Dugout Discussion

Penalty specialists Kane and Granqvist are the Fantasy favourites again

With five converted World Cup penalties and 65 points between them, Harry Kane (£11.2m) and Andreas Granqvist (£5.4m) are being backed to continue their fine form in this afternoon’s quarter-final in Samara.

Kane is the tournament’s current leading goalscorer on six goals and is the second-most bought Fantasy asset of this round, having been drafted in by over 250,000 McDonald’s FIFA managers.

The Tottenham Hotspur striker now features in 43% of Fantasy squads and is the most popular pick in attack.

Kane has been particularly ruthless with his opportunities, scoring his half-dozen goals from just nine shots.

Jesse Lingard‘s (£7.5m) ownership has now passed 20%, while there has also been plenty of Fantasy money for John Stones (£5.9m) and penalty shoot-out hero Jordan Pickford (£5.5m) – despite England not keeping a clean sheet in their four World Cup 2018 matches thus far.

Harry Maguire (£4.9m) looks like an intriguing budget differential: the Leicester City centre-back is in just 5.8% of McDonald’s FIFA squads despite having more penalty box touches than any other defender at the World Cup.

Kieran Trippier (£5.5m), creator of more chances than any other defender at the tournament, features in 13.4% of our sides.

No player has offered better value for money than Granqvist, meanwhile: the Swedish centre-half has returned 5.9 points per million spent.

Sweden’s captain has had six attempts on goal so far, scoring twice from the spot while also keeping three clean sheets.

Viktor Claesson (£5.7m), who delivered attacking returns in all three of his group stage appearances, features in 13.2% of Fantasy squads and is Sweden’s next most-owned player.

Goalkeeper Robin Olsen (£5.2m), who like Granqvist has kept three shut-outs this summer, is included in 9.8% of McDonald’s FIFA teams.

Mikael Lustig (£5.6m) misses out today through suspension.

England XI (3-5-2): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Young, Lingard, Henderson, Dele; Kane, Sterling

Sweden XI (4-4-2): Olsen; Lindelof, Granqvist, Augustinsson, Krafth; Larsson, Ekdal, Forsberg, Claesson; Berg, Toivonen

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839 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Sadio
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Which 6.0 defenders stand out as the best value in FPL thus far?

    1. badgerboy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Mendy imo.

      1. the snazzy viking
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        he would be the first name in my team if I knew he was nailed to start every week

        1. badgerboy
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          Who do you reckon could start ahead of him?

          1. the snazzy viking
            • 7 Years
            5 years, 9 months ago

            Delph, Zinchenko, Laporte can play there

            1. badgerboy
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 9 months ago

              There's talk of Zinchenko heading to Wolves. I agree he probably won't play every game, but who will? All the high end defenders come with some degree of rotation threat in the end.

              1. badgerboy
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 8 Years
                5 years, 9 months ago

                Apart from maybe Azpi.

    2. Norman Conquest
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      just maguire

    3. redbeard
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Robertson Carlos

    4. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Robertson

    5. HurriKane
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Its Coming Home

    6. Differential C (Mark)
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Robertson imo. Bavies an option as well, but rotation will bite.

      1. the snazzy viking
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Robertson looks good but Karius and Trent are also good options for 1m less? is he worth the extra 1m in your opinion?

    7. the snazzy viking
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Alonso and Azpi are better for just 0.5m more

      1. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Alonso certainly won't be if Conte leaves

        1. the snazzy viking
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          I agree, but I'm not certain he will

    8. FPL_ANT
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Robertson, Mendy

    9. Thinkering like a Boss
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Young lad

      1. Flynny
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Mendy

        Robbo also good. ....but I'm looking at karius as 5m fire and forget..

  2. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    I'll probably start with something similar to this

    Pickford Begovic
    Robertson Mendy PVA Cedric Schelotto
    Salah Eriksen Silva Richarlison Stephens
    Aguero Zaha Quaner

    1. badgerboy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      🙂 Got to wait for the pre-season bandwagons! Going 4-4-2?

