Football is notoriously hard to predict, and as such, player projections for the fantasy draft game are rare. With so few goals scored, upsets tend to happen more than in other sports, whilst the limited use of substitutes also makes it easy to misjudge the amount of playing time an individual will get. Add these to the fact that any position can and does contribute to almost all aspects of the game (unlike in many American sports), as well as the fact that one goal can have a monumental impact on a player’s score (e.g. a goalkeeper can go from +8 to -2 with one kick), and you have a recipe for disaster. So, with that all said, I present to you: Fantrax EPL’s gameweek projections. Please go easy on them!
(Notes: the list of players is at the foot of the article, below the short pieces on each team. The information for each team was written the day after their GW35 matchup and therefore does not take into account GW36 pre-match press conferences, or any injuries/information released since then. All numbers are based on Togga scoring. Only players predicted to start have been projected points. Players in green are “almost certain to start”; players in yellow are “70-90% likely to start”; players in red are “50-70% likely to start”).
EPL Projections for Gameweek 36
AFC Bournemouth
What a crazy last 30 minutes that was against Leicester! Bournemouth’s first win since GW25 gives them hope…unfortunately their next match is against Manchester City (or perhaps, City’s second string…which is not much easier). You have to think Howe starts the three subs that changed the game: Billing and Stanislas for Gosling and Groenveld, and Cook for the injured Ake. King may or may not be fit for the game, but Solanke’s two goals surely mean he starts regardless. They only have 3 days between GW35 and GW36, but only Lerma of the predicted starting lineup has played over 400 minutes since the restart.
Opponents Manchester City are likely to field their backup defense, which whilst still good (and valued at £99.5m according to Transfermarkt), can be got at. This could be an entertaining, high-scoring game. This brings into play fantasy assets like Stanislas (10% ownership), Callum Wilson (72%), Brooks (39%), and Solanke (3%). Stanislas has a PP90 of 15.5 since the restart and will fancy his chances against Cancelo, whilst Stones, Otamendi, and Zinchenko all are walking mistakes waiting to happen. One downside to consider is that City will have a lot of the ball, and will still be huge favorites to win, so these four will be prime candidates for early substitutions. A 60-minute Stanislas haul might be okay in deep leagues, but a 60-minute Brooks haul probably won’t be in most leagues.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 9/11)
Arsenal
Surely, surely, Arsenal prioritizes the F.A. Cup semi-final now. It looks to be their only way of getting into Europe after Manchester City’s ban was overturned, and so Arteta must play as much of a second-string as is possible, with the cup game less than 3 days after GW36. The problem is that their GW36 opponents are Liverpool, and so a second-string side could get embarrassed. But that’s the risk that will need to be taken. If this is the case, don’t expect to see Aubameyang (621 league minutes since the restart), Ceballos (592), Mustafi (585), Bellerin (535), Tierney (483), Kolasinac (464), Xhaka (458), or Saka (434) in the starting 11. It could make for an interesting lineup.
The projections are based on the big (but logical) assumption that Arsenal prioritizes the F.A. Cup semi-final game and sacrifice this matchup against Liverpool. As such, looking into the numbers from the reverse fixture, or how previous sides have fared, or the PP90’s of their own players, is unlikely to give us as much of a clue as usual. But we may not need to dig that deep if this game gets ugly. It may not do of course. After all, Burnley just went and drew with the champions. But an unfamiliar side, with potentially lots of youngsters, against Salah, Mane, VVD, TAA…? It would be an achievement if an Arsenal player returns double-digit points.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 10/11)
Aston Villa
A first win since GW24, and whilst it’s probably too little too late, Villa still hold some fantasy value. McGinn (79% ownership) finally looked somewhat of the player he was pre-injury, Hourihane (12%) has a good delivery and is on most set pieces, and of course, there’s Grealish (99%). Smith will be hoping he’s finally found a winning formula, so the only change will likely be the enforced one that occurred on 37 minutes at 0-0 (Taylor out, Targett in). Davis might hope for a recall, but Samatta, despite a quiet game, should continue up top.
