Premier League 2021/22 Season: FPL Gameweek 16 Fantasy Forecast
Ahead of each Gameweek in the Premier League, The Hype Train's team - Robert Austin, Sam Austin and Phil Jones - compete for FPL and league standings supremacy in predicting Premier League scores, as well as going head-to-head in picking a Scout Picks squad for each round of games. We also comb over other relevant statistics, impressions and insight from around the game and the league to best navigate you through the weekly helping of fixtures. Welcome to the Forecast. All aboard.
Premier League 2021/22: Gameweek 16 Fixtures
Premier League 2021/22 Season: FPL Gameweek 16 Forecast
Enjoy our FPL Forecast article, with each of our team forecasting how we think the Premier League will shape up this upcoming Gameweek. If you agree or want to challenge us on our point of view, get in touch with us on our main Twitter account, @RealHypeTrain, or on Instagram!
Fixture Predictions: Gameweek 16
Brentford 1-2 Watford
Man City 2-0 Wolves
Arsenal 2-0 Southampton
Chelsea 2-0 Leeds
Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa
Norwich 1-3 Man United
Brighton P-P Spurs
Burnley 0-2 West Ham
Leicester 2-1 Newcastle
Crystal Palace 2-1 Everton
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 16
Who are the teams to look out for and avoid?:
Spurs & Leicester (Avoid): Yeah, big risk this week. Both teams have had COVID-19 outbreaks, with Spurs UEFA Conference League game postponed after 23 of their players and staff got infected. Leicester have also an issue, but not on the severity. The thing is, I wouldn’t be able to trust Spurs in their fixture even if their game had gone ahead, but Leicester I would. For Spurs assets, I’d be twisting on them and looking for replacements as there are no guarantees when their postponed games will be rearranged.
Liverpool (Watch): Despite Gerrard’s return to Anfield, which is an odd prospect, the Reds are still the favourites. They are even beating a full-strength AC Milan team with their B-team with Salah and Mane. Liverpool is a no-brainer, and Villa will be expected to attack, which could leave lots of space behind for Salah to exploit the Villains.
Brentford (Avoid): The Bees are a tempting pick this week with a home game against Watford, but I can see Ranieri get a win in this game. The Hornets are doing well in attack with Josh King, Dennis, and Cucho all in good form.
Top FPL player targets this weekend:
GK: Aaron Ramsdale (ARS, GK, £5.0mil, 14.8% ownership)
DEF: Thiago Silva (CHE, DEF, £5.6mil, 5.8% ownership)
MID: Mason Mount (CHE, MID, £7.5mil, 15.8% ownership)
FWD: Emmanuel Dennis (WAT, FWD, £5.7mil, 26.2% ownership)
Gameweek 16 – FPL Differential Picks:
BRE/WAT: Joshua King (WAT, FWD, £5.8mil, 6.6% ownership)
MCI/WOL: Aymeric Laporte (MCI, DEF, £5.5mil, 2.8% ownership)
ARS/SOU: Kieran Tierney (ARS, DEF, £4.7mil, 3.6% ownership)
CHE/LEE: Thiago Silva (CHE, DEF, £5.6mil, 5.8% ownership)
LIV/AVL: Sadio Mané (LIV, MID, £11.9mil, 4.0% ownership)
NOR/MUN: Diogo Dalot (MUN, DEF, £4.4mil, 1.0% ownership)
BUR/WHU: Jarrod Bowen (WHU, MID, £6.5mil, 5.2% ownership)
LEI/NEW: James Maddison (LEI, MID, £6.7mil, 7.6% ownership)
CRY/EVE: Richarlison (EVE, FWD, £7.4mil, 4.4% ownership)
Differential Captain: Joshua King (Watford)
It’s the big one, the battle of the insects: Apoidea going up against natures unwanted yellowjackets, the Vespidae. First time in the Premier League it has been the Bees taking on the Hornets. In terms of football, I just have another gut feeling that the Hornets forward Joshua King is going to have another good game. Brentford’s strong start has cooled down, and Watford have been expressing themselves going forward. I am going for the Hornet’s player, as I would in nature if I had to pick to if they went up against each other.
