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FPL Gameweek 17 team drafts: Chelsea triple-up

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Here, former FPL champion Simon March reveals his current FPL team ahead of Gameweek 17.

FPL team reveal: Why I've picked Vardy over Haaland and Kane

I don’t know about you but the World Cup came at a fairly bad time for me FPL-wise as, after an uninspired start and a miserable middle, I’d actually started to pull back some level of respectability to my season in the half-dozen Gameweeks before the break.

Still, it would be a rare Fantasy manager to give up the opportunity to totally restructure their team and I’ve embraced it like I once have embraced a long-lost friend encountered by chance in a pub, on a snowy Christmas Eve (turned out to be a case of mistaken identity but there’s no point in dwelling on that).

Anyway, here’s my current draft ahead of Gameweek 17 and some of the thinking behind it.

Before I get started though, I should mention that I have £1.0m in the bank (only FPL-wise, obviously) so please bear that in mind.

Goalkeepers

FPL 2022/23 'sleeper' picks: David Raya

I’m not currently on the Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.5m) train. As much of a cult hero as he might be among Chelsea fans, he’s not nailed on and even if he was, he’s one or two mistakes away from being replaced (and, as we know, Kepa is more than capable of one or two mistakes). He also doesn’t offer the benefit of save point potential since, believe it or not, Chelsea are the fourth-best defence so far this season when it comes to fewest shots conceded.

Instead, I’m sticking with my existing roster of Brentford’s David Raya (£4.6m) and Leicester’s Danny Ward (£4.1m) who, between them, have seven clean sheets and 52 saves in their last six matches. If I can somehow nail the rotation between them, I’ll be very happy if that form continues.

Defenders

FPL review: 2

Arsenal’s Ben White (£4.7m), Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier (£5.9m) and Man Utd’s Diogo Dalot (£4.8m) all retain their places, having offered great value so far this season (though I’ll be keeping an eye on the latter since, at the time of writing, he’s yellow-flagged with a hamstring strain).

Joining them are Chelsea duo Reece James (£5.8m) and Wesley Fofana (£4.3m) with an eye on their upcoming run of good fixtures and the Blues’ Double Gameweek 19. Of the two, Fofana probably needs more of an explanation but, at his price (he’s £4.3m fo-fana’s sake!) he has the potential to be one of the best value defenders in the game over the coming weeks – if he can remain fit and if Chelsea can pull it together defensively. Even if that doesn’t quite transpire, he’s cheap enough to bench and I should have enough coverage if that becomes necessary.

Both, naturally, are choices dependent on team news given that they are also both currently yellow-flagged.

Midfielders

FPL Gameweek 17 review: Martinelli update, bargain Broja and Antonio's blank


FPL General’s Gameweek 15 team reveal + transfer plans


111 Comments Post a Comment
  1. ClassiX
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Carabao Cup Teams

    Leicester
    Team to play MK Dons: Ward; Castagne, Amartey, Faes, Thomas; Praet, Tielemans, Soumare; Perez, Vardy, Barnes.
    Subs: Iversen, Vestergaard, Albrighton, Mendy, Ndidi, McAteer, Alves, Iheanacho, Daka.

    Newcastle
    Team to play Bournemouth: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Willock, Almiron, Joelinton, Wilson
    Subs: Darlow, Lascelles, Shelvey, Saint-Maximin, Ritchie, Targett, Manquillo, Wood, Murphy

    Bournemouth
    Team to play Newcastle: Travers, Cook, Mepham, Solanke, Christie, Smith, Moore, Senesi, Billing, Anthony, Zemura
    Subs: Plain, Marcondes, Stacey, Lowe, Siriki, Hill, Greewood, Sadi, Adu-Ajei

    Wolves
    Team to play Gillingham: Sa; Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Bueno; Hodge, Neves, Moutinho; Guedes, Costa, Podence.
    Subs: Sarkic, Ait-Nouri, Jimenez, Hwang, Toti, Ronan, Nunes, Traore, Lembikisa.

    Southampton
    Term to play Lincoln: Bazunu, Walker-Peters, Lyanco, Bella-Kotchap, Salisu, Perraud, Ward-Prowse, Maitland-Niles, Elyounoussi, A Armstrong, Adams
    Subs: McCarthy, Caleta-Car, Diallo, S Armstrong, Djenepo, Aribo, Edozie, Walcott, Mara

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 6 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Thanks, Classix. We're aaaaaaalmost back

  2. WibblesTeam
    • 7 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Bottomed again

    Ramsdale
    James Cancelo Trippier
    Salah Saka Rashford Martinelli
    Haaland Darwin Mitro

    Ward Pereira Patterson Bueno

    Any problems with this?