Trezeguet was the 2 goal hero against Palace, but in GW35 he’ll have to do a lot more defensively to help out contain Digne. He also gets subbed off a lot, so think twice before rushing to get the man owned in just 12% of leagues. Hourihane may be the better bet, as Grealish tends to win a lot of free-kicks that he will take charge of. Targett (45%) can be a very useful asset when allowed to get forward (he’s not getting an 8.44 FP/G with clean sheets!) and Everton may allow this given that Coleman tends to sit back more.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 8/11)
Brighton & Hove Albion
Every so often Manchester City just do that to teams, and there’s not much you can do about it. Nevertheless, Potter won’t be happy, and we’re sure to see (even more!) changes in the hopes of getting a reaction for the GW36 match against Southampton. Lamptey, Burn, and Maupay will likely come back in, with Mac Allister and Stephens also very conceivable options. Trossard – like most of the team – was poor, but he’s been their best player since the restart, so it’ll be interesting to see if he also misses out. If he does then Jahanbakhsh (3% ownership!) could start.
Not only does Potter rotate a lot, but he also mixes up his formations, which makes identifying potential matchup differences really hard! Southampton often plays narrow, so in theory, the fullbacks (like Lamptey; 16% ownership) should be able to get forward without having to think too much about defending. Southampton plays the fourth most long balls, which is also usually a good source of points for Dunk, Webster, and Burn, so perhaps the defence holds some value here. That said, they are facing Ings, who has been prolific lately.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 8/11)
Burnley
A great result in GW34, but with anyone other than Pope in goal, Burnley could’ve been 3 down at half-time. Still, they grinded as Burnley so often do, and Dyche will have 9 names already penciled in for Wednesday’s game against Wolves (fitness permitting). The two decisions will be those of the substitutes; Vydra and Gudmundsson, who both had a big impact when they came on. Wood is clearly a key player for Burnley, and Pieters has done well in an unfamiliar midfield position, but the manager may go with the players that ended the match against Liverpool, as opposed to the ones that started it.
Gameweek 35 opponents Wolves are one of the worst teams to face from a fantasy perspective, especially for midfielders and forwards. The Rodriguez bandwagon, therefore, may need to be slowed. Taylor (43% ownership) is another that could struggle, particularly if Traore is fit enough to start the next game. Tarkowski (98%) and McNeil (95%) are Burnley’s other popular assets and whilst they definitely shouldn’t be dropped from your side, expectations should be tempered; a few points off those FP/G’s is probable here.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 11/11)
Chelsea
Lampard probably ranks as the 3rd hardest manager to predict (after Pep and Potter), and after a shock 3-0 defeat to Sheffield United, the task gets even tougher. Abraham, Mount, and Christensen are likely to make way for Giroud, Kovacic, and Rudiger, and if Kante or Gilmour were fit then Jorginho would likely lose his place too. Alonso could come in, though it’ll be interesting to see who drops out in that instance (James, Azpilicueta, or Zouma, with Azpi shifting over). Finally, the fact that it’s “only” Norwich next may mean the manager gets even more experimental and gives Willian and/or Pulisic a rest for the abbreviation duo of RLC and CHO.
It’s Norwich next, so check the FP/G’s of these Chelsea players and add 3 more. Just kidding. Probably more like 4 or 5. The Canaries have scored 1 goal in their last 7 games, so even Kepa might be able to get a clean sheet here (he’s owned in 50% of leagues by the way). If CHO (43% ownership) and RLC (30%) do start and are available in your league, just be aware that Lampard doesn’t usually sub off defenders, so these – as well as Giroud (67%) could be prime candidates for a shortened game.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 8/11)
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace is rapidly becoming the team that wants the season to end the quickest. In fact, Benteke’s already has, after his post-match red card. Townsend (38% ownership) should come in, but that’s 5 defeats in a row now and they’ve only scored in 1 of those games. Hodgson isn’t one to make drastic changes, but he may feel the need to freshen things up. This might mean the chance to pick up a free agent, but with Manchester United the opponents in GW36, it’s probably better to just sit this one out.
