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 this is why we’re here to help with our weekly Start and Sit article! We're here to talk you through some of the big Fantasy EPL decisions you may need to make for the upcoming fixtures.
This article dovetails particularly well with the Fantrax Weekly Player Projections! Go check it out for more weekly player evaluations!
Gameweek 3 Start and Sit
Whether you’re an obsessed EPL fan like our Draft Society 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 particular players.
For our Start and Sit candidates, we’re going to highlight one player in detail for each position, as well as suggesting another alternate. Let us get to it!
Defender Starts
Liam Cooper vs. BUR
The Leeds defender has a tasty matchup away to Burnley this week. Burnley are well-known for conceding lots of aerials to opposing defenders, particularly center backs, and Cooper is a prime player to take advantage of that. Leeds also have a decent chance at a clean sheet against the generally low-scoring Burnley offense
Alternate Starts:
Japhet Tanganga vs. WAT Shane Duffy vs. EVE Christain Romero vs. WAT
Defender Sits
Antonio Rudiger vs. CHE
The Chelsea defender has started the season well, averaging 8.6 fantasy points per game, but resist the urge to play him this week. Most of Rudiger’s points this year have come from the 2 Chelsea clean sheets. Playing Liverpool at Anfield this gameweek, Chelsea are not particularly likely to keep a clean sheet. Without one, Rudiger’s fantasy point floor drops out, so we wouldn’t suggest risking him this week.
Alternate Sits:
Kieran Tierney vs. MCI
Ben White vs. MCI
Nelson Semedo vs. MUN
Midfielder Starts
Anwar El Ghazi vs. BRE
El Ghazi is one of the most boom or bust players in all of Fantrax EPL. However, he’s had a nice run of starts and form to begin this season. In Aston Villa’s midweek cup game, El Ghazi caught fire to the tune of 2 goals and 2 assists. Dean Smith has all but ruled out both Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore for the coming match, so I expect El Ghazi’s starting left wing spot to be secure for at least another week. A matchup against recently promoted Brentford also bodes well for the offensive output for shot-happy El Ghazi.
Alternate Starts: Matt Ritchie vs SOU Nathan Redmond vs. NEW Ashley Westwood vs. EVE
Midfielder Sits
Bukayo Saka vs. MCI
A very tough matchup against a firing Manchester City, coupled with Pepe and the newly signed, Odegaard, taking set pieces, leaves little to no floor for Saka this week. He's no doubt an electric player and can cause havoc wherever he lines up on the field, but we're suggesting benching him. Arsenal are unlikely to score in this game (55% chance of a clean sheet for City), as is Saka (10% of scoring from the oddsmakers). There are worse plays this week, but taking a punt on one of the Sleepers XI, or Starts above for this week may offer more value than Saka.
Alternate Sits:
Emile Smith-Rowe vs. MCI Jorginho vs. LIV Thiago vs. CHE
Forward Starts
Chris Wood vs. LEE
The featured sit from last week becomes the featured start this week. Wood has a significantly better matchup against Leeds than he did against Liverpool. Leeds have been conceding goals for fun this season thus far with 7 allowed, second worst in the league, only behind Norwich. Chris Wood has a 40% chance of scoring, and I expect he racks up plenty of shots even without a return. Start with confidence.
Alternate Starts:
Kelechi Iheanacho vs. NOR Trincao vs. MUN Sergi Canos vs. AVL
Forward Sits
Teemu Pukki vs. LEI
Pukki has scored 3 fantasy points through 2 starts this season (against Liverpool and Manchester City). Yes, Leicester are not City or Liverpool, and yes they just gave up 4 goals to West Ham. Still, they're a quality side and Norwich are not (or at least not yet). Without scoring a goal (which he's predicted to do 70% of the time this GW), Pukki's floor is entirely non-existent. Almost any forward you can stream off waivers is a safer pick this week.
Alternate Sits: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang vs. MCI
Raul Jimenez vs. MUN
Check out our Fantrax Weekly Player Projections page for more player evaluations for the upcoming week!
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