| ank | Player | Res | Cls | Exa | Slm | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 - |  | 3 | 13.5 | 6 | 2 | 24.5 |
2 - |  | 5 | 10.5 | 6 | 3 | 24.5 |
3 - |  | 4 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 22.0 |
4 1 | | 3 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 20.0 |
5 1 | | 2 | 10.5 | 6 | 1 | 19.5 |
My choice of captain for my fantasy team didn’t go so well last week as Mohamed Salah failed to score. It’s not so easy to pick a captain this week, but it’s very difficult to ignore the form of Michail Antonio and West Ham have a pretty good fixture too. To continue on with my options for reasonably priced players I think Shane Duffy and Demarai Gray could both be worth considering on top of the players I have previously suggested.
Saturday August 28
Manchester City v Arsenal
12.30pm BST, Etihad Stadium, Manchester
City bounced back from their opening day defeat to win 5-0 at home to Norwich last week. City took more points and scored more goals at home than any other team last season and they showed last week that they intend to keep that record this season. Three of their next four games after this one are tough away fixtures which could make things a little awkward for them.
As always it’s difficult for fantasy managers to pick City players due to the continual rotation and I’m doing my best to avoid them this season if possible.
Arsenal lost 2-0 at home to Chelsea last week and they find themselves without a point or even a goal after two games. They won more than half of their away games last season with only the top two conceding less goals on their travels. The chances are Arsenal will have no points after three games when this game is over and they need to turn things around quickly.
I can’t see any Arsenal players to recommend to fantasy managers this week, but that could change when their fixtures improve.
It’s very difficult to see anything other than a home win in this game.
Prediction: 2-0
Aston Villa v Brentford
3pm BST, Villa Park, Birmingham
Villa recovered from their opening day defeat with a 2-0 win at home to Watford last week and they face another newly promoted team this week. They lost more home games than they won last season, but they will be favourites to make it two home wins from two in this game. After a strong start last season they finished in the bottom half of the table and they have a very tough run of games coming up.
Danny Ings has started very well for Villa and he looks like a good choice for fantasy managers except for their upcoming fixtures.
Brentford drew 0-0 away to Palace last week and they still haven’t conceded a goal after two games in the top flight. They were the top scorers away from home in the Championship last season, but it won’t be so easy to score in the top flight. No other team scored more goals in the Championship last season and their goal of staying up will be a lot easier if they continue to show their current defensive strength.
Brentford’s defenders and keeper are all looking like good reasonably priced options for fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Villa will get their second win in a row in this game with a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 2-0
Brighton And Hove Albion v Everton
3pm BST, AMEX Stadium, Brighton
Brighton won 2-0 at home to Watford last week to make it six points from their first two games. No other team drew more home games last season with only two other teams winning less home games. No other team drew more games last season, but they look like they might just be able to turn more of those draws into wins this season.
Robert Sanchez looks like he could be a good choice for fantasy managers while Shane Duffy looks like a very good option at his current price.
Everton led twice away to Leeds last week, but they were pegged back and they had to settle for a draw. Only two other teams won more away games last season and only three other teams took more points. They started last season very well and they could have a good start this season too with a very good run of games coming up.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison are the Everton players most likely to make a difference for fantasy managers while Demarai Gray could be worth considering too.
I think this will be a very close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Newcastle United v Southampton
3pm BST, St. James’s Park, Newcastle
Newcastle lost 2-0 away to Villa last week and they’re without a point after their first two games. Only West Brom conceded more goals at home last season and they conceded four goals in their first home game this season. They will hope to get their first points of the season in this game, but that could depend on some defensive improvement.
Callum Wilson looks like the only Newcastle player who can make a difference for fantasy managers.
Southampton got their first point of the season with a 1-1 draw at home to United last week. No other team conceded more goals away from home last season and they have already conceded three goals in their first away game this season. Only West Brom conceded more goals last season and their defence will have to improve if they’re going to stay clear of the bottom three after they sold their best striker.
With Danny Ings now a Villa player Che Adams could be the Southampton player to have for fantasy managers with James Ward-Prowse worth considering too.
I think this will be another very close game and the chances are the spoils will be shared.
Prediction: 2-2
Norwich City v Leicester City
3pm BST, Carrow Road, Norwich
Norwich lost 5-0 away to City last week and they’re at the bottom of the table after losing their first two games and conceding eight goals in the process. They only lost three home games in the Championship last season, but they play against one of last season’s best teams yet again. This is their third very difficult game in a row and it won’t get any easier for them in their next game either.
I can’t see any Norwich players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
Leicester lost 4-1 away to West Ham last week after going down to 10 men and they will want to put that result behind them in this game. Only the top two took more points away from home last season and they don’t play any of the top teams in their next eight away games. They were one place off the top four for the last two seasons and they need to improve their defensive record if they’re going to make up that extra place.