Not surprisingly, since the restart, facing Manchester United has been a tough task from a fantasy perspective. The only defender to score well has been Aurierl, and that was in large part down to his assist. Van Aanholt (91% ownership), therefore, should probably drop to the bench (or from the squad completely). Zaha is usually a set and forget starter, but he’s up against Wan-Bissaka, who has made 125 tackles this season – more than any other player in the league. Last time these two met, Ayew played up top and scored…it would be a brave manager to back him to do it again.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 11/11)
Everton
Actually, Everton is competing strongly with Palace for the team who want their holidays most (or perhaps they are already on them). The toffees have looked very poor since the restart, despite picking up 7 points from the first 3 games of it. Ancelotti will be hoping Gomes and Holgate are fit for Thursday so that he can go back to those lineups, especially with Mina picking up another injury, but neither even made the bench on Sunday, so it would likely be a risk to start either. The 442 should return, and if Gomes doesn’t play, we may see Sidibe in midfield to provide more defensive strength for Sigurdsson and Davies. Bernard may also be due a start.
The duo of DCL and Richarlison – for all its plaudits this season – has been woeful since the restart. Only Norwich has a lower XG. Fortunately for them, their only competition is Kean, and so they should both be able to take advantage of a porous Villa defense (don’t be fooled by the GW34 clean sheet…it was only Palace). Villa actually won the reverse fixture, with Digne being the best fantasy asset with just 8 points. Defensively, Keane (71% ownership) and potentially Brainthwaite (0%!) should be able to cope with Samatta, but the worry will be Grealish going up against Coleman/Sidibe…a yellow card is -3 points remember!
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 8/11)
Leicester City
For 60 minutes Leicester dominated that game against Bournemouth. Then they imploded. Fortunately for them, Champions League qualification is still in their hands. And more fortunately for them, they might just have Maddison and Chilwell back for GW36; that sort of boost cannot be overstated. Soyuncu will miss out though, after his red card, whilst Albrighton is also a major doubt after he came off after 16 minutes with a hip injury. The losses in personnel may have come at a bad time with their GW36 fixture against Sheffield United – a team Rodgers might have wanted to use a back 3 against (as he did last time they played). But unless Morgan were to come in (unlikely), the manager will probably have to go with 4 at the back, which may, in turn, mean Iheanacho dropping out as they go to their customary 4-1-4-1 formation.
This is not the defense that for much of the season was one of the best in the league. Justin and Bennett are backups for a reason, and on the left side you’ll have an unfit Chilwell or Fuchs, also a backup. Evans might have some work to do dealing with Sheffield United’s long balls, but a clean sheet would be a surprise here, and therefore fantasy value greatly reduced. All the midfielders and forwards predicted to start have ownerships of 85% of over, so finding one as a free agent will be difficult. In the reverse fixture Maddison (15.5), Vardy (12.5), and Barnes (11.5) all had big games.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 9/11)
Liverpool
Whatever Klopp may say, Liverpool wants to get to 100 points, and so you have to think they’ll keep going with close to full strength sides (barring 1 or 2 players, maximum). Salah wants the golden boot, and as long as it remains possible, will almost certainly be given the chance to get it. Mane and Firmino have already been rested. Robertson and TAA too. VVD won’t be (and as a center-back, probably doesn’t need to be), and with Henderson and Milner injured, Fabinho is the only real holding midfielder. So that leaves Wijnaldum and Gomez as part of the core group that could get a rest. Does Klopp trust Lovren enough, especially against Arsenal? I’m not sure. TAA for Williams and Keita for Wijnaldum to be the only changes from the disappointing GW34 draw with Burnley.
