FPL Gameweek 17: The Template Tightens

Gameweek 17 follows one of the most influential weeks of the season. The five free transfers handed out in Gameweek 16 due to AFCON have dramatically reshaped squads — and rather than creating divergence, they’ve tightened the template across the game.

The impact is clear at the top end. There are now seven players owned by 50%+ of Top 100k managers. The current template core looks like this:

1️⃣ Haaland — 99%

2️⃣ Thiago — 82%

3️⃣ Foden — 73%

4️⃣ Dúbravka — 62%

5️⃣ Saka — 55%

6️⃣ B. Fernandes — 54%

7️⃣ Raya — 54%

With so many managers now aligned, edges are harder to find — and Gameweek 17 looks set to be decided by marginal transfer decisions rather than wholesale squad changes.

With the template now firmly established post-AFCON and little room for error, Gameweek 17 is all about nailing the details. Here’s what to focus on before the deadline. 👇

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Top FPL Tips for Gameweek 17

⏰ Gameweek Deadline

Saturday 20 Dec at 11:00

📈 Most Popular FPL Transfers

1️⃣ Wilson - 1,080,183
2️⃣ Ekitiké - 747,618
3️⃣ Foden - 640,840
4️⃣ B. Fernandes - 417,991
5️⃣ Rogers - 382,172

🚩 Key FPL Injury Updates

• Thaigo (38.3% ownership) - Keith Andrews said, "I don't know yet, is the honest answer around exactly how they are. They've been with medics today, we'll see how they are going into the game on Saturday."
• Grealish (10.2% ownership) - David Moyes said, Jack Grealish is fit and available.
• Dewsbury-Hall (8.5% ownership) - Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is injured and will miss Gameweek 17. Moyes has a timeframe but opted not to share it.

🧢 FPL Gameweek 17 Captaincy Candidates

1️⃣ Haaland - 8.5 predicted points
2️⃣ Semenyo - 5.6 predicted points
3️⃣ Senesi - 5.4 predicted points

👉 Top 3 Captaincy Picks including a Differential

🤔 What’s the Best Free Hit FPL Team for Gameweek 17?

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

Haaland gets the armband as he takes on West Ham, who have kept just 1 clean sheet all season and are conceding 2 goals per game on average. 🧢

If you still have your Triple Captain to use, our recommendation would be to deploy it on Haaland — this is the highest projected points opportunity before the GW19 cutoff 🫡

Semenyo takes the vice-captaincy and while he hasn’t quite hit his early-season highs lately, the underlying output remains strong. 🎽

No midfielder has scored more goals than his seven, and only Bruno Fernandes (98) has more FPL points than his 89 among midfielders. He faces Burnley next, who have conceded a league-high 23 away goals 🔥

O’Reilly stands out as the top differential 🌟.

He has returned in 7 of the last 10 Gameweeks, with a strong opportunity for both a clean sheet against West Ham and attacking returns. With just 1 goal from 2.12 xG, he also looks well placed to correct that underperformance 📈

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

🍟 Should You Play Your Triple Captain on Haaland?

The Elite XI managers certainly think so 👀

Tom Dollimore — World No.1 FPL Manager

“TC active on Haaland!”

Paul Marshman — Record-breaking 9× Top 1k finisher

“I’ll probably use my Triple Captain chip on Haaland. Get it used.”

James Cooper — 7× Top 10k finisher

“I will likely also play my Triple Captain on Haaland this Gameweek.”

If you’ve still got your Triple Captain chip to play, the message from the Elite XI: Team Reveal managers is clear — this is the time to use it, with Haaland facing West Ham.

⭐ Top FPL Players for Gameweek 17

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

👉 FPL Gameweek 17: Top 5 Key Players

👉 Elite XI Team Reveal GW17: Who They’re Selling, Who They Regret, Who They Want

👉 Chasing a Green Arrow? These FPL Differentials Could Be the Key

👉 Is Haaland Still on for a Record-Breaking FPL Season?

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