FPL Challenge GW15 is all about finding value at the back, with defenders and goalkeepers worth £5.0m or under scoring double points. We analyse the Premier League data to reveal the best players to back in GW15.
FPL Challenge Gameweek 15 rewards the budget options at the back, with goalkeepers and defenders priced £5.0m or under earning double points.
In those positions, a £5.0m cap actually gives us plenty of flexibility, and by and large we can find options from almost any team we like.
Given the double points on offer in GW15, we’re lining up in a 3-1-1, stacking the team with defenders as we try to target the league’s weakest attacks.
Goalkeeper
Senne Lammens: Wolves vs Manchester United (A)
We’re going back to Senne Lammens again this week, despite Manchester United stumbling to a disappointing home draw against West Ham in midweek.
That’s because Wolves, their Gameweek 15 opponents, are threatening several unwanted Premier League records. They’re still winless after 14 games, have scored a league-low seven goals, and haven’t found the net in five matches. They’re on a seven-game losing streak and look completely and utterly without hope.
Any goalkeeper or defender facing Wolves comes into automatic consideration right now, and Lammens fits that equation this week.
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Jan Paul van Hecke: Brighton vs West Ham (H)
Jan Paul van Hecke comes into the team fresh from a 12-point haul against Aston Villa. Yes, Brighton may have conceded four times in that match, but Van Hecke scored twice – first bundling in from a corner, then producing a composed finish from the edge of the box.
The Villa match aside, Brighton have actually been quietly solid defensively, keeping clean sheets in three of their four games prior to that outing.
West Ham continue to offer little going forward. The Hammers average 0.96 non-penalty expected goals per game this season, the fifth-lowest in the league, and Brighton’s win probability of 62.9% with the Opta supercomputer is actually the third highest among all teams in GW15.
Malick Thiaw: Newcastle vs Burnley (H)
For our second defender we’ve gone with another centre-back coming up against a poor attack. It took Malick Thiaw a little time to force his way into Newcastle’s starting XI following his move from AC Milan, but he now looks settled at the heart of the defence.
We’re only one week removed from his 16-point haul against Everton, when he scored two headers to underline his clear threat from crosses into the box.
But once again, this pick is as much to do with Newcastle’s opponents on GW15 as it is to do with Thiaw himself.
Burnley’s form coming into this match is dire. They’ve lost five Premier League games in a row, their longest losing streak in the competition since October-November 2023 (6). The Clarets have also attempted the fewest shots of any team in the league (115).
Newcastle should control this game comfortably, making Thiaw an excellent pick.
Jake O’Brien: Everton vs Nottingham Forest (H)
We’ll be the first to admit this isn’t the most glamourous pick, but Jake O’Brien has locked down the right-back role at Everton, starting 12 of their 14 league matches this season. He even filled in at centre-back during Everton’s 1-0 win at Bournemouth, where the Toffees produced one of their most disciplined defensive displays of the season.
David Moyes’ side limited Bournemouth to just five shots, two on target, and 0.5 expected goals overall.
Five shots and two on target are both record lows for Bournemouth in any Premier League game this season, while 0.5 xG is their second lowest.
Nottingham Forest are a lot more reliable under Sean Dyche, but they’ve still not blown the doors off from an attacking sense.
Only Wolves (7) have scored fewer league goals than their 14 overall, and they’re averaging 0.90 xG on average in away games under Dyche, which is the eighth-poorest return by teams on the road since he joined.
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Bukayo Saka: Aston Villa vs Arsenal (A)
Bukayo Saka was rested in midweek against Brentford but came on to score the decisive second goal in Arsenal’s 2-0 win. He should be fresh and ready to start at Villa Park, a game Arsenal will treat as another must-win opportunity.
Everything runs through Saka, and with penalties in his locker, he remains Arsenal’s most reliable attacking outlet. If they score, he’s likely to be involved.
Forward
Erling Haaland: Manchester City vs Sunderland (H)
We overlooked Erling Haaland away at Fulham in GW14 and look where that got us. He scored his 100th Premier League goal against the Cottagers – becoming the fastest player ever to reach that mark – and also chipped in with two assists.
Sunderland have been excellent this season and held Liverpool to an impressive 1-1 draw in midweek, so we’ll temper expectations and avoid captaining him, but Haaland is locked into our lineup.
Opta Analyst’s Team Reveal: Gameweek 15 FPL Challenge Picks
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FPL Challenge GW15 Tips: Best Budget Goalkeepers and Defenders to Pick This Week Opta Analyst.
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