The wide men killed Arsenal in the reverse fixture (a 3-1 win), with Robertson (11.25), TAA (19.5), Mane (14), and Salah (26) all returning big. Firmino, Henderson, and Wijnaldum in the center of the park each scored just 4 points. This is a different Arsenal though – one likely to play a 343 with more defensive support on the width – which should, in theory, help reduce the threat a little. Arsenal may or may not rotate much of their team for this game, but regardless, you fancy the forwards to score well (many have throughout the season). The defense, if up against Lacazette, could underperform their FP/G’s (or PP90’s, as is more accurate), as we saw on Sunday how he can produce a goal out of nothing.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 9/11)
Manchester City
6 changes between GW’s 34 and 35, 4 of which were in the defense. With an F.A. Cup semi-final 3 days after the meaningless league match against Bournemouth (they’re guaranteed to finish 2nd), you have to think Pep fields his second team…the problem is, we aren’t sure what that is. In defense we have a good idea (Cancelo, Zinchenko, Otamendi, Stones), but elsewhere? The GW29 matchup against Arsenal may give us a clue to the semi-final lineup, and therefore the GW36 lineup. If that’s the case, we may see Fernandinho, Bernardo Silva, Foden, and Rodrigo. Jesus may have to go again (5th successive start), though he’d almost certainly get subbed off on the hour mark.
A huge win (thanks to a catastrophic collapse) for Bournemouth doesn’t change the fact that this team cannot defend. To be fair, when Leicester players aren’t gifting them goals, they can’t attack very well either. Maybe confidence will have an impact against this rotated City lineup, or maybe City can field anybody and comfortably win in GW36. I’m going with the latter. There could be a fair few goals in this one, so stick to the midfielders and forwards (Gundogan only has 69% ownership, and Foden 78%). Stones and Otamendi may be tempting names on the free-agent list, but without a clean sheet, they could do nothing.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 8/11)
Manchester United
That 95th-minute goal for Southampton has changed the whole narrative at Manchester United. Yes, they remain unbeaten in 18 but they’ve missed the chance to break into the top 4, and stories of high confidence could well be replaced by stories of fatigue. The starting 11 have all played over 400 minutes since the restart (Rashford, Maguire, and Wan-Bissaka over 500), and some of them looked tired. Palace in GW36 is as good a bounceback game as you can get though. The F.A. Cup semi-final offers a chance to rest players, but Ole could well rotate some in the league too, which would give a potential 9 days of rest before GW37 against West Ham.
United lost 2-1 in the reverse fixture, with ZERO players returning double-digit points. Palace have given up 10+ point hauls to 7 Villa players, 4 Chelsea players, 8 Leicester players, 7 Burnley players, and 7 Liverpool players in their last 5 games, so it’s safe to say United’s impotency won’t happen again. Only Chelsea have better odds of a clean sheet in GW36, so Lindelof (60% ownership) may be an option, though remember with Benteke out, United’s defense may have even less to do than they would normally expect against Hodgson’s side. As mentioned, some rotation may occur, so keep an eye out for Williams (8%), McTominay (56%), Fred (35%), and James (68%) being on the teamsheet.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 11/11)
Newcastle United
Newcastle goes for the double over Tottenham in GW35, with Dummett (15), Schar (14.5), and Lascelles (14.25) all scoring big in defense after securing a clean sheet. That was against a Poch-led Spurs, but as it’s turned out, that side is not too dissimilar to the Mourinho one we are currently seeing. Bruce went with a 541 that day, but I doubt we see it again given that we haven’t seen it in the league since the loss to Palace back in GW27. With nothing to play for and momentum lost after back-to-back defeats, we could see some changes. Shelvey has played a lot of minutes, whilst Ritchie and Manquillo were poor against Watford, but don’t be surprised to see more.
Gameweek 35 opponents Tottenham have looked poor going forward (potentially good news for Rose (39% ownership) and Schar (41%), but in the opposite direction they offer very little. Stanislas (10.5) and Gordon (8.5) are the only non-defenders to have scored over 6.5 points against them in the last two gameweeks. Saint-Maximin has the potential to change that of course, but he has looked a little jaded in the last two games. Joelinton (or whoever plays left-wing) could have their value degraded considering the defending that they will have to do as Aurier bombs forward.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 9/11)
Norwich City
In a season full of bad results, GW34’s may just have been the worst. Norwich is now officially relegated, but realistically, it had been over a long time ago. Chelsea is next up, and Cantwell and McLean are probably two (minimum) that come into the side. Buendia was one of the better players (or rather, least worst), so he should continue his advertising campaign for future suitors, though he has played 250 of the last 270 minutes, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him rested either. Stiepermann, Pukki, and Vrancic will be fortunate to start after their poor displays.
