Fantasy EPL Gameweek 18: Hot or Cold Player Rankings

Our Hot or Cold Player Rankings are here to outline the current prospects of key Fantasy EPL Draft players. The ‘Hot’ or ‘Cold’ status will help take away your emotional attachment to certain Premier League players and bring in the players that you need to help you dominate your Fantrax Draft League!

Use these hints and tips to increase your chances of success! New kid on the block hitting good form? Early draft pick not performing? Use this article as an objective way to influence your transfer and trade activity!

🔥🔥🔥 Gameweek 18 Player Rankings: Hot List 🔥🔥🔥

These are Fantasy EPL Draft players that have risen in our rankings! These are potential free agents on good form or established players that you should be looking to trade-in. Keep an eye on these players, and bring them into your Fantrax squad if you can!

Jan Vertonghen

Position: Defender

Team: Spurs

Ownership: 62%

Average Score Last 5 Games: 10.55 PPG

Next 5 Fixtures: CHE (H), BHA (H), nor (A), sou (A), LIV (H)

What’s Changed?: What a couple of weeks it has been for Vertonghen, the Spurs defender has put out some huge Fantrax returns with 29.25 and 19.75 points in the last two games. Vertonghen has picked up a clean sheet, which let’s face it, are like gold dust for Spurs this season, an assist and a goal in the last two Gameweeks also; making Vertonghen one of the hottest property defenders on Fantrax right now. With Vertonghen being deployed as a left back, his potential for attacking returns greatly increases so don’t worry too much about Spurs struggling to keep clean sheets!

John Fleck

Position: Midfielder

Team: Sheffield United

Ownership: 69%

Average Score Last 5 Games: 14.7 PPG

Next 5 Fixtures: bha (A), WAT (H), mci (A), liv (A), WHU (H)

What’s Changed?: We’ve been here before, Fleck has been in really good form for the last 10 or so Gameweek’s with an average of 12.55 PPG. Fleck goes completely under the radar with the likes of: Buendia, Pukki, Grealish, McGinn, Stevens, and Mousset all getting more coverage of the promoted sides. However, Fleck is a serious Fantrax force to be reckoned with and is certainly becoming more of a mainstream player.

We last included Fleck in our Gameweek 11 Sleepers XI article, despite his good form; however, Fleck will not make it into the Gameweek 18 edition of our Sleepers XI as he will serve a one-match suspension for picking up five yellow cards. You’ve been warned – don’t go and pick Fleck up this week if you are desperately needing a player to field a full 11!

David McGoldrick

Position: Forward

Team: Sheffield United

Ownership: 27%

Average Score Last 5 Games: 9.8 PPG

Next 5 Fixtures: bha (A), WAT (H), mci (A), liv (A), WHU (H)

What’s Changed?: The Sheffield United forward makes the Hotlist for two weeks in a row! As we said in the Gameweek 17 Hot or Cold article, McGoldrick is an integral cog in this impressive Sheffield United machine who now sit pretty in fifth place in the Premier League! What is the deal with McGoldrick? Well, obviously he was going to score well this Gameweek considering he picked up an assist, his second of the season. But McGoldrick is putting in some impressive Fantrax points; thanks largely to the sheer volume of shot and the tackles he makes. Essentially McGoldrick puts himself about so much for the Blades he is the ideal Fantrax player. Pick McGoldrick up now as a third choice striker whilst he is hot! Brighton and Watford up next, two pretty decent fixtures to stream McGoldrick!

Gameweek 18 Player Rankings: More Hot Players!

Fantasy EPL Defenders

Virgil Van-Dijk (100%, Liverpool) – The Dutchman has upped his game in recent weeks, and is now scoring as we expected before the season started
Matt Doherty (95%, Wolves) – Getting back to his best, once again worthy of DEF1 status
Serge Aurier (91%, Spurs) – Jose seems to really like Aurier and has voiced his desire for Aurier to attack; which will be music to Fantrax owners ears as Spurs aren’t keeping cleanies
Jonny Evans (87%, Leicester) – Scoring very well, and matching his more illustrious defensive teammates
George Baldock (77%, Sheffield United) – The right wing-back is either keeping clean sheets or gaining attacking returns!
Diego Rico (76%, Bournemouth) – Scoring well, and should keep his slot now that fellow left-back Kelly has suffered an injury setback
Antonio Rudiger (56%, Chelsea) – Back to full fitness. Not the best Togga scorer, but well worth an add
Martin Kelly (49%, Crystal Palace) – Performing very well in the absence of Ward
Federico Fernandez (35%, Newcastle) – The big center back is scoring well, and still pretty under the radar!