Gameweek 16 - FPL Captaincy Picks:
Essential: Mohamad Salah (Liverpool)
Alternative: Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Differential: Joshua King (Watford)
England vs. FPL:
This week in ‘3 Lions vs. Mo Salah’ the Islanders ended had another dismal week, especially with injuries being all over the place, another Kane captaincy blank, and (not) shock horror the only returns in my team came from the defensive players. The team also had four players with 1pt or less. This is the FPL regardless of choosing a regular team, to this team.
Ins: Callum Wilson (NEW), Mason Mount (CHE)
Outs: Harry Kane (TOT), Callum Hudson-Odoi (CHE)
GW15 Returns: 2/11
GW15 Points: 32pts
GW15 Average Points: 43pts
England FPL XI
Formation: 3-5-2
GK: Aaron Ramsdale (ARS)
DEF: Reece James (CHE)
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV) (C)
DEF: Ben White (ARS)
MID: Jadon Sancho (MUN)
MID: Emile Smith Rowe (ARS)
MID: James Maddison (LEI)
MID: Mason Mount (CHE)
MID: Conor Gallagher (CRY)
FWD: Jamie Vardy (LEI)
FWD: Callum Wilson (NEW)
Substitutes:
GK: James McCarthy (SOU)
FWD: Ollie Watkins (AVL)
DEF: Eric Dier (TOT) – had to leave Dier in as I transferred out Kane
DEF: Conor Coady (WOL)
FPL Scout Picks: Gameweek 16
Formation: 3-4-3
Starting 11
GK: Aaron Ramsdale (ARS)
DEF: Joao Cancelo (MCI)
DEF: Reece James (CHE)
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV)
MID: Bernado Silva (MCI)
MID: Mason Mount (CHE)
MID: Jarrod Bowen (WHU)
MID: Mohamad Salah (LIV) - (C)
FOR: Jamie Vardy (LEI)
FOR: Ronaldo (MUN) - (VC)
FOR: Emmanuel Dennis (WAT)
Substitutes
GK: Vincente Guaita (CRY)
MID: James Maddison (LEI)
DEF: Thiago Silva (CHE)
DEF: Diogo Dalot (MUN)
Fixture Predictions: Gameweek 16
Brentford 2-2 Watford
Man City 2-0 Wolves
Arsenal 2-1 Southampton
Chelsea 2-0 Leeds
Liverpool 3-0 Aston Villa
Norwich 1-2 Man United
Brighton P-P Spurs
Burnley 1-2 West Ham
Leicester 1-2 Newcastle
Crystal Palace 2-2 Everton
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 16
What are the potential stumbling blocks to a good Gameweek 16?:
1) Spurs & Covid-19: Harry Kane, believe it or not, is still owned by 6.4% of FPL players (most likely to be inactive accounts), whilst Son and the likes of Reguilon and Dier were in the occasion teams. This will have to be corrected – no point sticking with Spurs, not only when they aren’t in good form, but also as there are no fixed dates on both postponed fixtures against Burnley and Brighton.
2) Leicester’s illness bug: Leicester travelled out to Naples with a weakened side, got eliminated, and have a few cases of Covid and illness themselves. Their game against Newcastle might throw a few curve balls.
3) Dropping Points: There are a lot of injuries and doubts. Gabriel Jesus, Jota, Smith-Rowe are the three I own, whilst there is a dreadful run of fixtures for Leeds (Raphinha comes to mind), which means that a lot of teams are tempted with dropping points. I’ve done a -8 this week due to having half a squad for the squad with two free transfers, so have done a mini-wildcard of sorts to get rid of the sudden burden of dead weight.
