Weekly "Monster" Tournament
Afternoon all, I am sitting here doing my Fanteam Monster for the week, so I thought I may as well share what I’ve come up with!
If you want to play, the deadline for this weeks tournament is 3pm today. (only an hour away, I’m late this week!)
Strategy for this Gameweek
There are many ways to pick a team in this weekly one shot tournament. The way Fanteam price players (based on odds) means that backing the favourites isn’t always possible within budget.
Last time I shared my team, I went against the grain and dodged Liverpool as whilst they were obvious favourites, they were expensive. That worked out quite well, a single goal was poor value if heavily stacking Liverpool.
This week we have almost the exact same situation, where Liverpool are again the heavy favourites and also eye wateringly expensive. Salah is likely to be the most common captain option and for good reason.
However this time, ignoring that very strong Liverpool attack (best for non-penalty xG over the last 4) against that very ropey Southampton defence (Last 4: no clean sheets , 8 goals conceded, amongst the worst for xG conceded)? And in an important match for Liverpool?
That’s probably stupid, rather than brave. But it’s hard to know the difference, sometimes!
Our other heavy favourites are Arsenal up against West Brom. Again, a strong attack against a weak defence. Arsenal look good for clean sheets, too. We’ll want some of this although I like to consider the importance of a game. Arsenal have little to play for so I might not go too hard on this.
We might look at Man. Utd versus Villa although Villa aren’t soft and United’s most likely lads are quite expensive.
Apart from this, we will be having to find some individual players with decent threat/assist potential that can defy their teams mediocrity in some very even match ups!
This feels like a week to be going for a value defence and maybe a budget midfielder so that we can afford 5-6 big hitters up top. Let’s see what we can come up with.
Player Selections
Sometimes I build from the back but this week I have set my big hitters down first, then found value to fit with them.
First name on the sheet is Salah as Captain. Boring. But his threat and assist potential are just too good to ignore this time.
We double down on Liverpool with Alexander-Arnold due to his assist potential, as well as the solid clean sheet chance. Liverpool are pricey though so I haven’t stacked 3, particularly because Jota has an uncertain start.
Then there is Vice-Captain Lacazette. I might have gone Aubameyang but the start is questionable and there is a trap here – there is no cheaper Arsenal forward so the usual Fanteam “Safety Net” won’t help me if Auba doesn’t start as there is no cheaper player to sub in.
The United line up is tricky because of the fixture congestion Ole has been complaining about. Greenwood is a question mark then, but he is in great form, and if he doesn’t start Fanteam should sub in Pogba for me who would be no disgrace, he could be a decent differential.
West Ham and Everton are middle of the pack sides in attack and defence. But Antonio stands out as a high threat/assist potential option. And at a value price because Fanteam’s machine is pricing him as having a tough game. He does, but he looks good in himself. In he goes.
Chambers has high assist potential, and West Brom are awful in attack. Easy.
Veltman and Stevens are value options who are facing fairly poor attacks in Wolves and Palace. Both also have a little threat/assist potential, which I always try to squeeze in.
Johnstone the WBA keeper I fully expect to get dunked on. But he is good for save points. I am committing a small Fantasy sin here in having Arsenal attackers versus my own keeper, ruining my own clean sheet if Laca or Chambers score/assist.
But I’ll justify it because I need a cheap keeper, I don’t expect any cheap keeper to get a clean sheet, and he is there for save points anyway. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
The above is a little templatey. And I like to be a bit different in these one-shot gameweeks because if you really want to hit a high placement you have to get points not many will get. I’ll turn to Wood and McNeil as they are cheap, Burnley have a decent attack, both players have goal or assist potential, and Fulham are Fulham. Sorry Fulham fans!
So if McNeil assists Wood I’ll feel like a big man this weekend.
That's a Wrap
Phew. Just an hour until the deadline I was late this week!
There is a link to join Fanteam below if you want to give this a go. And also check out my article here for the Euro 2020 mini-game I am organising with Fanteam where you can get an extra prize exclusively for readers.
Good luck with your teams today!
Adam.