Fantasy EPL Midfielders

Kevin De Bruyne (100%, Manchester City) – Continues to perform at the highest of levels!
James Maddison (100%, Leicester) – Making this very good Leicester side tick
Dele Alli (99%, Tottenham) – Been on fire since Mourinho took over!!
Daniel James (97%, Manchester United) – Dependent on attacking returns, but he keeps on gaining them
James Ward-Prowse (97%, Southampton) – Putting together some good performances recently
Lucas Moura (96%, Tottenham) – Seems to be favored under Mourinho, and he’s scoring well. Try and trade him in
Diogo Jota (93%, Wolves) – Finding his form once again, and scoring fairly good ghost points
Emi Buendia (89%, Norwich) – Back on form with 10 key passes in his last two games!
Michail Antonio (74%, West Ham) – Returned to the side to great effect, but Pellegrini is going to manage his minutes
Jonjo Shelvey (69%, Newcastle) – On amazing form recently, hopefully, he’ll be back to full fitness soon!
Declan Rice (47%, West Ham) – Scoring surprisingly consistently in recent week
Moussa Sissoko (41%, Tottenham) – Looks favored under Mourinho, and is pitching in with goals too
Pablo Fornals (27%, West Ham) – Three assists in four games, despite The Hammers playing fairly poorly
Gabriel Martinelli (1%, Arsenal) – Played the full 90 minutes the last two games, but The Gunners are playing poorly under Ljunbjerg

Fantasy EPL Forwards

Son Heung-Min (100%, Tottenham) – The South Korean is on incredible form, and proving he’s on of the best players in the league
Jamie Vardy (100%, Leicester) – Doesn’t matter that he’s goal dependent. Complete legend this season!
Marcus Rashford (100%, Manchester United) – In the form of his life. Continues to score goals
Sadio Mane (100%, Liverpool) – Outshining the more sought after Salah at the moment, he’s the Liverpool player to own
Raul Jimenez (100%, Wolves) – The Mexican continues to perform very well
Adama Traore (85%, Wolves) – A favorite of the chaps on the @fplkickaround; Traore has been a revelation this season!
Kelechi Iheanacho (65%, Leicester) – Took his chances in recent weeks, although was withdrawn in the first half against Norwich
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (49%, Everton) – Looks nailed as the central striker in a rejuvenated Everton side
Neal Maupay (55%, Brighton) – Three goals in three games for the Frenchman!!
Ismaila Sarr (22%, Watford) – Now in the Watford side, and playing pretty well. A good under the radar option. Ghost points galore!
Mason Greenwood (17%, Manchester United) – The youngster got the late equalizer in GW16, and manager Ole is really singing his praises
Andy Carroll (15%, Newcastle) – Carroll is making a mark in an in-form Newcastle side! Joelinton has been moved to the wing to accommodate Carroll as the target man
Christian Benteke (10%, Crystal Palace) – Looks set to feature as Palace have so many injuries. 12 points in GW17 without any attacking returns

❄️❄️❄️ Gameweek 18 Player Rankings: Cold List ❄️❄️❄️

These are Fantasy EPL players that have fallen in our rankings. This may be due to poor form, they have been dropped from the best 11, they have suffered an injury, or received a suspension. It’s time to consider dropping these players from your squads!

Lucas Digne

Position: Defender

Team: Everton

Ownership: 100%

Average Score Last 5 Games: 8.75 PPG

Next 5 Fixtures: ARS (H), BUR (H), new (A), mci (A), BHA (H)

What’s Changed?: OH, DEAR. Digne limped off injured with a suspected groin injury in the first half of the Gameweek 17 fixture with Manchester United. All eyes will be on injury guru Ben Dinnery over the coming weeks as Fantrax managers who own Digne will be desperately hoping for good news. Whilst the injury might prove to be a minor one, the issue here is that with the busy schedule, four games in 10 days; it couldn’t have come at a worse time!

Recommendation: We’d recommend holding Digne. He is way too good to drop for an injury; he’ll be back and ripping it up soon!

Jesse Lingard

Position: Midfielder

Team: Manchester United

Ownership: 33%

Average Score Last 5 Games: 4.3 PPG

Next 5 Fixtures: wat (A), NEW (H), bur (A), ars (A), NOR (H)

What’s Changed?: Don’t get drawn into the fact Lingard starts most weeks, he scores no points. Greenwood’s stock is rising and a goal in Gameweek 17 to save the match against Everton will have done his chances of starting over the Christmas period no harm at all. Don’t forget that Pogba will be back soon; Lingard will not hold his place for much longer.

Recommendation: Drop Lingard immediately. There are so many good scoring Fantrax players available, like Fleck….you know what to do! Even players like Sissoko, Rice, or Fornals are better options than the “big name” of Lingard.

