We’re just a few hours away from Saturday’s Premier League action so it’s time to think about sorting a team in with a shot at winning €20,000.
That’s the first prize on offer from FanTeam‘s €100,000 GPP contest, which involves selecting a seven-man team from today’s four matches.
The fixtures kick off at lunchtime with Watford vs. Leicester City, before Brighton host Arsenal, West Ham take on Wolves and the day is rounded off with Bournemouth entertaining Crystal Palace.
Choosing seven players from those eight teams is straightforward enough, but there are a few FanTeam rules that will add an extra Fantasy challenge, particularly for those managers brought up on a diet of FPL.
We’ll get into all of that as we detail the picks we’ve gone for in pursuit of that €20,000 jackpot.
First up, defenders from a couple of the league’s tighter backlines.
Crystal Palace notched up three consecutive clean sheets prior to the shutdown, and Patrick van Aanholt (5.9m) also scored the winner in one of those matches.
As a result, the Dutch full-back is a very competitive price, especially as there are some defenders out there with 7.6m by their names – we’re looking at you, Ben Chilwell.
Meanwhile, Matt Doherty (7.5m) is only just cheaper than his Leicester City counterpart, but there’s too much going for him to be ignored.
He’s in form, with a goal and two assists from his last three outings, and so is his team – Wolves have kept clean sheets in four of their last five matches.
They travel to West Ham, who have failed to score in two of their last four fixtures, so a Wolves defender looks like a strong pick. Just be aware that if you’re thinking of doubling up on Nuno Espirito Santo’s defence, the Stacking Penalty rule is in place, meaning you’ll score fewer points for every extra defender you have from the same team.
If Wolves don’t keep things clean defensively, then Michail Antonio (6.6) might have something to do with it.
The bustling midfielder had been used by Hammers boss David Moyes in a more advanced role pre-lockdown, as his 15 touches in the penalty area across his last two starts testify.
He also notched a goal and an assist in that mini-spell.
Another key rule that marks FanTeam out from FPL is Pursuit Mode, which rewards managers who bring their team in significantly under budget.
You have 83.7m to spend on your seven players – more than enough to pick anyone you want.
But the cheaper your team, the more points you’re awarded as a head start, with each hundred thousand you save worth 0.04 in bonus. That adds up across seven transfers, and it’s why we’ve gone for bargain-basement Brighton man Solly March (6.2m) in our midfield.
He’s had 13 attempts over his last four matches, level with some major midfield big hitters such as Mohamed Salah, and will face an Arsenal defence that is both leaky and riddled with injury.
Graham Potter roulette might mean March doesn’t get the nod, although he has started three of the last four fixtures. If so, FanTeam‘s Safety Net feature means he’ll automatically be replaced by the teammate who plays in the same position and who is of comparative (but cheaper) value.
Up front, we’ve spent fairly heavily on Troy Deeney (7.9m) and Jamie Vardy (10.3m), who will go head-to-head in the game at Vicarage Road.
Both strikers are their team’s designated penalty takers, which could be a factor as Leicester are joint-top for spot-kicks conceded this season, with seven, and Watford are just one behind them on six.
The captaincy, meanwhile, will be handed to Wolves frontman Raul Jimenez (9.3m). He’s scored twice in his last three outings, during which he’s recorded a league-leading 13 attempts.
As skipper, Jimenez costs twice as much, but brings in double points. Vice-captains cost 1.5x and score 1.5x the points, so we’ve saved a bit of cash by handing that honour to van Aanholt.
Overall, our team comes in at 66m, which means we’ll start this afternoon’s action with a tidy 7.08-point head start.
For any newcomers tempted to test their skill today, if you sign up to FanTeam today and deposit €20, you’ll get a free €20 entry to this €100,000 Premier League Main Event.
Double Gameweek 30+ FPL Lessons Learned
- Aston Villa 0-0 Sheffield United
- Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal
- Norwich City 0-3 Southampton
- Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Manchester United
- Watford 1-1 Leicester City
- Brighton and Hove Albion 2-1 Arsenal
- West Ham United 0-2 Wolves
- Bournemouth 0-2 Crystal Palace
- Newcastle United 3-0 Sheffield United
- Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea
- Everton 0-0 Liverpool
- Manchester City 5-0 Burnley
3 years, 10 months agoMorning.
Did FPL forget to turn price changes on?