Fantasy Football FF247 Team Game-week 33
Our rise up the rankings continued with another decent week which resulted in a total of 66pts vs an average of 47. We now sit in 292,920 place, up from 332,420 – that’s now six green arrows in seven weeks and with our wildcard imminent we are hopeful that our rise can continue over the last weeks of the season. Despite not keeping a clean sheet, seven saves from Loris helped him deliver 4pts, while our 2 defenders did the job. Ivanovic unfortunately played centre back vs Villa but still kept a clean sheet, but the star was Morgan who not only kept a cs, but also scored the only goal vs Southampton and gained 3bps and 15 in total. Happy days! In midfield, Ozil, Antonio, Alli and Mahrez did nothing, but Siggy kept his great run going with a goal at Stoke. Vardy was quiet again, but our other strikers scored – Kane at Liverpool and captain Kun at Bournemouth. So we’re happy, it could have been better, but we’re not greedy and Morgan was a lovely bonus.
As many of you have found trying to sort your wildcards, it isn’t easy. Now try and reach an agreement between five people over the medium of WhatsApp, with no-one around at the same time, some on holiday, others working and others just muting the chat! Frustrating, annoying and impossible are some of the words we could use to describe this last week. Anyway, we have finally reached an “agreement” – or compromise may be a better term! Sadly our team value is very low, so we have had to play around with different options, meaning some of the more expensive players (Bellerin, Payet etc) are out of reach for the moment.
And so we have fallen on the following Wildcard squad:
Our Wildcard squad!
Keepers
David De Gea in goal should need no explanation – DGW34 home games vs Villa and Palace are as good as you can get, hence we are banking on two clean sheets! We felt United cover at the back was a must and with the uncertainty over which defenders would play and with Smalling expensive at 6.5mln we feel DDG is the safest route into the space. Karl Darlow we are not so confident about, but a 3.9mln playing keeper is at least an enabler for investment elsewhere in the squad and you never know, he may pick up some save points, after all he’ll be getting plenty of opportunity!!
Defenders
We have doubled up with Arsenal defenders as their fixtures both during DGW34 and beyond are excellent and they should benefit further from the return of keeper Petr Cech. Nacho Monreal we feel is a safe option while we hope that Gabriel retains his place over Mertsacker, but even if the German is given the odd game, it appears clear that Gabriel is favoured over him. Mamadou Sakho gives us a Liverpool option at the back and has decent fixtures either side of DGW34 as well as another double game-week to come in DGW37. Joel Ward, well he has two DGWs in a row and at 4.3mln it was agreed he is worth the punt for the short term. Finally, we have acquired Danny Simpson of Leicester – despite the lack of double game-week, Leicester remain tight at the back and at 4.2mln he is a “no-brainer” for us and benefits from having a fixture in GW35.
Midfielders
Let us address first who we don’t have – Dimitri Payet. It was a huge wrench to leave him out – nine goals and nine assists already this season, he has scored or assisted in all but one of his last six league matches. For many he will be a “must have”, indeed for us at the start of the week we were planning to build the team around him. And then came Kevin de Bruyne. The Belgian returned from injury to score at Bournemouth, City have a better fixture than Payet in GW33 and City host Stoke in GW35 while West Ham blank. On that basis and on a 3-week view we are happy to go with KdB, but we do retain West Ham coverage with Manuel Lanzini who is priced at just 4.9mln and has scored six goals this season and two in his last two games. Philippe Coutinho is welcomed into our team as we wanted some Liverpool presence in midfield and it was a straight choice between him and Firmino. As Firmino has been struggling with injury, Coutinho is our man. We have kept Riyad Mahrez as we feel he still has the ability to return decent returns over the coming few weeks, hopefully starting at Sunderland this weekend! Alexis Sanchez is our Gooner representative and with the Chilean finding his form over the last few weeks, he was an easy choice for us over Mesut Ozil.
Forwards
Sergio Aguero – well we ain’t selling him! West Brom at home this week, followed by DGW34 and Stoke at home in GW35 – add into that the return of KdB –need we say more? The sale of Harry Kane for Romelu Lukaku was voted in, just, but it was close and not agreed by all. But we are nothing but democratic and a 3-2 vote for Lukaku is a win for the Belgian and “bye for now” to the league’s most inform striker. Hmmmm, two DGWs on the spin was the justification and Big Rom best not let us down or it will all kick off at FF247 HQ. The third striker spot has gone to Marcus Rashford, though Connor Wickham, Aleksandar Mitrovic and indeed a team with Kane, Luk and Kun were all discussed. Basically it came down to KdB – if we included him then budget dictated Rashford was what we could afford. It’s not the worst punt of all time – home matches vs Villa and Palace should afford the young striker plenty of chances to repay us, even if Rooney is wheeled out at some point over the DGW.
