The Hard Tackle lists the five best options to consider to bring into your team heading into FPL Gameweek 20 of the 2025/26 season.
FPL managers heading into Gameweek 20 are walking into one of those rare crossroads: a single round that offers both short-term upside and a genuine chance to reshape the spine of a squad for the second half of the season. With several sides drifting into clear patterns, this is the kind of gameweek where one brave move can drag you up mini-league tables in a hurry.
What makes it even more interesting is that a handful of players sit in that sweet spot between form, fixtures and underlying role in their teams, yet remain far from automatic picks. This piece zooms in on five such names: Gabriel Magalhaes, Michael Keane, Morgan Rogers, Rayan Cherki and Danny Welbeck.
They come from very different tactical environments and play very different roles. But each has a realistic path to a double-digit haul in Gameweek 20, and, in some cases, a lot more beyond that. Bournemouth’s inconsistency, Brentford’s misfiring attack, Nottingham Forest’s leaky defence, Chelsea’s vulnerability at the back and Burnley’s struggles create a landscape where defenders and attackers alike can cash in if picked at the right moment.
The focus here is not just on one-week punts. Every section looks at recent returns, the bigger picture of how these players are being used, and whether they can become long-term picks rather than short-lived bandwagons. The aim is simple: if an FPL manager can find two or three of these names that fit their budget and structure, Gameweek 20 can be more than just another hurdle, it can be a launchpad for the rest of the season.
Gabriel Magalhaes: ceiling in both boxes
Arsenal roll into Gameweek 20 sitting on the best defensive record in the Premier League, with just 12 goals conceded in their first 19 matches, and that base of solidity is exactly what makes Gabriel Magalhaes so appealing for the visit of Bournemouth.
The Brazilian centre-back combines that team resilience with his own set-piece threat, having already chipped in with multiple goals and clean sheets this season, including 2 goals and 7 league clean sheets in 13 appearances. In FPL terms that profile is gold: regular six-pointers from clean sheets, spiked by the occasional towering header that turns a steady return into a double-digit haul.
The fixture itself helps the case further. Bournemouth have blown hot and cold, mixing impressive attacking displays with stretches where they struggle to turn possession into clear chances, and they now face an Arsenal side that dominates territory and allows relatively few shots inside the box.
Gabriel’s history in FPL backs up his reputation as a bonus magnet too: over recent seasons he has repeatedly produced runs of gameweeks with back-to-back returns, driven by clearances, blocks and interceptions on top of his goals. For FPL managers wanting a defender who can sit in their XI for weeks, not just one game, Gabriel looks close to the perfect blend of reliability and upside.
Michael Keane: FPL value pick with set‑piece bite
Michael Keane comes into Gameweek 20 as one of the best value defenders in FPL, and that is not an exaggeration when looking at his recent numbers. Priced in the budget bracket, the Everton centre-back has already reached the 90-point mark in FPL this season, with multiple big returns, including a recent 10-pointer in a goalless draw away at Burnley.
Everton themselves have quietly put together six clean sheets in 2025/26, placing them among the top backlines in the division and giving Keane a very solid platform most weeks. Brentford’s attacking struggles are the key layer that makes Keane especially attractive in Gameweek 20.
The Bees have laboured in front of goal for much of the campaign, often relying on long shots and hopeful crosses rather than sustained, high-quality chances, and it shows in their modest goal tally and inconsistent xG numbers.
Everton, by contrast, are organised and physical, and Keane’s aerial presence at both ends of the pitch is central to how they defend their box and attack set pieces. For FPL managers, that combination of clean-sheet probability and threat from corners makes Keane an ideal pick for those needing a budget defender who can cover this fixture and remain a strong rotation option for several weeks.
Morgan Rogers: a midfielder who plays like a forward
Morgan Rogers has been one of the quiet success stories of Aston Villa’s season, and his FPL appeal in Gameweek 20 rests heavily on his advanced role. Though listed as a midfielder, Rogers usually plays high up the pitch for Villa, often operating in and around the box rather than as a traditional wide creator or deeper playmaker.
The numbers reflect the eye test: in the current Premier League campaign he has 7 goals and 3 assists in 19 matches, giving him 10 goal involvements and a goals-per-90 figure of around 0.37, which is strong for a mid-priced FPL midfielder. So, it is no wonder that such output has also piqued the attention of several bigwigs, including Chelsea and Liverpool.
