Here’s a continuation of my last fantasy premier league DGWs article where I look at one of my teams in relation to the upcoming blanks and doubles
fantasy premier league DGWs – more thoughts on the FFGeek teams
In the last article I looked at my free hit lost team and how to deal with that in the context of the upcoming blanks and doubles.
Now I’m going to look at the free hit intact team. Firstly here’s the team and secondly here’s a reminder of the fixtures at a team level. Team value is a paltry £101.4m
Now remember the basics that the DGW37 fixtures have yet to be confirmed but widely expected and can only use 1 chip in 1 gameweek. I will also use the abbreviations which are hopefully obvious for wildcard, triple captain, bench boost and free hit.
Option 1 for the free hit intact team
WC 33, BB 34, FH 35, TC 37
This is pretty much the traditional route and uses the chips in the doubles and blanks where in theory they can be of most value. You BB and TC in the doubles and FH in the blanks and wildcard to set up the bench boost. Text book stuff from previous years.
I would say that GW37 suits the triple captain better than 34 as it gives the option for Kane who hopefully will be fit by then. GW34 is pretty much Lukaku or Hazard as a triple captain option or you go to a single gameweek Salah.
37 is in theory more riskier for rotation as close to the end of the season. However the relatively small points difference that covers the teams with the top 4 aspirations and relgation fears mean it may not be just a series of games where players main focus is on avoiding injury for the world cup.
If you’re wildcarding in 33 and bench boosting in 34 you want 14 double gameweek players plus Salah and then 11 DGW players for 37. 35 with the free hit is of no concern.
Here’s a team I prepared for the GW33 wildcard which would then have the Bench boost appplied to it. Hence 14 double gameweek players plus Salah
So the intervention was to focus on players with DGWs in 34 and then to get 11 DGW players for 37. Of this team only Wood, Lowton and Salah dont have DGWs in 37 so with Salah staying right through 11 DGW players for 37 should be achievable even with the necessity to get Kane in.
Austin needs alot of monitoring. Rolling the dice on the double gameweeks can mean you include players that aren’t idea especially when you are trying to squeeze them in from a limited pool of teams
I haven’t tried to do a Free Hit team for 35 at the moment I don’t think it’s necessary. However a few words are relevant.
Here’s the fixtures firstly:
A free hit will be useful for 35 as Man City may have won the league and Arsenal will be concentrating on the Europa League (apart from Aubameyang who’s ineligible). The free hit means you can tailor your selections for these 2 teams up to the last minute and you can also have a bench ready if those inevitable gambles don’t pay off.
Option 2 for the free hit intact team
FH 34 TC 35 WC 36 BB37
This option allows you to boost bench in 37 where there are more fixtures and in theory a better selection of players. You have to balance that against your view on rotation in 37 and if you have the triple captain chip not having a DGW home for it but using it on Salah in GW35 v WBA A where he will be involved in UCL matches.
I think it has potential to score more than the above option and would certainly be a differential strategy if you’re chasing. However I think it is riskier than option 1 due to the late wildcard and perceived rotation, the single TC plus depending on your team make up, not having the numbers in GW35 on your bench in case your City and Arsenal players don’t turn up.
The free hit GW34 team
Here you would look to have a cheaper bench and concentrate on all DGW34 players in the first 11. There are still 2 cheap defenders in Chilwell and Francis to act as backups. I think however you can take a view on the GK and the striker. This team is slightly above my team value but still only £103.0m.
Free hitting allowed me to forget about 37 and only look at 34 as well as affording more.
Captain would be Hazard or Lukaku.
GW35 team
This is my current team using 3 transfers between 32-35. Only 3 as I don’t think you get a transfer with the free hit chip.
Effectively I used the 3 transfers for 3 Arsenal players who have a great fixture home to West Ham. That would give me 10 players for GW35 subject to selection. I would probably pick them in the order of Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan and then Monreal. Which is probably in the order of certainty of playing. City could have won the league by then so if you own the 2 I have then they maybe a rotation risk especially if City are still in the UCL.
The GW36 wildcard
Here’s the team I’ve picked for this with the intention of bench boosting in DGW37.
Funds aren’t great in this team remember especially once you’ve lost the selling value. The team was difficult to pick and the 4 of Kenedy, Gross, Dummett and Ogbonna were particularly tricky. It does have the advantage in that you get a fit Kane hopefully and a fit Austin again hopefully. As I said above, you have to balance that against your view on rotation in 37 and if you have the triple captain chip not having a DGW home for it but using it on Salah in GW35 v WBA A where he will be involved in UCL matches.
Option 3 for the free hit intact team
WC 34, FH 35 TC36/38 BB37
This is just a minor variation of the option 2 as it allows you to wildcard later in the season for more information but at the sacrifice of the bench boost in 34 and the triple captain in 37. Much as I like the idea of using the wildcard later it’s too much of a sacrifice for 1 gameweek later so I won’t say anymore.
The FFGeek view
Firstly I have tried to find an option for Free Hitting in 37 but I think the bridge of DGW34 and GW35 is just too wide not to try and use the chips in some way to mitigate that.
In terms of which of the above I will follow I think it’s likely to be the first option. The 2nd option just seems to have too much risk attached.
I would say that this and the previous free hit lost team article are initial thoughts and things will change.
There are a number of players I have reservations on or need more monitoring. Austin is one obviously as is the continual injury problems of Christensen. Man Utd are a conundrum. Outside of Lukaku and Sanchez rotation is rife in the attacking areas. However both are expensive and have form issues but the fixtures are good. Firmino is also another player who looks like he maybe retained en masse and maybe a defensive ownership hold especially as without a fit Austin the cheap striker options aren’t great.
Much to mull about. Next week I hope to update the contributors thoughts after the new fixtures and the twitter template article. That’s as well get to the usual articles for a gameweek
Hope you enjoy the tinkering and if I’ve got anything wrong please don’t hesitate to tell me in the comments section.
Follow us on twitter and facebook for article updates and news.
GEEK LEAGUES
Fantasy Premier League: 5379-1967
Sun: FantasyFootballGeek SGDKX9Y3
TFF: FantasyFootballGeek PIN 8000919 Passcode 1159
Sky: FFGeek 8310511
