Fantasy Football Matchweek 26 Buy, Sell, Injury Report

As we approach Fantasy Football Matchweek 26 of the Premier League, scheduled for Friday, February 21, to Sunday, February 23 it’s essential for FPL managers to strategise effectively to maximize their points.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to assist you in making informed decisions for your squad.

Fantasy Football Matchweek 26 Fixtures

The Fantasy Football deadline for this weekend is Friday, February 21 18:30 GMT.

Friday, February 21

• Leicester City vs Brentford (20:00 GMT)

Saturday, February 22

• Everton vs Manchester United (12:30 GMT)
• Arsenal vs West Ham United (15:00 GMT)
• Bournemouth vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (15:00 GMT)
• Fulham vs Crystal Palace (15:00 GMT)
• Ipswich Town vs Tottenham Hotspur (15:00 GMT)
• Southampton vs Brighton & Hove Albion (15:00 GMT)
• Aston Villa vs Chelsea (17:30 GMT)

Sunday, January 23

• Newcastle United vs Nottingham Forest (14:00 GMT)
• Manchester City vs Liverpool (16:30 GMT)

Injury Updates to Note

• Noni Madueke (Chelsea): Chelsea’s once bolstered attack has not only dwindled in form but in terms of availability too. Noni Madueke limped off against Brighton in Chelsea’s Premier League defeat. Madueke, among other injured Chelsea players, will be out until the international break.
• Heung-min Son (Tottenham): With a knock, Spurs star Son Heung-min is unlikely to feature in the London side’s trip to Ipswich Town this weekend.
• Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal): Gabriel Martinelli’s hamstring injury will keep him out until early March.
• Nick Pope (Newcastle): Newcastle’s Nick Pope is available for picking, and the chances of Eddie Howe bringing him back into the starting XI are high, as he has been the favoured starting keeper ahead of Martin Dúbravka. Nottingham Forest will be a difficult fixture for the Magpies, however, a fresh set of hands may come in handy.

Top Transfer Targets

• Jordan Pickford (Everton): Everton have found new life under David Moyes, and a fixture against a struggling Manchester United side promises a good bout of points for FPL managers.
• Karou Mitoma (Brighton): Brighton were impressive against Chelsea in their last two fixtures ( EFL Cup and Premier League), with Karou Mitoma scoring 10 FPL points in the previous gameweek. Playing against bottom-of-the-table Southampton puts Mitoma as a priority target for Fantasy Football managers for Matchweek 26.
• Gabriel (Arsenal): Arsenal have two clean sheets in two of their last three Premier League. Gabriel earned 6 FPL points against Leicester City in an away game, and hosting West Ham this weekend could see the Brazilian deliver yet again.
• Pedro Porro (Tottenham): Coming off the back of a win against Manchester United coupled with the return of previously injured players, Spurs could travel to Ipswich with newfound confidence. A clean sheet and/or an assist from Pedro Porro is definitely on the cards.

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Best Assistant Manager Options

1.1 million managers who activated their Assistant Manager chip in Gameweek 24.

• Unai Emery (Aston Villa): Those who have one week left and are already in possession of Unai Emery should see it out, as Aston Villa are likely to perform well against Chelsea.
• Mikel Arteta (Arsenal): A safe bet for Fantasy Football managers is Mikel Arteta, whose Arsenal side are in good form despite their injury woes.

Players to Hold/Bench

• Cole Palmer (Chelsea): Chelsea have seen a huge slump in form, as has Cole Palmer in Fantasy Football. However, Palmer is one of the few players in the Premier League that can never really be counted out. After a difficult fixture against Aston Villa, the Blues will host Southampton and Leicester City, both of whom have been fairing worse than Enzo Maresca’s side.

Players to Sell

• Cody Gakpo (Liverpool): Cody Gakpo let down Fantasy Football managers in Liverpool’s double gameweek as the Dutch international did not feature in either fixture. A return against Manchester City is unlikely, as Arne Slot would rather save him up for Newcastle, which may be a tougher fixture.

Captaincy Picks

• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool): Yes Liverpool will be facing City, but if form is anything to go by, Mohamed Salah is likely to score, and Pep Guardiola’s men are likely to struggle. City’s 4-0 thrashing over Newcastle was swiftly followed by a poor showing against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, marking Liverpool as the favourites for this fixture.