine double-digit upside. In greener fixtures he’s a legitimate match-winner from the back; in tougher ones he still offers clean-sheet equity with baseline BPS. Upside at a discount to the very top premiums.

Matty Cash (DEF, AVL)

Cash remains an explosive mid-price defender and a big reason why Aston Villa are joint-second with City, despite their loss to Arsenal at the start of the year. Operating high and wide, he attacks the box, hits early cut-backs and arrives at the far post for sneaky shots—routes that create genuine double-digit potential even without a clean sheet. Villa’s home form supports clean-sheet tilts against mid-table opponents, and Cash’s tackles and recoveries pad his BPS in low-event wins. His price undercuts the elite full-backs while matching them across favourable runs. If you want a defender who can return via either side of the matrix (attacking or defensive), Cash is one of the better bets for the next block of fixtures.

James Tarkowski (DEF, EVE)

Joining Pickford as a part of our defensive section for this fantasy football gameweek, Tarkowski is the points sponge at the heart of Everton’s set-piece blueprint. In cagey contests he hoovers up clearances, blocks and interceptions—exactly the actions BPS rewards—so when a clean sheet lands, bonus often follows. In attack he’s the primary aerial target from corners and deep free-kicks, meaning you’re always one delivery away from a 12-pointer. He’s rarely rotated and almost never subbed early, which is gold across the winter churn. For the price, you’re getting a defender whose season-long totals can track the premium pack during favourable spells. In home coin-flips, he’s a priority start for GW21.

Rúben Dias (DEF, MCI)

Dias is the premium-lite anchor you buy for predictability. City concede few shots—and fewer high-value ones—so clean sheets are frequent. Dias’s calm defending, aerial wins and interceptions pile up baseline points that convert to bonus when City win to nil. While he won’t overlap like a wing-back, he’s a set-piece presence and a magnet for clearances when protecting a lead. The value lies in his week-to-week projection: whenever City are favoured, you can bank on a realistic six to eight without needing attacking variance. That lets you allocate transfers and risk to positions with higher payoff.

Midfielders

Bruno Guimarães (MID, NEW)

Bruno G. is Newcastle’s heartbeat—progressing play, slipping runners through and arriving late at the top of the box. Those contributions surface across the FPL matrix: key passes, tidy shots from the D, plus the defensive work (recoveries, interceptions) that BPS loves in 1–0s. With a targetable run ahead, he’s a set-and-start M3 who turns possession dominance into reliable sixes with periodic tens when a through ball or rebound falls right. He’s durable and rarely hooked early, which is ideal post-festive. At his price you’re buying stability with a legitimate ceiling whenever the Toon are favoured.

Phil Foden (MID, MCI)

Foden offers premium-level output with multiple routes to returns: shots from central lanes, threaded cut-backs and a slice of set pieces. City’s territorial dominance gifts him repeat touches in high-value zones, keeping his floor start-every-week strong. He’s a bonus magnet in narrow wins thanks to chance creation and secure ball use. When fixtures soften, his ceiling rivals anyone in the game; when they’re neutral, his consistency still shines. He’s captaincy-adjacent in plum home matches and the perfect vice when you armband elsewhere. Price undercuts the very top mids while often matching them across a friendly four-to-six-week run.

Morgan Rogers (MID, AVL)

Rogers has emerged as a versatile creator-finisher in an attack that flows quickly through the half-spaces. He carries through pressure, links one-twos around the box and arrives late for controlled strikes—traits that translate into assists and the odd goal against mid-table back lines. From an FPL standpoint, he’s the kind of mid-price starter who lets you keep cash in your premiums without feeling short-changed at M3/M4. He also passes the bonus sniff test: accurate passing and work rate help in close wins. With favourable fixtures ahead, Rogers is a pragmatic way to ride Villa’s improving momentum.

James Garner (MID, EVE)

Garner provides budget-friendly minutes with sneaky upside. He’s involved on some set pieces, hits accurate diagonals and arrives on the edge of the box for cleaner looks than most enablers. In tight Everton wins, his defensive actions—tackles, recoveries, interceptions—feed baseline BPS, turning a basic five into a seven or eight. He’s priced to be your M4 who you can actually start in green or neutral fixtures, protecting transfers and structure. As the Toffees enter a targetable patch, Garner’s mix of reliability and occasional end product makes him a sensible pick for managers chasing steady green arrows.

Declan Rice (MID, ARS)

Rice marries iron-clad minutes with a growing attacking footprint, having just scored two goals against Bournemouth and looking to score more against a struggling Liverpool side. Rice arrives late for second-phase shots, mops up transitions that the BPS model loves, and increasingly drifts into the D when Arsenal pen teams in. In friendlier runs he posts dependable fours and sixes, with bonus-boosted eights when the Gunners squeeze a 1–0. The price is a sweet spot: he starts every week without compromising your premium slots. If you value stability that still carries a scoring ceiling, Rice is the glue who lets you be aggressive with your other midfielders—exactly the profile to smooth GW21 volatility.

Forwards

Thiago (FWD, BRE)

Thiago is the pragmatic third-striker archetype at a friendly price: central starting berth, aggressive near-post runs and poacher’s instincts around rebounds. Those traits create high-xG looks without requiring heavy volume—perfect when you’re funding Foden and Haaland. In green fixtures he’s an easy start; in tougher ones he’s a dependable first sub who won’t force a transfer. Post-festive congestion is about availability as much as upside, and Thiago offers both. If you want to keep three up front while maintaining structural flexibility, this is the role and price point to target: boring, repeatable, and quietly profitable over the next month.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (FWD, LEE)

Calvert-Lewin finally had a game without scoring, but that doesn't take away from the spectacular form he's been in and from his appeal as an old-school No. 9 with modern service. He attacks the six-yard channel, dominates aerially and times near-post darts for low deliveries—repeatable patterns Everton lean into against peers. Recent weeks have shown sharper movement and stronger hold-up play, which lifts both his xG and his team-mates’ xA.

Erling Haaland (FWD, MCI)

Haaland has had a run of three games without scoring a goal for the first time in a while, but with Man City going against 10th-placed Brighton at home, Haaland still looks like a must-have in any fantasy football manager's squad. Captaincy equity is the structural edge too and it allows you to take calculated risks elsewhere while Haaland covers GM21 and most other gameweeks.

Best XI for GW21 (3-4-3)

Sánchez

James – Dias – Cash

Foden (VC) – Bruno Guimarães – Rice – Rogers

Haaland (C) – Calvert-Lewin – Thiago

Bench: Pickford, Chalobah, Tarkowski, Garner (rotate Tarkowski/Chalobah based on flags; start Garner in greener home fixtures).

Captaincy

Erling Haaland (C) remains the straightforward armband thanks to unmatched shot volume and penalties. Phil Foden (VC) offers a high-minute hedge with multiple routes to returns—shots, key passes and bonus—in friendlier fixtures.

Final word

This XV blends elite captaincy, secure-minutes defenders and value mids/forwards who can spike across GW21’s kinder matchups. Keep transfers focused on flag management and high-impact upgrades; let this core grind steady points while you hunt differentials at the margins.