Premier League Fantrax Waiver Wire — Weekly Picks with Insight
The dust has settled on last weeks games, and while Arsenal’s set-piece dominance and Chelsea’s customary red card felt predictable, Manchester United’s win at Anfield seemed more shocking than Ange getting the sack. After over a decade without a victory there, United ended the drought, exposing Liverpool’s poor form further. My fantasy teams didn’t fare well, but as a fan, I’ll take the win! Now, it’s time to put those rough results behind us and focus on the waiver wire. I’m hoping this week’s new targets can deliver the returns we need
Goalkeepers
Last weeks picks:
Senne Lammens | (9-13) points vs. Liverpool (A)
+17% ownership change
Is it a coincidence that United have won two games back to back with this man in net? Not entirely, but he’s definitely a big reason. After a great result against Liverpool, United will need him again against an unpredictable Brighton!
Rating: Man of the Match
Giorgi Mamardashvili | (0-3) points vs. Man United (H)
+10% ownership change
With Liverpool still looking to regain form and the their defence looking leaky. Mamardashvili might have to stay on the sidelines until, the team can become more difficult to be scored against.
Rating: Transfer List
Text about last weeks picks
This weeks picks are:
Martin Dubravka (Burnley)
- Last Game: vs. Leeds (H) (12-16 points)
- Ownership: 42% of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs Wolves (A), Arsenal (H), West Ham(A)
- Interesting Stat: 99th percentile for goal kicks and and 93rd percentile for average length. I suppose Burnley take a lot of shots against them!
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m loving the promoted teams this season! They make the player pool deeper and the weekend games more unpredictable. With Burnley yet to pick up an away point and Wolves still searching for their first win, this could be a moment for Burnley to nick a result. Wolves have managed 41 shots (10 per game) at home this season, so Martin Dúbravka could be a sneaky option for save points this week.
Defenders
Last weeks picks:
Malick Thiaw | (2 – 5) points vs. Brighton (A)
+30% ownership change
I don think Newcastle defenders will be the best choices away from home this season, but at home they will be solid. I’d imagine Thiaw would still be a good choice at home to Fulham next.
Rating: On The Bench
Hugo Bueno | (9 – 16) points vs. Sunderland (A)
+16% ownership change
Wolves aren’t doing great, but Bueno had another very solid game. At home to Burnley next (who hav lost every game away this season) I think Bueno is a solid 3rd/4th choice defender. Picking up points with no clean sheets is a good asset to have in your team!
Rating: That’s His Job
I think both those choices are good long term holds. I personally am only playing the minimum amount of defenders needed so 3 plus one sub. I think both of these are good third and fourth options, if you unfortunately don’t have any Arsenal defenders. I dropped Timber GW1 after he was on bench against United. What a reactionary mistake that was haha!
This weeks picks are:
Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds)
- Last Game: vs. Burnley (A) (17-26 points)
- Ownership: % of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs West Ham (H), Brighton (A), Nottingham (A)
- Interesting Stat: 90th percentile for progressive carries and successful take ons versus other full backs.
You’re either getting a massive hit or a massive flop with Gabriel Gudmundsson; his scoring is as volatile as Forest’s managerial merry-go-round this last month. He’s put up two huge scores around 20 points and three in the negative, making him the ultimate high-risk, high-reward gamble. I’ve backed him this week, particularly against a West Ham team that looked utterly hopeless against Brentford. With Leeds turning their home ground into a fortress, Gudmundsson should be key to their attack. A little caution, though: we need the proper West Ham to turn up, not the one that somehow managed to win away at Forest!
Josh Acheampong (Chelsea)
- Last Game: vs. (A) (28 – 32 points)
- Ownership: 10% of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs Sunderland (H), Tottenham (A), Wolves(H)
- Interesting Stat: 99th percentile for non-penalty goals, xG and successful take ons versus other center backs
Josh Acheampong was highly impressive in his last outing against Forest, putting up a massive fantasy return that included a goal, four interceptions, three clearances, and three successful dribbles. FBRef rates him similarly to Fabian Schär and Micky van de Ven, which is absolutely cracking company for a 19-year-old. While Forest have been poor, Acheampong is clearly showing his potential. With Levi Colwill out for a while, he’s seizing his opportunity in Chelsea’s backline. Should you gamble on this rising star this weekend at home to Sunderland? I think so.
Bafodé Diakité (57% owned) looks like a smart, safe bet this weekend at home to Forest. However, a bit of a dark horse is Michael Kayode (47% owned). He had a top performance against West Ham, and I think he’ll become a solid asset, but Brentford’s next fixtures are tough; starting with Liverpool. While it’s a huge risk to pick him now, if he can maintain his recent form against this tough run, his value will rise, but you might need to just keep an eye on him for the next couple of weeks!
Midfielders
Last weeks picks:
Mason Mount | (4 – 5) points vs. Liverpool (A)
+16% ownership change
Although he didn’t score well against Liverpool, Mount is proving to be a man Amorim trusts. If he starts against Brighton at home next and United can get some form going, Mount will be a player worth holding on to.
Rating: On The Bench
Jhon Arias | (7 – 9) points vs. Sunderland (A)
+14% ownership change
Similar to Mount, however Arias is putting up decent floor ghost points, despite not scoring or assisting. With Burnley at home next, surely this will be the biggest opportunity for him to get off the mark!
