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 9 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 9 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. We will keep track of how each team performs in next week’s article for full transparency.
Now let’s see the Gameweek 9 Start and Sit contenders!
Starts of the Week XI
| Player | Pos. | Team | Opponent | % Rostered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernd Leno | G | FUL | NEW | 37% |
| Nelson Semedo | D | WOL | @WHU | 20% |
| Timothy Castagne | D | LEI | NOT | 33% |
| Liam Cooper | D | LEE | AVL | 17% |
| Romain Perraud | D | SOU | EVE | 11% |
| Fabio Vieira | M | ARS | TOT | 23% |
| Mikel Damsgaard | M | BRF | @BOU | 13% |
| Moussa Djenepo | M | SOU | EVE | 22% |
| Amadou Onana | M | EVE | @SOU | 22% |
| Goncalo Guedes | F | WOL | @WHU | 45% |
| Patson Daka | F | LEI | NOT | 33% |
Average % Rostered: 27%
We’re back for a pivotal GW – and we finally have a full slate of games again, including a few big derbies (Arsenal v Spurs & Man City v Man Utd), some unpredictable matchups (e.g., West Ham v Wolves; Liverpool v Brighton), and what will likely be some open affairs (e.g., Southampton v Everton; Leicester City v Nottingham Forest). So, let’s get to it.
In goal, we’re going with Bernd Leno, who disappointed last time out but faces a sputtering attack that looks like it will be without its main threats (ASM & Isak). Newcastle was fortunate to get awarded a penalty last time out or else they would have been shut out by Bournemouth. A rare Fulham cleansheet could be in the offing.
Filling out a defensive back 4 is Nelson Semedo, Timothy Castagne, Liam Cooper, & Romain Perraud. Semedo is still finding his footing after spending much of the early season recovering from injury but has looked good in his cameos. He should get the start against a very inconsistent and struggling West Ham, and he could find some joy on the attacking end. Meanwhile, Castagne has a wide-open Forest side to slice through at the King Power and should fill up the stat sheet even if the the Foxes don’t get their first clean sheet in ages in a must win game. We’ve all been waiting for the ghost-point king, Liam Cooper, to make his first start of the campaign. By all accounts, it will come this weekend against a toothless and short-handed Aston Villa side, which is an excellent matchup. That leaves Perraud, who picked up a knock last time out but should be fully fit after this international break. His ghost points and the fact that his opponent, Everton, doesn’t score too often make the young French fullback an attractive prospect this week.
In the middle of the park, let’s see if EPL newcomer Fabio Vieira slots in for Martin Odegaard again v Spurs – it’s unlikely given that the Norwegian seems to have gotten over his knock but Vieira’s upside makes it worth it to wait. And Arsenal v Spurs is the first match so it’s an easy drop if need be. Like Cooper above, we’ve been waiting for Mikel Damsgaard to make his debut, especially after he dropped 8 points in a very brief appearance last time out. He started for Denmark during the International Break and should be fit – it’s time, Thomas Frank, it’s time. As we mentioned, the Southampton-Everton matchup is a tasty one for streamers – with Moussa Djenepo (and even Aribo or Mara if one of them gets the nod instead) looking good for a stream this GW. In the same vein, Amadou Onana has a decent floor and can inflict some damage against the Saints if he ventures forward.
Finally, up front, we like the cut of these forwards’ gibs: Goncalo Guedes & Patson Daka. It’s time to start your Wolves again with the leaky West Ham defense surely offering the prospect of a godforsaken goal for the West Midlands side. Guedes stood out against Manchester City and was unlucky not to score – he’ll have his opportunities against the Hammers, and let’s hope he takes them. Patson Daka, meanwhile, faces Nottingham Forest. Need we say more?
Sits of the Week XI
| Player | Pos. | Team | Opponent | % Rostered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edouard Mendy | G | CHE | @CRY | 82% |
| Gabriel Magalhaes | D | ARS | TOT | 99% |
| Lisandro Martinez | D | MUN | @MCI | 74% |
| Kyle Walker | D | MUN | @CRY | 90% |
| Eric Dier | D | EVE | @ARS | 90% |
| Ivan Perisic | M | TOT | @ARS | 99% |
| Christian Eriksen | M | MUN | @MCI | 99% |
| Alexis Macallister | M | CHE | @FUL | 84% |
| Bruno Guimaraes | M | NEW | @FUL | 96% |
| Antony | F | MUN | @MCI | 83% |
| Danny Welbeck | F | BRI | @LIV | 74% |
Average % Rostered: 88%
Now let’s see how the other half live. Between the sticks, Edouard Mendy has had a horrific campaign and his much-maligned deputy, Kepa, has even seen a few starts. If Mendy does start against a rested Crystal Palace side with a healthy Wilfried Zaha, he shouldn’t be trusted.
In defense, Gabriel Magalhaes, Lisandro Martinez, Kyle Walker, & Eric Dier all have tricky fixtures and do not score enough ghost points to offset any goals conceded and thus don’t warrant a start.
Some big names make the cut in midfield. Ivan Perisic largely depends on set pieces, which is great against Leicester City but less so against an Arsenal side that rarely concedes in those situations. Speaking of dependence, Christian Eriksen would need a counterattacking through ball assist to see any joy against Man City – possible, sure, but unlikely. Bruno Guimaraes has been poor this season and is just coming back from an injury. Meanwhile, Alexis Macallister is averaging less than 6 ghost points per start, has a brand new manager, and is also up against a wounded Liverpool that will likely rediscover some form at Anfield.
Leading the line is Antony (only one name, like Prince) and Danny Welbeck. Antony is still inexperienced and will have very few times on the ball against Man City – would need to latch onto a counterattack (see above). While Welbeck has been excellent at times this campaign, a new manager is coming in and, again, it’s still difficult (despite early results that say otherwise) to go to Merseyside.
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!