Gameweek 5 Waiver Wire: Draft EPL

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 5 recommendations to help dominate your Draft League.

Essential reading before your weekly waiver requests process!

Waiver Wire Gameweek 5

Here we outline our Fantasy EPL Waiver Wire Gameweek 5 targets that have 40% rostered or below on Fantrax. These players should perform well over the upcoming period!

Raul Jimenez (Ros 9%)

Prospects: After coming off the bench as a substitute for the first 3 Gameweeks, Raul Jimenez surprisingly started his first game of the season in Gameweek 4 and scored his first goal for the season. The Mexican forward scored 19 FPts in 72 minutes, 10 of which were ghost points. It seems as though Marco Silva's patience with Muniz as his starting striker may have run out considering the Brazilian failed to hit the back of the net after attempting 11 shots (4 on target) in 3 starts. According to our Fixture Difficulty Tracker, in Gameweek 5, Fulham forwards have the 3rd best fixture so punting on another Jimenez start as your FWD 3/4, isn't the worst idea.

Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 2-3 FAB to get him.

Mario Lemina (Ros 31%)

Prospects: The introduction of André into the Wolves midfield against Newcastle allowed Lemina to play further forward in a CAM role. This saw the Gabon midfielder score his highest tally for the season with 22 FPts. This haul included 1 goal, 2 key passes, 2 interceptions, 2 CoS (successful dribbles), 2 interceptions and more. In fact, Lemina was also unlucky not to get an assist after Strand Larsen hit the post during one of the Wolves' attacks. If Lemina retains this more attacking role, he should easily be able to surpass his 23/24 season's tally of 4 goals and 1 assist, while scoring at a rate of 7.2 FPts per game. A great MID-4/5 punt among a barren wasteland of available midfield options to choose from the waiver pool season.

Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 2-3 FAB to get him.

Dara O'Shea (Ros 1%)

Prospects: Dara O'Shea is back in the Premier League after being relegated with Burnley at the end of the 23/24 season. I guess he couldn't live with his own failure, and where did that bring him? Back to us Fantrax managers - and thankfully so! In O'Shea's first start for his new employers Ipswich Town, the Irishman put up a whopping 23.5 FPts. This score was comprised of 17.5 ghost points including 4 interceptions, 4 blocked shots and 6 aerials. The new Tractor Boy eclipsed his teammates, which could be a sign of things to come in terms of how the FPts are spread throughout the backline for Ipswich Town. If O'Shea retains his alpha-role as he did for Burnley, this pick has the potential to become a DEF-2/3 for any roster.

Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 2-3 FAB to get him.

Tyler Dibling (Ros 8%)

Prospects: Over the next two gameweeks, Southampton MIDs have the best fixture difficulty rating, which is perfect timing given the emergence of a new prospect, Tyler Dibling. The young English midfielder finally saw his first start of the season, after 3 impressive cameos as a substitute where he scored a total of 17 FPts in a combined 57 minutes. Although Dibling only scored 6 points in his 62 minutes in his first start for the Saints, it should be noted Onana had to pull off a ridiculous save to keep the young lion from registering his first goal for the season and was also denied a fantasy assist after Cameron Archer missed the penalty that he won. Additionally, Dibling got 2 assists for Southampton in the EFL cup, so managers who can afford to be patient with this MID-5, could be handsomely rewarded in the future.

Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 2-3 FAB to get him.

Maxence Lacroix (Ros 10%)

Prospects: Although Crystal Palace may have lost a massive outlet in their attack before the start of the season, the real dilemma seems to be in defence for Glasner. This season, the Eagles have had 4 different combinations of their back-3 system, with the latest setup having introduced the likes of Lacroix, one of Palace's new signings this season. The 6'3" French defender, signed from Wolfsburg, registered 9 ghost points in the 2-2 draw to Leicester City, with nearly half this tally coming from aerials (4). Over the next 2 gameweeks, Crystal Palace DEFs have the 3rd best fixtures and Lacroix could be a great entry point to some safe points as a DEF-3/4.

Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 0-1 FAB to get him.

Carlos Baleba (Ros 29%)

Prospects: Brighton signed a lot of players this season - including the highly-regarded but recently injured Matt O'Riley - so given the opportunity, Carlos Baleba has seriously thrown his name into the ring as an option. After an impressive 7.5 FPts game versus Arsenal in Gameweek 3, we were a bit hesitant to consider the Cameroonian as a dependable asset, as Arsenal were down to 10-men for most of the game. However, Baleba then scored 14 FPts versus Ipswich Town in Gameweek 4, consisting of ghost points only. It should be noted that both of Baleba's starts included 2 tackles won, 2 interceptions, 1 key pass, at least 2 aerials won along with 4 shots being attempted, he certainly fills up the stat sheet. Baleba is a great MID-4/5 addition as a steady-eddy, especially if he has a keen eye for goal.

Verdict: I would use a low-tier waiver pick or 1-2 FAB to get him

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