      1. Limited & Mediocre Mana…
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Looks like it! 4-3-3 seems like an option as well but I don't want to rely on two cheap strikers, and I think Eriksen outscores Firmino in the long run.

  3. Silicon Vialli
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    A: Monreal, Vertonghen, Mane
    B: van Dijk, Mendy, De Bruyne

    1. Silicon Vialli
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Not Mendy, Mee.

      1. Gringo Kid
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        B

        1. super zlatan
          • 13 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          B

  4. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Haters keep hating please!!!!!!!

    The more hate the better England get

    Come on england

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      You just made them worse

      1. Red Dagger ✪
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        It's coming home!!!! (Possibly).

    2. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Will you please STFU.

    3. FPL_ANT
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      An hypothesis such that:
      "The more hate the better England get" must be based on something other than wishful thinking.

      For example in 1986 the opposite happened. Maradonna fuelled by a bottomless hate after the Falklands/Malvinas, basically beat England *ahem* single handedly.

  5. dunas_dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Best forward for 7 m or under

    A Tosun
    B Zaha
    C Arnie
    D Wilson
    E Anyone better?

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      B>Mitrovic?>A>C(bum fixtures)

      1. HamezMace
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        I’ve noticed no one seems to care about West Ham’s first seven games when picking Fabianski

        1. Deulofail
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          Yeah I only want Fab if I can pair him with someone for his bum fixtures (possibly Betilleni)

          1. HamezMace
            • 9 Years
            5 years, 9 months ago

            Begovic pairs fairly well with him, but Fabianski really only has two decent games in his first seven, but is in most RMTs.
            I actually like the new West Ham defender, Diop.

            1. Deulofail
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 9 months ago

              I think with GKs, you don't need easy fixtures. CSs and save points are pretty hard to predict. You just need opposition that isn't almost guaranteed to score! So Everton away and United at home suddenly isn't that bad 😀

              Once you get to 7 games you can downgrade the second 4.5 GK to a 4.0 (whether nailed or not), and stick with the best value keeper int he game!

              But yeah, I initially didn't want Fabianski with those fixtures, and I'll look into other options 🙂

              1. Business Cat
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 9 Years
                5 years, 9 months ago

                This.

                Fabianski was 3rd for points behind DDG and Ederson last season in a cack team.

                Save-points, baps and the odd penalty save are nearly as good as a few more CSs

    2. lugs
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Ayoze Pérez maybe , he finished last season really well

    3. Neves say Neves
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Jiminez/Bonatini?

  6. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Isn't modric on a yellow

    Get that yellow my son

    1. Chandler Bing
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      He isn't

    2. The Polymath
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Nope but Vrsaljko, Brozovic, Corluka, Rakitic, Rebic, Manduzkic, Jedvaj, Pjaca are.

  7. HamezMace
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    What a performance.
    Pickford, Maguire, Tripper, Henderson and Lingard all immense

  8. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Russia XI vs Croatia: Akinfeev; Mario Fernandes, Ignashevich, Kutepov, Kudryashov; Zobnin, Kuzyaev; Samedov, Golovin, Cheryshev; Dzyuba

    Croatia XI vs Russia: Subasic; Vrsaljko, Vida, Lovren, Strinic; Rakitic, Modric; Rebic, Kramaric, Perisic; Mandzukic

    1. the snazzy viking
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Cheryshev please score five

    2. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Cheers Diesel

    3. Point-one short
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Rakitic, Lovren and Modric to all score big please.

      1. Patch
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        1-1 penalties pls

  9. Krafty Werks
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Draft 003 inspired by England's win, think this looks pretty solid a bit like England, any thoughts much appreciated...ta :
    (P.S - It's Coming Home!!)

    Fabianski / McCarthy
    Cedric / Alonso / Daniels / PVA / 4.0 starting def?
    Salah(c) / Eriksen / Jota / Cairney / Masuaku
    Firmino / Aguero / Zaha.

