Here’s some early FFGeek team thoughts in this fantasy premier league blank GW31 teams article. We look at gameweek 30, transfer thoughts, blank and double gameweek thoughts and early captain thinking
FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE BLANK GW31 TEAMS – SOME EARLY THOUGHTS ON THE FFGEEK TEAM
So firstly it’s important to remind you I’m continuing with my 2 team theme as a result of my accidental free hit chip being used in GW23.
Team 1 is the team with the free hit chip lost.
Team 2 has the free hit team intact and was cloned from one of my alternate FFGeek teams to be my original team through a -28 point hit.
Team 2 is to help people who were following my original team as a reference point so they can continue doing so.
Team 1 will help those people who used their free hit chip earlier in the season.
Both teams require totally different strategies to navigate through the potential blank and double gameweeks up coming
Here was my team selection article going into the gameweek if you’re interested
GW30 PERFORMANCE – FREE HIT LOST TEAM
GW30 points: 59 (average 41) Total points 1,768 Gameweek rank 426k Overall Rank: 25k green arrow 17k Team Value: £102.7m
Here’s the team points from the gameweek. An 17k green arrow to 25k OR.
Well from my perspective, I’m not sure I can ever remember a gameweek like it. To be on 6 points with seemingly everyone else in the 20’s at least at the start of Sunday with 3 games to go and end up on 59 was quite surreal. Certainly lady luck was with me in ridiculous amounts and today I’m not sure if I should buy a lottery ticket or be afraid to go outside as lightening may strike me.
It was made all the more unbelievable as it was a gameweek I was dreading. I was actually thinking that I could set a record for the amount of players who didn’t start. I was only certain that McArthur, Ogbonna, Kane, Ryan and the 3 Liverpool lads would start. In the end I had a full 11 play.
TRANSFER OPTIONS
I normally talk about issues with the team here but I’m close to using my 2nd wildcard so it seems a bit of a waste of everyone’s time so I’ll move straight on to transfers.
I have 2 free transfers and £2.6m in the bank.
I was feeling fairly certain about Shaqiri but I’m a little unsure at the moment. He will be owned by every man and his dog and can get bonus points so it would be a bit of a downside hedge but he doesn’t tick some fundamentals in terms of his underlying stats even in his recent good spell. Maybe my recent good luck is making me feel a bit too bullish?
So the one player I’m reasonably certain about is Huddersfield striker Mounie. He’s played 90 minutes in the last 4, scoring twice and getting 2 assists and posted pretty good stats. It’s a good fixture v Palace. He would have to replace Kane though which I am relaxed about injury or not. I don’t have huge amounts of cash tied up in him. I’ll either wildcard in GW32 and even if I didn’t he’s away to Chelsea so how much damage could he do (famous last words)
Another player I’m quite keen on is Bournemouths Junior Stanislas. He’s started the last 6 with 1 sub appearance before that and scored 3 goals and 2 assists in that time. His underlying stats in the last 2 have been excellent although overall they are pretty ordinary really. He does have some set piece representation. WBA at home is a good fixture at the moment. I’m not wild on his minutes as he’s only got past 80 twice in those 6 games. I also don’t trust Howe on team selection. He’s a natural tinkerer which I really think is totally unnecessary considering they’re not in Europe and in no Cups. I may have to take out Son as I have too much money invested in Sterling to sell him just yet. I know I go on about team value and it not being the be all and end all but I’m not stupid either. Obviously it could be different if I wildcard in GW32 and don’t want him but for now Son is the most likely as my sell and buy back price is similar.
I don’t think I’ll be getting any defenders. I feel the attackers have more potential.
I am thinking about a hit for a GK. Maybe Butland? I need to feel that Everton won’t score 2 and that Butland will get 1 save point. That would mean I am only gambling 1 point with a decent upside as he’s also earned 9 bonus points in the last 7 matches.
BLANK AND DOUBLE GAMEWEEK THOUGHTS
So far I have Van Dijk, Salah, Firmino, Richarlison, and McArthur who I feel confident will start this week. That’s 5 who should start. Plus 2 transfers gives me 7 players without any hits.
After the weekend I feel less confident that Niasse will get a 1 pointer and Kenny looks well and truly beyond hope.
My plan at the moment is wildcard GW32/33, Bench Boost GW34, Triple captain GW35 or 37. Remember this team has no free hit chip.
Some preliminary wildcard thoughts
You may have noticed I have been slightly hedging my bets on the wildcard timing front above.
In GW32 here are the opponents for an 11 assuming I transfer in Stanislas and Mounie for Son and Kane
Ryan (Leicester h)
Van Dijk (Palace A) Otamendi (Everton A) Ogbonna (Southampton H)
Sterling (Everton A) Richarlison (Bournemouth H) Salah (Palace away) Stanislas (Watford A)
Mounie (Newcastle A) Firmino ( Palace A) 1 transfer (Aubameyang for Niasse Stoke H)
Not too bad really. It is tempting. The advantage of a wildcard in 32 is 2 transfers to fix issues. The advantage in 33 is a shorter time frame for things to go wrong and more info.
So I’m going to think about it more this week.
THE TEAM LINEUP BEFORE ANY TRANSFERS
Assume Son is Stanislas and Kane is Mounie.
CAPTAIN THOUGHTS
Hard to imagine anyone except Salah for this week
GW30 PERFORMANCE – FREE HIT INTACT TEAM
This team is as if I didn’t make an accidental free hit ie the same as my original team and was cloned from one of my alternate FFGeek teams to be my original team through a -28 point hit. I will keep it to show how I would have navigated through the blanks with all the chips intact. I think that will be helpful for those who were using my original team as a reference point
GW30 points: 46 (average 41) Total points 1,699 Gameweek rank 1,741k Overall Rank: 163k green arrow 18k Team Value: £101.0m
Here’s the points. 18k green arrow to 163k OR.
So a reasonably good week.
Also 2 transfers with £1.1m in the bank.
Likely to be the same 2 transfers. So if it is Mounie and Stanislas it would be for Kane and Lingard. However given I have Wilson and Lewis Cook I may go for Shaqiri for this one.
6 likely GW31 plus 2 transfers and maybe a -4 for a GK.
Here’s the team before transfers. Assume Kane is Mounie and Lingard is Stanislas/Shaqiri
In this team I have a free hit so the plan at the moment is wildcard GW32/33, Bench Boost GW34, Free Hit GW35, Triple captain GW37
GAMEWEEK 31 DEADLINE: SATURDAY 17 MARCH 14.00 UK TIME
So a later start time this week but still worth setting your team in advance especially the captain
Here’s the GW31 fixtures:
Hope you had a good gameweek
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