Dugout Discussion

Man United and Villa audition for Blanks and Doubles at Old Trafford

Fantasy Premier League managers will have eagle eyes on Old Trafford in Gameweek 17 as Manchester United and Aston Villa go under the microscope.

The two teams were recently confirmed as having three matches across Blank Gameweek 18 and Double Gameweek 19 – increasing interest in their key assets.

A large majority of the community are currently in possession of talismanic figures Bruno Fernandes (£11.2m) and Jack Grealish (£7.7m) but this is an opportunity to look beyond the obvious.

Marcus Rashford (£9.5m) features in what looks like a two-man strike-force in front of a midfield diamond, having scored more goals in the last four matches than Fernandes (four to three).

Anthony Martial (£8.7m) holds onto his centre-forward berth as Edinson Cavani (£7.8m) embarks on his three-game ban, although the Uruguayan will only miss one Premier League outing.

Eric Bailly (£4.9m) sits next to Harry Maguire (£5.4m) in defence once again, in light of Victor Lindelöf‘s (£4.8m) most recent injury while Luke Shaw (£4.8m) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£5.3m) are on the left and right of the back-four.

Fantasy managers are not short on alternative options at Villa either, not least because Anwar El Ghazi (£5.8m) has outscored Grealish by 42 points to 19 over the last four matches.

He features on the left-hand side of Dean Smith’s attacking midfield trio at Old Trafford, joined there by Grealish and Bertrand Traoré (£5.9m), who has three attacking returns since Gameweek 14.

There is still no Ross Barkley (£5.9m) in the matchday squad but the defence has reset to normal, with Tyrone Mings (£5.4m) coming straight back into the team following his Gameweek 16 suspension.

Manchester United XI: De Gea; Shaw, Maguire, Bailly, Wan-Bissaka; McTominay; Pogba, Fred; B Fernandes; Rashford, Martial.

Aston Villa XI: Martínez; Targett, Mings, Konsa, Cash; McGinn, D Luiz; El Ghazi, Grealish, B Traoré; Watkins.

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1,932 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    27 from Bruno, Soucek & Coufal! What a start to 2021!

    1. Luton_Fan
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Nice

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Very lucky, but very nice!

    3. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      24 here! Bruno, Soucek and Martinez.

      1. Champions League Varane
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Me too

    4. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Benched Coufal but still 33 points in the bank and Captain Arry to go

      1. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        not bad with 5 played

  2. Luton_Fan
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Luton's match with QPR and bristol city's game with Brentford have both been postponed. Luton played Bristol City in their last match.

  3. Salah’s Sonnet
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    One penalty for Fernandes, 3 bonus points.

    Is anything else more certain apart from death & taxes?

    1. Granville
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Best player on the field.

      1. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        thought Grealish was better

  4. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Bruno cappers seem like the winners already

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Have all the games of the GW been played already? Behind closed doors type of thing?

      1. Luton_Fan
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        It might be u known, the way this covid is spreading

        1. Luton_Fan
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          know*

      2. OverTinker
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        "seem"

      3. Granville
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        That's what I thought last gameweek and Kane and Son had their game postponed.

        1. brianutd-why always we? 20
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          One reason why I captained Bruno as the game was definitely on

    2. Podge
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Didn’t look like it for a long stretch there

    3. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      OR#1 knows

  5. MikeS
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    How did grealish look, worth keeping??

    1. FPL_Motty
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Created about 8 chances, another brilliant performance

      1. MikeS
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Thanks mate, worth keeping then

    2. Podge
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yep sorry I removed him

    3. Luton_Fan
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Guy is sensational. Juventus should sign him

  6. gooberman
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Penalties suck really. Bruno 1 strike from the penalty spot, 10pts. They should change the points allocation for penalties. Either award less points for penalty goals scored or award less bps points.

    1. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Nah

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      It’ll always be screwed up, but they’ll never change it. If anything it’ll go more ridiculous

    3. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      less baps for pens would solve it

    4. I Must Break You
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Or you could just transfer in players who take a lot of pens

      1. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Yeah what an exciting one dimensional game that would be. Great suggestion. I have Bruno but I will still argue as I have done for years that penalties are cheap points and should have less points awards attached to them.

        1. I Must Break You
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          For sure fewer BPS. I'll give you that.

    5. Muchentuchel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      So wins that came from penalties should only give 2 points instead of 3?

      1. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Yes. Either that or the bps weighting for goals scored from a pen is less so instead of 18 for a midfielder it's only 12.

