Fantasy EFL: Gameweek 1 Scout Notes

If you were after excitement, goals galore, shock results and a little controversy then the opening weekend of the English Football League was the place to be as Fantasy EFL got underway with a bang!

We already rounded up the key occurrences from the Friday night games here, led off of course by the Sammie Szmodics (M) hokey-cokey! The game’s most picked player (and top transfer target) was initially left out of the Blackburn Rovers starting line-up, before a 25-minute cameo saw him bag a goal, assist and 10-point haul in the 4-2 victory over Derby County, rewarding those managers who either stuck by him – or forgot to check line-ups and take him out…

Below, we’ve outlined the most notable action (and points) served up by the remaining 33 games on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

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Championship Chaos!

Leeds United’s 3-3 draw at home to Portsmouth has to lead the way in the EFL’s top division, featuring the game’s most backed side, both in terms of ‘winning team’ selections (at 48.4% they are almost twice as picked as next best Birmingham City), and also individual player picks. Ethan Ampadu (D) at 37.3% was second only to Sammie Szmodics (M) at 50.6% for Gameweek 1 (more on the latter in Friday’s round-up) and there are still eight amongst the top 50 picked players this morning).

However, most Fantasy managers will have come away disappointed, as the likes of Ampadu (4 points), Mateo Joseph (F) (3 points), Jay Bogle (D) (2 points), Junior Firpo (D) (2 points) Illan Meslier (G) (1 point), fluffed their lines, leaving only scorers Willy Gnonto (F), penalty-taking Pascal Strujik (D) (8 points), late sub Brendon Aaronson (M) (7 points) and assister Georginio Rutter (F) (6 points) to save face.

Meanwhile Callum Lang (F) (12 points) with two goals, including a penalty, Marlon Pack (M) (8 points) with an assist, two key passes and an interception and Elias Sorenson (F) (7 points) all unexpectedly delivered for the visitors.

Watford and West Bromwich Albion also rewarded their fans and fantasy managers with three goals and the accompanying smattering of points. Giorgi Chakvetadze (M) and Edo Kayembe (M) were the top point scoring players for Watford, both hitting 9 through combinations of a goal and other bonuses in the 3-2 win over Millwall, although Tom Dele-Bashiru‘s (M) assist and interception along with Jeremy Ngakia‘s (D) eight tackles (+4) and three clearances (+1) merited 7-point returns.

Yet it was losing side Millwall who boasted the top points scorers from this game, with Duncan Watmore‘s (F) brace (+10), 2 key passes (+1) and 3 shots on target (+1) leading to a 12-point haul, whilst George Saville (M) chipped in with 10-points from an assist (+3), two clearances (+4) and two key passes (+1).

None of these however could hold a candle to the top scorer of the day (and the game so far), in the form of West Brom’s hat-trick hero Josh Maja (F) in the 3-1 victory over QPR – his massive 23-point haul coming from 3 goals (+15), the hat-trick bonus (+5) and three shots on target (+1). A huge return for the 0.2% who own the Nigerian but even better for those (like the current Fantasy EFL league leader) who gave him the armband and doubled up to 46!

Elsewhere for the Baggies, Tom Fellows (M) weighed in with 9 points thanks to two assists and a two key passes, whilst Torbjørn Heggem (D) achieved eight via four tackles (+2), three clearances (+1) and one assist (+1). Notably the Midlands side also rewarded ‘winning team’ owners with an away win (+5 +2) and another bonus (+2) for two goals scored, adding up to a very healthy 9-point return!

Elsewhere in the Championship, the main Fantasy stories involved a routine-ish 1-0 win for Middlesbrough vs Swansea City and a shock 2-0 defeat for Norwich City at Oxford United.

The first game well-backed asset Luke Ayling (D) (11.3% selected) delivering an 11-pointer via a clean sheet (+5), six tackles (+3) and five clearances (+1) and Emmanuel Latte Lath (F) serving up an 8-pointer via a goal (+5) and three key passes (+1). Whilst defensive pairing Matt Clarke (D) and Rav van den Berg (D) both weighed in with nine, thanks to defensive clearance bonuses, as indeed did Isaiah Jones (M) thanks to an assist and two interceptions.

