The Home of Fantasy Sports Analysis

Fantasy EPL

Draft Fantasy Soccer: Week Eight – Would you Rather?

By Fantrax Staff
draft fantasy soccer week 8

I’M BACK! As the calendar hits October, we’re starting to get larger sample sizes. Statistics are starting to tell us a little more and more. Who’s for real, who’s for not real, and who is clearly on steroids in the draft fantasy soccer world. Eden Hazard? Yes. Ryan Fraser? Probably. Alexis Sanchez? No, he’s just stuck behind the James Doland of EPL coaches (I’M SO EXCITED TO WATCH THE KNICKS BE TERRIBLE FOREVER…). October is an amazing sports month: MLB playoffs, NBA season tips off, Champions League, and a dumbass, pointless international break. But, before that stupid break, we have one more game week of exciting EPL action. It’s time to take a look at 4 matchups that have intrigued me. Disclosure: I had Andros Townsend, but I cut him and I’m not sure how to feel about it. Now, in the great words of Dewey Finn from ‘School of Rock,’ “LET’S GO OUT AND MELT SOME FACES!”

FantraxHQ will be featuring more fantasy soccer content than ever before. Check out the full archive and let us know what you think.

Draft Fantasy Soccer Would You Rather

Andros Townsend vs Luka Milovojevic

This one is intriguing to me. Teammates on a Palace team that has scored three goals through seven games. They’re without Benteke, which I have no god damn idea if that’s a good or bad thing and Zaha is being targeted heavily by opponent’s defenses. They’re looking to Luka and Andros to step up and help out. And they just haven’t, at least fantasy wise. Townsend has sent in four or more crosses in five straight, but he’s sending them into someone who is not Benteke. Benteke may not know how to score anymore, but he sure still knows how to put his dome on the ball. That is extremely valuable to Townsend’s fantasy scores. His crosses have only found a teammate’s head eight times in the last five matches. He needs Benteke back to get on the end of his crosses. That’ll turn into more key passes, and hopefully, if Benteke still has any goals in him, assists. But I just can’t get over that this season has shown that his value might be tied to crosses, and without a giant in the middle, he may not have the value you hoped when you drafted him in the early middle rounds.

Luka, on the other hand, provides more than Townsend in fantasy value. He has the defensive numbers to give him a decent floor. He’s tallied a tackle won in six of seven games and adds clearances and aerials to bring up his floor. He is also still their PK taker. Zaha gets found pretty often. He’s bound to get fouled in the box a few times this season. And Luka is gonna step up and bury them. I have an easier time trusting Luka because of the minimum he provides. You’re not going to get a goose egg or a 1 point outing. He’s safer to own right now, and I’d take him over Townsend. As I said, I cut Townsend because he just doesn’t have the upside that I’m looking for anymore. I don’t like that he needs Benteke. And until Benteke proves that he can get shots on target and finish, I think you can cut Townsend and save yourself the headache.

Check out the latest episode of FPL 360 for a preview of the coming game week!

Jamie Vardy vs Olivier Giroud

This one is fun because I like both players. They’re fun to watch and are vital to their team. Let’s start with the Vardy Party. He doesn’t have Mahrez anymore, but he’s doing fine with Maddison behind him. Vardy has three goals on 14 shots and added an assist on 3 key passes. He’s playing well and there are no signs of him slowing down. With a favorable run of fixtures through the middle of December, he should be in your starting lineup every week. He will provide goals, he’s matching his career conversion rate at 21.5%, and is averaging 3 shots per game. He averaged 1.9 shots last year and had 20 goals. If he can keep up the pace of three shots per game, he could be in for even more goals than last year. That would put him near 400 fantasy points for the season. He’s a freaking stud!

Olivier Giroud is a joy to watch. Dude does everything for his team and doesn’t care if he scores. Just look at his performances for France at the World Cup. He was vital to the team’s success, and he didn’t score. He hasn’t scored yet for Chelsea but is providing service for that dude Hazard, who is on fire. Giroud seems to have taken the starting spot from Morata, but can’t seem to get a full 90. If he can turn his 0% conversion rate into his career 15.5% rate, he’d be a fantasy star and hopefully hold off the Morata’s sub. He’s getting points for aerials won and getting key passes by feeding a super talented squad. The second he starts slotting home some goals, he could easily average 12-14 points per game. I’m taking Giroud because he’s on a far superior team that will score more goals over the entire season, he will continue to start as long as him and Hazard keep vibing like Italians with their pasta, and he’s a super fun dude to root for. You can bet on him possibly putting together a 10 goal, 10 assist season. Go get him before he starts scoring a bunch of goals.

