Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 16 FPL tips, who to captain, transfers - Joao Cancelo loophole

The Premier League is gearing up for their final round of fixtures ahead of the Qatar World Cup. The England squad will jet off to the Middle East next week ahead of their opening match against Iran the following Monday.

In a rush for some final precious points before the break, Manchester City will open Gameweek 16 as they host Brentford in a bid to take top spot, however Arsenal will too look to remain in first place with their trip to Wolves.

The final clash of the weekend sees Manchester United travel to Craven Cottage as Fulham take on the second of two Manchester teams - the first which they were narrowly beaten with a controversial late penalty. The Red Devils will be desperate to return to winning ways after a shock defeat to Aston Villa in Unai Emery’s first match in charge. Erik ten Hag’s side can move back into the top four with a win in the English capital.

Ahead of what will be an intense weekend of Premier League football, here are our FPL tips for what should be a lively Gameweek 16...

Who should you captain?

The likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne are both brilliant choices for your captain this weekend as they face Brentford who are without a win in four league matches. However, arguably the best option is Mohamed Salah - despite his poor start to the season.

The Egyptian had only scored three Premier League goals by October as Liverpool struggled to return to their great form from previous campaigns, however he has drastically turned things around in recent weeks. After scoring the only goal in their win over Man City, Salah has now bagged five in his last four matches in all competitions and netted a brace against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. With no World Cup to distract him, Salah will be eager to go into the break on a high and will be confident of adding to his tally against a managerless Southampton.

Transfers in

Eberechi Eze

Eberechi Eze has turned up the heat in recent weeks as he looks to catch the eye of Gareth Southgate. The midfielder has scored two goals and provided an assist in his last six matches and Crystal Palace will be hoping they have turned a corner after losing only one of those games, while they could make it three consecutive victories with a win over Nottingham Forest. Steve Cooper’s side may not look quite as leaky at the back as they did at the start of the campaign, however Eze at his best will definitely be a huge threat to the Midlands club and he will be eager to have an enjoyable afternoon at the City Ground - whether he makes the England squad or not.

Leon Bailey

Leon Bailey has failed to enjoy some consistent form since joining Aston Villa last summer, however we have seen plenty of promise from him in recent matches. The Jamaican has bagged two goals and an assist in their previous three games and looked like he could be a real asset under Unai Emery as they beat Man United.

While a trip to Brighton on Sunday will be a difficult challenge, Bailey and his teammates will be full of confidence and will look to build on another positive performance following Steven Gerrard’s sacking. With no World Cup to look forward to, the forward will look to head into his six-week break with a bang.

Joao Cancelo

Joao Cancelo will have been in fans’ FPL squads for most of the season due to his brilliant performances with Man City, however his red card against Fulham may have led to many removing him or at least sticking him on their bench. This is a sign to say - KEEP HIM IN!

The full-back will serve a one-match ban for his push on Harry Wilson last weekend, however FPL players will be happy to know a loophole allows him to serve the ban for their Carabao Cup tie with Chelsea. This means Cancelo will be available for their clash with Brentford and is very likely to pick up plenty of points against the out of form Bees.

Transfers out

Ivan Toney

Ivan Toney has been an exceptional servant for many FPL players this season after scoring eight goals in 13 matches. However, off the field issues could prove a significant distraction for the ex-Peterborough United star.

While Toney is still likely to feature against Man City, his focus may be elsewhere and it seems like a risk you don’t need to take - especially given he is facing the defending champions anyway. With the Bees failing to score against City in any league match since 1937, it may be a safe bet to leave him out of your starting line-up.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had an absolute nightmare of a day when he faced old club Arsenal with Chelsea last week. There was a lot of pressure on the striker to impress at Stamford Bridge, however he managed only eight touches and landed zero shots on target before being substituted after 64 minutes.

With the Blues enduring their first sticky patch under Graham Potter, the former Brighton boss may look to mix things up this weekend and Aubameyang could find himself benched for their trip to Newcastle. Though, even if Potter does rely on him up top, it could be another difficult afternoon for the 33-year-old given the Magpies’ fantastic form.