For the Canaries however it was a case of further disappointment after a difficult week in which they’d lost midfield star Sara to Galatasaray and Johnathan Rowe (F) appeared to be holding out for a move of his own. Well-backed assets Angus Gunn (G) and Josh Sargent (F) both fell flat with a solitary point each, whilst only Kenny McLean (M) offered any return of note, delivering seven points thanks to two interceptions and two key passes. Suffice to say those brave managers who backed the freshly promoted ‘U’s’ were well rewarded with seven players scoring 7 points or more, top honours going to Sam Long (D) with 12 points from his clean sheet (+5), assist (+3), two clearances (+1) and two tackles (+1) on top of (+2) appearance points, and 10 points for Cameron Brannagan (M) whose interception (+2) added to the (+6) for his goal.

Sunday’s match-up between Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle proved more of a mismatch in truth, with the Owls rolling over Rooney’s Pilgrims by four goals to nil. The Fantasy points were unsurprisingly dominated by the Sheffield side, with Jamal Lowe (F) (goal and assist), Yan Valery (D) (clean sheet and five tackles) and Josh Windass (M) (goal and three key passes) all returning 9-pointers, whilst Michael Smith (F) and Max Lowe (D) weighed in with 8s and fellow members of the backline Di’Shon Bernard (D), Dominic Iorfa (D) and James Beadle (G) all got a solid 7.

For the visitors only Brendan Galloway (D) assuaged the gloom with eight clearances (+2), six blocks (+3) and 3 tackles (+1) contributing to a 6-pointer, whilst Victor Pálsson (D) hit five.

Those expecting Monday night’s ex-Premier League match-up between Luton Town and Burnley to be a measured affair will have been left stunned as the Clarets steamrolled the Hatters 4-1. In Fantasy terms this meant double-digit hauls for Vitinho (D) (13 points via one goal, seven clearances, three tackles), Josh Brownhill (M) (12 via one goal and two interceptions) and Dara O’Shea (D) on 11 thanks to a goal and eight clearances. Fellow defender Lucas Pires (D) also weighed in nicely with a nine, thanks to two assists, three clearances and two tackles), whilst Luton’s top scorers were the familiar Alfie Doughty (M) with 8 points (thanks to an assist, interception and two key passes) and Shandon Baptiste (M) who weighed in with three interceptions (+6) in midfield.

Interestingly, despite all the goals and drama, just 14 Championship players provided double-digit returns: six defenders, five midfielders and three forwards (although the latter’s points average was considerably higher thanks to Maja!). As yet the top scoring goalkeeper in the Championship (and joint top in all of EFL) is Sunderland’s Anthony Patterson (G) on nine.

League One Livewires

Lincoln City, Bolton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town emerged as the teams to back in a lively League One weekend, with all three winning away from home and scoring two goals or more to secure at least 9-points for Fantasy backers, although Huddersfield delivered the quad by keeping a clean sheet too in their 2-0 victory at Peterborough United, so +11 for those who backed them!

Unsurprisingly, many of the Terriers’ individual players did the business on the pitch with Ben Wiles (M) the pick of the bunch, delivering his managers 13 points courtesy of a goal, assist and interception, although defenders Brodie Spencer (D) and Michal Helik (D) also waded in with 10 and 9-pointers respectively, pairing some clearances and tackles with their clean sheets.

However, it was the Imps individuals who most delighted their backers, with six players scoring 7 points or more in their dramatic 3-2 win away to Burton Albion. Paudie O’Connor (D) led from the back with 16 points from two goals (+14) and four clearances (+1) despite losing (-1) for two conceded, but Ethan Erhahon (M) hit 11 points thanks largely to a notable five interceptions (+10) and Tendayi Darikwa (D) also made double figures thanks to a goal (+7), three clearances (+1) and two tackles (+1).

Elsewhere it was a tale of newly promoted clubs coming good as Crawley Town (2-1 vs Blackpool H), Mansfield Town (2-1 vs Barnsley A) and well-backed Wrexham (3-2 vs Wycombe Wanderers H) all started their seasons with three points. From a Fantasy perspective only seven players from these teams delivered 7 points or more, with only Crawley’s Junior Quitirna (M) breaking double figures – his 14-point haul coming in just 61 minutes but including a goal (+6) and three interceptions (+6). Team-mate Max Anderson (M) came a pretty distant second with 9 points, thanks to three interceptions (+6) of his own, plus two key passes (+1).

