Our regular Friday lunchtime article dives into FanDuel‘s weekend contests and puts forward our pitch for the strongest XI.
There are three contest entry deadlines on FanDuel this weekend.
Saturday’s early 12.30pm kick-off at Old Trafford marks the lock-down for the contests that cover all ten fixtures.
Remember, with the recently implemented late-swap function it’s now possible to consult the teamsheets and address any non-starters in your line-ups, right up until their matches kick-off.
The Saturday only contests begin at 3pm and there’s also a Sunday to Monday slate that includes the two fixtures across those days.
To get started with FanDuel, register for a free account via this link.
When you sign up, enter the promocode “SCOUT” and FanDuel will refund your first paid entry fee, up to £10, as free entry credit if you don’t win cash.
To help out new players, we have a strategy guide available that examines the types of players to target across the various positions, based on the average scores they would have accrued if the scoring was applied to the 2015/16 season.
Now let’s look at my best XI for the weekend…
Claudio Bravo – £7m
Seamus Coleman – £6.2m
Jordi Amat – £6.5m
Wes Morgan – £7.4m
Nacer Chadli – £5.3m
Etienne Capoue – £9m
Philippe Coutinho – £13.5m
Kevin De Bruyne – £16.3m
Vincent Janssen – £6m
Romelu Lukaku – £10.1m
Roberto Firmino – £10.7m
Key Picks
Manchester City’s Claudio Bravo remains our prime candidate for the goalkeeper slot this week.
The ex-Barca shot-stopper notched 18.5 FanDuel points as he picked up a first Premier League shut-out against Bournemouth last time out. The seemingly unstoppable league leaders travel to the Liberty to take on Swansea City for the second time this week; the £7m for Bravo seems a very modest outlay.
If you’re willing to spend more and looking to target save points over a potential clean sheet, then Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford presents a very viable candidate.
Available for £7.2m, the Black Cats keeper has made 20 saves (worth three points each in FanDuel) in his three outings this term, including eight in the last round at White Hart Lane. Opponents Crystal Palace are without Scott Dann in defence which could reduce their goal threat significantly given that he’s amassed more penalty area efforts than any other Eagles player.
I tend to target dominant centre-backs in my FanDuel line-ups, but I’ve made an exception here due to Seamus Coleman‘s bargain price-tag.
A trip to the Bournemouth should see the Toffees full-back pick up points at both ends of the pitch, with confidence high having claimed a first goal of the campaign against Middlesbrough.
Swansea City were squeezed by Manchester City in the EFL Cup and face them again in the league this weekend. Centre-back Jordi Amat will likely be tasked with keeping Sergio Aguero contained on his return from suspension and he’s set to face wave upon wave of attacks. The Spaniard made 13 clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI’s) at Southampton last time out and is surely set to be kept busy against Pep Guardiola’s buoyant league leaders.
Leicester City travel to Old Trafford in the early kick-off on Saturday, with Jose Mourinho desperately seeking a win to restore some confidence in the Manchester United camp. We’re expecting the Foxes goal to be under siege from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and an in-form Marcus Rashford, which should see Claudio Ranieri’s back four hoover up the points from defensive actions. An ideal scenario for defenders in FanDuel, with Wes Morgan likely to claim a big score.
West Brom’s Nacer Chadli was the top scoring player on FanDuel last weekend with a hugely impressive 66.5 points, made up of a brace of goals and assists. The Baggies now visit a Stoke City side in a dismal run of form, opening the way for the raiding Belgian to fill his boots with another haul. At just £5.3m, the former Spurs man just can’t be ignored as a cheap midfield option.
With Kevin De Bruyne around, we need to save those pennies.
Even with his hefty £16.3m price tag, it’s difficult to overlook the City schemer given the form he has displayed so far this season. A goal and assist against Bournemouth last time out helped contribute to his best FanDuel tally of the campaign (66.25 points), that followed a score of 50.5 points in Gameweek 4. De Bruyne looks essential.
I’ve plumped for Etienne Capoue to fill a midfield slot once again, as the Frenchman continues to defy logic with his early season form.
His versatility and advanced role for Watford makes him well-suited to FanDuel’s scoring, contributing both attacking and defensive returns. Having registered 22 CBI’s, 10 tackles and five chances created, in addition to his four goals, Capoue ticks all the boxes ahead of Monday night’s trip to Burnley.
Tottenham’s Heung-Min Son made last week’s top four midfielders for FanDuel points per million, earning the South Korean a sharp price rise from £5.3m to £9m.
We’re expecting a similar jump for Vincent Janssen next week following news that Harry Kane faces an extended stint on the sidelines. A penalty in the rout of Gillingham should have settled the Dutchman ahead of the trip to the Riverside Stadium and for just £6.0m, he’s a gamble we just can’t refuse. Spurs created 31 chances against Sunderland last weekend.
Romelu Lukaku followed up a hat-trick in Gameweek 4 with a feather-touch strike against ‘Boro last time out. The in-form Toffee also provided an assist and has created eight chances so far this term, illustrating just how pivotal he is to Everton’s attacking ploys.
His opponents Bournemouth have looked very vulnerable this season, conceding more big chances (15) than any other side. That appears to give Lukaku another platform to further his goal tally and justify that £10.1m price tag.
Only Everton and Manchester City have had more shots on target than Liverpool this season. With so many viable options on offer in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield, I’ve eventually decided on Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino.
The latter’s 14 chances created makes him the most inventive option in Klopp’s side, while Coutinho’s propensity to strike efforts from range always promises points from shots and goals.
This Week’s Contests
The all-weekend contest boasts the biggest pot on offer: there’s £6,000 available in Fan Favourite contest, which has a £5 buy-in and a £600 first-place prize.
There’s also a £25 free-to-play game on offer which covers the full slate: an ideal contest for newcomers to test out the FanDuel format.
The main contest for the Saturday only slate is a £1000 special. It has a £3 entry fee with £100 on offer for the winner. The deadline is 3pm, with late swap available of 5.30pm kick-off at the Emirates.
There is another special available for the Sunday/Monday slate – this has £777 prize pot guaranteed and a £7 buy-in.
Register for a free account at FanDuel via this link.
When you sign up, enter the promo code “SCOUT” and FanDuel will refund your first paid entry fee, up to £10, as free entry credit if you don’t win cash.
