Here’s our FPL latest team drafts where 4 FFGeek contributors have provided their updated teams as pre-season lineups and form really starts to take shape. There’s Joseph Crilley, Alex Ball, Rob Reid and Andrew Whitfield in this first of a few articles over the coming days.
FPL latest team drafts – 4 FFGeek contributors update their teams.
In our Patreon site this week we will be posting the first look at the contributors tracker FPL team. This will be posted every Friday/Saturday of the season to show you the contributors favourite players, transfers and captains that week. You will also get in the patreon site
- Season long entry to prize leagues on the first months payment
- Season long entry on the first month’s payment to the FFGeek Slack channel for members and contributors
- Access to Joseph Crilleys transfer planner and point projection tool
- Access to the weekly podcasts with contributor guests
All for $3 per month
Joseph Crilley
Joseph’s last 3 seasons OR were 28k, 7k and 13k
GW1 is fast approaching and I am inching my way towards finalising my team. My latest draft sees the squad line-up in a 5-4-1 formation with plenty of money spent at the back where I am holding strong on my belief that is where the value is. I still have a Liverpool double-up of Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk while Digne just about holds his place despite the sale of Gueye as I still harbour hopes that the fixture list combined with his attacking potential will reap returns.
Zinchenko is my City representation, though we await Community shield for some confirmation on his starting prospects, with Azpilicueta the final member of a powerhouse defence – I like Chelsea’s fixtures and their defence is typically reliable. The five-strong backline will protect a budget keeper in goal with Pope the current choice in the hope that Burnley return to form.
The attack is led by the classic premium pair of Sterling and Salah who line up alongside the Bournemouth duo of Wilson and Fraser. I mentioned on an earlier podcast about my fondness for the Cherries’ double-up as I like their flat-track nature for the opening two fixtures and believe that they can provide good opportunity in GW3 to jump on any emerging options in attack.
The 5th attacker is a tough decision with plenty of selection across the midfielders and forwards, but I currently have Felipe Anderson as I like his talisman potential at West Ham – just trying to ignore the opening fixture! That’s the starting XI for now with the made dilemmas revolving around Azpilicueta, Digne and Anderson where they could become any 6-7mil player, but we shall see how land lies by 8th August!
Andrew Whitfield
Andrew finished with an OR of 6k last season and 19k the season before that
As you would expect, my team has changed quite a bit since it was last posted.
Sterling v Aguero
The main catalyst for change was my recent switch from Aguero ( who I had held since the game launched ) to Sterling, as my second “ premium” alongside Salah. This was a decision I had wrestled with for a while. Aguero has been a star for me in recent seasons. But I was feeling increasingly like I was swimming against the tide with the momentum behind Sterling amongst experienced FPL managers, not to mention his four goals and two assists in pre season, with Aguero yet to feature.
Being a defensive risk based manager, I have no appetite to take on the two most owned “premium players” ( of the six players above 10M) and most likely popular captain poll leaders.
I liked the flexibility of Aguero being switched easily to Auba and Kane during great fixture runs, but then again I was not drawn to the idea of being without Man City attacking coverage when I did switch to Auba or Kane. I did well with limited use of Kane and Auba last season ( despite Auba being top striker ) . Aguero has had a busy summer, surely he will be pushed more by Jesus. If it’s Sterling v Aguero as a set and forget, there is no reason to believe Raheem will not repeat his 30 point advantage over Sergio. So I am happy with Salah and Sterling, who also rotate well home and away and will be my two captains.
GK and defence
My record with keepers was not good last season with only 8 keeper clean sheets, playing an unsuccessful game of switching between a range of budget to mid range keepers. That’s a waste of transfers without reward. I also don’t like two keeper rotation which invariably means you get the wrong one and leave points on your bench. I am all in favour of reducing the number of decisions to stress over, so I am settled on a set and forget premium keeper with Ederson who I never have to think about and hopefully he repeats his 20 clean sheets from last season. It’s worth noting that Ederson outscored the current crop of £4.5m keepers by about 70 points last season !!
Ederson is also cheaper than Laporte. He is same price as Walker and Mendy and more secure. A great value secure way in to a must have defence. If anyone says they can’t afford a premium keeper, then bear in mind you will probably be spending the same on another Man City defender instead – without the nailed on security..
The Liverpool defensive double up looks essential. They still represent great value compared to 6.5 / 7M mids and strikers. Van Dijk offers game time security and is 0.5M cheaper, but the sight of Trent and Robbo bombing forward is mouth watering and makes for great enjoyment of watching Liverpool games. Clean sheets and assists with Trent on set pieces . Yes please. Also bear in mind that if you only have one Liverpool defender, you will actually lose out to most teams when Liverpool keep a clean sheet, as a high proportion of your rivals will have two Liverpool defenders..