    6. Luton_Fan
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      He could have missed

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        This

    7. Granville
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      He was the best player on the park. A proper bonus points system would have given him the maximum

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Pogba was

      2. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        I would argue that Grealish was but it's not the point. Yes Bruno had a good game but the simple fact remains is that he has basically earned 8pts from scoring a penalty which I think is wrong.

        1. WE GO FOR IT
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          If scoring a goal gives BAPS, Martial would've had 3 as strikers get more BAPs for scoring goals.

      3. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Not sure what point you are trying to make here. The bonus point system is what it is. It rewards goals, assists and clean sheets etc. Bruno was awarded 18 bps for scoring a pen which I think is wrong.

        Also you have been around here long enough to appreciate that the current bps system is the most fair one we have had so I'm not sure what you mean by a 'proper bonus point system'. You can't seriously be suggesting we should go back to the blind man in the stand system that awarded Ferguson of Birmingham 3pts every game!

    8. WE GO FOR IT
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Why though? You could argur taking a penalty is even more stressful as you're expected to score. Especially in games like these.

      And if you've seen the game and think it's just 1 striker which has given him the bonus, I have nothing to say. He had the most chances created in the game. Could've had 1/2 assists as well.

      Instead of asking for rule changes, its better to play to the rules and get players who benefit from the rules as they are.

      1. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Ok. I will explain it in simple terms. Regardless of how well he played, if he had not have scored the pen, his total bps score would have been 16 so completely out of the bonus pts which all translates to 2pts instead of 10.

        1. WE GO FOR IT
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          It is. And that's how it works. If Rashford has the goal, he could've ended up with 3 bonus maybe or Grealish.El Ghazi for Villa. Goals and assists are rewarded and penalties give players an additional route to get those. So, you're better of picking players who take pens, increasing the chances of you getting more points.

          And how is a penalty different from a normal goal. You can't really say a penalty desrves less BAPs. Today was a case where the penalty got 8 points. But it will happen many times than the pentalty scorer doesn't get BAPs. It all depends on how the other players do as well.

          Also, The fact that he was on 16 BAPs before the pentalty is the reason he got the bonus. If Rashfors had scored that, his BAPS would've only been 4+18 = 22. He wouldn't have got the bonus points at all as Traore was on 25.

    9. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      The fact it wasn’t even a penalty is worse.

      1. gooberman
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Yes. Pathetic. I didn't see any contact. Not the first dodgy penalty they have been awarded.

  7. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Please tell me Taylor won’t play

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Taylor won’t play

      1. Paqueta Rice
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Thanks

  8. The Mighty Hippo
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Which defender up to 5.5M would you bring in for GW18 and gw19?

    A) Maguire
    B). Bellerin
    C) Tarkowski
    D) someone else?

    1. Goodricke
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Coufal
      Dallas
      Stones

      1. The Mighty Hippo
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Coufal and Dallas aren't playing in gw18

    2. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Stones

  9. Londongeezaa
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    So Grealish really does deliver every 3rd game. Amazing stats.

    1. Luton_Fan
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      El ghazi better value

      1. Londongeezaa
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        I was so close to making the swap this week and had it pencilled in for this GW.

        Really tough call now. He’s on 97 points now which is fantastic value.

      2. Granville
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        El Ghazi will be out of the starting side when Barkley returns

        1. ZLNR
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          How long is that Granville?

        2. ppv
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Traore will most likely make way for Barkley

        3. Nabs Kebabs
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          rubbish

      3. popey
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        grealish will outperform El G in points per million by a long way

        Trez and Barkley back will have a big impact on his minutes

    2. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      He performs every game. He delivers FPL points only every 3rd though unfortunately! (Watkins to blame mainly)

  10. have you seen cyan
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Do u like my FH team for 18?
    Im making a strong bench to help cover any problems.

    DDG (Darlow)
    Saiss - Dias - Holgate (Stones, Mitchell)
    (S)terling - Bruno - Son - Zaha (Saka)
    Wilson - Lacazette - Martial

  11. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Wow, watching the highlights and the pundits picked up Pogba telling Shaw he should have gone down after contact in the box at 1-0.

    1. Luton_Fan
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Lol

    2. Muchentuchel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I thought the same.
      Fairness doesn't win you anything these days.

      Same with Mané against Darlow.

    3. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      surprised?

    4. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Shouldn't need to be told.

    5. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Pogba was right. Shaw could have easily gotten a penalty there.

    6. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I remember saying the same thing as it happened

      1. Paqueta Rice
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        He should have there was contact

  12. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    I started Reece James instead of Coufal haul on the bench 🙁

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      For 2021, FPL have halved points from the bench. Unlucky, schoolboy error.

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Benchwanker pros in tears...