None of Wrexham’s most backed players delivered returns (especially Paul Mullin with 23.5%, who we have pointed out on multiple channels was never going to start due to injury), with goalscorers Max Cleworth (D) and Jack Marriott (F) both having just 0.1% of ownership to reward with their 8-pointers. Popular pick Elliot Lee (M) did at least give 7.8% of the game some cheer with an assist en route to his 5 points.

For Mansfield, the hero in their win was Stephen Quinn (M) who weighed in with a respectable 8 points thanks to a goal (+6) and an interception (+2). He was only denied a double-digit haul by a yellow card and a 59th minute substitution!

Talking of popular picks disappointing, owners of Birmingham City’s midfield trio will have been nonplussed to see Siriki Dembélé (M) and Koji Miyoshi (M) both blank and be rotated (on 1 and 2 points respectively from 45 and 61 minutes played), whilst new signing Willum Willumsson (M) suffered the same point (just one point from 51 minutes) and Juninho Bacuna (M) didn’t even make the pitch! Nor indeed, did Ryan Allsop (G), the most favoured keeper in the division with 10.6% ownership (including the current top manager), as Bailey Peacock-Farrell (G) took the number one spot instead (albeit delivering just two points).

Fortunately, the Blues’ most favoured son, Alfie May (F), did deliver for owners, an 87th-minute penalty being enough to level the match against Reading and, combined with three key passes and two shots on target, to deliver 8 points for the 34.7% of the game who selected him.

Yet it was the Krystian Bielik (M) who scooped honours and a 12-point haul for the 0.1% who selected him, thanks to an impressive five interceptions (+10). Suffice to say the 25.2% who picked Birmingham City as one of their ‘winning teams’ will have been less delighted to pick up just three points for the surprise home draw.

The top points scorer from the division this Gameweek however was Charlton Athletic’s barely owned Lloyd Jones (D), smashing in 17 points in the Addicks’ 1-0 win away to Wigan Athletic, courtesy of a goal (+7), clean sheet (+5), seven clearances (+2) and two blocks (+1). That was just two ahead of Bristol Rovers’ Bryant Bilongo (D), who got the only goal in a 1-0 home win against Northampton Town. In total, 19 players hit double figures including Stevenage duo Dan Sweeney (D) and Elliott List (M) as well as Stockport County’s Callum Camps (M) and Kyle Wootton (F).

To illustrate the importance of ‘shopping around’ for your Fantasy EFL assets, 19 players delivered 10 points or more in Gameweek 1 (almost twice as many than in the Championship thus far), with defenders dominant delivering 10 of those, with seven in midfield and two up front. The top goalies only got as far as seven points.

Goals Galore in League Two

Last in our round-up, but in no way least, is the League Two goalfest, with 31 balls hitting the back of the net and four of the 11 matches delivering five-goal thrillers! AFC Wimbledon’s 4-2 victory vs Colchester United went one better and delivered 11-point returns for two of the host’s goalscorers, James Ball (M) and Omar Bugiel (F), as well as nine for Jake Reeves (M), who was only denied double digits by a late yellow. Yet it was Colchester’s Ben Goodliffe (D) who picked up most points, his score of 16 coming from two goals (+14), three clearances (+1) and three blocks (+1) despite only 60 minutes played and shipping (-2) for the four conceded.

Doncaster Rovers’ Luke Molyneux (M) eclipsed even that points score, returning 19 for his 3.3% backers thanks to two goals (+10), one assist (+3), two key passes (+1) and two shots on target (+1) in their 4-1 victory over Accrington Stanley. His team-mate Jordan Gibson (M) also weighed in with 12, thanks to a goal (+6) and two interceptions (+4), whilst veteran Billy Sharp (F) also got on the scoresheet during a 15-minute cameo to delight his 4.6% of owners with six points.

