FanDuel Focus – Gameweek 9

Welcome to our regular Friday lunchtime article looking at FanDuel’s Contests and key player picks.

This weekend there are three deadlines for entering FanDuel line-ups. Bournemouth host Spurs in the early Saturday kick-off on Saturday, the first encounter in the full ten-fixture slate.

The late swap function comes into its own for this contest, allowing us to remove any non-starters, right up until each kick-off – so you can monitor the teamsheets ahead of Saturday’s 3pm matches and shuffle your line-up accordingly.

There are also separate Saturday and Sunday slates on offer.

The Saturday only contests begin at 3pm, while line-ups for Sunday’s two fixtures must be submitted prior to the 1.30pm kick-off at the Etihad.

To get started with FanDuel, register for a free account 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 miss out on a cash prize.

If you’re new to the game, we have an invaluable strategy guide available that examines which players to target in the various positions, based on the average scores they would have accrued if the FanDuel scoring was applied to last season.

Also, a reminder that FanDuel are sponsoring our latest Fantasy Football Scout Cup, which gets underway with the Qualifying Round in Gameweek 11.

There is more than £1,000 worth of prizes to win plus FanDuel are also offering £10 free credit to UK entrants that register. More information about the FFS Cup and how to enter can be found here.

Let’s now take a look at my chosen XI ahead of those weekend contests…

My Team

Petr Cech £7.2m
Jose Holebas £6.7m
Eric Bailly £6.9m
Virgil Van Dijk £8.2m
Victor Moses £5.8m
Leroy Sane £6.5m
Joe Allen £8.6m
Dimitri Payet £13.2m
Roberto Firmino £10.7m
Theo Walcott £9.7m

Key Picks

It’s difficult to look beyond Arsenal’s Petr Cech as our pick between the posts. Shut-outs appear likely to be thin on the ground on this weekend’s slate, but Arsenal’s prospects against Middlesbrough at the Emirates look very strong.

The Gunners gained a fifth clean sheet in six matches across all competitions in their midweek Champions League tie, again an indication of their improved resilience. Furthermore, Middlesborough visit the Emirates having made only 32 attempts over the last four Gameweeks, only Hull City (27) have mustered fewer.

Watford’s Jose Holebas has been one of the standout defenders of late, scoring the winner against ‘Boro last time out following an assist at Bournemouth. On corners and free-kicks, the Greek has averaged 21.75 FanDuel points this term, registering more attempts on goal than any other defender (13). The Hornets asset also has a healthy amount of points from tackles won (13) as well as clearances, blocks and interceptions (57) ahead of the trip to the Liberty Stadium.

Eric Bailly makes the lineup based on his propensity for averting danger for Manchester United. The Frenchman’s 51 clearances is far more than any of his team-mates, while 29 interceptions is the third most in the league for defenders this campaign.

The centre-back will need to be alert on the road against a Chelsea side that have created the most efforts from set plays (46) and in the box (88) this season – a busy Bailly should guarantee us points.

Another centre-back who is likely to be kept on his toes away from home comforts is the Saints’ Virgil Van Dijk. The Dutchman has contributed 96 CBI’s overall thus far, second only to Hull City’s Curtis Davies (127) and Burnley’s Ben Mee (104).

A trip to the joint top goal scorers Manchester City, could well see the centre-back equal or even better the 27 FanDuel points he accrued facing Burnley last weekend.

Chelsea appear far more fluent at both ends of the pitch since adopting Antonio Conte’s preferred 3-4-3 formation; it’s certainly given Victor Moses a chance to resurrect his career for the Blues.

He’s registered a pair of shots on target, three fouls drawn and a couple of chances created since taking up the wing-back role on the right. Ten defensive actions over those two starts is another promising sign and indication that he represents good value ahead of Manchester United’s visit to Stamford Bridge.

We’ll be sure to check the teamsheets on Sunday with our next pick in mind.

Leroy Sane made his first start for Manchester City against Everton last weekend and, having been preserved in midweek at Barcelona, we feel he’s in line to start again when Southampton pay visit. If the German does make the City XI, he could provide excellent value: he created a chance, made four tackles and notched a shot on target to pick up a score of 17.5 points in the encounter with the Toffees.

Joe Allen‘s recent form has propelled him up the FanDuel midfielder leaderboard. The Stoke City asset now sits among the top five midfielders this season with an average of 29.13 FanDuel points per match.

The ex-Liverpool player has grown into the number ten role – even without the four goals in three matches, his underlying numbers are hugely impressive. With 11 chances created, 15 tackles won and 28 clearances, blocks and interceptions, it’s clear that Allen’s industry and creativity are now key to the Potters. Allen will be part of a Stoke side that will be hoping for a second straight win as they visit a woeful Hull outfit that have conceded 17 goals in four matches.

West Ham’s fortunes may just be revived after a victory at Crystal Palace last time out, which paves the way for Dimitri Payet to deliver.

The Frenchman looks to be living up to his substantial FanDuel price tag after creating the most chances in the league over the last four Gameweeks. Payet’s long-range efforts could also be an effective weapon against a Sunderland side that have conceded 44 chances from outside the box away from home; only Hull City have allowed as many. He has recorded two scores in FanDuel of over 40 points in his last three outings at the London Stadium and we’re backing him for another bumper return on Saturday.

With budget saved elsewhere in midfield, we’ve been able to squeeze in the talent of Kevin De Bruyne.

The City playmaker was sidelined against Spurs but returned for the draw with Everton and, aside from his missed penalty, he impressed once again, creating four chances and firing in eight goal attempts. An average of 39.3 FanDuel points over his last four league outings was enough to convince us to find a way to include the talented midfielder.

Theo Walcott was a straightforward inclusion based on recent form, having struck eight goals across ten matches in all competitions. Over the last four Gameweeks, only Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (19) has had more attempts than the Arsenal forward (18). As we mentioned in the Weekly Shop, Walcott is also tracking back, making 13 tackles (worth two points apiece) this term.

We complete the team with a player who has flourished for Liverpool of late. Roberto Firmino offers us a sound all-round investment in attack having scored three goals and served up two assists in five outings. The Brazilian has created 21 chances, more than any other forward this season, a trait that will be vital at Anfield against a robust West Brom defence.

This Week’s Games

The Saturday and Sunday timeframe has the biggest pot of the weekend, the £6000 Fan Favourite contest which has a £5 buy-in and a £600 first-place prize.

There’s also our Fantasy Football Scout challenge; it’s £1 to enter with a guaranteed pot of £150 on offer.

The main game for the Saturday only slate is a £1500 special, it has a £3 entry fee with £200 going for first place.

There’s a £777 contest for Sunday, which has a £7 entry-fee, the deadline is 1.30pm but, as with all contests, the late swap function is available for the players you select in the later kick-off.

You can 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.