    1. CloudSky
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Should have Pickford.

  10. Christina.
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    fulham 4
    Crawley town 2

    1. HamezMace
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      bet that was a well attended game

      1. Christina.
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        behind closed doors

        lol

  11. the snazzy viking
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    RMT

    obviously 10 out of 10 but just checking

    Pickford Pope
    Trippier Walker Stones Maguire Young
    Sterling Alli Lingard Hendo RLC
    Kane Vardy Rashford

    1. badgerboy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Butland over Pope. 9.9/10

    2. HamezMace
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Think Vardy is injured, but otherwise perfect

    3. Red Dagger ✪
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      My rating goes up to 11... So 11.

      1. redbeard
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        It's one louder innit 😉

        1. Red Dagger ✪
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          Haha! Yup 😉

    4. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Over budget by 6m . . . 🙂

  12. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    I really like Zaha and Tosun at 7.0

    1. Norman Conquest
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      currently have both until gw 3 then will lose 1 for auba

    2. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Bargains

      1. Cok3y5murf
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        No, they're priced just right.

  13. ★Kuntheman★
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Anyone feeling a 5-3-2? This is what mine is looking like:

    Leno (Stekelenburg)
    Alonso Mendy TAA Tarkowski Tomkins
    Salah Sane Deulofeu (Cairney, Stephens)
    Aguero Aubameyang (Quaner)

    1. HamezMace
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      I’m thinking 4-5-1, as I want Kane and Salah

      1. FPL_ANT
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        But not for week 1 surely?

    2. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Started with 5-3-2 last season, worked out very well at the start, but eventually had to switch to 3-5-2 because all the defenders started blanking and plenty of mids started delivering. Midfield has had a lot of gems in the last 2 seasons.

    3. Maddi Son
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Having a mind fart... who is TAA?

      1. Business Cat
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Trent Alexander Arnold

        1. Maddi Son
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          There it is, cheers.

  14. Maddi Son
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Does going heavy at the back pay off very often? Quite like the following:

    De Gea
    Robertson, Alonso, Coleman, Maguire, PVA
    Hazard, Mane, Sane
    Firmino, Zaha

    4.0, Cairney, Deulofeu, 4.5

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      No point paying 5.5 for Deu if you can't fit him in the Starting XI against Brighton. So I would Downgrade a defender to a 4.0 and bench him, and use the money elsewhere. Heavy at the back is a viable tactic, but remember you're investing in individuals not a specific shape 🙂

      1. Maddi Son
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Sorry, the above team is what I regard as my strongest 11.

        Deulofeu will obviously be starting against Brighton and Maguire will obviously be benched.

        1. Deulofail
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          Right, but why not downgrade Maguire to a 4.0-4.5?

  15. ooooo
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    What changes could be made? 0.0mil itb
    Leno
    Robertson Coleman PVA
    Salah Eriksen Mkhi Jota
    Aguero Tosun Zaha

    4.0mil Kiko Stephens Bednarek

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Looks fine. Just not sure about Eriksen until Spurs get back into the swing of things with good fixtures (End of September?)

    2. Sadio
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Well your bench is terrible and I don't rate Jota or Tosun as options.

      1. ooooo
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Yes the bench needs working on but Tosun is viable

        1. Sadio
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          You'll want one of the 9.5 priced strikers, and currently you don't have a great way to get there.

          1. ooooo
            • 6 Years
            5 years, 9 months ago

            instead i have salah though

  16. toxicmango
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Hello all any comments on following sound be appreciated
    Fabianski/speroni
    Kolisanic/Daniel’s/Cedric/Baines/tripper
    Salah/mkhi/lingard/Walcott/stephens
    Quaker/Kane/Jesus

    Taking gamble with mids but Everton’s kind fixtures and mkhi’s a class player and think will do well
    0.5 in bank