As we’ve mentioned previously, our approach to the weekly games is slightly different this year. Armed with an opening pot of £100 for each game, I’ve been tasked with turning that cash into profit and will be updating you on my progress every Friday.

There’s plenty of teams with a promising fixture on paper this week – fortunately in PlayON up to five teams are allowed in each of the free pots and unlimited entries in paid games over the weekend allowing plenty of combinations to be tested. The front two spots are usually a good place to build the team from and with Sergio Aguero (£15.0m), Christian Benteke (£11.7m) and Diego Costa (£14.4m) all playing at home against Watford, West Ham and Crystal Palace respectively they are difficult to overlook, as are their attack minded midfield team-mates.

As mentioned in our midweek Weekly Shop article, there are, however, cheaper in-form options also vying for a spot. Callum Wilson’s (£7.8m) hat-trick at Upton Park could be the start of a run with gung-ho Leicester City up next. Stoke’s Mame Diouf (£9.1m) is also tempting after scoring in back-to-back outings – his form at home also bodes well as West Brom visit the Britannia.

In midfield and defence there’s also many enticing options, not just from those top teams with decent home fixtures. Arsenal midfielders could prosper on the counter against Newcastle and look worthy of investment alongside more budget picks from the likes of Bournemouth and Stoke on the fringes once funds are tight.

The Bottom Line

Another weekend of results that have left me with the feeling I’m treading water as I try to build the pot back up. Winnings of £3.06 almost offset my stake leaving the pot at £82.66, down only £0.24. Patience should hopefully pay off in the long run and I plan to stick with the strategy of low-fee entries and free games for another week, though I’m also entering a few more head-to-heads than usual.

This Week’s Stake

Weekly – The usual five entries go into the £100 guaranteed free game. I’ve gone for two head-to-heads for £1.65 and entered a team in the £1.10 entry game for a £100 pot.

Daily – There’s no Monday night game this week but five teams go in the Saturday and Sunday £25 freerolls. I’ve also entered three head-to-heads on Saturday for a total of £3.57.

Weekly Stake – £6.32
Current Balance – £76.34

As a PlayON Pro it’s possible for you to challenge me one-on-one in all three timeframes this week, these games are not included in the £100 challenge and operate separately. You can also take on other PlayON Pros, current FPL champion Simon March and OptaJoe.

PlayON also have other guaranteed games ahead of the Gameweek 4 deadline. There’s a 200 player, £1,000 Guaranteed game, which requires a £5 entry free, or a 25 player, £500 Guaranteed game, which you can enter for £20.

If you’ve finished tinkering with your Fantasy Premier League team, why not head on over to PlayON to get involved.