    1. Rhodes your boat
      • 8 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Like it, not seen saka in many drafts. would wait for James news, not sure what the latest is on his injury

      1. WibblesTeam
        • 7 Years
        1 year, 11 months ago

        Will be doing Kepa Gabriel instead of Ramsdale James if James doesnt seem to be fit

        1. WibblesTeam
          • 7 Years
          1 year, 11 months ago

          James played 60 in the friendly today apparently

      2. dunas_dog
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        1 year, 11 months ago

        Played 60 minutes in behind closed doors game v Brentford today

        1. Coast94
          • 9 Years
          1 year, 11 months ago

          I like the Ramsdale pick. Not sold in Kepa.

    2. Big Mike
      • 2 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Would probably go for Kukusevski instead of Saka, as he will be a lot fresher. Plus Arsenal's potential for goals is reduced now that Jesus is injured.

  3. Rhodes your boat
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    THINK I’m happy with this draft thoughts? 0.0itb

    Kepa
    Cancelo trippier white
    Salah trossard martinelli almiron
    Haaland(c) Kane martial

    Ward dalot andreas bueno

    1. Ze_Austin
      • 6 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Quite similar to mine:

      Kepa
      Cancelo Shaw White Trippier
      Foden Salah Almiron
      (H)aaland Martial Kane

      Ward Rodrigo(!) Andreas Bueno

      3-4-3 as the main team, with White on the bench until fixtures improve. Martial to Mitrovic in GW19 if I'm convinced

      1. Rhodes your boat
        • 8 Years
        1 year, 11 months ago

        Cheers and Like it, confident with no arsenal attackers? Bearing in mind you can’t have them all

        1. Ze_Austin
          • 6 Years
          1 year, 11 months ago

          Thanks! I like yours too

          Arsenal's fixtures are meh, and then no Jesus. I'll go there from GW22. There very good assets with better fixture lists, so I'm taking advantage of the unlimited transfers to get them. I'd have kept Saka if we didn't get this break, though

          1. Ze_Austin
            • 6 Years
            1 year, 11 months ago

            *There are

      2. Rhodes your boat
        • 8 Years
        1 year, 11 months ago

        Also foden is one id like to squeeze in but not sure where to sacrifice to do trossard to foden

        1. Ze_Austin
          • 6 Years
          1 year, 11 months ago

          Well, at least we're sure Trossard will start

    2. Big Mike
      • 2 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Will that be your starting 11? I'd start Dalot over White.

  4. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Salah + Triple City attack

    Kepa Ware
    James Trippier Dalot White Bueno
    Salah KDB Foden Martinelli Almiron
    Haaland Martial Greenwood

    0.1 ITB so Martial could be Mitro

  5. balint84
    • 8 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Akanji and Konate are good business?

  6. George Agdgdgwngo
    • 15 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Mbeumo worth a shout with the incoming Toney ban?

    1. keefy59
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Toney says it's worth a bet
      Who's showing tonight's LC games in the UK ?
      I can't se them on either Sky or BT Sport

      1. Reeceviljoen
        • 11 Years
        1 year, 11 months ago

        Bro watched all the games tonight - on the cup channel cracked tv Amazon stick

  7. Coast94
    • 9 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    A) Salah + Foden
    B) KDB + Mount.

    B seems more secure, but A more explosive…

    1. Big Mike
      • 2 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      I'd go for b but with Kukusevski instead of Mount.

    2. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      • 8 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      I vote A for the ceiling

  8. Big Mike
    • 2 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Urgent feedback needed. Which combo is best?

    a) Pope, Justin, Martinelli
    b) Kepa, Gabriel, Oodegard.

    1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      • 8 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      B

  9. Count of Monte Hristo
    • 11 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Darwin or Salah?

    1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      • 8 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      Depends on the rest of your team

    2. Big Mike
      • 2 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      I've got neither but Salah is the better option.

  10. Yes Ndidi
    • 5 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    There seems to be a lot of Salah vs Darwin going on, without any mention of Bobby Firmino at all. Is he not an option, or just not a very glamorous one.

    1. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      1 year, 11 months ago

      He has the odd purple patches but too many 2s for my liking. Darwin and Salah will both outscore him I feel.

  11. TMF86
    • 12 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Thoughts on this
    Hennessey/Henderson
    Trippier/White/Shaw/Fofana/B Williams
    Salah/Kdb/Martinelli/Almiron/Andreas
    Mitrovic/Nunez/Haaland

  12. boroie
    • 6 Years
    1 year, 11 months ago

    Thoughts?

    Kepa
    Cancelo James Trippier
    Salah Kulusevski Martinelli Rashford
    Haaland Darwin Martial

    Ward; White Andreas Bueno