Our team of Pro Pundits, Hall of Famers and guest writers will be providing regular articles and team reveals throughout the new season, with only Premium Members able to access every single one.
Here, Burning Questions co-host Pras talks through five one-week Fantasy flings using data and images from our Premium Members Area and reveals his own team plans for Gameweek 16.
Onto Gameweek 16, which has all the feels of the typical Gameweek 38. Teams “on the beach” are replaced by cautious players avoiding injury a week before the World Cup, while one-week flings and punts are back on the menu – with the exception that team value still matters, to an extent.
One thing to note is that most of the ‘better’ teams have good fixtures. In fact from the traditional top six, it’s only Chelsea that have a difficult fixture against an in-form Newcastle United. Apart from that, Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United all have great fixtures. Therefore, it is not just important to see who you really want but to first see who you are selling. Wilfried Zaha (£7.5m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.7m) have already shown last week the perils of giving up too soon, so my first bit of advice is to really find the weakest spot(s) in your team and go for a punt in that position/budget.
There are lots of options given the tasty fixtures but I am going to present a few names I am personally contemplating.
Darwin Nunez (£8.9m)
- Ownership: 8.1%
- Fixture: Southampton (h)
With a lot of money floating around from the recent City/Liverpool downgrades, and many managers looking for exit options for Messrs Mitrovic, Toney and Alvarez, Darwin looks to be a popular move. It isn’t without merit.
As seen below, on a ‘per appearance’ basis, Darwin has more big chances and more big chances created than Salah, and overall he comes close to the Egyptian on an expected goal involvement (xGI) per 90 minutes basis.
In fact, Nunez has the best minutes-per-shot rate of any FPL player who has made at least one start.
In terms of opponents, Liverpool play a Ralph Hasenhüttl-less Southampton who conceded four goals to Newcastle in Gameweek 15. Moreover, with injuries piling up, the Saints do not have a fit right back – and they even tried budget left-back Juan Larios (£4.0m) in that position over the weekend, only for him to limp off.
Andy Robertson (£6.7m)
- Ownership: 4.0%
- Fixture: Southampton (h)
It has been evident in the new Liverpool 4-4-2 formation that it is typically the left-back who is bombing forward more, with Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) being more withdrawn and creating chances from long-range crosses rather than the Robertson-style forays up the touchline or runs into the box. This is evident in the touch and chances created maps below for the recent games where both Robertson and Alexander-Arnold have started together:
That’s all for now, folks. Good luck this Gameweek and enjoy the FPL break and the World Cup.
Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention: it’s coming home!
