This latest Fantasy Challenge, titled “Economise”, sees the budget shrunk to just £45million. What’s more, FPL managers must also pick an extra two players - amounting to a seven-a-side team - within those budget constraints.
It means there will almost certainly be tough choices between the game’s premium assets, with greater emphasis placed on selecting the right budget gems capable of racking up points for your line-up.
To account for the increased team size, the formations to be chosen from this week are: 2-1-3, 2-2-2, 2-3-1, 3-1-2 and 3-2-1.
Once a player's team have started their first match of the Gameweek they will be locked from any changes. However, you can otherwise tweak any remaining slots in your team - and even enter a full squad - right up until 16:30 GMT on Sunday.
Here, Alex Dakers identifies some of the best Fantasy Challenge picks for the matches that are left in Gameweek 12.
Sunday
14:00 GMT Fantasy Challenge deadline
Southampton v Liverpool
Premier League leaders Liverpool face perhaps the most appealing fixture of the weekend as they travel to bottom-placed Southampton in the first of Sunday's two matches.
The two sides have near-inverse tallies of goals scored and goals conceded, with the Reds netting 21 times and being breached on a league-low six occasions so far. Saints have scored a league-low seven goals and conceded 21 times.
As with the likes of Haaland, Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) could be tough to fit into a low-budget squad of seven for this week’s Fantasy Challenge.
It may be worth the tinkering, though, as the Egyptian has over 30 more FPL points thus far than any other player, boasts 14 direct goal involvements (eight goals, six assists) already and faces a Southampton side who have allowed the third-most attempts so far this season and the second-most key passes down their left flank.
If squeezing Salah in proves too difficult this week, the late returns from and heavier involvement in national team duty for Luis Diaz (£7.7m) and Darwin Nunez (£7.1m) should be kept in mind before selecting them as alternatives from Liverpool’s attack.
Cody Gakpo (£7.1m) could, therefore, be worth considering instead. The Dutch forward’s minutes over the international break were much more limited than his positional rivals, with 92 in total, and he scored in the Gameweek 10 win over Brighton & Hove Albion when he was last handed a place in the starting line-up. Plus, after the October international break, Gakpo was also given a starting berth (Gameweek 8 versus Chelsea) while both of his aforementioned South American colleagues were benched.
At the back for Liverpool, an injury to Trent Alexander-Arnold (£6.9m) could give Conor Bradley (£4.7m) the chance to shine behind Salah on the right, while Ibrahima Konate (£5.4m) remains a strong pick in the centre of defence for a little under a million less than FPL’s top-scoring defender, Virgil van Dijk (£6.3m).
This match also comes too soon for Alisson (£5.4m), making Caoimhin Kelleher (£4.5m) the cheapest route into the league’s best defensive unit.
16:30 GMT final Fantasy Challenge deadline
Ipswich v Man Utd
Ruben Amorim has been handed a relatively kind fixture for his first match as Manchester United head coach - though Ipswich have just secured their first win of the season, beating Spurs away last time out, and will undoubtedly be buoyed by that as they prepare to host the Red Devils.
Liam Delap (£5.6m) was the main beneficiary of that 2-1 win at Spurs, with a goal (his sixth of the campaign), assist and three bonus points giving him an 11-point haul. Attacking left-back Leif Davis (£4.5m) blanked in that game but had a goal and assist across his two matches prior to that, and is also currently leading all defenders for chances and big chances created. If there are any teething problems for United in their new system, expect those two to be key in Ipswich’s attempts to exploit them.
But it’s just as possible that Man Utd could continue their uptick in form under interim head coach Ruud van Nistelrooy and experience a "new manager bounce" under the positive vibes exuded by Amorim.
Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) delivered back-to-back double-digit hauls, amounting to 27 total FPL points, just before the international break, while Amad (£4.9m) will hope his recent performances have earned him a continued starting spot under the new boss.
Alejandro Garnacho (£6.4m) will be hoping the same, having scored off the bench in United’s 3-0 win over Leicester City in Gameweek 11, while Ipswich’s poor defensive record - 22 goals conceded, one clean sheet - could also help Rasmus Hojlund (£6.9m) add to his goal tally, which stands at just one heading into Gameweek 12.
It’s as yet unclear exactly who Amorim will select in his defence, but expect Andre Onana (£5.1m) to be a mainstay in goal. Only Liverpool have kept more clean sheets than United’s five this season.
Onana, currently the game’s highest-scoring goalkeeper, could therefore pair save points with a clean sheet against Ipswich, who have scored fewer goals (12 - coincidentally, the same number as United have managed themselves) than all but three top-flight sides.
Newcastle v West Ham
Gameweek 12 draws to a close with some Monday night action at St James’ Park.
From the hosts, Lewis Hall (£4.4m) is an increasingly popular FPL pick. He’s fifth among all defenders for chances created this season and offers the bonus of some set-piece duties.
Newcastle United also boast the third-best defensive record in the league, while West Ham United have struggled in their last two matches, failing to score a single goal without Mohammed Kudus (£6.2m) - who remains suspended until next month - in that time. Nick Pope (£5.0m) therefore could be worth a look as another goalkeeping option.
The Hammers have conceded 19 goals this season, seven of which have come in their last two away matches. If you have enough spare change floating around to complete your Fantasy Challenge squad, that could spell good news for Alexander Isak (£8.5m), who has scored three goals and provided an assist in a three-match run before the break against Chelsea, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.
