We're here every week giving you our tips on the best Draft Premier League players to pick up ahead of Fantrax Waiver Wire processing! Acquisitions via waivers can make or break your Fantasy EPL season, so make sure you follow our Gameweek 17 recommendations to help dominate your Draft League.
Essential reading before your weekly waiver requests process!
Waiver Wire Gameweek 17
Here we outline our Fantasy EPL Waiver Wire Gameweek 17 targets that have 40% rostered or below on Fantrax. These players should perform well over the upcoming period!
Illia Zabarnyi (Ros 8%)
Prospects: In the last 3 gameweeks, Bournemouth defenders Senesi, Kerkez, Zabarnyi and Smith have been averaging at least 10 points per game. Also during this period, Zabarnyi and Smith are tied for third in fantasy points, although it should be noted that both Senesi (2 goals) and Kerkez (1 assist) have had attacking returns. Furthermore, the most attractive option, Senesi, is currently on a 4 yellow card count - the next one would force him out for a game - which puts him at risk of being a very short term asset. Bournemouth host Luton Town, who is currently the 19th worst away team for the season, having only scored 6 goals in 8 away games. From Gameweek 14 to 16, Zabaryni has been in the top 2 of Bournemouth defenders for a few defensive categories: 2nd for tackles won (5), 1st for clearances (16), 2nd for blocked shots (5), and 1st for aerials (8). If you’re unable to get Senesi or Kerkez on waivers, you should grab Zabarnyi as an alternative, especially since our Fixture Difficulty Tracker has tipped the Cherries defence to have the 2nd best fixture for Gameweek 17.
Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 0-1 FAB to get him.
Lewis Hall (Ros 22%)
Prospects: Kieran Trippier has officially accumulated 5 yellow cards and will now be missing the Gameweek 17 home fixture versus Fulham. Although Fulham are currently the best goal scoring team in the last 4 gameweeks with 16 goals, we shouldn’t forget how strong Newcastle have been at St. James’ Park this season. The Mapies currently boast the 3rd best home form with 7 wins and 1 loss. Newcastle have 11 players missing for the upcoming gameweek, which should give a chance to Lewis Hall to get minutes at LB or LW. The Magpies have a crucial must-win clash versus AC Milan in the Champions League during the week and have been looking absolutely knackered in recent gameweeks due to the lack of rotation between the competitions. Although Hall has only featured 3 times during this season, his most notable performance was his only start for the season which was a 2-0 loss versus Bournemouth, where he scored 10 FPts in 45 minutes. This could only be a one gameweek play with high upside.
Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 0-1 FAB to get him.
Michael Keane (Ros 18%)
Prospects: Jarrad Branthwaite is another defender that has accumulated 5 yellow cards and will be missing Gameweek 17. In the last 4 gameweeks, Everton has been one of the best defensive teams, having kept 3 clean sheets and only conceded 3 goals (same as Bournemouth and Aston Villa). Burnley currently have the worst home form for the season with 1 win and 7 losses. In the last 3 gameweeks, Branthwaite has been the 2nd best scoring Everton DEF, averaging 14 points per game, which could be a good projection for how Michael Keane could score in Gameweek 17. We also know that historically Keane is a ghost point magnet (averaged close to 9 ghost points per start in 21/22). His prospects are boosted by our Fixture Difficulty Tracker, which has Everton defenders as the 4th best defensive option, as they visit Turfmoor. Please note, however, that there is a possibility he could miss out as he was not in the team over the weekend, in which case Ben Godfrey would likely slot in. Pick up Keane and keep an eye out for news on this over the next few days.
Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 0-1 FAB to get him.
James Mcatee (Ros 4%)
Prospects: After Sheffield United’s 5-0 loss to relegation rivals Burnley, the Blades parted ways with coach Paul Heckingbottom, and a familiar face in Chris Wilder returned to the dugout. As we have seen in the past, the "new manager bounce" is a real thing - the team’s form improves and certain players tend to be the main contributor to this boost. Although Wilder’s first league result was a 2-0 loss to Liverpool, one bright spark was Mcatee's 9.5 FPts, consisting of 1 key pass, 1 shot on target, 3 tackles won and 3 successful dribbles. In Gameweek 16, the Blades registered their 2nd win for the season while Mcatee scored his 1st goal, scoring 15.5 FPts in the process. In the upcoming Gameweek 17 fixture, the Blades will visit Chelsea, which may seem a difficult fixture on paper but the London club is currently the 17th worst team in the last 4 gameweeks. There is an opportunity for Sheffield United to cause an upset and Mcatee might have a hand in doing so.
Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 0-1 FAB to get him.
Lewis Cook (Ros 15%)
Prospects: Chef Lewis has been absolutely Cook-ing for Bournemouth. In the last 3 gameweeks, Cook has scored the 2nd most FPts for all Bournemouth midfielders, only behind Ryan Christie. During this period, Cook is 1st (tied) for key passes (6), 1st for interceptions (10), 1st for clearances (8) and 1st (tied) for aerials (4) out of all the Cherries MIDs. In Gameweek 16, Cook registered his 1st assist for the season, which indicates how great his recent ghost points output has been over the past 3 gameweeks, as the players he has outscored during this time frame, such as Tavernier (2 assists) and Billing (1 goal and 1 assist), have had more attacking returns. It's no surprise that the Cherries midfielder has seen an uptick in FPts since the club has gone on a 5-game undefeated streak, with 4 wins and a draw, most recently a 3-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford. Gameweek 17 sees Bournemouth host Luton Town and our Fixture Difficulty Tracker currently has any Bournemouth MID as having the 3rd best fixture for all midfielders in the game. If you’re looking for a MID-4 or MID-5, look no further.
Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 0-1 FAB to get him.
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