Whilst Donny are definitely a team for Fantasy managers to watch moving forwards, the presence of three double-digit returns from their vanquished opponents’ midfield outlines the multiple ways players can score in Fantasy EFL, even when under the cosh. Seamus Conneely (M) and Sebastian Quirk (M) both secured four interceptions each (+8) en route to 10-point hauls, whilst team-mate Tyler Walton (M) added an interception of his own alongside a goal for his 10-pointer.

Gillingham were the other side to score four, in a 4-1 demolition of Carlisle United, although their points were spread around, with just Jonny Williams (M) securing 10 points via a goal and assist, and fellow goalscoring midfielders Timothee Dieng (M) and Jack Nolan (M) securing nine. For Carlisle, only 0.6% selected defender Jon Mellish’s (D) goal and 8-point return offered any solace.

Cheltenham Town served up the final five-goal thriller, with a 3-2 victory over Newport County, midfielder Joel Colwill (M) leading the way with 15 points in the Gameweek thanks to two goals and two shots on target. His counterpart Oliver Greaves (M) at Newport was the second top-scorer of the match, notching 11 points via a goal, interception and two shots on target, whilst Ryan Bowman (F) came in third with 8 points courtesy of two assists. Notably none of these players had any backing to speak of, illustrating a clear strategy for managers who are over-indexing on higher leagues.

All of these ‘winning teams’ would have offered their managers a 7-point return (thanks to +5 for a win and +2 for two or more goals), whist the same points would have been returned via the solid 1-0 ‘winning team’ home victories delivered by Barrow (vs Crewe Alexandra), Fleetwood Town (vs Grimsby Town) and Walsall (vs Morecambe), thanks to the win and a +2 for clean sheets. However, the stars of the ‘winning team’ show in League Two were indisputably Port Vale and Bromley, the 2-0 away victories at Salford City and Harrogate Town respectively rewarding the 1.6% and 0.5% of managers backing them with a full 11 points.

Suffice to say there were also double-digit player hauls for Vale’s Ben Garrity (M) on 14, Ben Heneghan (D) with 11, and Sam Hart (D) – all due to different combinations of goals, assists and bonus. Whilst newly promoted Bromley (one of the seven to get a result on the first weekend), delivered four player scores of 10 or above, all from the backline. Kamarl Grant (D) topped the table with 16 due to a goal, clean sheet, five clearances and two tackles, followed by assister Idris Odutayo (D) on 11, and both Callum Reynolds (D) and Byron Webster (D) on 10.

Barrow’s Theo Vassell (D) with 15 points was the other notable individual scorer, whilst Fleetwood Town’s Mackenzie Hunt (D), MK Dons’ Alex Gilbey (M) and Matthew Platt (D) of Notts County were other 11-pointers not mentioned above, illustrating the importance of defenders in Fantasy EFL – with 11 of the 28 players mentioned above forming part of the rearguard vs 12 midfielders. This is echoed when you look at all the double-digit scorers in the division from Gameweek 1, with midfielders coming out on top (13 of 25), defenders second (11) and just one forward featuring. As with the other two leagues, no ‘keeper made the list, capping out here at nine points.

So what have we learned?

We’re starting to get a feel for Fantasy EFL point-scoring already, and can see the importance of interceptions, clearances and key passes (see our overview of top Gameweek 1 bonus baggers for more on this), and we’re also seeing that you don’t have to pick players on the winning side to score well – defenders and midfielders under the cosh are also picking up respectable points.

Shopping around the divisions will definitely be needed if you’re going to dominate your mini-league, with 10 of the 12 top-scoring players (14 points or above), coming from outside the Championship, and seven from League Two.

It’s also clear that hauls are not going to be as outsized as we may have suspected from first looks at the ruleset. Whilst the points may be spread differently they aren’t out of kilter with FPL scores, with table-toppers after Gameweek 1 being around the 100-point level from essentially ten selections (two clubs, seven players and one captaincy double-up), so a 10-point p/pick average.

That said, the allure of goalscorers remains as gilded in this game as any other, with those 0.3% who picked West Brom’s Josh Maja (F) justifiably feeling very pleased with themselves, and those who had the salt to apply the armband as well, including the current leader (Noahswfc1867 on 102 points), certainly deserve their rewards.

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