Here’s an article introducing the daily fantasy format PlayOn who we’re currently partnering with. The article is written by the PlayOn fantasy premier league expert and gives some player suggestions for the introcductory free to enter contest tomorrow with a prize pot of £20.
FFGeek introduces PlayOn with a free chance to win in a £20 contest tomorrow
We’ve partnered with PlayON to run a private daily fantasy Premier League contest this week. Pick a team and enter it in the private Fantasy Football Geek league. The contest is FREE to enter and the top finishers will win a share of a £20 pot.
To help you with your lineup, we had PlayON’s resident daily fantasy Premier League expert stop by to break down each game with his top picks.
The only important thing that happened last weekend was that Harry Kane finally scored in August! True, it was only a matter of time, and curses aren’t real, but if I was him I would have the lottery on this week.
We’ve now had two weeks worth of the best league in the world and all the goals, saves and upsets that come with it. It also means we’ve had 20 games to scope out who the must-have players are for your PlayON daily fantasy squads.
To save you doing the analysis yourself, I have gone through the weekend’s games and picked out the high-priced superstars, value picks and the potential points of difference (“PODs”) to give you an edge in this week’s games.
Wolves v. Man City
The early Saturday game sees the new boys host the champions. Wolves were tipped by many to be the surprise package this season, but have yet to record a win. It will be a big ask to get one against City, who come into this on the back of the 6-1 hammering of Huddersfield last time out. This fixture produces goals historically and I see that happening again.
Gun
You cannot leave out the highest scoring player from the last round. Sergio Aguero (£15.6m) banged three past Huddersfield on his way to a score over 4000 for PlayON owners. With injuries reducing rotation risk, and a winnable game against Wolves, why can’t lightning strike twice for the Argentinian?
Value Picks
You will find your Silva linings in the value picks here. Two of them in fact. David Silva (£8.5m) is a class act and a must-have at his price. Coming back into the side last week, he scored a great goal and over 2000 daily fantasy points. His job security also certainly improves with Kevin De Bruyne out until November.
Also benefiting from the loss of De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva (£7.4m) should see his minutes stay up. Back-to-back 90 minutes and two scores over 1000 are all you can ask for from someone at his price.
Arsenal v. West Ham
After the start the Gunners had, they will be very happy to come into a fixture that finished 4-1 in their favour last time. There was also a 3-0, 5-1 and a 3-3 in the last five between the two sides. Plus, the Hammers have shipped six in two defeats this season. Goal fest then.
Gun
Something of a fallen gun pick here, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£14.9m) has been quiet so far. He had a tremendous average last season and after two tough games against City and Chelsea, I can see him filling his boots at home to the winless Hammers.
Value Picks
Alex Iwobi (£7.8m) didn’t play in Gameweek 1, but scored a goal and nearly 2000 daily fantasy points on his return to the side last week. With Ozil off the boil and Mkhitaryan costing £2.3m more, Iwobi could be a good one to have if you find yourself strapped for cash across your last few picks.
POD Pick
I flagged him as a POD ahead of last week and he came up with the goods, so he earns another pick from me here. Arsenal have seen just 42% and 38% of the ball in their opening two games, but it hasn’t stopped Matteo Guendouzi (£6.1m) averaging over 1200, even without a goal or assist. He should see more of the ball in this one and is an absolute steal at the price.
If you are looking for even more of a gamble in this game, consider Marko Arnautovic (£10.3m). For all the talk of the visitors conceding six, Arsenal have shipped five themselves so far. If the Hammers are to score, you can see the Austrian being involved somehow. It is a big outlay for someone who will likely end up on the losing side however.
Bournemouth v. Everton
An interesting match here, between two sides looking good and with a fairly even history. The home sides took out last season’s meeting 2-1 and both sides have scored in all but one of the meetings at this level. An average of over four goals per game is also good news for fantasy owners hoping to find production.
It’s a tough one to tip, but there are potentially a few gems within both sides from a daily fantasy perspective.