In the reverse fixture (a 3-2 defeat) Norwich had joy down the flanks, with Cantwell (12) and Buendia (15.5) both returning double-digit points. These two, and Hernandez, may be worth looking at given Chelsea’s defensive woes (11th most goals conceded in the league, as of this writing). Their opponents are arguably weaker at the heart of the defense, and this was massively exploited by McGoldrick and McBurnie, though Norwich rarely plays two up top, and Pukki hasn’t troubled a defender since 2019. The alternatives (Drmic, Idah) never have. It shouldn’t need saying, but from a fantasy perspective, don’t even consider anyone else from Farke’s side.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 9/11)
Sheffield United
In a season full of great results, GW34’s may just have been the best (repetition intended – the contrast with their fellow automatically promoted team is unbelievable). With 5 days of rest until the GW35 clash against Leicester, the message will surely be: “go again, boys”. Lundstram should provide an option off the bench again, and he may even be joined by Fleck. By the time this game comes around, we should know what position will get Europa League football next season, but it looks like the Blades will firmly be in the mix. As has been the case all season, there’s no need to change anything here.
The front two love to hustle, but Soyuncu and Evans won’t get bullied as easily as the Chelsea center-backs did. It is the full-back area that Sheffield United can probably hurt Leicester most, particularly if Chilwell is still out, which could bode well for owners of Stevens and Baldock. It’ll be interesting to see how Leicester line-up though, as they do have the potential to match Sheffield United’s system, which would change this theory. Norwood (72% ownership) picked up 9.5 ghost points in the reverse fixture, but the center-backs, all highly owned, had a rare poor game from a points-scoring perspective.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 10/11)
Southampton
With this being written immediately after their GW35 fixture against Manchester United, the injury status of Southampton’s players is unclear. KWP had a poor game at right-back (though he was up against Rashford and Martial to be fair), so if Valery is fit he could come back in. Or Hassenhuttl could move JWP there. He did that in the reverse fixture and Southampton won 2-0. With just 3 days between GW35 and GW36 (and just 3 more after that until GW37), there could be a host of changes. Bednarek, Bertrand, JWP, Redmond, and Ings have all played pretty much every minute since the restart, so keep an eye out for the lineups; Southampton is good, and may hold fantasy value against Brighton.
Gameweek 36 opponents Brighton has been a very middle-of-the-road team to face from a fantasy perspective, particularly for forwards and midfielders. This makes you look at the PP90s of the starters a lot more closely. The numbers since the restart don’t make great reading for Brighton though, with the 16th best XG and 19th best XGA. There could be a bit of a domino effect with the value of some assets here; if Hassenhuttl plays his strongest 11, then we could see healthy returns for quite a few, but if even just one or two changes are made, then the players coming in (Obafemi/Long for Ings, for example) aren’t ones that you can just transfer the points across for, and also may hinder the likes of JWP.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 11/11)
Tottenham Hotspur
Jose will want European football next season, and with Manchester City’s ban overturned, that means 7th place, which may require Tottenham winning out from here on in. That starts with Newcastle, just 3 days after the GW35 win over Arsenal. We could see a couple of changes, with Lamela or Bergwijn coming in for Winks (with Sissoko shifting inside), and someone coming in for Aurier if he is unable to play after the tragic news about his brother. Sissoko has played at right-back before (and if he does so again, Winks could retain his place), but it may be more likely that Vertonghen comes in, with Sanchez moving out wide. An Alli return would surely be from the bench, if at all.