Aymeric Laporte vs Michael Keane

I never thought I’d be writing about Michael Keane, but hey, here we are. He’s actually been pretty valuable this year. Averaging over 13 points per game, he currently ranks in the top 10 of defenders among PPG. The reason? Definitely not clean sheets, he’s only got 1. That stands out cause he’s not clean sheet dependent, obviously. He’s got 5 shots on target and 3 key passes, resulting in a goal and an assist. He’s also racking up points with clearances, aerials won, and pitching in with some interceptions. He’s currently on my waiver wire and I’m considering adding him. The reason I haven’t? Does he keep his place once Yerry Mina is healthy? That’s what I’m afraid of. I also have a good amount of defenders that I think are better and more valuable than Keane.

But I think if he’s available on the wire, get em and keep him when/if he loses his place. If you have to trade for him, I’d try to get him for like 60 cents on the dollar. I’m not convinced he gets 20 starts. Laporte is in the good graces of Pep. He’s started all 7 games and is averaging just under 9 PPG. What stood out to me reviewing his stats?

Without clean sheets, he’s only scored double digits once when he scored. He’s not providing many defensive statistics. He isn’t a top point scorer when it comes to aerials won or interceptions. To be honest, I can’t find much to love about him except he’s on City. Yet, City seems to give up a late goal that destroys his clean sheet potential. I don’t think this one is very difficult. Keane is the guy to have. If you have Laporte, sell him. Go after someone that provides value without clean sheets. That’s not the way to value defenders. I’d honestly trade Laporte for Keane and have no trouble dropping Keane if he stopped getting starts cause right now, Laporte is droppable.

Paul Pogba vs Mesut Ozil

Time for a “would you rather” that actually excites me. Full disclosure, I own Pogba. I have for the last 3 seasons because he’s such a fun player to watch in my opinion. What’s not fun? WATCHING STUPID ASS JOSE STILL DESTROYING HIS POTENTIAL!!!

Pogba is now taking PKs, which not many saw coming into this season. He’s got those 2 goals, but only 1 assist off of 10 key passes. With the PK duty, he has the potential for a 10/10 season. That would be remarkable and I’d be very happy. It’s just so difficult to watch him play under Jose. Jose doesn’t use him right and it’s so clear Pogba wants nothing to do to him. Something has to give and hopefully, it’s Jose. Pogba has the potential to be a top 10 fantasy player, he’s averaged about 14 PPG his first 2 seasons with United. If he can get a coach who actually appreciates him and his talent, who knows what his max potential could be.

Ozil was the best fantasy player in 15/16 and will forever be a must-start. But, like Pogba, he has struggled to find his footing this year. The last 3 games, he’s started to show his potential. With the new coach in, the whole team was going to have to take time to adapt. I think, more importantly, Ozil has seemed to beat out Mhki in Emery’s eyes. He’s going to regain his form and be an extremely valuable asset. He should be a good bet for double-digit assists feeding Auba and Lacazette all season. He’ll continue to rack up key passes and Arsenal will get more and more comfortable as a whole in Emery’s system. These two players are oddly similar: super talented, highly paid, and always get shat on by the media for lack of effort. They can change a game single-handedly. Statistically speaking, with the added benefit of taking PKs, I think Pogba ends up the more valuable player by the end of the season. That’s me assuming Jose leaves and someone new (Zidane maybe?) comes in and unlocks the beast that Pogba has inside. If an Arsenal fan in your league has Pogba, see if he’ll ditch him for Ozil. It’s worth a shot.

After this weekend, take time to forget about FPL, enjoy watching the Yankees slay, basketball starting up and pretend that I didn’t screw up your team… Feel free to hit me up with questions on twitter!

Follow @Fantrax_epl to keep up with all of our fantasy soccer content.

More fantasy goodness More from author
Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.