    2. Podge
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Nice

    3. gooberman
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Coufal haul? Didn't he only get 6?

    4. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Excellent news. Wasn't really a haul though was it.

  13. Paqueta Rice
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    24-8 post Baps. Sold Grealish as part of that hit unfortunately.

    1. james 101
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Unlucky mate. Hope you got a nice replacement.

      I swapped him to Soucek to upgrade dcl to vardy

      1. Paqueta Rice
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Yeah I swapped him to Raphina so I could upgrade Adams to Vardy!! I done it before the new fixtures were announced unfortunately as I would have been priced out. Should have waited as always.

        1. Paqueta Rice
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Hopefully Raphina over Soucek won’t hurt me too much

          1. james 101
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 2 months ago

            A lot of random / tough to anticipate stuff going on mate.

            I’m just riding the wave and not second guessing myself too much when things don’t go the way I expect.

            1. Paqueta Rice
              • 3 Years
              3 years, 2 months ago

              Best way to play it. Hopefully 2021 is kind to us both! 🙂

  14. james 101
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    36 including baps from my first 4 players.

    Only 55 total score last week.

    Nuts season continues!

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      nice to have an early return from your captain.

      1. james 101
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Definitely Thanks mate.

        Hope your gw is going well

      2. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Yes, it's such an unusual feeling for me this season to have a captain on day 1 of the week with success.

    2. Granville
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Only 55 last week? Way above average

      1. james 101
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Yeah. But you know how it is with psychological anchors. I always feel like less than 60/65 is not great.

        Plus it was a come down from 100 a couple of weeks ago (big Salah captain boost then!)

      2. james 101
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Good luck with your week.

        So many random factors I feel like a doctorate in chaos theory would help this year!

  15. Luton_Fan
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Can u imagine how many more pts Grealish would have had if he was playing with a clinical striker?

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      playing with Watkins was a consideration in me selling him, tbh.

    2. brianutd-why always we? 20
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      With Utd next season

      1. Luton_Fan
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Who is the clinical utd striker?

        1. I Must Break You
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Haaland... whoops, wrong universe

    3. james 101
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      He’d be Son to their Kane

  16. jdp219
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Anyone seeing FH template forming yet?

    Can reasonable assume the attackers, but defenders seem a bit more open.

    1. brianutd-why always we? 20
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Get 3 v cheap bench fodder

      1. jdp219
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Mitchell for sure.

    2. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Pick from these, Saiss, Holgate, City, ManU, and probably Newcastle also. And Mitchell bench cover as so cheap

      1. jdp219
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Was thinking Saiss, Clark and Stones, perhaps.

        Maybe Holding in there -- maybe.

    3. jdp219
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yeah, Mitchell will surely be in there. Maybe Holding, too?

      1. brianutd-why always we? 20
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        4.4 Holding is a great shout

  17. S.Kuqi
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    When does the treshold of yc rise to 10?

  18. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Is there any chance teams who feature in DGW26 also playing in blank GW29?
    I know you aren't Ben Crellins but I think you can help guys...

  19. popey
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Dias and Maguire the only safe way to get three starts over 18 and 19 or do we think any of Stones, Bailly etc are likely to match?

  20. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Amazon said that the TOT-FUL and EVE-MCI games will be rearranged in January. So it has to be in the DGW19 am I wrong?

  21. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Why are City players rising amidst the COVID cases?

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Most players look at points scored and fixtures and nothing else.

    2. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      The ones rising don't have COVID.

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        I don’t believe they have been officially named though

        1. St Pauli Walnuts
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Whoops, reply fail. See below!

  22. St Pauli Walnuts
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    No, true. Can imagine many are doing it blindly, but there is evidence to suggest that the 3 extra positives (on top of Walker and Jesus) are Fernandinho, Ederson and Doyle. There is also evidence to suggest it isn't Rodri and Cancelo.

    1. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Cheers mate

    2. I Must Break You
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Pep said the 5 positives include "3 important players" so I'm thinking it's Walker, Jesus, Ederson, Doyle, and 1 other nonfactor - i.e. NOT Cancelo, Fernandino, or any other regular starter- as Walker, Jesus, and Ederson would each surely be considered important for City.

      1. St Pauli Walnuts
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        That makes sense. The City fan site reporting a Brazilian source as saying Fernandinho’s family confirmed he tested positive are now reporting his family confirmed he tested negative, though it’s not clear if they mean they had it wrong to start with or the 1st test was positive and the 2nd negative. Doh,

  23. Vazza
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Would you save your FH if you had this lot after making a few transfers ahead of the BGW

    Dias Stones Wan-Bissaka
    Son Bruno
    Kane Watkins