Three-time top 200 finisher Lateriser reveals his current Wildcard draft along with his thought process for Gameweek 8.
It has been a while since I’ve been on a Wildcard during the international break, and so far I’m quite enjoying the slow drip process where I’m treating myself to long stares at the Fixture Ticker and extra doses of extended highlights which date back quite a bit on YouTube.
As things stand, this is where I am at with my Wildcard team, although there are a few picks and variations that I am still contemplating.
ARSENAL
A good place to start is which three Arsenal picks do I want to go with?
After looking at their game against West Ham United and seeing the kind of positions Jurrien Timber (£5.9m) was taking up, is he even a defender?
He has the second-highest number of touches in the final third among all Arsenal players, which is also the third-highest among all defenders. He is also tied top for shots in the box with Daniel Munoz (£5.6m) and Riccardo Calafiori (£5.7m), and has the highest non-penalty expected goal involvement (NPxGI).
Timber and the defensive contribution (DefCon) winning Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.3m) is where I am starting, and when talking about an Arsenal team who have 50% of their goals from set-pieces this season, plus 40% of the shots they have taken from such situations, it makes it a comfortable place to begin.
Further forward, Bukayo Saka (£9.9m) has looked very sharp of late, and I feel like there’s a confident big-dog air about him this season.
“When I grabbed the ball I wanted to take the penalty, so that was my thoughts at that moment. We’ll keep our conversations in house for now, I won’t say much more.” – Bukayo Saka
The first line from that sentence is fairly telling in my opinion, in terms of him being the decision maker (he’s also captain when Martin Odegaard (£7.9m) is not on the pitch), but even if we presume that he only has a 50% penalty share, it makes him a very good pick.
GOALKEEPER/DEFENDERS
I have Nick Pope (£5.1m) as my goalkeeper, simply because Newcastle United are a reliable defence and Pope is a nailed-on entry point into that backline. They sit second for expected goals conceded (xGC) so far and I like Pope’s points potential as he’s good for clean sheets, saves and bonus points.
I also have Marcos Senesi (£5.0m) in my defence, who I don’t need to say much about as he’s still offering good value for money with DefCon potential, set piece threat and Bournemouth sit third for xGC so far this season. I also like the fact that they have no Europe, which will eventually come through.
Joachim Andersen (£4.5m) is also in my team. He’s competing with Chris Richards (£4.5m), but having looked at rotation, Andersen is more useful in the weeks I might need him to cover, and he also has better DefCon potential. While Richards arguably plays for a better defence, I do wonder about the impact Europe will have on their clean sheet potential, and if at all I am in the market to purchase a Crystal Palace defender later, there are arguably three better ones to get.
Joe Rodon (£4.1m) just offers great value and is useful on a Gameweek 9 Bench Boost.
MIDFIELDERS
READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 8 Wildcard: Pros, cons + best drafts
READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 8 Bench Boost: Pros/cons + players to consider
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