Premier League Fantrax Waiver Wire — Weekly Picks with Insight
Note: All stats mentioned are listed as values per 90 minutes played
Last weekend, we saw the script shift a little as five teams won on the road, with all of those victories being a bit of a surprise. Malick Thiaw and Maxim De Cuyper were probably the two most unlikely names to score 30+ points, completely overshadowing the returns from the likes of Phil Foden and Bruno Fernandes. This week’s picks will be short due to the quick turnaround, and the best advice is simply this: check the line-ups as soon as they drop for any surprise pick-ups or crucial drops!
Goalkeepers
Last weeks picks:
Emi Martinez | (15 – 18) points vs. Team (A)
+13% ownership change
Martinez made 4 saves to go with a reliable performance that handed his team a clean sheet and victory versus Wolves. With Villa looking solid, Martinez might be a permanent goalkeeper choice for the rest of the season.
Rating: Man of the Match
Great start to looking at last weeks picks, this weeks pick is:
Martin Dúbravka (Burnley)
- Last Game: vs. Brentford (A) (-4 – 0 points)
- Ownership: 44% of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs Crystal Palace (H), Newcastle (A), Fulham (H)
- Interesting Stat: 76th percentile for PSxG-GA meaning is conceding less goals than expected versus other goalkeepers.
Martin Dúbravka’s fantasy scores this season are a tale of two cities: averaging over 10 points per game at home versus less than three away. They host a strong Crystal Palace team next, who will be looking to bounce back after that home defeat to Manchester United. I’m sure Burnley will also be desperate to redeem themselves as we head into the busy Christmas period, and Dúbravka’s home form makes him a sneaky option this week.
Defenders
Last weeks picks:
Pau Torres | (9 – 11) points vs. Wolves (H)
+8% ownership change
A solid performance by Torres, nothing special. With low ownership, definitely a good option when you think Villa will get a clean sheet.
Rating: That’s His Job
Nicolo Savona | (-2 – 1)points vs. Brighton (H)
+23% ownership change
Unfortunately, Savona failed to continue his good form against Brighton at home with getting negative points in most leagues. Wolves away next for Forest, however they looked much better against Villa, so for this season picking Savona, might be based on more feeling and against teams who you think Forest will perform better than.
Rating: Transfer Listed
Text about last weeks picks
This weeks picks are:
Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton)
- Last Game: vs. Nottingham Forest (A) (30-33 points)
- Ownership: 31% of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs. Aston Villa (H), West Ham (H), Liverpool (A)
- Interesting Stat: 98th percentile for non-penalty goals versus other defenders.
Is now the time to pick up Maxim De Cuyper? After a great game against Forest and with the left-hand side of his team still missing key players, picking up De Cuyper makes sense as he filled in nicely at left wing. With him being listed as a defender but playing higher up the field, this is a no-brainer, and I’m contemplating myself if I should be dropping Jan-Paul van Hecke for him, or doubling down on defenders!
Malick Thiaw (42% owned) is the other tempting choice this week, as Newcastle won their first away game of the season at Everton and now host a struggling Tottenham at home. Newcastle is always good value for home games, too.
Midfielders
Last weeks picks:
Jordan Henderson | (12 – 17) points vs. Burnley (H)
+2% ownership change
Henderson registered one assist to contribute a pretty decent fantasy score against Burnley. There could definitely be use for him this year in games at home as he puts up just under 9 points a game.
Rating: Man of the Match
Omari Hutchinson | (13-16) points vs. Brighton (H)
+4% ownership change
Hutchinson created 4 key passes in Forest’s home defeat to Brighton in the 45 mins that he played second half. He’s definitely knocking on Dyche’s door to warrant a starting place for the next game. I wouldn’t be surprised him starting on Wednesday away at Wolves.
Rating: Man of the Match
Last weeks choices turned out pretty decent, this weeks picks is:
Lewis Miley (Newcastle)
- Last Game: vs. Everton (A) (24-26 points)
- Ownership: 3% of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs Tottenham (H), Burnley (H), Sunderland (A)
- Interesting Stat: 92nd percentile for goals and 89th percentile for assists versus other midfielders
Lewis Miley is staking his claim! He played his second full 90 minutes this season and delivered a huge haul with a goal and an assist. With the Christmas calendar demanding rotation, keep a keen eye on line-ups for Miley’s name, especially for home games.
For United, Mason Mount (25% owned) recorded his first full game in ages, scoring a goal in the process. Given the injury to Matheus Cunha and the upcoming AFCON absences of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo, he is a massive gamble, but a necessary one if you’re hoping for a United turnaround.
Finally, look at Zian Flemming (13% owned). He’s scored all four of his goals away from home; could he finally break that duck against Crystal Palace at Turf Moor? It’s a risk, but sometimes those are the best fantasy gambles.
Forwards
Last weeks picks:
Donyell Malen | (3 – 4) points vs. Wolves (H)
+33% ownership change
With a +33% ownership change since last week, I’m sure a lot of owners were disappointed to see Malen not contribute to the scoresheet. With Wolves, putting up a more difficult test under Edwards, the only goal that separated them was. a beauty by Kamara. It’s unclear if Malen is a nailed on starter at the moment, so might be worth keeping around, especially with Watkins still struggling to bag a goal.
Rating: On The Bench
Feel like last weekend’s games opened up a few options for these mid-week games, this weeks picks are:
Joshua Zirkzee (Man United)
- Last Game: vs. Crystal Palace (A) (14-16 points)
- Ownership: 15% of Fantrax squads
- Next Fixtures: vs West Ham (H), Wolves (A), Bournemouth (H)
- Interesting Stat: 89th percentile for progressive passes versus other forwards
No one was more relieved than Joshua Zirkzee, who scored his first goal in almost a year with a brilliantly taken chest-and-volley, sparking United’s comeback. That goal visibly lifted his and the team’s spirits. Similar to Mount, with Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško injured and Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo leaving for AFCON, this is his time to get a proper run of games.
Samuel Chukwueze (12% owned), with back-to-back assists, is also putting up good numbers. Can he step up at home against Manchester City?
Lastly, Anthony Elanga (60% owned) has struggled since his big move from Nottingham Forest, but his first assist away at Everton could be the turning point for his confidence and performances.
Fixture Spotlight
Newcastle
- Last Game: vs. (A)
- Next Fixtures: vs. Tottenham (H), Burnley (H), Sunderland (A), Chelsea (H)
Newcastle have a decent run of home games coming up, hosting a struggling Tottenham side and a Burnley team that is yet to win on the road all year. I’ve already mentioned Malick Thiaw (42% owned) and Lewis Miley (3% owned), but with the fixture congestion coming up, be sure to keep an eye out for Jacob Ramsey (7% owned) and Joe Willock (0% owned), who are both likely to get minutes. Keep a close eye on the line-ups—there will be some value picks to be found!
One to Watch
The looming AFCON tournament creates a massive opportunity for Eddie Nketiah (3% owned). He replaced an injured Ismalia Sarr last weekend, and with Africa Cup of Nations absences approaching, he might finally get a consistent run of games. He has shown in the past that he is more than capable of scoring goals when given a chance. This could be the time he proves his worth to Oliver Glasner and becomes a reliable forward asset.
Last Weeks VAR Review
| Position | Man of the Match | That’s His Job | On the Bench | Transfer Listed | Did Not Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 7 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| D | 3 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| M | 8 | 4 | 8 | 3 | |
| F | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| Total | 21 | 18 | 22 | 17 | 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
Who are you picking up this week? Do you agree with my suggestions? Or am I way off? Finally, good luck this weekend!
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