Fantasy Football Tips Gameweek 23

Welcome to Fantasy Football Tips Gameweek 23.

My first article of 2019 and we are two weeks into it in game-week terms. How has it been for you? Well it started kind of same old same old for me with a Game-week rank of about 3.5 million (I took a hit) and then last week, Game-week 22, I had a rank of sub-80k (I didn’t hit).

So don’t hit. There, that covers that.

As you will perhaps remember from my last moan (sorry, article) I’m not having a particularly nice time this season, but the green shoots of recovery are there as I grasped the nettle and got Pogba and Rashford in immediately after they played Huddersfield (who have just announced their manager has left – who says this FPL writing game isn’t a 24-hour business?) and they are doing good stuff for me, even if not for their former manager. Modern footballers huh? *dabs* *over-complicated handshake* *dances like a buffoon*.

Some tips I guess…

*Edit*

The above intro was written on Monday before “Terrible Tuesday” in which Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane were both confirmed to be injured and would miss the coming weeks. As both were pencilled in to be mentioned in this very article and the fact that using our great site as a ‘finger in the air’ test, it appears to me that several moves have already been made and now require fixing. Not just that, the fixing itself seems to be getting rushed through, for some strange reason.

If anyone still needs this article then good for you, but I’ll put this week down to a ‘one-off’ and move on. Not going to spend as much time on each player this week as I’m sure by the time I get to a second paragraph on some of them, they too will be ruled out!

Goalkeepers

Whisper it but I believe Manchester United’s defensive side and David de Gea are becoming fantasy-relevant once more. Back to back clean sheets in wins at Newcastle and Tottenham in which DDG picked up 3 bonus points for a range of saves, point to the return of a decent United backline who now entertain Brighton and Burnley before the travel to Fulham and Leicester. Amazingly, but perhaps not when you consider how United have been pre-Ole, de Gea is scraping in to the top 10 goalkeepers of the season on overall points. That will surely improve when United face quite toothless opposition in the next four.

Lukasz Fabianski is the second goalkeeper and he’s always making these lists and it’s no wonder. Even in facing seemingly decent opposition in Arsenal, the Pole-in-goal managed to keep a clean sheet when unfancied supporting the old adage that a mid-priced keeper can function as a set and forget. He may only have four clean sheets, but he has more saves then anyone in the game and this has sent him on his way to a total of 13 bonus points (second highest) and is a great value choice at £4.8mln. I have him!

Angus Gunn of Southampton and Vicente Guaita of Crystal Palace were fine tips by Kop last week and I fancied he was absolutely on point with them and then Gunn got fired (sorry) and Vicente was replaced injured soon in to Palace’s match with Watford. Therefore, the budget pick somehwat rather predictably falls back to Neil Etheridge of Cardiff City. He will break the 100-point mark with an appearance at Newcastle on Saturday and leaving aside Arsenal away after that, the Filipino and Cardiff have a fine run of games where they can add to his six clean sheets so far.

Defenders

David Luiz is the premium pick this week and I see he has also garnered a bit of support in some other FPL material I have looked at in research. I think with the returns Marcos Alonso is providing in comparison to previous seasons, then the saving of £0.7mln could be helpful to you whilst maintaining your Chelsea defensive cover. There is only 14 points between them and that doesn’t measure out to the price difference to my mind. Chelsea will play Arsenal this weekend then Bournemouth and Huddersfield before a Manchester City clash. The fixtures are a bit in and out but if you are lucky enough to have avoided the need to use your transfers on injuries, then this could be the time to make the Chelsea downgrade.

I spotted Lucas Digne before anyone and I knew how great he was going to be. If you bought him when I told you to then good. I’m being surly because I’m hurt. I didn’t buy him despite loving everything about him when I watched him and instead and for reasons I still can’t fathom, took Seamus Coleman instead. The Frenchman has since left him in his wake with three goals and two assists. I’m still considering the switch because it’s not sideways, Digne with his crossing, average match positioning and set piece delivery, is way out in front with almost double the points of his teammate but has in fairness played more minutes.

Jonny of Wolves is my budget friendly pick this week ahead of a favourable run of games. The team from the black country will play Leicester City, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Cardiff City at Molineux and three trips to Everton, Bournemouth and Huddersfield Town in his next seven matches. He is £0.9mln cheaper than is right-sided mate Matt Doherty who has so far stolen all the headlines, but the Irishman is departing the budget pick now at £5.2mln. The Spanish international on loan from Atletico Madrid is just £4.3mln and with the fixtures stated I think he gives fine exposure to the Wolves defence and with the chance of improving on his attacking returns of a goal and an assist so far – he has missed five weeks of the season due to injury but is now returning to peak fitness. So much so that Wolves appear ready to sign him permanently at the end of his loan if local reports are to be believed.

