Rate My Teams: FPL and Fantrax Game-Week 3

Round two is behind us, so it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming game-week (although if you play Fantrax, I hope you were already thinking about round three on GW-2’s barn door!).

As food for thought I’ll once again offer my provisional squads, and once again I welcome your feedback. Let’s help each other out!

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FPL

Here’s how I’m currently positioned in the Official Game:

Alex McCarthy gets the start between the sticks this week mostly because Matt Ryan plays Manchester United. However, United were pretty toothless against Crystal Palace, so if I end up drinking too much liquid courage on Friday night, maybe I’ll bench McCarthy instead. I don’t really love either match-up this week, to be honest.

Provided they are healthy, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will start virtually every game for me. They both offer so much going forward that I’m happy playing them against even the most potent of offenses. Likewise Kyle Walker-Peters, although this week’s attacking returns will mean bad things for McCarthy and Charlie Taylor. But Taylor’s assist in GW-2 highlights his potential for returns even if Burnley can’t keep a clean sheet.

Of my current midfielders, Bruno Fernandes is the one I like the most. He blanked in GW-2, but anybody who knows anything knows that’s likely an aberration. The defeat to the Eagles was his first in a United shirt, and he won’t like how that feels. And he made only a late cameo in yesterday’s Carabao Cup victory over Luton Town, so he’ll be rested and ready to make amends against the Seagulls. Tomas Soucek has a tough match-up this week, but I’m starting him over Allan Saint-Maximin due to ASM’s ankle injury. Dale Stephens is basically permanent bench fodder for me, even when healthy. Sorry Dale!

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is reaping the rewards of Everton’s new-look midfield, scoring a goal in GW-1 and then a hatty in GW-2. Timo Werner looks more dangerous the more he settles in to his new side, and could take over PK duty after Jorginho failed to convert the spot kick Werner won against Liverpool. Michail Antonio has another tough match-up this week, but as I said last week (when he scored), his work ethic is exemplary and he is always in with a puncher’s chance.

James Justin will almost always start for me, but not away to Manchester City. And I’ve already discussed the rest of my bench.

I have one free transfer available, and I will very likely use it to move out PEA in favor of Kevin De Bruyne. Arsenal face Liverpool at Fortress Anfield, while Man City faces Leicester at the Etihad. KDB’s match-up is therefore better, but this initial play is one that I’ll probably keep long term. PEA is a formidable FPL asset, especially as a midfielder, but nobody is on par with the Belgian, the best player in the EPL, both in fantasy and in real life. At this point, I think the only thing that would prevent me from bringing him in for GW 3 would be an injury in Thursday’s Carabao Cup match against Bournemouth.

What say you?

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Fantrax NMA-11

Here’s my NMA-11 barn-door squad:

TAA requires little explanation. I benched Justin in FPL this week, but NMA-11 has no bench, and I’m not going to sell him just because of this one bad fixture. At $4.56 I’ll probably hold him unless/until he gets injured or loses his status as a starter (Ricardo Pereira could return within weeks). And Charlie Taylor prospers in the Fantrax scoring scheme — 18 points last week despite no goals or clean sheet, although he did notch an assist.

My midfield is stacked with studs, much like yours probably even if it doesn’t exactly match mine. Of that group, I find Heung-Min Son the least compelling, not because of the player’s talent, but because of his manager’s football philosophies. He also has Gareth Bale getting ready to take over an attacking role somewhere, with unknown effect on future output. But I knew Son’s price would skyrocket after his four-goal explosion against Southampton, so I grabbed him on the barn-door and will hold him at a discount while I monitor his output going forward.

Werner faces woeful West Brom in GW-3, so I’m happy to keep him in my squad. DCL is as hot as anyone in the Prem, so he also stays. And Mohamed Salah faces Arsenal at Anfield, where the Egyptian does his best work. As strong as the Gunners are this season (allowing only one goal in the course of two victories), I still like Salah a lot for this fixture.

How similar is my F-11 team to yours? Do I have the right studs?

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Fantrax NMA-17

My current GW-3 lineup:

Quite a cast of all-stars here, right? I may hold Nick Pope long-term and then rotate a new GK into my other slot each week. TAA, Robertson, Justin, Taylor, and KWP are all fullbacks who offer attacking threat in addition to clean sheet potential. Except for Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, my midfield is stacked with some of the hottest players in the EPL right now. But I’m confident that the two United men will come good soon enough, and in the 17-man format I can afford to be patient. My forwards are also fantasy phenoms whom I am very happy with. I do not foresee monkeying with this lineup at all this week, with the possible exception of my GKs.

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What do you think of my squads? Do I have any players you would ditch? Are there any players you think I should find room for? Who deserves equal mention? What do your GW-3 teams look like? Where do you think Fantrax prices will go from here? Please tell us in the comments below!

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