Jamie Vardy could be a good choice for fantasy managers this week while James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Leicester’s defenders and keeper could all do well too.
I think Leicester will recover from last week’s defeat to win this game narrowly.
Prediction: 1-2
West Ham United v Crystal Palace
3pm BST, London Stadium, London
West Ham won 4-1 at home to Leicester last week to go to the top of the table with six points and eight goals in their first two games. Only City took more points at home last season and they will see this game as an opportunity to maintain their position. They have a pretty good run of games coming up and if they continue to play like they are at the moment there’s no reason they can’t still be right up there at the end of October.
Michail Antonio and Said Benrahma are the outstanding West Ham players for fantasy managers at the moment with Aaron Cresseell, Vladimir Coufal and Pablo Fornals all looking good too.
Palace drew 0-0 at home to Brentford last week to take their first point of the season, but they’re still without a goal to their name. Only three other teams conceded more goals away from home last season and they conceded three goals in their first away game this season. Only two other teams conceded more goals last season and their first 10 games this season look like they could be very difficult for them.
I can’t see any Palace players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
I think West Ham will continue their winning ways in this game with a few goals to spare.
Prediction: 3-0
Liverpool v Chelsea
5.30pm BST, Anfield, Liverpool
Liverpool won 2-0 at home to Burnley last week to make it two wins from two games and they haven’t conceded a goal yet. Despite going through an awful run of home results at one stage last season only two other teams took more points on their own patch. Only the top two scored more goals last season and this game will be a big test of what they can do this season.
Mohamed Salah as always is the Liverpool player to have for fantasy managers while Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane and all of their defenders and keeper are good choices too.
Chelsea won 2-0 away to Arsenal last week and they have an identical record to Liverpool’s going into this game. Only the top two conceded less goals away from home last season and they’re looking defensively strong again this season. They were the lowest scorers in the top seven last season which is why they bought Romelu Lukaku, but only City conceded less goals.
Lukaku could be the best of Chelsea’s attacking players for fantasy managers with Mason Mount looking good too, but their defenders and keeper are probably the best bets.
This looks like a very difficult game to call, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Sunday August 29
Burnley v Leeds United
2pm BST, Turf Moor, Burnley
Burnley lost 2-0 away to Liverpool last week and they’re without a point from their first two games going into this game. Only two other teams won less games and scored less goals at home last season and they lost their first home game this season. Only two other teams scored less goals last season and they only finished one place above the bottom three.
I’m not sure there are any Burnley players who can perform well enough to interest fantasy managers at the moment.
Leeds twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at home to Everton last week and take their first point of the season. They won more than half of their away games last season and they will see this game as an ideal opportunity to get their first away win of this season. Only five other teams scored more goals last season, but no other team in the top half of the table conceded more.
Raphinha looks like he could do well for fantasy managers this season while Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison are good options too.
I think this will be a close game, but the chances are Leeds will just about prevail.
Prediction: 1-2
Tottenham Hotspur v Watford
2pm BST, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Spurs got their second 1-0 win of the season last week when they won away to Wolves and they will be strong favourites to mark it nine points from their opening three games in this game. Only three other teams took more points on their own ground last season and only two other teams scored more goals. Only the top two scored more goals last season, but they have a tough run of games coming up in a couple of weeks.
With Harry Kane deciding to stay at Spurs he’s very difficult for fantasy managers to ignore while Heung-Min Son is a good option too and their defenders and keeper are doing well at the moment.
Watford lost 2-0 away to Brighton last week, but their opening day win at home to Villa has given them some breathing space. They had the best defensive record away from home in the Championship last season, but they really struggled for goals on the road. They had the best defence in the Championship last season, but they have found defending a bit more difficult in the top flight.
Ismaila Sarr is probably the best of the Watford players for fantasy managers while Emmanuel Dennis is a good cut price option too.
I think Spurs will get their third win in a row in this game with a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 2-0
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United
4.30pm BST, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton
Wolves lost 1-0 at home to Spurs last week to make it two 1-0 defeats in their first two games. Only five other teams scored less goals at home last season and it’s difficult to see where their goals will come from this season. They have a good run of games after this one, but they will need to find the net more often if they’re going to do well in those games.
I’m not sure there are any Wolves players doing enough at the moment to interest fantasy managers, but their games get a bit easier after this one.
United came from behind to get a 1-1 draw away to Southampton last week, but they probably should have taken all three points. They were unbeaten away from home last season, but only Fulham drew more games on their travels. If they’re going to really challenge for the title they can’t afford to drop points like the ones they did last week.
Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba are in very good form for fantasy managers at the moment while Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo will be ones to watch from here on.
I think United will keep their impressive away run going by narrowly taking the three points in this game.
Prediction: 1-2
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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