FPL Gameweek 16: Top Transfers & Captaincy Conundrums

Gameweek 16 arrives with one of the biggest shake-ups of the season — every manager has been handed five free transfers thanks to the AFCON reset. Whether you're plotting a mini-rebuild or simply patching up injuries, this is a rare opportunity to reshape your squad without taking hits.

It also happens to be a fascinating captaincy week. Haaland has become the default armband for much of the season, but Gameweek 16 presents several legitimate challengers.

• Haaland travels to Crystal Palace, who boast the second-best defence in the league with just 12 goals conceded and 7 clean sheets. Not the easiest fixture for attacking returns. 🦅
  
• Saka faces a Wolves side who have conceded a league-high 33 goals and are still without a single clean sheet. One of the best attacking matchups of the weekend. 🐺
  
• Bruno has produced 8 attacking returns in his last 8 Gameweeks, topping the league with 57 points over that period. He now takes on Bournemouth. 🎯
  
• Thiago, just four goals behind Haaland this season, meets a Leeds team who have kept zero away clean sheets and are conceding over 2.5 goals per match on the road. ⚽
  

With five free transfers to reshape your squad and multiple strong captaincy routes, Gameweek 16 is the perfect moment to gain an edge. Here’s what you need to know before locking in your moves. 👇

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Top FPL Tips for Gameweek 16

⏰ Gameweek Deadline

Saturday 13 Dec at 13:30

📈 Most Popular FPL Transfers

1️⃣ Foden - 1,412,334
2️⃣ Thiago - 1,221,904
3️⃣ B. Fernandes - 761,703
4️⃣ Cash - 688,813
5️⃣ Bruno G. - 624,753

🚩 Key FPL Injury Updates

• J. Timber (34.2% ownership) - Mikel Arteta said, "It depends on how he feels today. It's a matter of days."
• Rice (22.4% ownership) - Mikel Arteta said, "Let's see how he is today. He was ill. Normally, in a few days, it gets resolved."
• Mbeumo (26.1% ownership) - Rúben Amorim said, "I expect today to have a decision [on his AFCoN departure], or maybe tomorrow, but we are waiting until the last moment to have all the players available."
• Mateta (17.4% ownership) - Oliver Glasner said"We hope that JP and Sarr are available for the game... Of course, we need to train with them and see if there is any reaction, but it looks good and looks OK right now. It will give us a few more options, and it's important to have these options vs City."
• Calafiori (10.5% ownership) - Suspended until 20th December.
• Gakpo (8.4% ownership) - Muscle injury - Unknown return date.
• Muñoz (17.4% ownership) - Knee injury - Expected back 17 Jan.

🧢 FPL Gameweek 16 Captaincy Candidates

1️⃣ Saka - 5.9 predicted points
2️⃣ Thiago - 5.9 predicted points
3️⃣ B. Fernandes - 5.8 predicted points

👉 Top 3 Captaincy Picks - including a differential

🤔 What’s the Best Free Hit FPL Team for Gameweek 16?

The Algorithm has crunched the numbers and revealed its optimal squad — built to maximise points.

Saka gets the armband. Wolves are conceding 2.2 goals per game this season and are yet to keep a clean sheet. 🫡

Thiago takes the vice-captaincy after scoring 7 goals in 7 home matches at the Gtech Community Stadium — only Haaland (8) has more goals at home. 🏟️

There’s an Arsenal double-up in defence. Despite injuries to Saliba and Gabriel, the Gunners have conceded just 2 goals at the Emirates all season and kept 5 clean sheets in 7 home matches. 🔴

Hincapié stands out as the top differential. Wolves have scored just 1 goal in 7 away games, suggesting this is as good a time as any to back another clean sheet. ❌

Please note that J. Timber has since been flagged after the AI Free Hit team was selected. If you're activating your Free Hit, you may want to consider an alternative Arsenal defender such as White or Lewis-Skelly.

You can also optimise your own team now using the Assistant Manager tool.

⭐ Top FPL Players for Gameweek 16

Check out some of our other must-read FPL content for this week:

👉 5 Low-Owned FPL Gems You MUST Consider for Gameweek 16

👉 Five Free Transfers, Zero Consensus: Elite FPL Managers Reveal Plans

👉 Gakpo OUT! The Midfielders FPL Managers Should Buy to Replace Him

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