His recent FPL points history tells an even more encouraging story. Over the first 16 gameweeks of this season he produced multiple big hauls, including two 15-point explosions in wins over Leeds United, West Ham United, and Manchester United, where he delivered braces and bonus points, alongside several steady 5-7 point returns in home victories.
That blend of consistency and explosive potential is exactly what managers look for when committing to a midfield slot. Gameweek 20 pitches Aston Villa against a Nottingham Forest side who have struggled defensively across the season, conceding freely and often allowing opponents too much space between the lines. For a player like Rogers, who thrives when he can drift into pockets and combine near the penalty area, this looks like the sort of fixture where another big haul is firmly on the table.
Rayan Cherki: emerging Manchester City wildcard
Manchester City’s attack is always going to draw FPL attention, and Rayan Cherki is emerging as one of the more intriguing new pieces in Pep Guardiola’s squad. Signed from Lyon in the summer of 2025 for a fee in excess of £30 million, Cherki has been gradually eased into the side, already contributing in Premier League, cup and European matches with goals and lively performances.
Across his early outings for City, he has scored in the Premier League and in both domestic and European cups, showing the versatility to play as a roaming number 10 or drifting in from wide areas. When the Frenchman starts, his inclination to drive at defenders and take shots makes him a high-ceiling asset.
Chelsea, Manchester City’s opponents in Gameweek 20, are no longer the defensive rock they once were. In the current season they sit mid‑table in goals conceded, shipping 21 league goals already and ranking among the higher conceders in the top half of the table in goals allowed per match.
Their backline has been prone to lapses in concentration, particularly when pressed and dragged out of shape by quick interchanges, the exact type of scenario where a creative dribbler like Cherki can shine. On top of that, City’s underlying attacking metrics remain elite, with heavy shot volumes and strong xG, meaning that any attacker who gets regular minutes in this side has a real chance of double-digit FPL returns. For managers hunting for a slightly left-field midfield pick with serious upside, Cherki is a risk worth considering in Gameweek 20.
Danny Welbeck: the fit-again poacher
Danny Welbeck’s Brighton & Hove Albion career has quietly moved into a very productive phase, and his fitness returning at the right time could make him a clever forward transfer in Gameweek 20. Across his Premier League spell with Brighton, he has 39 goals and 11 assists in around 150 appearances.
However, it is the recent seasons that stand out: in 2024/25 he scored 10 Premier League goals, and in the current 2025/26 campaign he already has over half-a-dozen goals, with a goals-per-90 rate above 0.5. When healthy, he remains Brighton’s most rounded central striker, combining movement, link play and penalty‑box instincts.
Burnley, who face Brighton in Gameweek 20, have been one of the weakest sides in the Premier League this term. The Clarets have conceded 37 goals in 19 league games, placing them in the bottom cluster defensively and highlighting their struggles to keep opponents out, particularly when forced to defend for long spells.
Brighton’s open, attacking style means they tend to create enough chances in almost any fixture, and against a side conceding almost two goals per game, a fit Welbeck should get multiple sights of goal. With his recent minutes building back up and his form from last season still fresh, this is a window where managers can grab him before his ownership climbs, using the Burnley match as a springboard for longer-term returns.
FPL transfer recommendations at a glance
| Player | Club | GW20 Opponent | Main appeal | Risk level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Magalhaes | Arsenal | Bournemouth (A) | Elite defence plus set‑piece goal threat and bonus | Low |
| Michael Keane | Everton | Brentford (H) | Cheap route into solid defence with scoring upside | Low-Med |
| Morgan Rogers | Aston Villa | Nottingham Forest (H) | Advanced role, strong recent output, great fixture | Medium |
| Rayan Cherki | Manchester City | Chelsea (H) | High‑upside City attacker, creative and goal‑hungry | Medium-High |
| Danny Welbeck | Brighton | Burnley (H) | In‑form striker facing one of the leakiest defences | Medium |
Honourable mentions
For FPL managers considering alternatives or looking slightly beyond this core five, there are several other names worthy of a look in Gameweek 20 and beyond. Matty Cash offers attacking potential from full-back at Aston Villa, Josko Gvardiol is a powerful route into Manchester City’s defence, and Lewis Miley has shown maturity and creativity in midfield for Newcastle United.
James Garner’s all‑action profile for Everton, Tijjani Reijnders’s box‑to‑box threat, and forwards Dominic Calvert‑Lewin and Ollie Watkins all present viable routes into teams with decent runs of fixtures and strong underlying numbers, especially for managers needing to juggle price points across their squads.