FPL Gameweek 20: The Season’s Second Half Begins

With Gameweek 20 upon us, we are now officially past the halfway point of the Fantasy Premier League season. As the calendar flips into 2026, FPL managers are entering a crucial phase where smart planning can define the rest of the campaign.

The second set of FPL chips is now live, meaning Wildcard, Free Hit, Bench Boost and Triple Captain are available. While that flexibility is welcome, patience may pay off — with Blank and Double Gameweeks still to come later in the season, holding chips back could prove wise.

In this blog, we’ll break down the top transfers, key injury updates, and reveal the AI-generated optimal Free Hit team to help you navigate the chaos and stay one step ahead ahead of the upcoming deadline. 👇

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• 📝 FPL Guides & Tips – stay ahead with expert analysis

Top FPL Tips for Gameweek 20

⏰ Gameweek Deadline

Saturday 3 Jan at 11:00

📈 Most Popular FPL Transfers

1️⃣ Gabriel - 526,140
2️⃣ Rogers - 326,493
3️⃣ Bruno G. - 170,418
4️⃣ Cherki - 143,253
5️⃣ Tarkowski - 139,963

🚩 Key FPL Injury Updates

• Rice (22.8% ownership) – Declan Rice will be assessed today (Friday) to assess availability, with the swelling around his knee yet to go down.
• Calafiori (8.8% ownership) – Riccardo Calafiori remains out and will not feature against Bournemouth.
• Hall (2.5% ownership) – Lewis Hall “should be OK” after struggling with a knock against Burnley, according to Eddie Howe.
• Minteh (6.0% ownership) – Yankuba Minteh’s scan has come back clear and he is free to train today (Friday). However, the winger still faces an assessment to determine whether he can start against Burnley.
• Semenyo (46.3% ownership) – Despite reports suggesting a move to Manchester City is imminent, Andoni Iraola confirmed that Antoine Semenyo will be involved against Arsenal this weekend and possibly even in Gameweek 21 against Spurs.
• Keane (7.3% ownership) - Michael Keane has a "chance" of being available for Gameweek 20 according to David Moyes.
• Estève (9.6% ownership) - Maxime Esteve will miss the trip to Brighton (Gameweek 20) this weekend but could return in Gameweek 21, according to Scott Parker.

🧢 FPL Gameweek 20 Captaincy Candidates

1️⃣ Haaland - 6.4 predicted points
2️⃣ Tarkowski - 4.9 predicted points
3️⃣ Gabriel - 4.7 predicted points

🤔 What’s the Best Free Hit FPL Team for Gameweek 20?

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

Haaland gets the armband as he faces a managerless Chelsea without the suspended Caicedo. 🧢

Welbeck makes an appearance up top. He’s scored 8 goals in 18 games this season — his best ever return is 10 goals (2024/25), which he looks certain to beat. At 35, he’s ageing like a fine wine. 🍷

Watkins stands out as the top differential. 🌟

The England international has delivered 3 goals and 2 assists in his last four matches, while also ranking first for xG (3.04) among all forwards over that period. 📈

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

⭐ Top FPL Players for Gameweek 20

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

👉 The FPL Differentials That Could Define Gameweek 20

👉 FPL Gameweek 20: Top 5 Key Players

👉 Your FPL Chips Are Back — Now What?

For a limited time only, you can unlock Premium Plus for 30 days for just £1 — the perfect boost for the busy festive schedule. 🎁

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