Here’s our World Cup Fantasy Semi Finals Best Teams articles with Avishek’s and Clay’s Teams. They are ranked 40th and 23k Overall Rank respectively
World Cup Fantasy Semi finals Best Teams – Clay and Avishek’s Teams
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See previous articles for the semi finals
The FFGeek Team, FFGeek Fanteam
Avishek
Quarters points 96. total points 653. Overall Rank, 40th 😲
Quarter Final Recap
So another good gameweek with only 2 blankers Olise and Kane in the 11 and a rank boost of up to 40th in the world.
Highlights of the game week are:
1. Early captain conversion (Mbappe)
2. De Keteleare goal + scouting bonus being a major differential.
3. 16 extra points on CS Shield with Argentina Spain and England conceding exactly 1 goal.
Here’s the points
Semi Final Preview
First up – I have 4 players eliminated in Hakimi Dest De Keteleare and Vargas and with 5 transfers i will definitely look to transfer some of them out if not all. My key considerations are
1. Lamine Yamal being my main rank threat, should I stick with the current structure or downgrade one or both of Kane or Olise to fund Lamine. Lamine hasn’t delivered yet fantasy wise but he can definitely turn things around, especially how he performed the last time Spain played France in the nations league last year.
2. How much should i spend on the bench? Last week one of my conscious decisions were not to spend too much on the bench given we won’t have sub windows in the final, so the idea was to rather invest more on the starting 11. However it looks like the 3rd place game would be part of the final matchday, which means in both semis and final we would still be able to sub out players for the next game as well as change the captaincy if needed. Given this, i am inclined towards getting at least a 2nd keeper and 2 options off the bench in case there are blankers on day 1.
Option 1: Keep Kane Olise and just address the eliminated players.
We will be able to see the France Spain lineups and if Merino starts, these are going to be my transfers
Vargas to Maignan/Simon
CDK to Merino
Hakimi to O’Reilly
Dest to Tagliafico
If Baena also starts, he stays, else I would also use the spare transfer to downgrade him to free up funds and may be upgrade one of the defenders.
Option 2: Get Lamine Yamal
Vargas to Maignan/Simon
Kane to Oyarzabal
Olise to Lamine
CDK to MacAllister
Hakimi to O’Reilly/Kounde/Cubarsi
Chip: The max captain is the only remaining chip for me and I am inclined to keep it for the final matchday, especially given the usual suspects could miss out due to rotation in the 3rd place game and card related suspensions in general.
Here is a screenshot of my team assuming option 1. And I will try to post my final team on X, so do keep an eye out @fantaseeking
Thank you and good luck all!
Clay Van Doren
83 points quarters, Total Points 585. Overall Rank 23k
Key elements to go forward approach: Max Caption for Final Week
Wildcard, Qualification Bonus, Clean Sheet and 12th Man Boosters Played
Plan to play Max Captain in Final round when less chance to swap between players during the Round (as only 1-2 games) and the Bronze Cup likely more high scoring than Semis with unusual players returning
GW7 Quarterfinal results: 83 points, Round Rank of 243K and Overall Rank of 23K (effectively flat vs. prior round)
Clean Sheet shield paid off with three clean sheet defender returns and even three points from midfielders
Bellingham was the key for the week on 15 points @ 40% ownership
Midfield for 2nd week in a row has light return (only Bellingham got return)
No rotation of captain needed – 13 pointer from Mbappe in opening game
Here’s the quarter final points with the Clean Sheet Shield
GW7 Semis Four Replacement Changes and Two Discretionary
Not particularly focused on preparing for Finals week at this point (6 transfers next week)
Still feel French have clearest path to Cup– although Spain not easy path
We will know starters from French-Spain match ahead of deadline which is helpful
Little faith in clean sheets in Quarter Finals – think all 4 teams concede a goal…
…so, augmenting attack more important than defence and, in defense, attacking defenders of greater priority
Players in principle need to do something about
- Hakimi (6M exited), Trossard (6.6M exited), Medina (no longer playing only 4.0), early-sub low-scoring Baena (6M), 2nd keeper Egypt Goalie @ 3.5M
- Challenging as above largely lower price players needing replacement with unclear substitutes at similar prices
- I will be exiting Yamal to create budget for upgrade of at least two non-players
- Only way I exit these players is by selling one of more expensive players — means either Yamal or Kane to create room to upgrade other positions (structural shift)
- Yamal playing a tougher defence and has been less incisive than Kane
I do think one of the big players will not play in Finals Round due to Bronze Cup
- Yamal, Mbappe or Kane feel likely to be bench if land in Bronze Cup…
- …my gut says Messi plays regardless as his last World Cup
Planned transactions with 1M in the Bank
Possible Transfers
- Doue or Barcola in for Yamal
- Somewhat attacking Kounde for Hakimi
- Attacking Argentinean defender Martinez for non-playing Medina
- Gordon for Trossard
- Gordon has three returns in a row going against softer Argentinean fullback
- Possibly Pickford for exited Mostafa
- (potential 1.5M to return be reinvested elsewhere as one keeper likely enough)
- Alternatively, just replace Simon with Maignan
Round 7, Semis: Yamal downgrade funds material defensive upgrades
· Gordon and Doue are at risk…Doue will become Barcola if Doue fails to start
Here’s the current lineup prior to the above possible transfers being completed. Clay will confirm the transfers, substitutions and captain changes in the Patreon Version of this article