Who are the teams to look out for and avoid?:
Newcastle (Watch): One narrow win against Burnley and journalists have painted Newcastle fans like myself as a bunch of idiots who think we are about to rocket up the table and go for Europe. No one in our loyal fanbase thinks that way, but are looking at the fixture against Leicester potentially thinking we can steal something from the game due to their squad’s illness. Definitely a space to be watched right here.
Chelsea (Watch): It’s been a few bad weeks for losing clean sheets, but Leeds have a few injuries and doubts which means that Chelsea should (they ‘SHOULD’) be ok for this one.
Man City (Watch): Default win incoming.
Man United (Watch): New Coach and a great set of fixtures upcoming. It might be worth planning one of Ronaldo or Fernandes in at some points – though I personally am going to struggle due to the masses of money invested in attacking full backs (TAA, Cancelo, James etc).
Liverpool (Watch): Gerrard returning to Anfield is going to be a great watch – I’m fully expecting a game full of passion and emotion, but in all honesty it is a game that Liverpool should cruise in given that they rested more than half their starting squad in the Champions League win against AC Milan.
Top FPL player targets this weekend:
Diogo Jota’s (£7.7m) a big doubt for Liverpool as he hasn’t trained all week. It’s probably worth holding the Portuguese, though another fellow national in Bernardo Silva (£7.6m) is a tailormade replacement should you need the coverage in your team.
At the back, Diogo Dalot (£4.4m) might get a small run in the United team to kick-off their good run of games. He can be an enabler if you need to free up money in the short term to get in United players (let’s be honest, it’s about getting in CR7).
Hwang (£5.6m) owners for Wolves still exist. Dennis (£5.7m) is the best alternative, and is the right time to pull the trigger due to Watford’s fixtures and Dennis’s form.
One of Antonio or Bowen at West Ham might also be in consideration – the Hammers have a good run over Xmas and both will get ample game time.
Gameweek 16 - FPL Captaincy Picks:
Essential: Mohamed Salah (LIV)
Alternative: Ronaldo (MUN)
Differential: Richarlison (EVE)
It’s Salah or Ronaldo this week – anyone trying to talk you into something different has to fill space in an article that they’re being vastly overpaid for.
Other Gameweek Comments:
Gameweek 16 has been a bit of a mess to sort out teams, but it’s a necessary of this limited game, particularly during European games – we’re also experiencing the first year where Covid has somewhat been normalised. A year ago, a game being called off sparked outrage of shutting down the entire league, now I’m not so sure that many people even blinked an eye. So yeah, this is what we have to look forward too for the future as long as the virus persists – which it will until inoculations (and people’s desire to get one) gets stronger.
FPL Scout Picks: Gameweek 16
Formation: 4-3-3
Starting 11
GK: Edouard Mendy (CHE)
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV) – (VC)
DEF: Reece James (CHE)
DEF: Joao Cancelo (MCI)
DEF: Ruben Dias (MCI)
MID: Mohamed Salah (LIV) – (C)
MID: Bernardo Silva (MCI)
MID: Conor Gallagher (CRY)
FOR: Michail Antonio (WHU)
FOR: Emmanuel Dennis (WAT)
FOR: Ronaldo (MUN)
Substitutes
GK: Daniel Bachmann (WAT)
MID: Jarod Bowen (WHU)
MID: Jarrod Bowen (WHU)
DEF: Diogo Dalot (MUN)
Want to know more about The Hype Train?
The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in general football and Fantasy sports reporting, starting with Fantasy Premier League (FPL), before expanding to MLS Fantasy coverage in 2018.
We pride ourselves in providing beautiful graphics, statistics, in-depth analytical reporting and free weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb rankings tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review games, live sport, and professional wrestling.
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The Hype Train were nominated and shortlisted for the 'Best Football Blog' in 2016 by the Football Bloggers Association at their annual Football Blogging Awards (The FBA's), and were again shortlisted as a finalist in 2019 in the 'Best Fantasy Football Blog' category.
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