Getting your team selection correct in Draft Premier League is just as essential as your pre-season draft or your weekly waiver wire claims. And that’s exactly why we’re here to help with our Gameweek 14 Start and Sit article! We’re here to help you with some of the big Fantasy EPL decisions you may need to make for the upcoming fixtures.
Gameweek 14 Start and Sit
Whether you’re an obsessed EPL fan like our Fantrax HQ team, or a casual player new to the world of Fantasy EPL, you know to start your attacking players against relegation-threatened sides. We’re not going to waste your time dealing with the obvious! The goal of this article is to delve into notable players across each Fantrax position and let you know if you should be starting or sitting those players.
Our format is as follows: We will be choosing 2 different teams. One will be our starts of the week, made up of non-obvious, low-rostered players. The other will be our sits of the week, made up of highly rostered, normally started players.
Now let’s see the Gameweek 14 Start and Sit contenders!
Starts of the Week XI
| Player | Pos. | Team | Opponent | % Rostered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernd Leno | G | FUL | EVE | 25% |
| Joel Ward | D | CRY | SOU | 8% |
| Mohammed Salisu | D | SOU | @CRY | 17% |
| Nelson Semedo | D | WOL | @BRF | 11% |
| Amadou Onana | M | EVE | @FUL | 29% |
| Douglas Luiz | M | AVL | @NEW | 20% |
| Jeffrey Schlupp | M | CRY | SOU | 5% |
| Joe Willock | M | NEW | AVL | 60% |
| Thomas Partey | M | ARS | NFO | 56% |
| Leon Bailey | F | AVL | @NEW | 57% |
| Odsonne Edouard | F | CRY | SOU | 55% |
Average % Rostered: 31%
This is a week where the teams who have traditionally been strongest (the so-called ‘Big Six’) face off against teams that usually finish in the bottom half of the table, and the rest of the fixtures are among those who typically end up in the middle of the pack. That significantly narrows the pool of lower-rostered players worth starting, but if you’ve got the following players on your team, don’t feel like you need to drop them or another player in your team in order to move them to the bench for this week.
In goal, Bernd Leno has been a consistently strong fantasy performer for Fulham, who host an Everton side still looking to discover their best attacking form. In defense, the competing pair of Joel Ward and Mohammed Salisu could deliver either a rare clean sheet or a solid foundation of points from blocked shots, as both teams concede a lot of shots to opposition attackers. Nelson Semedo is currently part of the fullback rotation headache at Wolves but should be in line for a start against a Brentford side that has failed to score in its last two EPL matches.
Our five-man midfield consists primarily of holding midfielders who have attacking upside, but Joe Willock bucks the trend by typically being deployed a bit farther up the pitch. He’s cooled off recently after a hot start to the season, but Newcastle is flying high and should have enough quality to get the best of a reinvigorated Aston Villa. That’s to take nothing away from Douglas Luiz, who has been among the best players for the Villans this season and has the added benefit of some set-piece duties. Amadou Onana, Thomas Partey, and Jeffrey Schlupp are all players who deliver a reliable floor of points to start from with the potential to rack up the counting stats in favorable matches.
Up top, I’m counting on Southampton to continue allowing a boatload of shots to their opposition, resulting in multiple shots for Odsonne Edouard. Let’s hope he can hit the target with at least a couple. Finally, Leon Bailey was at his best in Gameweek 13 and will look to build upon that to impress new manager Unai Emery.
Sits of the Week XI
| Player | Pos. | Team | Opponent | % Rostered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Sa | G | WOL | @BRF | 96% |
| Aymeric Laporte | D | MCI | @LEI | 85% |
| Marc Cucurella | D | CHE | @BHA | 98% |
| Neco Williams | D | NOT | @ARS | 79% |
| Pascal Struijk | D | LEE | @LIV | 75% |
| Timothy Castagne | D | LEI | MCI | 73% |
| Brenden Aaronson | M | LEE | @LIV | 85% |
| Harvey Barnes | M | LEI | MCI | 95% |
| Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall | M | LEI | MCI | 77% |
| Philip Billing | M | BOU | TOT | 72% |
| Luis Sinisterra | F | LEE | @LIV | 70% |
Average % Rostered: 82%
Most of the highly rostered goalkeepers this week have attractive fixtures, so I’m recommending “benching” Jose Sa, who has seen a sharp dip in form in recent weeks. That said, Brentford aren’t the highest scorers in the league, so I wouldn’t drop Sa if you have him on your roster unless another long-term option like Raya, Kepa or Pope is available.
Across the back line, I’m starting with a bit of a surprise choice with Aymeric Laporte given Man City’s form and a favorable fixture against Leicester City, but the French center-back often flatters to deceive from a fantasy standpoint and I think there are better options you could find from the free agent pool this week. On the other side of that fixture, Timothy Castagne has been in excellent form but also faced much kinder fixtures than Man City. Marc Cucurella has struggled for form in the Chelsea defense since Graham Potter’s arrival and has been replaced very early on two separate occasions in recent weeks, so I’d avoid the risk if possible. Pascal Struijk and Neco Williams have been standout performers this season, but you probably don’t want to start them against Liverpool and Arsenal, respectively. At least not if you can help it.
In midfield, I’m doubling up on Leicester assets Harvey Barnes and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, neither of whom have the benefit of set pieces to bolster their baseline scores. Sticking with the difficult fixture theme, I’d also sideline Brenden Aaronson and Philip Billing this time around if I could, despite their positive fantasy output of late. Just the one forward this week, and it’s another Leeds player who should be held in reserve for a more favorable future fixture. Luis Sinisterra was name-checked as an injury doubt by Jesse Marsch, but even if he is passed fit I would look elsewhere for a forward if you can find one.
Make sure you also check out our official EPL content partner, The Draft Society, for all the latest! Check out their Fantrax Weekly Player Projections page for more player evaluations for the upcoming week!