GW20 - The Draft Pick
Premier League Fantrax Waiver Wire — Weekly Picks with Insight
Note: All stats mentioned are listed as values per 90 minutes played
With games coming thick and fast over the festive period and me being back home in England for Christmas, I’ll be sticking to one player per position until the fixtures (and my kidney health) are back to normal. United continue to disappoint their supporters with that 1-1 draw against Wolves, and Villa’s incredible winning run finally came to an end at the Emirates. Hopefully, everyone is remembering that there’s a game every other day at the moment!
Goalkeepers
Last weeks picks:
Senne Lammens | (4-6) points vs. Wolves (H)
+10% ownership change
The 10% increase in ownership this game week meant everyone else thought United wouldn’t shit the bed too. Maybe, if Amorim wasn’t such a stubborn bastard United wouldn’t of given Wolves their third point of the year. I though Lammens played well again and maybe a fantastic save in the second half, however clean sheets are unlikely to be a regular thing for this United side it looks like.
Rating: On The Bench
This weeks picks are:
Bart Verbruggen (Brighton)
Last Game: vs. West Ham (A) (1-6points)
Ownership: 33% of Fantrax squads
Next Fixtures: vs Burnley (H), Man City (A), Bournemouth(H)
Interesting Stat: 60th percentile for PSxG meaning he faces a lot of high-quality shots, however is save percentage is in 25th percentile.
Maybe it’s third time lucky with Bart Verbruggen. My first two suggestions for him returned over 15 points each, so I’m hoping for more the same. At home to Burnley, you’d usually fancy Brighton to be solid, but they have been leaking goals recently, so this one could really go either way. I’m a bit stuck on the keeper choice this week, but if in doubt, go with Bart.
Defenders
Last weeks picks:
Luke Shaw | (8-11) points vs. Wolves (H)
+23% ownership change
Again, I feel like if United would have continued to play 4-3-3 after beating Newcastle and Dorgu moving to the right this would allowed Shaw to creep up the field more. He still managed 3 key passes and 1 accurate cross. Away at Leeds will be tough, it would be a gamble to still keep him in the eleven.
Rating: That’s His Job
This weeks pick is:
Ferdi Kadioglu (Brighton)
Last Game: vs. West Ham(A) (10-16 points)
Ownership: 5% of Fantrax squads
Next Fixtures: vs Burnley (H), Man City (A), Bournemouth(H)
Interesting Stat: 80th percentile for progressive passes and 90th percentile for progressive carries versus other full backs
Ferdi Kadioglu recorded his first assist of the season during Brighton’s 2-2 draw with West Ham, and he’s been on a great run, averaging just over 10 points in his last three games. At home to a Burnley side that has struggled for goals away from home, you’d imagine Brighton have a strong chance of a clean sheet. Kadioglu is still a low-ownership player and is well worth picking up.
I also fancy Jake O’Brien (54% owned) at home to Brentford this week, as Everton’s defense has looked increasingly solid, keeping a clean sheet in their last game against Forest.
Midfielders
Last weeks picks:
Simon Adingra | (0-2) points vs. Man City (H)
+2% ownership change
Man City at home might not have been the game to recommend for Adingra and although Sunderland have it a good go, Adingra failed to really get involved despite his shot he had. Keep an eye on him though.
Rating: Transfer List
This weeks picks are:
David Brooks (Bournemouth)
Last Game: vs. Chelsea (A) (27-30 points)
Ownership: 15% of Fantrax squads
Next Fixtures: vs Arsenal (H), Tottenham (H), Brighton (A)
Interesting Stat: 76th percentile for non-penalty expected goals and expected assists versus other wingers - he gets in good positions and creates chances.
I’m not just saying this, but I was actually going to suggest David Brooks last week and saw Chelsea away and thought maybe wait a week. Well, Brooks certainly didn’t wait to put up a big score; he was instrumental in the Cherries’ well-earned point at Stamford Bridge that looked to be the final nail in the coffin for Enzo Maresca. With Antoine Semenyo heavily rumored to be off to Manchester City this week, it will only benefit Bournemouth’s other attackers with more playing time—Brooks being one of them. His ownership has dropped significantly since the start of the season, but with a goal and a Man of the Match performance fresh in the bag, now is a great time to pick him up again.
Forwards
Last weeks picks:
Igor Jesus | (-3- 0) points vs. Everton (H)
+11% ownership change
Got this one way off, Forest were poor at home to Everton and Jesus wasn’t able to be the saviour we hoped for. Will be interesting to see what happens once Chris Wood returns.
Rating: Transfer List
This weeks picks are:
Thierno Barry (Everton)
Last Game: vs. Nottingham Forest (A) (11-14 points)
Ownership: 31% of Fantrax squads
Next Fixtures: vs Brentford (H), Wolves (H), Aston Villa(A)
Interesting Stat:
Thierno Barry scored his second goal of the season against Forest, and I’ll be honest, I was surprised to see Everton win away so convincingly. Everton have a couple of good home games coming up; Brentford have been tough to score against recently, but Barry will look forward to hopefully getting more chances and getting on the scoresheet. With his physical presence and that recent goal boosting his confidence, he could be a smart little pick-up for this home run. I’ll be honest, not a lot of forwards to choose from right now, I still also like Armando Broja (8% owned) who has been quietly going about his business the last two weeks.
Fixture Spotlight
Everton
Last Game: vs. Nottingham Forest (A) W 2-0
Next Fixtures: vs. Wolves (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Tottenham (A), Sunderland (H)
Everton have some good fixtures coming up, and I’d definitely be looking to pick up Dwight McNeil (51% owned) or Tyler Dibling (13% owned). Both have started the last two games and made a real impact while filling in for the absent Iliman Ndiaye and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Beyond the attack, Jake O’Brien (54% owned) and Vitalii Mykolenko (58% owned) are still available in a lot of leagues. With Everton’s defense starting to solidify, (keeping seven clean sheets so far this season) doubling up on their backline could be a very smart move for the January run.
One to Watch
Oliver Scarles has stepped up brilliantly, recording back-to-back 90-minute appearances while covering for Malick Diouf. After a tough outing against Fulham, he showed great character with a much-improved, Man of the Match-worthy performance against Brighton. West Ham’s form is still very much “hit and miss,” but Scarles’ defensive stats, including 9 recoveries and 3 interceptions in his last game, are very promising. Keep an eye on his progress; there is a seriously talented young player developing here.
Last Weeks VAR Review
Man of the Match (MOTM): This player was a great pick up, scoring big and carrying your team.
That’s His Job (THJ): As Roy Keane would say “that’s his job’, putting up a decent score with no surprises.
On the Bench (OTB): this player might not have performed super well last week, but might be worth holding on to.
Transfer Listed (TL): This player wasn’t my finest recommendation.
I’ll be keeping a record to track my accuracy. This is good for you too, if it starts getting bad you know not to read anymore!
Lastly
Who are you picking up this week? Do you agree with my suggestions? Or am I way off? Finally, good luck this weekend!