Newcastle have the highest XGA in the league since the restart, but Steve Bruce’s men have been defying the XG/XGA’s all season, so perhaps the Kane, Son, and Moura 20 pointers aren’t guaranteed. Tottenham, on the other hand, has the 3rd lowest XGA, with 3 clean sheets. This may make Davies (40% ownership and 7.92 FP/G since the restart) a nice option, though he is likely to be facing up against ASM – a daunting prospect for anyone. If Sanchez (33%) or maybe Alderweireld (66%) does start at right-back, their value could shoot up, given that they’ll surely have more license to go forward.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 9/11)
Watford
The big news (aside from the 3 points) was the potential injury to captain and GW34 hero, Deeney. As of this writing, premierinjuries.com have his status at 50%. The fact he was subbed off in a 2-1 game tells you something, as he’s the sort of player that will want to play every minute. Pearson, of course, will want to go with the same 11 after a thoroughly deserved win. With 6 days to rest up before the GW35 matchup versus West Ham, he will be hoping Deeney’s injury has recovered, and no new ones have arisen.
Throughout much of the season, West Ham has been a good opponent for fantasy assets, though Moyes’ team does seem to be a different beast these last four games. Hughes, Dawson, and Deeney have accumulated some good points since the restart, though the latter two have been very much hit or miss, with only Hughes (23% ownership) as a consistent scorer in all games. West Ham’s defense is atrocious (only Villa and Norwich have conceded more, and only Villa have a worse XGA), so back Deeney – if fit – to have a good day, or indeed, his potential replacement.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 11/11)
West Ham United
Michael Antonio takes a bow, the big man smashed TAA’s individual Fantrax record for this season (57.25) out of the water with 61 points. West Ham has performed excellently of late (they’ve won the last four XG battles) and can almost start planning for next season. Their left-wing spot – this time taken by Fornals, with Noble coming into the center – remains of interest though, with the Spaniard the only starter not to receive at least a 7/10 by both WhoScored and SofaScore in the 4-0 win against Norwich. I can’t imagine we’ll see any changes from Moyes for the GW36 clash against Watford though, especially with 6 days to rest before then.
Deeney, fresh off his 2 goals (admittedly penalties) will be the one to watch, and he could cause the West Ham center-backs some problems. In fact, most players can usually cause this defense problems (which shows the ineptitude of Norwich), with Cresswell vs Sarr also a potential mismatch. In the reverse fixture – a 3-1 West Ham win – only Masuaku scored over 5.5 points in the defense. On the flip side, the Hammers will fancy themselves to get a couple themselves. The midfield battle really will be a “battle”, with 6 players in it that don’t shirk a tackle. How much football is played in this area of the pitch will be interesting to see.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 10/11)
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Jimenez may have scored but the attacking stars for Wolves against Everton were Podence and Neto by a long way. The two newcomers to the first team were excellent, and if fit, it will be difficult for Nuno to leave them out of the GW36 matchup against Burnley. Similarly, Neves and Dendoncker had excellent games in the middle of the park, which makes it difficult to justify bringing Moutinho (the man with the 3rd most minutes for Wolves this season) straight back in. Multiple tough decisions need to be made – an unfamiliar position for the manager to be in. Wolves disappointed in a 352 in the reverse fixture, so Nuno may opt for the 343 (with Adama in for the potentially injured Neto).
In that 1-1 game at Molineux back in GW3, Boly picked up 16.75 points courtesy of 7 aerials and 8 clearances. This could easily be repeated as Burnley play the most high balls in the league but have the lowest completion rate of long balls. The issue for the fantasy value of defenders against Burnley is that they can sometimes have so little to do, what with Burnley also having the 2nd lowest average possession, and therefore rely heavily on the clean sheet. This is the trap that VVD and co fell into, though it should apply less to Wolves, who are clearly not as dominant as Liverpool. Podence (1% ownership!!!) could do well against a Burnley team with the 3rd highest XGA since the restart.
(Gameweek 35 Predicted Lineup: 9/11)
EPL Projections for Defenders
EPL Projections for Midfielders
EPL Projections for Forwards
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