We are approaching the halfway point of the Fantasy Premier League season and several crucial weeks lie ahead.
As we get ready for Gameweek 17, there are plenty of moving parts to keep close tabs on. A plethora of players have departed for the Africa Cup of Nations, winter rotation is in full swing and managers with chips remaining must use them or lose them across the next few rounds of matches.
It’s an overwhelming period for FPL managers across the globe, especially those who have endured a tough first half of the campaign, but we’re here to make things slightly easier for frazzled minds seeking an early Christmas gift in the form of a monster points haul.
Here are the best FPL picks for Gameweek 17.
Goalkeepers
Prospective clean sheets appear few and far between for GW17, but Manchester City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma (£5.7m) is well-placed to clinch a shutout this weekend. The in-form Cityzens face a visit from West Ham United and the Italian, who was rested for Carabao Cup duty midweek, has scooped five or more points across four of the last six matches.
David Raya (£6.0m) is an easy set-and-forget goalkeeper and while a trip to Everton is not the most straightforward fixture, Arsenal are clean sheet magnets. While their defence has been more porous in recent weeks, the return of key defenders from suspension and injury should boost their chances of keeping the Toffees at bay.
Sunderland continue to prove themselves in the Premier League and Robin Roefs (£4.8m) has been key to their success. The summer recruit’s 73 points are more than any other goalkeeper and the Black Cats will be seeking another clean sheet when they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. However, it’s worth noting that the Wearsiders have lost six first-team players to AFCON, which will impact them moving forward.
Defenders
As mentioned, Arsenal are always a reliable defensive unit no matter the fixture. William Saliba (£5.9m) returned from injury against Wolverhampton Wanderers and will start again at Everton, offering a route to defensive points and attacking returns given Arsenal’s set-piece prowess. Piero Hincapié (£5.5m) is a cheaper way into their backline.
Bournemouth may have conceded four on Monday night, but they should be targeting a shutout at home to Burnley this weekend. Marcos Senesi (£4.9m) is a defensive contribution machine, while Adrien Truffert (£4.5m) is a cheap but effective option in the Cherries rearguard.
Marc Guéhi (£5.3m) has proven an absolute FPL hit this season following Crystal Palace’s impressive defensive record and his personal improvement in the final third. He’s the highest-scoring defender in the game with 92 points and faces a manageable trip to Leeds United this weekend, while his teammate Maxence Lacroix (£5.2m) has only achieved 11 points fewer than the Englishman.
Nico O’Reilly (£5.3m) and Matheus Nunes (£5.3m) are both great options against West Ham as Man City’s attacking fullbacks, with the latter managing an 11-point tally against Palace last weekend and the former securing back-to-back six-pointers.
Midfielders
Antoine Semenyo (£7.5m) had frustrated those who stuck with him in recent weeks, but got back on the scoresheet against Manchester United on Monday. While only a six-point return, he should manage more at home to relegation-threatened Burnley in GW17.
Man City have a myriad of attacking threats worth targeting, but Phil Foden (£8.8m) is a nailed-on points scorer. He has produced a staggering 55 of them across the last four matches alone and has a strong record of five goals in 12 matches against the Hammers. Rayan Cherki (£6.5m) is a much cheaper alternative and is in scintillating form, grabbing another goal in the cup midweek.
Bruno Fernandes (£9.3m) is on fire right now and normally fixture-proof, meaning Manchester United’s trip to high-flying Aston Villa could still yield points. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (£10.3m) is another in fantastic form and still capable of producing during a difficult away day at Everton.
Brentford’s Kevin Schade (£7.0m) is available after suspension and looks primed to deliver away at Wolverhampton Wanderers—the division’s leakiest defence. There is no better budget option than Harry Wilson (£5.6m) right now, the Fulham midfielder having scored 42 points across the past four games and hosting Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Forwards
Managers without Erling Haaland (£15.0m), of which there are not many, will be fearing the worst in GW17. The Norwegian, who bagged a brace last weekend, was rested midweek in the cup and has scored nine times in six games with West Ham.
Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitiké (£8.6m) has scored back-to-back braces in the Premier League and visits a Tottenham Hotspur team who recently sunk to 11th in the table. Spurs have been poor on home turf and could be punished by the in-form Frenchman.
Igor Thiago (£7.2m) is a slight doubt for the weekend, but the Brentford striker could produce a large haul at Wolves if passed fit, while Fulham’s Raúl Jiménez (£6.3m) and Bournemouth’s Evanilson (£7.0m) could be handy short-term punts.
When Is the FPL Gameweek 17 Deadline?
The GW17 deadline for FPL is at 11 a.m. GMT (6 a.m. ET, 3 a.m. PT) on Saturday, Dec. 20.
All changes must be made before the deadline to come into effect for GW17.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025–26 FPL: Best Players to Pick for Gameweek 17.
