Another Gameweek rolls by and we are now entering the final straight of the 2021/22 Premier League season. With more Double Gameweeks to come, as well as different strategies in play, it’s an exciting end to a turbulent campaign. I’m hoping that next year we see a bit more normality restored, but you never know what might be around the corner!
Anyway, things outside of our control aside, I have activated my second Wildcard of the season and am currently obsessively checking player and team data in the Fantasy Football Scout Members Area to try and uncover the gems that will see me push for that top 1k finish.
But, try as I might, I’m finding it hard to build a team that veers away from the “template”. With only two teams (Arsenal and Spurs) that double in Gameweek 29 and then have a match in Blank Gameweek 30, their players are firmly on my radar. Combine that with the three Liverpool assets we all covet, and that’s effectively 8-9 of my core 11 players sorted. Boring.
As I did with my Free Hit team last week, I’ll go through my current draft, position-by-position, with some reasoning behind my picks. Hopefully, some of you will find it useful, or at least entertaining, as we approach the next deadline.
Goalkeeper and Defence
An easy choice for me in goal, as I continue to keep faith with Aaron Ramsdale (£5.1m), who I paid just £4.5m for back at the start of the season. I’ve decided to pair him with Martin Dubravka (£4.4m), as I’ve been impressed with Newcastle’s defensive numbers under Eddie Howe. The fixtures have been kind but over the last four Gameweeks, only Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have a better rate of expected goals conceded (xG) than Newcastle. A big chance conceded every 90 mins is also on par with Manchester City over the course of the season.
Jordan Pickford (£4.8m) does look like an interesting option for those willing to back the Toffees to get out of the mess they are currently in, mostly because of the sheer number of games they have to be rescheduled. While the defensive statistics have Everton down in 17th, conceding a big chance every 25.7 minutes (only Leeds and Norwich are worse), Pickford is making a save every 19.3 minutes, an average bettered by just two goalkeepers. If Everton can start to improve at the rear, Pickford looks set for a strong end to the season. However, given what I saw of them against Tottenham Hotspur in their last match, I don’t hold out much hope of this happening.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.5m) is going nowhere for obvious reasons, and I’m pairing him with Andrew Robertson (£7.2m). While Diogo Jota (£8.3m) was an obvious choice a few months ago, the arrival of Luis Diaz (£8.0m) and the imminent return of Roberto Firmino (£8.7m) means that outside of Mohamed Salah (£13.2m), there’s just too much risk of rotation. Robertson is a great pick, with four assists in the last six Gameweeks. He is also the third-highest point scorer during this period, narrowly missing out to teammate Virgil van Dijk (£6.7m) and the in-form Harry Kane (£12.3m).
With Matt Doherty (£4.7m) in my side, I am very much aware that I am being suckered into the hype that surrounds the Irishman. With only a handful of starts all season, and a series of below-par performances for Spurs in unfamiliar positions, it looked like Doherty would be one of the first names on Antonio Conte’s chopping block. However, with two assists against Everton (along with four chances created) to add to the goal and assist versus Leeds the week before, it looks like Doherty is the first choice in the Spurs backline. While I’m aware things can change very quickly, the likes of Eric Dier (£4.6m) and Ben Davies (£4.4m) don’t exactly fill me with much excitement. If I can get at least a few games out of Doherty, I know that watching him rampage up and down the right flank will bring back memories of old from his Wolves days. I simply cannot resist.
On the bench, I’ve currently got Antonio Rudiger (£6.1m) in place for Chelsea’s incredible fixture run from Gameweek 30. While I would like to hand this spot to Reece James (£6.2m), his injury has scuppered my plans somewhat. My final spot sits with Luke Thomas (£4.3m) as Leicester have been better defensively of late: their minutes per xG conceded has improved from a season average of 58.2 mins to 80.0 over their last four matches. James Justin (£4.9m) is a threat to Thomas but having just returned from a setback to a long injury, it’s clear that his minutes will be managed, and given his versatility, there is no guarantee he usurps Thomas, who has started the last 13 games. With a good-looking fixture in Gameweek 30 and plenty of doubles to be re-arranged, I’m hopeful that Thomas keeps his place, and think he has a better chance than Daniel Amartey (£3.9m) of staying in the team when Leicester’s injured players return.
The rest of this article below is completely free to read but requires a Fantasy Football Scout user account for access – you can get yours at no cost here
