With the third weekend of the Premier League fast approaching, Fantasy Football players up and down the country are assembling their line-ups for what will hopefully be another gameweek full of incident. A total of 60 goals have already been scored since the opening day, and with new signings beginning to gel with their new employers, more of that Premier League excitement is on the agenda again this weekend. Eden Hazard is expected to start for Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea for the first time this season, though Kevin De Bruyne will be out for the best part of three months after picking up a knee injury in Manchester City training. Other notable absentees are Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jamie Vardy and Isaac Hayden, after all three were given straight red cards for their respective clubs. So who should you pick? Money to burn Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal): £11m After a horrible opening two games under new manager Unai Emery, Arsenal now have a run of … [Read more...] about Premier League Fantasy Football tips: Who to pick
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Playing fantasy football? Here are some tips, bargains and players to avoid
With the World Cup done and dusted, it's time to look closer to home. The 2018/19 Premier League kicks off on Friday August 10, a day after the transfer window slams shut - so you should probably start thinking about your fantasy football team. If you're determined to claim bragging rights - or even hard cash - from your friends and family, you'll need to identify the must-haves, bargains and potential flops. But how can you get the most bang for your buck? Well, players from newly promoted sides, rising stars and under-the-radar signings often come with modest transfer fees, so they're always worth a look. Those whose managers favour a squad rotation system, though, should probably be avoided along with those whose teams have some tricky early fixtures to contend with. Here, with a little help from the Mirror's data unit, we've provided our top tips, bargains and players to steer clear of when selecting your line-up... 5 bargains Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham) Position: Goalkeeper … [Read more...] about Playing fantasy football? Here are some tips, bargains and players to avoid
Fantasy football scout tips gameweek 38: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Virgil van Dijk, Marcus Rashford and more
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Criminally overlooked ahead of gameweek 37, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang punished us with a 23-point haul in Arsenal’s double-header against Burnley and Leicester City. A trip to Huddersfield Town follows on Sunday and David Wagner’s side are newly safe in the top flight after their heroic draw at Stamford Bridge in midweek. Arsenal’s away form is infamously poor but against opponents already celebrating safety, in Arsene Wenger’s final game, surely Aubameyang helps his side pick up their first points on the road in 2018? Virgil van Dijk Liverpool need a point on the final day in order to secure the final top-four Champions League qualification spot and come up against one of the top-flight’s worst travelling sides in Brighton and Hove Albion. Chris Hughton’s men have have scored only 10 goals on the road this season. Curiously though, they have the top flight’s joint-sixth best defensive record away from home, with … [Read more...] about Fantasy football scout tips gameweek 38: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Virgil van Dijk, Marcus Rashford and more
Fantasy football scout tips gameweek 37: Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, Aaron Ramsey and more
The penultimate week of the Premier League season brings with it a fantasy ‘double gameweek’ and given how unpredictable the final round of fixtures can be, this weekend provides your best chance of a strong end to the campaign. Raheem Sterling Manchester City have a most enticing pair of fixtures - Huddersfield and Brighton at home - and it would be criminal not to begin the weekend without at least a couple of Pep Guardiola’s players. Gabriel Jesus looks like a must-have up front, given Sergio Aguero’s continued absence. If he does miss some minutes over the next two, he may be replaced by Raheem Sterling in a central, false nine role. Sterling bagged a hat-trick of assists at West Ham last time out and should produce points again, so long as he does not fall victim to rotation. A final day trip to Southampton looks favourable too. Aaron Ramsey Arsenal’s elimination from the Europa League at the hands of Atletico Madrid frees Arsene Wenger to name … [Read more...] about Fantasy football scout tips gameweek 37: Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, Aaron Ramsey and more
Guardiola must sacrifice Manchester derby to save City’s Champions League dream
Pep Guardiola should sacrifice his chance to win the title in the Manchester derby – and keep his powder dry for the Champions League rescue mission against Liverpool. Whether it happens this weekend or not, Manchester City are going to win the title. Yes, it would look great on those giant murals at the Etihad and the training ground if photos could remind the players and fans that they clinched it against United and rubbed the neighbours’ noses in it. And yes, somehow it would be a fitting reminder that the balance of power is shifting from Old Trafford to Eastlands if Pep the Innovator sealed his first Premier League crown at the expense of Jose Mourinho the Pragmatist. It would be hugely symbolic for the supporters who lived through the depths of despair in the late 1990s, when City’s local derby was against Macclesfield and they went to the edge of hell in that play-off final against Gillingham 19 years ago. And it would be the the ultimate kick in the teeth … [Read more...] about Guardiola must sacrifice Manchester derby to save City’s Champions League dream