EPL GW-9 FPL Player Picks (Friday Deadline!)

Salahhhh! That right there is a name we have become accustomed to commentators screaming almost every match. It wouldn’t be out of place to proclaim him the best player in the world on current form. Salah has been the go-to man for fantasy managers this season since he has failed only once to produce an attacking return.

We have eight weeks done in the Premier League, so its already time for fantasy managers to prepare their teams for GW-9. Let’s take a look at some of the players expected to produce the goods this week.

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Goalkeepers

Vicente Guaita (£4.5 Crystal Palace v Newcastle)

Patrick Viera’s Crystal Palace welcomes Newcastle to Selhurst park for a match that is expected to produce few goals. Despite boasting only two clean sheets this season, Newcastle’s form supports having Guaita in goal this weekend. The Magpies are still in search of their first win of the season, while Crystal Palace is beginning to look like a well-managed team with a clear playing style under the stewardship of Patrick Viera.

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Edouard Mendy (£6.1m Chelsea v Norwich)

Six saves last time out against giant-killers Brentford tells you all you need to know about Chelsea’s net-minder Mendy. The Senegalese keeper has been immense for the Blues this season, regularly bailing out the team on bad days with his superhuman-like saves. Mendy looks like a reliable value for clean sheet points against a Norwich team that has scored only twice this season. Doubling up on Chelsea’s back line this game-week might not be a bad move.

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Defenders

Cesar Azpilicueta (£6.1m Chelsea v Norwich)

I take my advice of doubling up on Chelsea defenders by adding Azpilicueta, the Blues’ most reliable defender. With Rudiger currently out, Azpilicueta looks like the most certain starter in the Blues back line. Apart from the prospect of a likely clean sheet, Azpilicueta might also produce the goods upfront as he has already provided two assists this season.

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Joao Cancelo (£6.3m Brighton v Man City)

Cancelo continues to cement his place as one of the best fullbacks in the Premier League by constantly providing reliable displays week in and week out for Pep Guardiola’s Man City. Apart from being in a Man City defense that has only conceded three this season, the wing-back has also contributed two assists at the other end of the pitch. Cancelo is in top form, opening the scoring in the Citizens’ Champions League match against Club Brugge on Tuesday.

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Tino Livramento (£4.2m Southampton v Burnley)

At a meager £4.2m, Livramento has proved to be a wise investment for managers who trusted him this season. The right-back has featured in every fixture for Southampton this season. He is part of a Saints defense that boasts three clean sheets, and he has an assist too. Against a Burnley side that isn’t known for scoring a lot of goals, back Livramento to come out with clean sheet points or an assist.

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Trent Alexander Arnold (£7.5m Man United v Liverpool)

TAA’s return from injury sees him make our player picks team for the week. When in form, he is arguably the best right-back in the world. Arnold is also currently ranked second behind Bruno Fernandes on the list of players for chances created in the Premier League this season.

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Midfielders

Photo by Jeroen Meuwsen/BSR Agency/Getty Images

Kevin De Bruyne (£11.9m Brighton v Man City)

De Bruyne accrued his first double digit points of the season against Burnley in the Citizens’ last domestic fixture. Two goals in two games means De Bruyne is returning to form, so it might be wise to join the train. Priced at 11.9m, De Bruyne is a cheaper replacement for faltering Red Devils midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

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Mo Salah (£12.6m Man United v Liverpool)

Should I still be telling you about the Egyptian Magician? Salah has been awesome this season, and the Liverpool talisman doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon. He is one of the few players that is fixture proof, showing time and time again that he can turn it up against the big boys. Having already scored against fellow title contenders Chelsea and Man City this season, backing Salah with the captain armband against the Red devils this weekend might not be a bad idea.

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Demarai Gray & Andros Townsend (£5.8m & £5.7m Everton v Watford)

Everton welcomes newly promoted Watford to Goodison Park looking to bounce back from a toothless display that saw them fall to West Ham last weekend. Rafa Benitez will rely heavily on the Toffees’ standout players, wingers Townsend and Gray.

Gray has contributed three goals plus an assist. Townsend has three goals plus two assists. In Richarlison’s and Calvert Lewin’s continued absences, both Gray and Townsend will continue to share the goal scoring burden.

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Heung-Min Son (£10.1m West Ham v Tottenham)

Spurs walk to London Stadium to face West Ham in their fourth London derby match of the season. They’ve leaned heavily on Son to carry the scoring burden while Kane was coming to terms with the reality of having to stay for another season. Son hasn’t disappointed, already contributing fours goals plus two assists in eight games.

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Forwards

Harry Kane (£12.1m West Ham v Tottenham)

Kane and Son finally combined to score a goal for the first time this season, and we all know how effective that partnership can be when it clicks.

England striker Kane provided his first and second attacking returns of the season as Spurs cruised past Newcastle. The Spurs striker started the season slowly, well below the heights expected of him, but after his impressive performance against Newcastle, now might be the time to bring him in.

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Romelu Lukaku (£11.7m Chelsea v Norwich)

Lukaku makes the team this week despite what has been a terrible performance in front of goal for the last four game-weeks. He has repeatedly failed when it looked easier to score than miss, but he makes the team due to the Canary’s shambolic defense.

Chelsea’s opponent Norwich boasts the second-most goals-allowed in the league so far. The newly-promoted side has also failed to win in eight games. If Lukaku is looking to bounce back from his current rut in front of goal, then the Norwich defense is the ideal tonic.

Caveat: Norwich City might be so weak that Tuchel decides that rest, not a shambolic defense, is the better cure; the manager even said that Lukaku’s form is down to “playing too much football”.

Update: Lukaku went off injured in the 1st half of Chelsea’s CL match, so he’s now doubtful and may be ruled out this weekend.

Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images

Jamie Vardy (£10.6m Brentford v Leicester)

Seven goals in eight matches says all you need to know about Jamie Vardy’s early season form. The Leicester front-man is currently joint top with Liverpool’s Salah in the Golden Boot race. Vardy has continued to defy the logic of becoming less effective as one gets older. The Foxes travel to Brentford Community Stadium to face giant-killers Brentford this weekend, and it would be unwise to put it past Vardy grabbing one or two goals.

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Stats and info referenced in this article were sourced from squawka.com, transfermkrt.us, and fantasy.premierleague.com.

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What do you make of our picks this game-week? How many do you have? Whom do think will surprise us this weekend? Will you be making use of a chip? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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