Rating: On The Bench
Text about last weeks picks
This weeks picks are:
Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)
- Last Game: vs. Fulham (A) ( points)
- Ownership: 64% of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs Crystal Palace (H), Burnley (A), Sunderland (A)
- Interesting Stat: 81st percentile for assists per 90 versus other wingers
Leandro Trossard has put up back-to-back double-digit scores, and with Gabriel Martinelli starting the Champions League tie mid-week, it’s likely Trossard will get the start against Crystal Palace this weekend. Given his last season’s form, where he had a stretch of 10 games averaging around 12 points a game, if he’s finding that consistency again, he will be worth picking up while this Arsenal attack is flying.
Brendan Aronson (Leeds)
- Last Game: vs. Burnley (A) (8-12 points)
- Ownership: 22% of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs West Ham (H), Brighton (A), Nottingham Forest (A)
- Interesting Stat: 98th+ percentile for tackles, blocks, clearances and interceptions versus other midfielders.
Brenden Aaronson has quietly been collecting points, averaging around 10 over the last two weeks and that’s entirely from his ‘ghost point’ output. He looked sharp against Burnley and was denied a goal when his shot clattered off the post. I was close to discussing Marshall Munetsi this week, who is similarly defensively sound for an attacking player, but Leeds just seem a lot more reliable than Wolves at the moment. He was constantly busy against Burnley, and with a struggling West Ham coming up, he’s a great option to bank some non-goal contributions and hopefully a goal or assist.
Yasin Ayari (40% owned) has been putting in some solid performances with Baleba seemingly distracted with the transfer noise from this summer. Brighton have won 3-1 in their last two visits to Old Trafford, so Ayari may be a sneaky choice. Marshall Munetsi (22% owned) will be hoping to finally contribute to their first win. He’s a tireless worker who constantly gets into dangerous positions
Forwards
Last weeks picks:
Noah Okafor | points vs. Burnley (A)
+15% ownership change
I think Leeds missed Okafar last weekend who was injured, however if he’s back for West Ham he will be worth keeping. Funily enough, last time I recommended him he didn’t play either, so won’t be doing that again!
Rating: Did Not Play
Donyell Malen | (0 – 1) points vs. Tottenham (A)
+37% ownership change
I don’t think Malen benefited playing in place of Ollie Watkins down the middle as he seems more effective on the wing. That’s also where he scored twice before international break. With a revitalized Man City next, Malen will hopefully be back on the wing as Villa are starting to look more like themselves.
Rating: On The Bench
Not great last week with the forward picks, however I both think both will add value to their teams, it’s just picking them for the right opposition.
This weeks picks are:
Eli Kroupi (Bournemouth)
- Last Game: vs. Crystal Palace (A) (18-24 points)
- Ownership: 9% of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs Nottingham Forest (H), Man City (A), Aston Villa (A)
- Interesting Stat:
To quote Micah Richards, Eli Kroupi really has burst onto the scene in his last two games. Three goals in less than 90 minutes is absolutely remarkable for the young French forward. With Evanilson suffering a calf injury that makes his availability uncertain for this weekend, Kroupi has earned the right to keep his starting spot. At this point, the young Frenchman deserves his starting place for a Bournemouth team that continue to impress.
Randal Kolo Muani (Tottenham)
- Last Game: vs. Aston Villa (H) (-1 – 0 points)
- Ownership: 57% of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs Everton (A), Chelsea (H), Man United (H)
- Interesting Stat: 90th percentile for successful take ons versus other forwards
Richarlison (started mid-week vs Monaco) seems to be losing his spot to Mathys Tel over the last few weeks in the Premier League, and with Tel looking unconvincing as the main No. 9, the door is open for Randal Kolo Muani to take the job. Let’s not forget Dominic Solanke is yet to feature this season, either. Spurs are desperate for a consistent goalscorer, and while Muani missed a decent chance to equalize against Villa, his talent is undeniable. If he can get match sharp quickly and grab a start this weekend, he could be the striker Spurs are looking for
Fixture Spotlight
Chelsea
- Last Game: vs. Nottingham Forest (A)
- Next Fixtures: vs. Sunderland (H) , Tottenham (A), Wolves (H), Burnley (A)
Chelsea’s winning streak continues, and they have a soft home run with Sunderland and Wolves coming up. The big question mark is tonight’s Champions League match against Ajax. This is where we get some clues. Josh Acheampong (10% owned) and Alejandro Garnacho (59% owned) most likely will start the league match after being rested in Europe. Meanwhile, if Jamie Gittens (35% owned) and Facundo Buonanotte (3% owned) played last night with… tonight, they’ll be hard to ignore for the weekend. These performances might give them a chance to get more time in the league.
One to Watch
I think the only reason Nico O’Reilly is only 22% owned and not a must-have is his infuriating classification as a midfielder. If he were correctly listed as a defender, he’d have three clean sheets to his name and be averaging over 10 points per game from his five starts at left-back. He’s been seriously impressive standing in for Rayan Ait-Nouri (who was back on the bench mid-week), and it seems Pep Guardiola trusts him. For those with league rules rewarding position eligibility after X games, he’s could be a really good long-term stash.
Last Weeks VAR Review
| Position | Man of the Match | That’s His Job | On the Bench | Transfer Listed | Did Not Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | |
| D | 1 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| M | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | |
| F | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| Total | 9 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 5 |
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
The international break hangover caused a couple of surprises last weekend. I wonder if Liverpool will get back on track and United can win a third game in a row. Let’s hope there’s no surprises in our fantasy games this weekend!
Please leave a reply if you have enjoyed reading this, or wish me to stop wasting my time!
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