Wildcard fever took hold this week, with many in the community choosing to deploy this crucial chip in anticipation of back-to-back double Gameweeks.
Our Hot Topic posters were on hand to offer advice and crunch numbers on differentials, team form and whether players are already prioritising their summer holidays over Premier League action.
There was further insight into the key numbers behind those teams with the busiest schedule in our Members table section, which also looked at clinical finishers and goal scorers who could be set for a downturn.
Finally, we round off with a look at those who will be hoping that their canny use of chips will keep them at the top of our community competitions.
The Hottest Topics
There has been a wealth of advice among Hot Topic posters over the week for those wildcarding in anticipation of the double fixture blitz in Gameweeks 36 and 37.
Andy85wsm opened up a ‘rate my wildcard team’ surgery for those still with this chip in play, and also kicked off a discussion on players that might be best avoided as they are seemingly already on the beach with the season drawing to a close.
Whether a team is already dreaming of sunnier destinations is one of three key factors, also including form and fixtures, built into my wildcard algorithm. This is designed to be flexible to suit each manager’s particular views on team motivation.
Despite offering four matches in two Gameweeks, Arsenal players performed poorly compared with those from teams with a less hectic schedule when I ran their numbers through the algorithm. Nevertheless, Enzo the Baker wonders whether doubling up on their key midfield stars, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, could prove a shrewd move in Gameweek 36. Rainy followed this up with a stat attack to show why the Chilean should be fielded up front.
Staying in north London, The Fantasy Freak has been pondering which of Tottenham’s key midfield assets – Dele Alli or Christian Eriksen – to acquire on his Wildcard. With superior underlying statistics, he currently favours the Dane.
To ensure that those who have already deployed their Wildcard do not miss out on this week’s squad refit, AZ launched a hot topic specifically for them on tackling the double Gameweeks.
Whether armed with a Wildcard or not, finding a high-performing differential for the final three Gameweeks is key for those looking to march up their mini-leagues.
As our latest rough with the smooth round-up showed, low-owned players can significantly boost overall rank, particularly for those who invested in Gameweek 35’s differential double-digit points scorers such as the 2.3%-owned Emre Can of Liverpool, or Chelsea winger Pedro, who sits in just 7.2% of teams.
For those playing Sky’s Fantasy game, the opportunity to draft in a handy differential is fast running out, according to Disable’s latest post on how many transfers the high fliers and average players alike have left.
To view all our discussions, please visit our Hot Topics page. We are also still keen to hear from you about how this can be further developed.
The Members Tables
Giggs Boson has been looking at goal scorers with a sustainable conversion rate, as well as those who are currently defying the odds and could be set for a dip in form.
Clinical finishers are the focus of FPL Virgin’s latest table, while I’ve been casting my eye over the numbers of those playing for this week’s double Gameweek teams, Southampton and Arsenal.
If you’re a member and are yet to get to grips with the custom statistics tables, you can view this movie for an explanation of how they work. Also, remember to tag them so that people can find the tables with ease.
The Community Tournaments
Scott Finnigan retains the lead in Red Lightning’s Top 10K Any Season, while in his January to May league, Ruth NZ replaces Aneesh Kamat at the summit.
Over in the FFS Members league, Eirek Jokerud remains top. But the FFScout main league has a new leader, with Mervyn Glasgow taking over from Mohammad Bahnassy.
Mervyn is sixth in the world and just 28 points behind overall leader Uwais Ahmed.
In TorresMagic’s Last Man Standing, the safety score was 52, which saw 17 players depart and 16 remain. This Gameweek is the semi-final where the top four, or equal, will make the final.
It remains close at the top of the FFScout Moderators and Contributors. Second-placed Torres Magic has closed the gap with leader Mark to 17 points thanks to a 63-point score from his Gameweek 35 wildcard.
In my Millionaires Club, for those on the wrong side of the top one million mark in Gameweek 12, Gilles Wanlin clings on to the lead, with Tim Baildam only 11 points behind in second.
If you are running a community tournament and would like the latest scores included in future Community Round-Ups, please email me a brief summary of the current leaders and a link to your league, spreadsheet or head-to-head competition at jonty@fantasyfootballscout.co.uk.
