The Premier League’s return is just around the corner following the final international break of 2024 — and now fantasy managers are gearing up for the busiest period of the season by a distance.
With nine gameweeks to navigate in 35 days between November 23 and January 4, the congested winter period can often define a season for FPL managers.
The landscape has also changed hugely over the past few weeks, given Liverpool‘s impressive start under Arne Slot and the comparative struggles of title rivals Manchester City and Arsenal, who will still have faith in turning things around.
Given there are several fixture swings on the cards ahead of Gameweek 12 too, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United entering a fine run of games in particular, this weekend could be the ideal time to play the first Wildcard chip of the season, if you haven’t already of course.
With that in mind, Fantasy Football Hub’s supercomputer has taken a look at the best Wildcard team to select in Gameweek 12 in terms of expected points.
The Premier League returns this weekend after the last international break of the calendar year
Arsenal’s Gabriel has been a popular defender so far and isn’t going anywhere on Wildcard
GOALKEEPER AND DEFENCE
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Every player has an AI predicted point score for each gameweek and the Hub My Team tool optimises these to recommend the best team, which beat 99% of human managers last season.
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The AI is opting for rotating budget goalkeepers on wildcard, in the shape of Ipswich Town’s Arijanet Muric (£4.4m) and Brentford’s Mark Flekken (£4.5m), with Muric earning the start at home to Manchester United this week.
There’s only one premium defender in the AI Wildcard team, Arsenal’s Gabriel (£6.1m) ahead of a run which includes Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Manchester United. He’s among the most attacking defenders in the Premier League this season, with five big chances on goal.
Elsewhere, it’s a quartet of budget defensive picks, with starts for Lucas Digne (£4.7m) and Joachim Andersen (£4.3m) in Gameweek 12.
There’s a double up on Nottingham Forest defenders Alex Moreno (£4.4m) and Nikola Milenkovic (£4.5m) who are benched for the trip to Arsenal.
MIDFIELD
It’s a stacked midfield of premium picks, who consistently play 90 minutes and are thought to be on penalties — important attributes going into the busy festive period.
Mohamed Salah (£12.9m) has to be a lock given his sensational form to start the season and a key captain pick this weekend. Cole Palmer (£10.9m) is a slight fitness doubt here but has been spotted in training this week ahead of a trip to Leicester City.
It’s not the best entry point for Son Heung-min (£9.9m) away at Manchester City, but they have been conceding goals and Spurs remain an impressive offensive outfit.
Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) becomes an interesting punt under new manager Ruben Amorim for the trip to Ipswich Town, having produced double digit hauls in consecutive games. Harry Winks (£4.5m) is the 15th man in the squad on the bench, at the lowest price point for this position.
Bruno Fernandes has been selected in the AI team ahead of his promising clash with Ipswich
Alex Moreno (left), Chris Wood (centre) and Nikola Milenkovic (right) have also made the cut
FORWARDS
It’s an interesting front line, with the clear absence of a certain Norwegian striker.
Alexander Isak (£8.5m) has four goal involvements in four games since returning from injury and provides an important vice captain option this weekend as Newcastle United entertain West Ham.
Chris Wood (£6.6m) justifies his inclusion following an impressive start to the campaign where he’s scored eight goals, with his side flying high in the Premier League table. The fixtures are mixed for Nottingham Forest in the next few weeks, but Ipswich Town at home in Gameweek 13 could be fruitful.
Brighton’s Joao Pedro (£5.4m) returned from injury to provide a double digit haul from the bench in the 2-1 defeat of Manchester City last time out and is now straight back into the AI optimal team.
The Seagulls have great fixtures extending right across the congested December schedule.
Haaland vs No Haaland?
Significantly there’s no Erling Haaland in this AI optimal wildcard team for Gameweek 12, with the momentum and captaincy in the favour of Salah, spreading that £15.2m budget around the rest of the squad.
However, peeking under the hood of the AI, it’s possible to build an optimal team with both Haaland and Salah, with just a few changes.
Haaland can come in for Isak, with Fernandes and Son making way in the midfield for Alejandro Garnacho (£6.4m) and Antoine Semenyo (£5.7m).
But bet against Erling Haaland at your peril – despite his misfiring form of late, no player has more expected goals over the first 11 gameweeks than the Manchester City superstar
The best Wildcard team for Gameweek 12, selected by Fantasy Football Hub’s supercomputer
It’s worth noting that Haaland is the optimal captain pick for Gameweek 16, where he faces Manchester United at home.
In this same week, Liverpool host Fulham and have a League Cup quarter-final the following midweek, while Manchester City have the week off.
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