Fantasy EFL Double Gameweek 8 has drawn to a close. In this article, we take a look at which players are returning best in the bonus points system.
The figures are correct as of 7.30pm BST on Wednesday.
As was displayed this week, the significance of bonus points in Fantasy EFL cannot be overstated. We highlight the EFL best performers so far with the highest numbers of interceptions (+2 for mids), blocks (+1 every two for defenders), clearances (+1 every three for defenders) and shots on target (+1 every two for forwards and mids) from the previous four Gameweeks.
Don’t panic if you’ve not started yet: there are still 31 Gameweeks to go (including nine doubles and one treble) and plenty of chances to win monthly prizes as well as the whole game – so sign up here!
Best of the Bonus Points: Impressive interceptions
Derby County have taken the top spot across all Championship teams for total interceptions. They have registered 87 across eight matches, including a massive 15 in their Double Gameweek 7 defeat to Norwich. The Rams overtook Millwall for top spot in this statistic. The Lions have registered 84 interceptions to date.
George Saville (M) continues to be the division’s leading interceptor. He has managed 20. This has contributed to his 59-point tally in eight Gameweeks. For a player with just one attacking return this season, an assist (+3) in Gameweek 1, this is highly impressive.
Bristol Rovers lead League One for interceptions. They have registered a mind-boggling 124 interceptions across their nine fixtures. They were already leading League One last week, however that intensified with 36 interceptions across their two Gameweek 8 fixtures.
The midfielder with the highest interceptions in League One is Krystian Bielik (M). He has been playing at centre-back and has racked up 19 interceptions, becoming the cornerstone of the Birmingham City defence.
Cheltenham Town lead the way in League Two, picking up 93 interceptions in nine games. They narrowly lead Port Vale, who have 90.
Walsall midfielders Jamie Jellis (M) and Ryan Stirk (M) are tied top for interceptions across League Two midfielders with 14 interceptions apiece.They both had impressive Gameweek 8 performances, picking up 16 and 14 Fantasy points respectively.
Brilliant Blocks
Plymouth Argyle remain the best shot-blocking team in the Championship. They have registered 51 blocks across their eight league fixtures. This is the most in the EFL, ahead of Championship team Portsmouth, by nine.
Lewis Gibson (D) has the most blocks in the Championship. The defender has picked up 13 this season. He has now overtaken teammate Brendan Galloway, the leader in this metric for multiple weeks.
Bristol Rovers are also the League One leaders for blocks, though they are tied with Mansfield Town in this statistic. Both sides have 35 blocks this season, extremely impressive figures which have helped their defences stay afloat.
Another Stags player, Adededji Oshilaja (M), has 12 blocks of his own this season. He had an extremely impressive Gameweek 8 performance, where he registered nine Fantasy points in each fixture from clean sheets and bonus point contributions.
The leaders in League Two for this metric are Newport County. They have managed 43 blocks in nine games. They have however faced huge defensive pressure, conceding 17 goals despite these shot-blocking numbers.
Stephan Negru remains the leader amongst players for this metric in League Two. He has registered 18 blocks this season to lead Salford City’s impressive defence.
Best of the Bonus Points: Cracking Clearances
Plymouth Argyle don’t just dominate blocks, they lead the Championship for clearances, too, with 224 in eight games. Despite these impressive defensive metrics, they have conceded 12 goals in eight games.
Queen’s Park Rangers defender Jimmy Dunne (D) has taken the lead for clearances amongst all Championship players. The defender has managed 50 in eight games. This was largely carried by his Gameweek 8 performances, where he cleared the ball ten times in each fixture.
To round off all the defensive statistics, Bristol Rovers again come in first for clearances in League One. They have registered an astonishing 252 clearances in nine games.
Emmanuel Fernandez (D) is now the division’s top clearance-maker. He has 61 clearances to lead Peterborough United. However, this has failed to translate into defensive success as the Posh have 17 goals conceded in nine games.
Harrogate Town makes the stats of every other team look laughable. They have registered 301 clearances in just nine games. This is almost 50 more times than any other team in the EFL. Indeed they registered 53 clearances across their two Gameweek 8 fixtures.
Suplhurites star defender Anthony O’Connor (D) unsurprisingly takes the crown for top clearance-makers in the division. He has registered 85 of his own to dwarf the tallies of everyone else.
Superb Shots on Target
Leeds United continue to have had the most shots on target in the Championship. Leeds have had 43 across their eight fixtures. This metric demonstrates their offensive pressure.
Middlesbrough’s Finn Azaz (M) is the player with the most shots on target in the Championship. This is despite his status as a midfielder, rather than a forward. Azaz had two more shots on target in Gameweek 8.
Blackpool continue to prove how potent their attack is, with the side picking up 48 shots on target to lead League One this season. This has led to a massive 17 goals in nine games for them, the joint-most number in the division.
Leyton Orient’s Charlie Kelman (F) is the best in the division for picking up shots on target. The forward has had 14 so far this season, resulting in three goals for the forward.
Colchester United in League Two have also been dangerous in attack. They have registered 47 shots on target. However, they have only scored 13 times in nine games despite this high offensive output.
Andy Cook (F) and Ronan Coughlan (F) have 12 shots on target each to lead the division in this metric. Both forwards scored in Gameweek 8, though the Fleetwood Town star managed another goal and assist to contribute to his incredible 20-point performance across his two games.
