Midweek fixtures call for a revisit to our partner game FanDuel to cast an eye over their contests and the prizes offered.
As usual, we’ll also run through our Strongest XI to provide some tips on player selection.
Our FanDuel Survivor contest claimed its first set of victims at the weekend, but those who progressed can find their teams in the ‘Upcoming’ section of the lobby. The winner of the opening round was Talkative, whose squad scored 269.5 points. Cesc Fabregas was his stand-out pick with 58 points.
Once again there are three windows in which you can enter line-ups this Gameweek.
The full ten-fixture slate begins tonight, with three matches at 7.45pm and Manchester United hosting Everton at 8pm.
The Wednesday window sees a larger share of the action. There’s four kick-offs at the 7.45pm deadline, followed by the clash of the round as Manchester City travel to Chelsea. That, and Bournemouth’s visit to Anfield, kick off at 8pm.
If you’re a newcomer to Fanduel, it’s worth checking out our pre-season strategy guide for further hints on how to build a line-up.
My Strongest XI
Ben Foster £6.8m
James Collins £6m
Mason Holgate £7.2m
Simon Francis £7.6m
Sam Clucas £6.4m
Wilfried Zaha £8.4m
Philippe Coutinho £11.7m
Dele Alli £11.7m
Divock Origi £9.8m
Jamie Vardy £10m
Alexis Sanchez £13.1m
The Key Picks
Nine clean sheets were kept at the weekend and there are several tempting options in goal for this round as well. We’ve settled on West Bromwich’s Ben Foster after Tony Pulis’ side turned in a typically stubborn display in the goalless stalemate at Old Trafford. The ten points on offer to goalkeepers for shut-outs in FanDuel contributed to Foster’s healthy 19.5 point score. The Baggies travel to Vicarage Road with save points looking likely – their keeper sits fourth for saves on the road (50).
All three of our defenders face tough away trips – ideal situations for picking up the clearances, blocks and interceptions that are key for bringing in FanDuel points.
West Ham’s James Collins is set to start again with stalwart Winston Reid ruled out. At the Emirates we’re expecting the veteran defender to exceed the 13.6-point average he’s accrued over his last four starts and his kind price-tag also frees up funds for the rest of our backline.
Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s return has drawn our attention as the Swede should mean plenty of work for the Everton rearguard. Mason Holgate is our pick here – the versatile defender scored 21.75 points last time out in the Merseyside derby, including six tackles won.
While we wanted to fit in Bournemouth’s Steve Cook for the clash with Liverpool, an £8.7m price-tag proved prohibitive. We’ve gone for his more budget-friendly partner at centre-back, Simon Francis, who has registered 30 clearances and ten successful tackles over his last six starts and should be kept busy at Anfield.
We weren’t entirely convinced by our next pick, but Hull City’s Sam Clucas at least serves as an ‘enabler’ to allow investment in more reliable options elsewhere. Marco Silva will be targeting a crucial win as Middlesbrough roll up to the KCOM Stadium, and the Tigers’ midfielder has a reasonable 16-point FanDuel average over his last four appearances, which includes a goal and 12 tackles won.
A goal and assist combination at Chelsea has helped Wilfried Zaha average 23.3 points over his last four matches for Crystal Palace. The winger will be supplying Christian Benteke, whose confidence should be boosted after also notching at Stamford Bridge. Zaha has drawn 11 fouls (worth 0.5 points apiece in FanDuel) over his last two outings and his pace should cause problems against an inconsistent Southampton.
We again turn to Dele Alli as our Spurs midfielder of choice, with spot-kick duties and some blistering form enough to earn him a spot for their Liberty Stadium trip. Alli’s three goals and a pair of assists over the last four has provided an impressive 34.9 points average in FanDuel. Opponents Swansea City have conceded the most goals (30) at home this season, leaking three or more in six of their 15 matches in front of their own fans.
Sadio Mane’s injury has increased Philippe Coutinho’s appeal as Liverpool welcome a Bournemouth outfit that conceded six goals to Everton on their previous trip to Merseyside. The Brazilian has tallied 13 chances and nine shots on target over his last six outings, producing a pair of goals and an assist.
Our front three all look set to prosper from favourable home fixtures. Mane’s absence provides Liverpool forward Divock Origi with another chance to prove his worth. A well-taken goal against Everton at the weekend followed back-to-back assists at Anfield in his previous two appearances at home.
Next up, Jamie Vardy looks under-priced on this slate considering a dismal Sunderland visit the King Power Stadium. The Foxes front-man is finally reproducing last season’s form, netting three goals and serving up a couple of assists in the four league matches since Craig Shakespeare took the reins. The Black Cats have been obliging opponents this term, conceding 17 goals in their previous eight road trips.
Although Alexis Sanchez failed to contribute attacking returns in the draw with Manchester City, Arsenal’s chief threat still scored 21.75 FanDuel points. That’s helped maintain the Chilean’s position at the top of the FanDuel leaderboard by quite a margin – he’s averaged 31.73 points per match this season. West Ham visit having conceded 155 goal attempts from inside the box in away trips. Only Burnley (169) and Sunderland (170) have yielded more.
This Week’s Contests
The window covering all ten fixtures involves the £1,500 Tuesday Trophy game, which has a £3 fee per entry. First place returns £200 and the top 145 of 588 potential entries receive a pay-out.
For the Tuesday-only window there’s a £350 special, which is £4 to enter. The top 23 of 103 places win money, with £80 going to the winner.
On Wednesday there’s another £1,500 contest, which also has a £200 top prize. Again, it’s a £3 entry fee, with 145 of 588 participants gaining returns.
For those who entered our FanDuel Survivor tournament, be sure to check your team’s progress ahead of the next round. Round two line-ups will be available from Thursday.
You can register for a free account at FanDuel via this link.
