Welcome to our regular Friday lunchtime article that looks ahead at the contests offered in FanDuel during the upcoming Gameweek.
Following yesterday’s Weekly Shop analysis, we also provide you with some insight into our strongest selected line-up, offering some guidance when selecting your squads for the weekend.
The weekend’s diminished fixture list means there’s only one window this round in which to enter games.
It covers all four fixtures, starting with the trio of 3pm kick-offs on Saturday and ending with Liverpool’s encounter with Burnley at 4pm on Sunday.
If you’re a newcomer to FanDuel, it’s worth checking out this strategy guide which considers the types of players to target across the positions when choosing a line-up. For now, here’s our current thinking heading into the weekend fixtures.
My Strongest XI
Joel Robles £7.2m
Angel Rangel £6.6m
Jonny Evans £7.2m
Ahmed Elmohamady £7.4m
Kamil Grosicki £7.6m
Manuel Lanzini £8.3m
Philippe Coutinho £12.7m
Gylfi Sigurdsson £13m
Andy Carroll £8.5m
Josh King £8.5m
Romelu Lukaku £12.9m
The Key Picks
We quickly settled on Joel Robles for our goalkeeper’s jersey, with Everton clearly presenting the most likely route to a clean sheet this weekend. The Spanish stopper has kept four shutouts in five starts at Goodison Park, averaging a healthy 18.35 points in FanDuel over those outings.
We tend to target centre-backs with tough opposition in FanDuel as clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI’s) are the key scoring actions for defenders.
This week, though, with several big-hitters to fit in, we’re taking a risk on a pair of budget-friendly full-backs.
The clash at the KCOM Stadium provides both players, and we’re expecting an end-to-end match as the two newest managers in the league go head-to-head.
Kyle Naughton’s injury sustained against Burnley will likely see Angel Rangel find a berth in Paul Clement’s XI. The Spaniard last started back in Gameweek 18 and had maintained a respectable 18.8 point FanDuel average over a four-match run.
Marco Silva utilised the versatile Ahmed Elmohamady as a right-back at the King Power Stadium last time out. Over his last six outings, the Egyptian has registered a healthy 37 CBI’s and created 11 chances.
Swansea City’s Martin Olsson has been making plenty of attacking forays down the left of late in support of Gylfi Sigurdsson, so we’re expecting Elmohamady to be kept busy dealing with that twin threat.
West Brom’s Jonny Evans was a more straightforward pick: we had to select a player from a Baggies backline that will be attempting to silence an in-form Romelu Lukaku. The centre-back has played three matches since returning from injury – recording 22 CBI’s and four tackles. That provided a recent average of 17.5 FanDuel points, and we’re expecting him to exceed that at Goodison Park.
For our next pick, we’ve gone back to Humberside to snap up Hull City’s Kamil Grosicki (£7.6m). Kindly priced for the meeting with Swansea, the Polish winger has recorded back-to-back assists, and since breaking into the Tigers’ line-up, he’s supplied more shots and created more chances than any team-mate.
Bournemouth have conceded 12 goals in their last five matches at the Vitality Stadium, and their obliging defence has convinced us to double on the West Ham attack. Manuel Lanzini appears to have taken over the departed Dimitri Payet’s position as Slaven Bilic’s chief creative force from midfield: the Argentine has scored or assisted 47% of West Ham’s goals since Payet’s departure. Over the last six Gameweeks, Lanzini has scored twice and provided two assists in five starts.
Our next pair of midfielders sit joint top for goal attempts over the last six rounds, with both recording 20 efforts. The pair have a FanDuel average of over 24 points per match and are set-piece specialists for their respective teams, which adds to their appeal for this weekend in particular.
Gylfi Sigurdsson’s trio of goals and four assists in his last six matches make the Icelander an easy selection. Providing the supply line to an in-form Fernando Llorente (£9.4m), the playmaker looks a strong prospect against Hull City, particularly with the Tigers rearguard conceding 37 attempts from set plays over the last six matches – the highest tally on show in that period.
From the Liverpool midfield, we’ve opted for Philippe Coutinho. Twelve of his aforementioned 20 goal attempts have arrived over the last two outings, suggesting that the Brazilian is set for an upturn in form and points output. Again, set-pieces could be a key factor here, with Burnley conceding more chances from dead-ball scenarios (77) than any other side on their travels.
Up front, we’ve gone for a pair of forwards that should provide value in the clash at the Vitality Stadium. Both Bournemouth and West Ham have failed to keep a clean sheet in at least six matches, so we’re expecting goals on the south coast.
Josh King has been the stand-out pick from the Cherries of late, netting five goals from 16 goal attempts in his last six outings. That represents an 80% goal involvement during that period, with spot-kick duties adding to King’s tally and his appeal ahead of the Hammers clash.
Meanwhile, Eddie Howe’s defence has yielded 17 big chances over their last six – the worst of any side. To compound matters, they are likely to be without skipper Simon Francis, while Tyrone Mings is serving a five-match suspension. That has to bring Andy Carroll into the frame. The Hammers frontman earned a full run-out in the Monday night encounter with Chelsea and with four goals in as many outings prior to being sidelined, he contributed a strong 25.8-point average in FanDuel during that spell.
Only Harry Kane has tallied more goals (14) at home than Romelu Lukaku (10) this term. While the four goals he scored against Bournemouth constitute almost half those returns, it also highlights the Belgian’s explosive potential. A 47.5-point average in FanDuel over his last four home matches means it will be a gutsy and perhaps foolhardy decision to go without the Toffees forward this Gameweek.
This Week’s Contests
While there may only be one window to enter contests, there are several different types of games to consider this weekend.
The main prize pot available can be found in the £2,500 Fan Favourite, which asks for £5 entry fee per line-up. First place returns £500 in this contest, with the top 120 of 588 entries receiving a payout.
The £1000 Big Double Up game has a £10 buy-in with 50 players scooping the £20 prize. There’s also the £750 Golden Goal contest – nine of the 44 participants win money and it’s £20 to enter.
You can register for a free account at FanDuel via this link.
You must be over 18 years of age, resident in the UK, and of legal capacity to register with FanDuel and open an Account. If you sign up, always play responsibly.
