GW19: The Draft Pick
Premier League Fantrax Waiver Wire — Weekly Picks with Insight
Note: All stats mentioned are listed as values per 90 minutes played
Watching the AFCON-depleted squads shuffle their line-ups was fascinating this weekend. Who had “United Clean Sheet” and “Villa winning 11 in a row” on their bingo card? Certainly not me. With the games coming thick and fast, keep a close eye on the team sheet, asrotation is coming. On a personal note, I’ve had a shocker. My opponent hit nearly 190 points thanks to Kevin Schade turning into prime Ronaldo for one afternoon and dropping 40+ points. If anyone needs me, I’ll be staring at a wall for the next few hours.
Goalkeepers
Last weeks picks:
Alphonse Areola | (6-9) points vs. Fulham (H)
+2% ownership change
Not the worst performance by Areola, but West Ham not picking points at home leaves them 5 points off of safety. I don’t think I’d fancy him this coming week with Brighton coming to town.
Rating: That’s His Job
If only I had suggested Dubravka, who got a massive points total. This weeks picks are:
Senne Lammens (Man United)
Last Game: vs. Newcastle (H) (13-16 points)
Ownership: 25% of Fantrax squads
Next Fixtures: vs Wolves (H), Leeds (A), Burnley (A)
Interesting Stat: 99th percentile for PSxG meaning he faces a lot of high-quality shots and his PSxG-GA is in the 70th percentile meaning he saves a good amount of them.
United managed a clean sheet last week (stop laughing, it actually happened). Senne Lammens made three saves to survive a nervy Newcastle finish, and with Wolves at home next, he’s the standout pick. Wolves are currently bottom of the table and scoring goals seems to be against their religion at the moment. It’s the obvious choice, unless you actually enjoy the emotional rollercoaster of picking anyone else.
Defenders
Last weeks picks:
Patrick Dorgu | (31-34) points vs. Newcastle (H)
+15% ownership change
I mean I just hope everyone who read this picked up Patrick Dorgu, couldn’t have been more chuffed with this recommendation last week and arguably the best of the season so far. Make sure to pick him up for Wolves if you haven’t, he is a fantasy points machine.
Rating: Man of the Match
Rico Henry | (-2-6) points vs. Bournemouth (H)
+1% ownership change
Henry actually played a pretty poor game, which was a little surprising, however he is still coming back from a long time out and consistency may not be there yet. Keep an eye on him though. There will be plenty of games this season, when you will be glad you picked him up.
Rating: Transfer List
Alex Jiménez | (0-12) points vs. Team (A)
-2% ownership change
Depending on your league structure, Jimenez points varied. One thing is true at the moment, Bournemouth are leaking goals for fun and that pattern doesn’t seem to stop anytime soon. Jimenez in the meantime is still putting up decent numbers.
Rating: On The Bench
One good, one okay and one bad pick. Hopefully, you picked Dorgu. This weeks picks are:
Luke Shaw (Man United)
Last Game: vs. Newcastle (H) (13-16 points)
Ownership: 18% of Fantrax squads
Next Fixtures: vs Wolves (H), Leeds (A), Burnley (A)
Interesting Stat: 91st percentile for expected assists versus other full backs
If you’re brave enough to double up on United, Luke Shaw is the man for the defense. He’s been their most reliable player in a season of chaos, and Amorim’s recent switch to a back four should finally set him free to actually cross the halfway line. It’s a bit of an “anxious” choice, I know, but against a Wolves team that are only really good at conceding goals, it’s worth the risk. If you fancy more of a risk, youngster Ayden Heaven (3% owned) and Lisandro Martinez (10% owned) are great options too. Nicola Savona (10% owned) faces an Everton struggling a little in front of goal too, so he might be a good option too.
Midfielders
Last weeks picks:
Keane Lewis-Potter | (4-8) points vs. Bournemouth (H)
+24% ownership change
Not quite the impact he made against Wolves and missed a pretty good chance as Kevin Schade made the headlines. He’s definetly worth keeping around with Tottenham at home.
Rating: That’s His Job
Crysencio Summerville | (1-2) points vs. Fulham (H)
+5% ownership change
I think I’m done recommending West Ham players. Sorry for wasting your time.
Rating: Transfer List
This weeks picks only one pick:
Simon Adingra (Sunderland)
Last Game: vs. (A) ( points)
Ownership: 29% of Fantrax squads
Next Fixtures: vs Man City (H), Tottenham (A), Brentford (A)
Interesting Stat: 88th percentile for tackle versus other wingers
Ivory Coast’s loss is definitely Sunderland’s gain. Adingra must be fuming to be left out of the AFCON squad, but he’s taking it out on the rest of the league scoring peach of a goal against Leeds today. Sunderland host Man City next, and while City are chasing the title, the Stadium of Light is still a fortress where they haven’t lost all season. Adingra looks like he’s playing with a chip on his shoulder, and frankly, I’m here for it.
Forwards
Last weeks picks:
Brian Brobbey | (1-2) points vs. Leeds (H)
+3% ownership change
Brian Brobbey made just as much impact against Leeds as Brad Bobbley did with his soccer camps.
Rating: Transfer List
Armando Broja | (5-8) points vs. Everton (H)
+4% ownership change
Considering no goals were scored, Broja put some good ghost points together. I want be recommending any Burnley forwards in the near future any time soon, but keep an eye on Broja.
Rating: On The Bench
Forwards are hard to come by if you don’t have some good ones in your squad already. This weeks pick is:
Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest)
Last Game: vs. Man City (A) (8-10 points)
Ownership: 33% of Fantrax squads
Next Fixtures: vs Everton (H), Aston Villa (A), West Ham(A)
Interesting Stat: 88th percentile for shots versus other forwards.
I think Igor Jesus will be looking forward to playing an Everton team that is really struggling to find the net, with no goals in their last three matches. Igor got a great assist against City this past weekend and looks firmly established as Forest’s starting number nine. With Chris Wood yet to return from surgery, I really fancy Forest to get a result this week.
Fixture Spotlight
Newcastle
Last Game: vs. Man United (A) L 1-0
Next Fixtures: vs. Burnley (A), Crystal Palace (H), Leeds (H), Wolves (A)
Newcastle will be looking to bounce back after dominating the second half against Man United but struggling to find the net. They have a favorable run of fixtures coming up, starting with Burnley away. While many of their stars are highly owned, I expect some rotation. Harvey Barnes (61% owned) will hopefully see more minutes, while Lewis Miley (25% owned) has been impressing while filling in at RB. Jacob Ramsey (11% owned) has started the last three games and looks to be overcoming his injuries to rediscover the Villa form that saw Steven Gerrard call him a top talent. Joelinton (34% owned) is also one to watch as he looks to rediscover his best form.
One to Watch
If you’re looking for a “diamond in the rough,” keep an eye on Tyler Dibling. He was a real bright spark in the Burnley game, earning his first start in months and looking like he actually wanted the ball. Now that Ndiaye is off at AFCON, Dibling has at least six games to prove he’s more than just a promising youngster. With Brentford and Wolves visiting soon, he’s got a golden chance to rack up some points while everyone else is still staring at their depleted squads. At 9% ownership, he’s the definition of a sneaky pick.
Lastly
Who are you picking up this week? Do you agree with my suggestions? Or am I way off? Finally, good luck this weekend!