Gun
I can’t keep putting Richarlison (£9.6m) in here, so I’m opting for Gylfi Sigurdsson (£10.4m) this week instead. After limited minutes in Gameweek 1, he came up with the goods last week in the form of 1500 points. Even without an attacking stat. If he can add a goal or assist to that, a big score is on the horizon.
Value Picks
Still at a cheap price for a forward, Callum Wilson (£9m) remains a great option for your sides. The Bournemouth man has hit the ground running this season, leading the line with two goals and an assist in his first two. Given both teams tend to score in this, he’s definitely one to consider.
Huddersfield v. Cardiff
The current bottom club against the favourites to finish there. The sides have a combined one goal between them in the opening two weeks, so this will be either a bore draw or an absolute goal-fest – which makes it harder to know whether to go for forwards or defenders here. For what it’s worth, I am leaning towards the lower scoring option so defenders would be the play.
Gun
Hard to pick a ‘gun’ in this one, when only one outfield player across the sides averages 1000. That man is Aaron Mooy (£8.1m), who will come back in for this after missing the City hammering due to the birth of his child.
The Pasty Pirlo should find himself on set piece duty, so if he can snag an assist he could go all right. Probably not one for your whole-of-round squads though.
Value Picks
Some of the best value you will get this week is in the shape of Cardiff’s Neil Etheridge (£6.9m), who has saved a penalty in each of his last two games and has the highest PlayON average score of the goalies.
Southampton v. Leicester
Apparently, Leicester have only won four of 39 when visiting Southampton. The task does not get any easier for them with Vardy suspended.
The Saints have scored one this season and three in their last five. But they also don’t concede too many. Is 0-0 on the cards? It was the last time they met.
Gun
With Vardy missing, will Danny Ings (£7.4m) be the striker who makes the difference in this one? A well-taken goal against Everton (only his fourth since 2014-15) will give him some much-needed confidence, as will the 90 minutes he should get again this weekend.
Value Picks
Alex McCarthy (£6.8m) has a clean sheet and just shy of a 1500 average from the first two games. The Everton game in Gameweek 2 was the first time the Saints have conceded more than one in their last five Premier League games. That bodes well for the man in between the sticks, especially with Vardy missing and Okazaki unfit for their opponents this week.
POD Pick
If you think Leicester can sneak the win this week, a good roll of the dice for your PlayON squads would be Kelechi Iheanacho (£7.9m). With Vardy suspended and Okazaki lacking match sharpness, the Nigerian may be the only option up top for the Foxes.
His goals per game ratio for Premier League minutes played equates to about one every game and a half, so he does take the chances when given them. A current DFS average of just 320 and higher than basement pricing means he may slip under the radar for some players.
Liverpool v. Brighton
Brighton will be in great spirits after upsetting Man United last week, but face another tough prospect in this one against a Liverpool side who are flying.
The Reds have scored six unanswered goals in the first two weeks. They also won these fixtures last season 5-1 and 4-0. I can see another battering coming up here.
Gun
As strange as it seems to talk about a Liverpool midfielder who is not Salah in this section, Sadio Mane (£13.8m) is the man in form so far, with three goals in the first two weeks. Salah does have a goal and two assists, so he has hardly been quiet himself, but save yourself the £3m to spend elsewhere whilst Mane is firing.
Value Picks
The lack of goals conceded means Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson (£8.4m) becomes a good choice. There is also the assist factor, with the full back providing one in the opening fixture. With plenty of goals likely, the young Scot could push on for another here.
POD Pick
Someone who has a Twitter account dedicated to how boring they are is surely likely to go unnoticed by DFS players. Therefore, you would think not many would have James Milner (£8m) in their sides. The Liverpool skipper has a goal and an assist so far, and an average just under 1700.
That’s all for Saturday’s preview. Now be sure to pick your team and enter it into the Fantasy Football Geek freeroll!
Pick a team and playing in the private Fantasy Football Geek freeroll Saturday at PlayON.
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