Midfielders

Mohamed Salah is your attacking interest from the Champions-elect (sorry Redmen). 21, 2, 12, 12, 12, 2, 11 in the last seven and the two ‘2’s were against both Manchester clubs so is the Egyptian, not at the same explosiveness as last season but that was always unrealistic, a flat track bully? Not quite. He’s just class. A great captaincy option in the coming weeks when the Kopites face very favourable opposition (Crystal Palace, Leicester City, West Ham United, Bournemouth) before he faces up to the rejuvenated United in a game which precedes another run of very winnable games against Watford, Everton, Burnley and Fulham. I don’t think you can do without him.

Leroy Sane and Paul Pogba at mid-range look fantastic fantasy buys and I honestly couldn’t split here and when you read ahead you will see I have covered both of their teams in attack too. I would have one of each going forward and looking at the Frenchman first, I would say that Pogba is excellent in the mid-value range and all it took was for Jose to leave. Like Paul P always probably knew that it would. His pass for the only goal in the win at Spurs last week was fantastic midfield play and vision and rewarded his owners with assist points. His late runs in to the box, shown brilliantly in his two goals at home to Huddersfield are adding to a very impressive recent portfolio of seven goals, eight assists and eleven bonus points. As for Sane, I think he is a perfect complement to a City striker when he is priced at just £9.6mln in comparison to the £11.3mln of Raheem Sterling. Sterling has played 3 and a half games more and is just 18 points better off. Pound for pound, I think the German and the banked cash is a decent route to City cover. I understand almost everyone worries about rotation, but I think I’d always prefer to have a hand in this free-flowing attack. Even, if it is not every minute of the ninety as will be highlighted later.

Nathan Redmond is a bit of a leap of faith in the budget midfield pick but one not without reasoning. He is clearly a favourite of the new manager who spoke very highly of his abilities last week. It might not always transfer in to FPL points but he is at least an attacking player in a price bracket which is mainly filled with defensive midfielders of players of dubious minutes. Southampton are improving under their new manager and their next four matches are much of a muchness opposition wise where they meet Everton, Palace, Burnley and Cardiff. He could help if you are considering a downgrade to accommodate bigger fish elsewhere.

Forwards

Sergio Aguero OR Gabriel Jesus will play in attack for Manchester City, not at the same time and not for the same number of minutes. I think with the Harry Kane injury, the first obvious team to turn to is the Citizens. No one likes our FPL players being on the bench but this team is ruthless in attack and as has been proved in the past, can run in any number of goals towards the end of matches and if a fit and fresh Aguero or Jesus does come on late on, there is time for decent FPL points. Whoever you pick is up to you, I personally would side with the tried and trusted Aguero, but I honestly feel that worrying about rotation at City is like worrying about the weather. Maybe that is the Scot in me, but I don’t get depressed about the weather and likewise, I don’t see the point in getting too upset with the Pep forecast either. As one of our friends on the boards said earlier this evening which I thought was a fantastic summation, “points are points” and I’ll add in “however they come”.

Marcus Rashford is the mid-pick but in truth, he’s a premium attacker. I think he is cemented his place now in the Red Devils’ attack forcing Romelu Lukaku to the bench (no bad thing for him). The England striker is another relishing the new era at Old Trafford and has scored in 5 of his last seven with four assists. Fantastic price still at £7.4mln and will afford those thinking of bringing him in for Kane a whopping boost to their bank balances. Rashford makes complete sense if you don’t already have him.

Raul Jimenez, who has had a fantastic debut season in the Premier League demonstrated with his six goals so far, is looking very decent to add to that tally with Wolves’ already mentioned run of matches including some lovely home fixtures. Just £6.4mln will secure you the Mexican and for me he looks more promising currently than Aleksander Mitrovic, Danny Ings and, based purely on fixtures right now assuming he stays at Bournemouth, Callum Wilson too.

Summary

Quite often in this game we always drift towards high-end of the market but if this week has taught us anything it is that if you can’t afford to put money in to your team within the budget given, then put some of your own in. You’ve got enough!

And by the way, please say thank you to me for this article. Because by rights, you’re lucky to have me*

(* you should know that this is me having a pop at a certain other loudmouth who clearly pinned his colours firmly to the mast of Newcastle owner Mike Trashley this week. And by “colours” I mean ‘lips’ and by “mast” I mean ….. you get the idea.

Have a great week.

*Second edit*

Puurr-lease, NO MORE injuries this week. Motivating myself to continue to write this on Tuesday night was difficult enough, apologies for the waffle and filler, lack of usual analysis and the length (no jokes), I felt exhausted taking in all the information, cutting, editing, pasting, following the chat on site, twitter and awaiting/expecting further drama.

On a serious note, I would advise you wait for press conference news before making any (further) moves just in case we have doubtful players confirmed or any further injuries to deal with. Yeah, really, it is a possibility!

Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Tips Gameweek 23. This article was written by GP.

Follow @MitchellC_FF247

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