Following on from yesterday’s Weekly Shop article, we now focus directly on the midweek FanDuel contests that begin this evening, while revealing the XI that form our strongest line-up.
Tonight’s 7.45 kick-offs signal the start of two contest timeframes, with the opportunity to enter games covering just Tuesday’s matches, or the entire midweek slate. There is also a dedicated Wednesday slate, covering the three matches taking place tomorrow; again there is a 7.45pm deadline for entry in those contests.
Remember that, whatever contests you choose to enter, with FanDuel’s late-swap feature you can switch your players right up until kick-off. So, if you’re playing a full slate contest, you can tweak your line-up ahead of Wednesday’s matches right up until 7.45 that evening, exploiting the available teamsheets.
FanDuel are again rolling out an offer for new accounts for this set of fixtures: users that sign up today can receive £5 in free credit, no deposit is required.
Use the promo code “SCOUTFIVER” when registering your account to claim the offer.
A reminder that it’s still not too late to join the Fantasy Football Scout FanDuel Social League. This is a four Gameweek competition, offering £450 in prizes and is totally free to enter. Your top three Gameweek scores contribute so, with three Gameweeks to go, you’re still in the running if you enter ahead of tonight’s 7.45 deadline.
If you’re about to take your first steps with FanDuel, then hopefully our Weekly Shop and line-up analysis below will offer some immediate help for the forthcoming round of fixtures. For further help, we recommend that you take in our strategy guide which discusses more of the concepts behind squad selection in FanDuel.
My Strongest XI
Hugo Lloris – £6.9m
Trent Alexander-Arnold – £5.9m
Jack Stephens – £5.3m
Harry Maguire – £8.2m
Wilfred Ndidi – £6.8m
Junior Stanislas – £8.3m
Alex Iwobi – £9.3m
Dele Alli – £11.9m
Andre Gray – £7.5m
Harry Kane – £14.1m
Alexis Sanchez – £14.8m
The Key Picks
We were tempted by Burnley’s Tom Heaton in goal but have settled on Spurs’ Hugo Lloris, who is available for £1m less. The Frenchman made five saves and two clearances against Manchester City last time out and a tenth shutout (worth 10 points to goalkeepers in FanDuel) of the campaign looks to be on the cards at Sunderland.
Spurs have conceded eleven goals in as many away ties, only Chelsea have shipped less (six). Sunderland rank third-worst for goal attempts (219) this term, while the Black Cats’ danger man Jermain Defoe has scored just a single goal in nine attempts against his former club.
We were all set to opt for Liverpool’s Joel Matip ahead of the big clash with Chelsea, although when Jurgen Klopp’s press conference revealed that Nathaniel Clyne was still struggling with a rib injury, we were alerted to the budget potential of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Available for just £5.9m, he returned 23.5 points on his debut at Old Trafford and could be granted another big game run-out against should Clyne miss out. Klopp also has the option of going for Joe Gomez (£5.7m) in the right-back role, so we will be at the ready with the late swap function once the Reds’ teamsheet is announced.
With our hearts set on two big-ticket strikers, we had little option but to continue to preserve funds at the back. The injury to Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk is a gift in this respect, handing us the option of young Jack Stephens for the Saints’ trip to Swansea City. Stephens has seen modest returns so far but will be expected to retain his start and will face a possibly resurgent Welsh outfit and their target man, Fernando Llorente. We’re confident that Stephens, as a defensive enabler, will provide value for his modest £6.3m price tag.
Hull City face a daunting trip to Old Trafford and that was always going to feed a defensive selection in our 3-4-3 formation. The imposing Harry Maguire has impressed of late, recording 52 CBI’s and 28 tackles (ranking him third) over the last six Gameweeks. The Tigers centre-back has also made 12 attempts on goal, more than any other defender during that period. Again, his duel with Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be key to Maguire’s returns.
We’ve attempted to assemble a balanced midfield with selections across the price brackets. Wilfred Ndidi is our budget enabler. The recent Leicester City signing appears to have slotted seamlessly into the Foxes engine room and should prosper in the unforgiving environment of Turf Moor. A score of 27.5 FanDuel points last time out included six tackles and four clearances, as well as a single chance created and a shot on target. That demonstrated Ndidi’s suitability to the FanDuel scoring system.
Junior Stanislas is our next pick ahead of Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium meeting with a Crystal Palace side that have shipped a dismal 17 goals in their last six away matches. The winger has averaged 24.8 FanDuel points a match over his last four outings, with nine chances created and five shots on target translating to a goal and a pair of assists over that spell.
Watford travel to the Emirates Stadium with a defence that has kept just a single shut-out over their last 12 outings. They are likely to offer Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi the platform to extend his recent run of form as he bids to see off fierce competition for roles in the Gunners attack. The Nigerian has delivered a pair of goals and 11 chances created over his last four Gameweeks, earning him an average of 25 FanDuel points per match over that period.
The Sunderland defence has conceded the most goals of any side (11) over the last four Gameweeks, while Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs have been gathering momentum, scoring ten in their last three away trips. The ominous form of Dele Alli is, therefore, difficult to ignore ahead of the Stadium of Light encounter. Eight goals in six matches highlights a level of consistency and confidence that seals his selection as our one big-hitting midfield option.
With a three-man frontline in place, we’ve thankfully been able to preserve some funds with our first pick, who looks to offer strong value ahead of Burnley’s home meeting with a struggling Leicester City.
Andre Gray is on the radar with a combination of value, form and fixture as the Clarets seek a fifth successive victory at Turf Moor. Claudio Ranieri’s visitors look to be ill-equipped to put up resistance, conceding 24 goals on their travels already this season. With five goals in as many matches, Gray’s form is encouraging and he will likely pose the biggest threat to the visiting defence.
We’ve decided to double up on both the attacks from north London, predicting a goal fest for both Arsenal and Spurs in their respective matches.
Harry Kane gets the nod in tandem with Alli, then, as we draft in the two main goal threats from Mauricio Pochettino’s line-up. With six strikes and two assists in his last five, no other striker recorded more goal attempts (18) or efforts on target (11) than the Spurs striker over that spell, ahead of his collision with the ailing Sunderland defence.
The selection of Alexis Sanchez was never in doubt. While we’ve had to scrape together funds and opt for risky budget options at the back, there’s every chance that the strategy will pay off given the extraordinary form and potential offered by the Chilean. With 25 goal attempts in just his last three home matches and goals in three successive outings, it’s difficult to see Watford repelling the Sanchez threat at the Emirates.
This Week’s Contests
Once again, the full slate contests offer the biggest prize pots on offer with The Fan Favourite dangling £4000 in prize money, with the top placed participant collecting £750. It’s £5 per entry and cash can be won right down to 164th place.
FanDuel have rolled out a £500 single-entry special for the Tuesday/Wednesday slate. This has a £4 buy-in with £100 going to first place. Limited to 147 entries, there are prizes available down to 34th position.
The Tuesday Special is an identical contest for Tuesday’s matches only, with a £500 pot, though the entry here is £5 and prizes are available for the top 27 places.
On Wednesday there’s a £1,500 War Chest contest; this is £3 to enter with £200 going to top spot and prizes available right down to 145th position.
A reminder that you can find full details of the free to enter FanDuel Social League here.
You must be over 18 years of age, resident in the UK, and of legal capacity to register with FanDuel and open an Account. If you sign up, always play responsibly.