Xherdan Shaqiri

Position: Forward

Team: Liverpool

Ownership: 45%

Average Score Last 5 Games: 3.2 PPG

Next 5 Fixtures: lei (A), WOL (H), SHU (H), tot (A), MUN (H)

What’s Changed?: There’s been so much heat for Shaqiri. The Liverpool forward played 70 minutes in Gameweek 16 and did literally nothing, in the process he scored no points! Don’t pick him up, he will hardly play and when he does he is so goal and assist dependent. We’ve not even mentioned that Liverpool doesn’t have a fixture this Gameweek 17 due to the FIFA World Club Cup.

Recommendation: We highly recommend avoiding the urge to pick Shaqiri up. The likes of Maupay, Sarr, or Carroll are far better options! Picking up players like Shaqiri in the hope that they start, and play well, works every once in a while, but most of the time its a poorly executed tactic.

Gameweek 18 Player Rankings: More Cold Players!

Fantasy EPL Defenders

Kyle Walker (90%, Manchester City) – How is Walker 90% owned?! Awful
Benjamin Mendy (79%, Manchester City) – Usually scores well when he plays, but he can’t be trusted
Nathan Ake (72%, Bournemouth) – Set for a spell on the sidelines, and doesn’t score that well on Togga scoring anyway
Emerson (73%, Chelsea) – Struggling for game-time at the moment. Azpi is sometimes being utilized at left-back to accommodate James at right-back
Marcos Alonso (64%, Chelsea) – Not featured for a while. Drop him
Joao Cancelo (58%, Manchester City) – Not featured for a while. Drop him
Victor Lindelof (50%, Manchester United) – Never scores well on Togga scoring and scored an own goal in GW17!
Fikayo Tomori (42%, Chelsea) – Currently injured, and with Rudiger back in action, the youngster will struggle for game time
Kieran Tierney (35%, Arsenal) – Serious injury in GW16 and is out for a while. Drop him

Fantasy EPL Midfielders

Felipe Anderson (99%, West Ham) – Scores incredibly well on Fantrax, in Gameweek 15 Anderson racked up a huge score of 18.5 points for doing literally nothing on the pitch. It is his form on the pitch which concerns us, and Anderson is flirting with getting dropped
Luka Milivojevic (96%, Crystal Palace) – Scoring very poorly at the moment, and isn’t producing set piece goals
Mason Mount (93%, Midfielder) – Actually scoring pretty poorly. Goal dependent, and likely to be rotated over the festive period
Ryan Fraser (90%, Bournemouth) – What a nightmare he’s been this season. Scoring nowhere near last season!
Christian Eriksen (89%, Tottenham) – Looks to be leaving in January. Picked up an assist in GW17 though…
Nathan Redmond (80%, Southampton) – Scored zero points in GW17. Not his usual self
Harvey Barnes (79%, Leicester) – Suffering from rotation, and scoring fairly poorly
Andros Townsend (68%, Crystal Palace) – On very poor form, having scored 39.5 points since GW8. Now out injured too. DROP HIM!!!
Oliver Norwood (69%, Sheffield United) – Scoring poorly at the moment, and not playing the full 90 at the moment
Alex Iwobi (63%, Everton) – Not scoring well, although he’s worth keeping until Everton bring in a new manager
David Brooks (35%, Bournemouth) – Suffered an injury set back. Drop him if you’re still holding onto him
Giovanni Lo Celso (28%, Tottenham) – Not getting a look in under Mourinho. Drop him

Fantasy EPL Forwards

Alexandre Lacazette (99%, Arsenal) – Played zero minutes during the last two games… Doesn’t look like he’ll feature much under Ljunbjerg
Callum Wilson (91%) – Scoring very poorly, this Chap is frozen solid and currently injured
Ayoze Perez (88%, Leicester) – Reducing impact, and game-time. Benched for Gameweek 16 and 17
Callum Hudson-Odoi (68%, Chelsea) – Not getting a look in at the moment. Droppable unless you can afford to keep him on the bench and plug him in when he starts!
Wesley (65%, Aston Villa) – He plays every game, but is pretty goal dependent. Try and trade him out if you can
Joelinton (61%, Newcastle) – Goal dependent, and has recently been moved to the wing so that Carroll can play as the main striker
Jordan Ayew (48%, Crystal Palace) – Starting every game, but scores poorly
Andriy Yarmolenko (37%, West Ham) – The Ukrainian doesn’t look like he cares at the moment – he’ll be benched now that Antonio is back on the scene!

Having an active Fantrax Fantasy EPL league is absolutely essential. Follow these tips to maintain an active league for the whole season!!

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EPL Player Rankings