Football Paparazzi Weekly Fantasy Fix: Best picks for FPL Gameweek 17

Welcome back to Football Paparazzi’s Weekly Fantasy Fix, your trusted guide for navigating the business end of the Fantasy Premier League season.

Gameweek 17 arrives with the festive period in full swing, rotations looming, and form changing fast. With squads being tested and margins getting thinner, this is a week where smart picks can make a real difference.

Here are the best Fantasy Premier League picks ahead of Gameweek 17.

Rayan Cherki – Manchester City (£6.5m)

Jeremy Doku’s injury has ruled him out of action, at least, until Gameweek 20, as per CBS. That, and Rayan Cherki’s recent form makes him a no-brainer of a pick ahead of Gameweek 17.

Cherki scored a banger against Brentford in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. Then, he was taken off by Pep Guardiola soon after the hour mark.

Manchester City face lowly West Ham United, who have not kept a cleansheet since Nuno Espirito Santo took over. Cherki, on the other hand, has been a wizard in the final third, creating 15 opportunities, including five big chances for his teammates.

Piero Hincapie – Arsenal (£5.5m)

Ahead of Gameweek 17, Arsenal have one cleansheet in six Premier League matches. Yet, a game away to Everton seems like the perfect time to punt on an Arsenal defender.

Piero Hincapie should be starting this one and with a cleansheet long due, it’s a cheap way of making some points. Everton will be without a number of big names, with the likes of Jack Grealish, Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall doubts ahead of Arsenal’s visit.

That would make it very difficult for the Blues to score, making Hincapie a steal at £5.5m.

Nico O’Reilly – Manchester City (£5.3m)

Manchester City’s favourable fixture of West Ham at the Etihad makes Nico O’Reilly, another player who was subbed off at the hour mark, a very promising pick.

O’Reilly has been excellent for the Citizens, so far, in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. He already has three assists and a goal to his name and he could add to his tally against the Hammers, as well.

Even if he does not, a clean sheet is more or less expected. At least as much as it could be in a Premier League match.

Harry Wilson – Fulham (£5.6m)

Easily the most in-form player in the Premier League, right now, Harry Wilson could reward you with his purple patch possibly extending into Gameweek 17.

One of the reasons behind this pick is Fulham’s home game against Nottingham Forest. While Forest have been excellent under Sean Dyche, Fulham were unlucky to lose late on to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.

Marco Silva has the Cottagers playing excellent football and Harry Wilson has seven goal involvements in his last four Premier League games. This game could easily be a goalfest, and if it is, expect Wilson to run the show for Fulham.