EPL Game-Week 8 FPL Player Picks

With yet another international break coming up, the Premier League will soon take a breather, which allows Fantasy managers to call their final shots this week and take some time to design a strategy for their squads later on.

Game-week 7 proved to be just a mediocre, dull one with FPL managers earning an average overall score of just 53 points. However, we still have this week to figure out all of the ways to earn the most points possible before players take a flight to various home countries. There they may suffer injury or game-time issues, but that’s all a thought for later.

Reminder: We have yet another early deadline on Friday with the opening match of Brighton facing Burnley.

On that note, let’s check out a few potential players who can live up to expectation and provide points that we fantasy managers wish for!

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Goalkeepers

Edouard Mendy - £5.1m vs Sheffield United (H)

From being unemployed five years ago to becoming Chelsea’s solution in the back, Mendy has now kept three clean sheets in three appearances and impressed with agility and balance. Sheffield faces problems moving the ball forward, which puts the Blues keeper in a good situation to seek yet another clean sheet.

Lukasz Fabianski - £5.0m vs Fulham (H)

West Ham have already encountered Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool, but now Fabianski faces relatively better fixtures of Fulham, Sheffield and Aston Villa next. He has kept just two clean sheets but can be a decent call to make for the next three up-coming weeks.

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Defenders

Tariq Lamptey - £4.7m vs Burnley (H)

Lamptey has a minor muscle injury but is likely to start this week, which would be a major plus for Graham Potter’s side. Despite Brighton keeping just one clean sheet, the youngster is known for overlapping runs on the right-hand side, so he has plenty of opportunity to provide an assist or even put the ball in the net like he did last week against Tottenham.

Reece James - £5.0m vs Sheffield United (H)

James is a bargain for the number of attacking threats he provides as a full-back. The modern game has shifted toward defenders providing those dangerous balls upfront while remaining strong enough at the back, which is an overall package to deliver points, especially against a dull Sheffield side.

Hector Bellerin - £5.0m vs Aston Villa (H)

With a big win against Manchester United, the Gunners’ first at Old Trafford since 2015, Arsenal’s back line can’t be ignored anymore. Mikel Arteta’s tactics have improved his defenders, one of whom is Bellerin who drew the winning penalty that became his third assist of the season. Again, with a price of just £5.0m, the Spaniard is a decent choice.

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Midfielders

Daniel Podence - £5.5m vs Leicester (A)

Both Wolves and Leicester are coming off critical victories, so this will be an interesting fixture to watch. Podence scored against Crystal Palace last week, and he will look to continue his scoring form against the Foxes who look delicate at the back, having kept just one clean sheet in their previous six matches.

Pablo Fornals - £6.4m – vs Fulham (H)

West Ham’s Fornals has started every game in the Premier League and scored on his meeting against Liverpool. On top of that, the Spaniard has three assists. With Michail Antonio out with a hamstring injury, Fornals could be pushed further forward with possibly Said Benrahma to create dangerous threats.

Diogo Jota - £6.4 vs Manchester City (A)

Jota has been an excellent signing for Liverpool with his impressive form lately, scoring the winner in each of the Reds’ previous two matches. The Portuguese then hammered a hattrick against Atalanta in the this week’s Champions League, which should guarantee him a start against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Without a doubt, Jota is the man of the hour. On top of that, he’s still cheap with the show he’s providing, so it’s better to have him in your team sooner rather than later.

Hakim Ziyech - £8.0m vs Sheffield United (H)

Ziyech is finally back to full fitness and didn’t take long to mark his name by scoring two in his previous two appearances. The Moroccan international delivered 14 points including three bonuses with a goal and an assist against Burnley last week. Christian Pulisic is not yet match-fit, which makes Ziyech a perfect candidate to start, and as a plus, he is relatively cheap among midfielders.

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Forwards

Callum Wilson - £6.5 vs Southampton (A)

Despite Southampton playing well, Newcastle’s Callum Wilson can cause problems for them moving forward. The striker has six goals and two assists. He has been given the penalty duties, and when shooting from inside the box, he usually manages to put the ball in the net. For a budget striker, Wilson is not a bad call to make.

Timo Werner -£9.3 vs Sheffield United (H)

Werner’s performance has been far from the high expectation that was built around him, but with the arrival of Hakim Ziyech, the German striker looked more ‘free’ to opt for the ball without worrying to track back. He scored a brace against Burnley and looks more confident. If the right service is provided, he will provide goals against a Sheffield United side that looks out of shape at the back.

Harry Kane - £11.0m vs West Bromwich Albion (A)

Whenever one hears about Spurs scoring a goal, it’s either provided or shot by Harry Kane or Son Heung-min. The English striker has netted six and assisted eight in just seven appearances. Better to just keep him and he’ll deliver points with the form he is in right now.

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What do you think of our picks this week? What are your thoughts on post-international break outcomes? Who else looks good to you? Which player will get the spotlight this week? Please let us know in the comments section below!

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