The Perfect XI format of Fantasy EPL on Fantrax enables you to create an all-star lineup of Premier League players without restrictions! Want to pick Salah, Son, De Bruyne, Saka, Trent and Cancelo in the same Fantasy team? No problem! We're here to provide managers with our very own Perfect XI tips for each gameweek. Details of the concept and rules can be found here.
Check out @DPLCommLeague for further information on the format, regular updates on the latest standings, as well as information on how you can enter.
Fantasy EPL Gameweek 9 Perfect XI
So, what is Perfect XI? Similar to Official Fantasy Premier League game, all managers have full access the entire player pool each week, meaning multiple teams within the league could be completely identical.
The main departures from OFPL are the Fantrax Default Scoring, unlimited transfers each week, no budget/salary cap, no restrictions on players per club, and live lineup changes available.
This means that each week you can select a dream team of Fantrax assets who you think will score the most points on a given gameweek, and have the added bonus of being able to see the real life lineups before your players lock in. Magic. If you want further information, check out our introductory piece!
Check out our Perfect XI tips below. These are our recommendations for the best XI this weekend! For statistical predictions for these players and any others, check out our weekly projections, available exclusively to our Inner Circle subscribers.
GK: David Raya
Raya faces Bournemouth and offers both a decent floor (expected shots against and ghost points scored) and clean sheet chance (32%). If you're looking for the best clean sheet odds, those belong to Allison (vs Brighton) at 43% and if you're looking for the most save opportunities that is likely to either be Ramsdale vs Spurs or De Gea vs City.
Pivot: Alisson
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, James Tarkowski, Konstantinos Tsimikas
It's a rare 4-3-3 (instead of the usual 3-4-3 from me this week). That has more to do with the uncertainty in midfield than amazing options in defense, but still I feel pretty good about our defensive picks this week. Trent is our staple first defender chosen, and this week is no exception. Plenty of sets and ghosts coupled with 43% clean sheet odds, 29% assist odds, 10% goal odds. His opposing number, in Robbo's injury absence, Tsimikas tends to ghost very well too (taking sets helps, as does 20% assist odds). Next we have Reece James, who has the highest goal scoring odds for a defender at 16%, coupled with a 19% chance at an assist and respectable 39% chance at a cleanie. Finally, we have the more out of left field pick in Tarkowski. Tarks is putting up a whopping 11.1 ghost points/90 and going against Southampton (23% clean sheet odds) he's expected to exceed that total (13.9 ghost point projection, 12.9 fantasy points). Cancelo and Trippier are always options but face the firing United and Fulham teams this week so we're avoiding their floors (and ceilings).
Pivots: Joao Cancelo, Kieran Trippier, Ben Chilwell, Neco WIlliams
MID: Kevin De Bruyne, James Maddison, Phil Foden
Midfield is harder than usual this week with the North London and Manchester derbies on. We're opting to fade all Arsenal and Spurs players in a hard to predict affair, as well as any United players vs the stifling City. With that said, we're still going with the normal KDB pick, who as usual, has the highest assist odds at 43%, and 23% goal odds to boot along with his many expected ghost points. His teammate, Phil Foden, and his ceiling, are as usual, impossible to ignore: 28% goal odds, 27% assist odds. Finally, we play the best matchup of the week with Maddison vs Forest: 33% goal odds, 29% assist odds, and expected countless set pieces. Grealish, if he starts is a similar option to Foden, albeit with slightly worse xGi, JWP has a good matchup vs Everton despite middling numbers lately, and if you want to pick a mid from the NLD, I'd opt for Martinelli.
Pivots: Jack Grealish, James Ward-Prowse, Gabriel Martinelli, Mason Mount
FWD: Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Ivan Toney
The top 3 expected forwards this week seem abnormally straight forward to me. You have the top 2 forwards of normal with Haaland vs Man United and Salah vs Brighton, coupled with Toney who faces maybe the worst defense in the league of Bournemouth. Halaand has a 62% chance of scoring and 25% of assisting, Salah 52% scoring and 30% assisting, and Toney 36% scoring and 19% assisting. If you want to opt for a better ceiling (45% goal odds) but worse floor, Vardy vs Forest is a good pivot from Toney. The opposing target man, Mitro (39% goal odds) a bit better floor. The other 2 (Haaland and Salah) are simply too far above the pack to avoid in my opinion.
Pivots: Aleksandar Mitrovic, Jamie Vardy, Patson Daka
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