We will use our Bench Boost chip in DGW34.
No doubt you will disagree with some of our choices!! We have tried to explain our reasoning behind our thoughts. Please remember that our Team Value was much reduced compared to most we have seen quoted on the message boards and we will be the first to admit that we have looked at many teams that have been shared on site and wished we could of afforded them. But we can only use the funds we have and have built a squad that will not only hopefully return a plethora of points in DGW34 but also either side of the big DGW.
We have no cash in the bank, but plan to hold our free transfer in DGW34 giving us opportunity to use two free transfers to field a strong team in GW35.
The team in full
Captain – Lukaku
No pressure on the big man then. He has the two matches to perform better than Aguero who has West Brom at home. So Rom, pull your finger out lad and don’t make us eternal enemies.
Our vice-captain is Sergio Aguero
Normally Kun would be a unanimous choice for the armband when facing West Brom. At home. But not this week, unless Lukaku somehow misses the DGW, which let’s face it would be very amusing for those that don’t own him.
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Thanks for reading Fantasy Football FF247 Team Game-week 33.
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Ward or deleany better?
Do you think Sakho will play over skertel and lovern all matches?
We hope so and so do the Liverpool fans it seems.
Is it silly to not have Coutinho just so I can have Payet and KDB, gw35 would see Lukaku, Lennon and Payet – Kane, Lanzini and Coutinho for a -4. The worst thing about being ill and not sleeping is YOU OVERTHINK YOUR FF TEAM! I’m starting to get delusional now
Joanne I think what made our mind up on Coutinho and KDB over Payet was the fixtures in GW33 & 35 and looking at the 3 game-weeks as a package rather than DGW34 alone.
Brilliant thanks Cookie, I’m done! Good luck x
My luck ended in August Joanne, but thanks anyway!! Hope you feel better soon!
Hi all!
Wild card is now active.
Which team of the two? Kane or Rashford?
Makeya….one word….Kane.
Hey Cookie.
Cheers for the advice.
So you’d chose Kane, Lingard and 2 Leicester defenders over Rashford, Firminho and Coleman?
Oh, Firminho hasn’t been playing?
No, I’d choose Kane over Rashford!!
I think double Liverpool in midfield in unnecessary if I’m being honest.
Yeah I can agree with that mate. Liverpools fixtures are just looking really tasty! I am a bit off having double Leicester at the back but I’m not sure who else id bring in for that $ range.
He’s been injured Makeya, but came off the bench vs Dortmund last night.
Oh true. Man, that makes it hard. He can put them away when he is fit. Are Liverpool out of all competitions bar the premier league now?
This may go against the general thinking, but in my opinion look at GWs 33, 34 & 35 as a package – so if you think a Leicester defender will score better than say Delaney or Coleman etc, then i don’t see a problem with it.
Surely a higher 3 week cumulative score is better than a weaker 33, a slightly stronger BB in 34 and a weaker 35?
True mate. Good call. I like your reasoning. You’re a champ as per usual Cookie, cheers for the advice!
Someone talk me out of selling Vardy for Connor Wickham
Morning Cookie No Vardy has gone already , Wickham is worth a punt if you don’t have cash for Martial
Morning Silvers, I don’t unfort as I need to downgrade to afford Alexis next week. Just have a feeling Wickham won’t start tomorrow, but will likely come on and then start vs Everton.
Cookie still thk its worth a shot when is Pardews team talk
It was yesterday mate – Cabaye and Wickham both fit, but the word is Wickham may start from the bench. Maybe Bolasie is better. Hmmmm….
Anyone watch the golf last night? Brilliant day of golf, some great scores, some proper wobble ups and Ernie Els putting :cuckoo:
Cookie only watched the highlights this morning , looked rough out there keeping an eye on Rose he did ok , used to watch him when he was an amateur But all my focus is on the National tomorrow cant wait 😉
Yeah Silvers, Rose, Poulter and Casey all did well – great weekend of sport isn’t it!! I remember the old days when there was a weekend the Grand National, The Masters and the Cup semi finals….when the Cup semi finals were exciting and people were bothered. Oh the good ol’ days.
Very exciting weekend! Who we fancying for the National? Currently had a flutter on Saint Are, Gallant Oscar and O’Foalains Boy all E/W..