I wanted Digne all summer. Coleman is tempting for a 0.5m saving, but I really want Digne with the chances he creates and set pieces too.. so three exciting attacking full backs plus Man City coverage . Happy with that !!
I was looking around the 4.5M defenders but only Dunk and Diop appealed.. I think there is great value in defence around the 5.5-6M mark, so I am going for a strong back four and currently on Zinchenko, with one eye on the Community Shield. That gives me double Liverpool defence and double City defence and a triple up on both teams which I really like !! Most teams have only one City defender so a double up compared to just one City defender with a repeat 20 clean sheets equates to 80 points on most of your rivals !!
Zinchenko could yet become Coleman for four Merseyside attacking full backs !! Not over keen on double toffees defence but I like the idea of four full backs on the attack !! I also have a good flexible place to switch on to Chelsea defence..
Midfield and forwards
I am looking for four strong midfielders, I played 433 last season mostly, and I missed that strong 4th mid.. I was looking at 343 but the defensive value is so good that I am now setting up a 442..
So with Salah and Sterling being the epicentre of my team, I was initially looking at Sigurdsson and Fraser for a strong midfield four. Everton have great fixtures and Siggy is on pens but with the extra investment in defence, I have switched him to Tielemans in an attacking Leicester team.
I want double Bournemouth attack with their opening fixtures, starting against two promoted new boys. Fraser looks perfect.
I did want a Fraser and Wilson double up, given how well they combine. But my Liverpool and City defensive double up means I have to settle for King rather than Wilson. There was not much in it points wise last season and King should be on pens. King also out pointed Wilson the previous two years before last season. The 6.5m strikers don’t jump out. I am not feeling the love for Deulofeu at all. Wood and Barnes can pop goals in, but going for Jota.. he matched Jimenez over the second half of the season..
Even though I am investing more than normal into defence, I feel like I have ten players who can all offer attacking returns which is a happy place to be !!
Naturally I feel vulnerable to the premium strikers Aguero Kane and Auba, but last season the best striker ( Auba) was way down in 7th place in FPL points . If two premiums out of six is realistically the most to fit in without unbalancing your team, I am happy with Salah and Sterling who finished 1st and 2nd last season..
The bench
It’s looking likely I could have a starting player in each position for my bench. I expect unless injuries crop up, my decision will be straight forward and these three will sit on my bench most weeks. I can’t see me putting these three in through choice, which again takes away another decision to stress over. My bench three can all step in if required, but they are bench players to cover injuries. Dendoncker looks secure, Greenwood could be an exciting impact player, and Kelly could start at Palace, at least until Sakho and Tomkins return..
My team is set up to fit my risk based approach.. I want Salah and Sterling, double Liverpool defence, city defence.. the template players can be used as a safety cushion.. Low gain but covering the high risk.. and giving me a sound platform to attack with my lower ownership players who carry lower risk and potential high gains.
Bring it on !!!
Rob Reid
Rob’s recent OR’s are 148k, 94k, 22k, 4k and 7k
Alex Ball
Alex finished 523k last season, 17k in 17/18, 10k in 16/17 and 28k
My latest draft has a few tweaks. As like most of you, I’m sure you’ve had most players at one point or other so can’t remember exactly who I had last time but I strongly considered going Kane or Auba over sterling for the first 2 games. Sterlings preseason form has put me off this.
Currently it’s Pope in goal if Heaton moves to Villa. I prefer 4 at the back instead of 5 due to flexibility but I can see the appeal of 5 and think it could do well. VVD over Robbo is tempting to save 0.5 but think I’ll stick with the more expensive pair as it’s an easy downgrade if needed. Zinchenko is a cheap route into a City defense if he continues to start. Digne is in for his set piece threat although I have cooled on the defense as a whole due to players they have lost.
Sterling and Salah will be my premium captain options. Both Perez and Martial offer OOP midfielders playing as forwards. Both are somewhat risky with game time but have been talked up by their respective managers.
King and Wilson are in for their kind fixtures. The plan would be King to Jota in GW3.
Bench is cheap as chips but with some hope of starting. Happy tinkering!
In our Patreon site this week we will be posting the first look at the contributors tracker FPL team. This will be posted every Friday/Saturday of the season to show you the contributors favourite players, transfers and captains that week. You will also get in the patreon site
- Season long entry to prize leagues on the first months payment
- Season long entry to the FFGeek Slack channel for members and contributors on the first month’s payment
- Access to Joseph Crilleys transfer planner and point projection tool
- Access to the weekly podcasts with contributor guests
All for $3 per month
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