Dugout Discussion

Man United and Villa audition for Blanks and Doubles at Old Trafford

Fantasy Premier League managers will have eagle eyes on Old Trafford in Gameweek 17 as Manchester United and Aston Villa go under the microscope.

The two teams were recently confirmed as having three matches across Blank Gameweek 18 and Double Gameweek 19 – increasing interest in their key assets.

A large majority of the community are currently in possession of talismanic figures Bruno Fernandes (£11.2m) and Jack Grealish (£7.7m) but this is an opportunity to look beyond the obvious.

Marcus Rashford (£9.5m) features in what looks like a two-man strike-force in front of a midfield diamond, having scored more goals in the last four matches than Fernandes (four to three).

Anthony Martial (£8.7m) holds onto his centre-forward berth as Edinson Cavani (£7.8m) embarks on his three-game ban, although the Uruguayan will only miss one Premier League outing.

Eric Bailly (£4.9m) sits next to Harry Maguire (£5.4m) in defence once again, in light of Victor Lindelöf‘s (£4.8m) most recent injury while Luke Shaw (£4.8m) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£5.3m) are on the left and right of the back-four.

Fantasy managers are not short on alternative options at Villa either, not least because Anwar El Ghazi (£5.8m) has outscored Grealish by 42 points to 19 over the last four matches.

He features on the left-hand side of Dean Smith’s attacking midfield trio at Old Trafford, joined there by Grealish and Bertrand Traoré (£5.9m), who has three attacking returns since Gameweek 14.

There is still no Ross Barkley (£5.9m) in the matchday squad but the defence has reset to normal, with Tyrone Mings (£5.4m) coming straight back into the team following his Gameweek 16 suspension.

Manchester United XI: De Gea; Shaw, Maguire, Bailly, Wan-Bissaka; McTominay; Pogba, Fred; B Fernandes; Rashford, Martial.

Aston Villa XI: Martínez; Targett, Mings, Konsa, Cash; McGinn, D Luiz; El Ghazi, Grealish, B Traoré; Watkins.

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1,932 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Now Martinez can get a late pen save from Pogba

    1. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Love the idea

  2. TomSaints
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    I give up, tried to be alternative and not have fernandes. But even in games he looks like blanking, the ref gives a nothing penalty.

    It’s getting to Ronaldo levels of essential

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yep, you need him. I reluctantly got him in late at 11m.

    2. FFSbet.com
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Dont leave me alone

    3. maditass
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      The sooner you eat the bullet, the faster you can climb the ranks. United will get their penalties as long as they are having a chance for the title. Hopefully they get smashed soon

  3. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Bruno must've captained himself 😆

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      ?

  4. Hulk Smash
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Pretty happy here considering I have Martinez, Bruno, AWB and Grealish in this game, with Watkins benched.

    1. S.Kuqi
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Huge score. Well done

    2. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Well played hulk

      1. Hulk Smash
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Cheers lads. Brought AWB in for Taylor this week so it's pretty jammy but I'll take it all day.

  5. PogChamp
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Bruno rested for Fulham?

    1. KUN+10
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      He left at 86 mins...hardly a rest

    2. Jersey Boy
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Can’t see him getting rested now other than in the FA cup

  6. Jersey Boy
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Emi Martínez. A constant thorn in my season. What a keeper he is

  7. Pedram
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Bruno on three baps again

    1. KUN+10
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      out of thin air...owner here

    2. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Water is wet

  8. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Grealiah on 0 BAPS now

    1. S.Kuqi
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Perfect

    2. Chucky
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Nice

    3. Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      He's on 1

    4. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Wow

    5. CheesyZoot
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Incorrect

  9. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Watkins lol. Horrible player.

  10. merin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Thoughts on this FH draft?
    Suggestions for improvements?

    Leno Steer
    Maguire Cancelo Tierney (Lewis Mitchell)
    KDB Sterling Bruno Son Saka
    DCL Wilson (Davis)

    1.9 ITB

  11. CloudSky
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    There's no way Watkins is good enough for this level.

    1. Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      So many people fooled by the game v Liverpool which is one of the biggest freak matches of all time.

  12. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Watkins looking tired

    1. dshv
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      He is

  13. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Martinez not been given the save point from James' shot?

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      ah, been added now.

      1. KUN+10
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Still on 0 bps. Come on

    2. Steve McCroskey
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      That was a cross and you know it

  14. CheesyZoot
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Can anyone explain these phantom bonus points AWB is getting?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Assist. CBI, passes.

      1. CheesyZoot
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Haven't seen him make more passes than Grealish in the last 15 minutes

  15. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Oh my Ollie...

  16. _Ninja_
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Matic yc finally

  17. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Watkins has failed his DGW audition

    1. Scots Gooner
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Not many other options around his price with a double though unfortunately

  18. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Matic the thug finally booked. Nasty player.

  19. fantasywizard
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Name a midfielder up to 5.9M who plays on BGW18 and that you were keen to hold for the foreseeable future. Go!

  20. bso
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    What are Bailly's chances of starting the next 2 games?

  21. S.Kuqi
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Best game of the year so far.

    1. CheesyZoot
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Steady on

  22. Bushwhacker
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Another 12 man victory. Unreal.

    1. The 12th Man
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      What?

    2. KUN+10
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Ref being the 12th player

    3. Muchentuchel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Come on that's ridiculous, even I as a Liverpool supporter have to admit that the victory is highly deserved. Villa should have played with only 10 players for a long time.
      United play with a strong focus on results, nothing wrong with that.

      That's something Klopp and the boys still have to learn.

  23. BeWater
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    You know James will make the dumbest decision possible.

    1. dark91
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Score an own goal?

  24. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Champions grind out results even when they aren't playing well. It's not all about fabulous football week-in, week-out.

    Can't wait for the next time I hear this hot take from every commentator and pundit.

    1. George Sillett
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      True
      Liverpool do.

  25. Pedram
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    baps are quite close, could go either way

    1. BeWater
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Key pass from Grealish so he'll get another one.

    2. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Better than a droopy gap

  26. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Grealish could nick the baps here.

  27. HNI
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Bruno last 4 points 17 12 6 10
    Salah-esque this season

  28. Tomas_brolin
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Any chance 2 of Kilman, Chilwell and C Taylor don’t play so I get Coufals points?

    1. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yep, Kilman and Taylor

  29. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Get Martinez up there for the goal

    1. Easy Cheesy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

  30. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    DDG denies Cash a wonder goal.