Fantasy Premier League, Gameweek 8: Teams with best fixtures, players to buy and captaincy options

Fantasy Premier League managers were afforded some relief in Gameweek 7 that saw the average points tally cross the 50-point mark. Ten more goals were scored in GW 7 compared to the previous week but only one fewer clean sheet was kept last week.

Even though there were many surprise players that walked away with big points haul, the usual suspects did tick along with the points.

Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse was the top scorer last week with 17 points and with less than 5% ownership for the player, most FPL manager didn’t have him on their radars. Among the favourites to do well, Jamie Vardy, as was mentioned in our list last week, delivered 14 points. Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma scored his third goal of the season as Chelsea kept yet another clean sheet.

The Chelsea defender after his big haul is high on demand this week.

With in-form Tottenham facing West Brom this week and Chelsea taking on struggling Sheffield United, FPL managers can expect a high-scoring week.

Fixture Difficulty

Crystal Palace, Everton, Chelsea and Aston Villa have good fixtures in the coming weeks. So do West Ham United.

After the West Brom game, the fixtures become very difficult for Tottenham, the owners of their asset might want to note. Almost 60% FPL managers own Son Heung-min. Wolves, Fulham and Newcastle too have difficult fixtures in the coming weeks.

The big ins and outs

Player sales and purchases are good indicators of the likely top performers in the coming gameweeks but this parameter also tends to be volatile. Performances in just one gameweek can affect the ownership of players. However, the price rise/fall of a player depends directly on the movement in the player market in FPL, so it’s an important factor to look at when you are trying to maximise your squad value.

Top Picks for GW 8

Harry Kane (Tottenham): It’s a bit monotonous having a Tottenham player topping this list. But such has been the form of Kane and Son Heung-min that they are absolute must-haves, even more so this week facing a West Brom side who have the worst defensive record this season. Kane has the highest goal contributions per ninety minutes ratio this season and with the Spurs striker also on penalties, there seems little reason for that to change this week. If you haven’t doubled up on Kane and Son, it might be worth doing it just for this week. Such is the potential in this West Brom clash for them.

Aaron Cresswell (West Ham): The torrid run of games is over for West Ham and having more than impressed during that run, it’s time to have a look at some of their players. With Michail Antonio injured, Aaron Cresswell stands out among their assets. West Ham have the fourth-best xGA (Expected Goals Allowed) at home in the Premier League even after such a hard run. Up against Fulham, West Ham will be expected to keep a clean sheet and Cresswell who already has three assists so far, is a player to add to your defence, also considering their upcoming run of fixtures.

Timo Werner (Chelsea): Frank Lampard’s Blues seem to be gathering momentum and Timo Werner has been at the heart of this improvement. Having scored four goals in their last three matches, the German has picked up form. With the likes of Hakim Ziyech now in the team, Chelsea’s have received a creative boost. The German now is also Chelsea’s top penalty taker as seen in midweek and that makes the Blues’ German striker an important player in coming weeks, staring from Sheffield United on Saturday.

Wilfred Zaha (Crystal Palace): Zaha has been in excellent form this season and has scored five out of Crystal Palace’s 8 goals this season. He is in the top ten players for the xG (Expected Goals this season. Up against a Leeds United side who have the third worst xGA in the Premier League this season away from home, Zaha could profit running in behind the space behind the Leeds defence. Looking at the two sides, Palace will be expected to play on the counter-attack and that will play into Zaha’s hands.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal): An FPL great, Aubameyang has been a forgotten man in the recent weeks thanks to the Gunners’ tough fixtures and a goal drought that the Arsenal striker was going through. But with both those streaks now over, Aubameyang must be looked at as a top asset once again even though Arsenal haven’t been very creative going front. However, Villa have conceded seven goals in their last two games and have looked vulnerable defensively. Arsenal will be looking to kick on from last week’s result at Old Trafford and we could see the Gunners having bit more bite in their attack. In the Premier League, Aubameyang has always been among the goals and one feels he might be about to go on a bit of a streak.

Differential Picks

Tammy Abraham (Chelsea): The Chelsea striker has quietly performed really well and has made the starting place as Chelsea’s central striker his own. He has 2 goals and five assists in all competitions for Chelsea despite not playing all the games. He scored twice against the Blades last season and having got on the scoresheet in midweek could be a really good option to have. With just 2.1% ownership, the differential potential is huge.

Pablo Fornals (West Ham): The West Ham fixture turn has thrown up some real gems and Fornals is definitely one. With two goals and three assists during the Hammers’ tough run of games, Fornals could be very handy as West Ham welcome London rivals Fulham who have struggled this season. With just 1.2% ownership, now is the time to own him.

Hector Bellerin (Arsenal): The Arsenal right-back seems to have found his peak form and has also been his self going forward. With three assists so far this season, Bellerin has attracted some attention this week. It’s justified with Arsenal having the sixth-lowest xGA at home and Villa having the third lowest xG on the road. With 7.2% ownership, Bellerin is gaining ownership but still very much in the differential bracket.

Christian Fuchs (Leicester City): With Castagne out, Brendan Rogers has turned to Christian Fuchs in full-back position. Wolves have the second-lowest xG in the league away from home. Leicester City have looked solid defensively in recent weeks and Fuchs got in some good attacking positions last week. With just 0.2% ownership, he could be a good differential pick.

Captaincy Conundrum

This week it would take a brave man to hand the armband to any other player apart from Son or Kane. Among the two, Son has a great record away from home, but Kane has better underlying stats and has been more consistent with his returns. With penalties in his locker, he edges his teammate in this battle.

Elsewhere, Timo Werner is a really good option considering the upturn in Chelsea’s form. Dominic Calvert-Lewin who scored despite Everton losing could also be a good differential option against a Manchester United side who would be jaded after a trip to Turkey that ended in a shock defeat.

Liverpool and Manchester City assets are a bit risky considering how much is at stake when the two teams clash this week. It might be a close game with both teams settling for a share of spoils.

Jamie Vardy is always a good option when Leicester play at home, but Wolves are unlikely to leak too many goals. For those looking at extreme differentials, Southampton’s Che Adams or Palace’s Wilfred Zaha are options.

FPL Deadline for GW8: 11:00 pm IST, Friday, November 6, 2020.

(Stats Courtesy: Fantasy Premier League website, FBref.com)