PLFantasy

LOL

Semenyo is obviously a good pick, but I do feel slightly hard done by for not owning him as he continues to rack up insane production from ~solid~ underlying numbers. A goal and an assist (and presumably 3 bps) from 0.23 xG+xA tonight.

Was it a Free Hit and they activated the wrong chip?

Viktor Gyökeres: Flat Track Bully or Simply Overmatched? On a recent episode of The Double Pivot, Mike and Michael talked a little bit about Viktor Gyökeres and his role at Arsenal so far.

Viktor Gyökeres: Flat Track Bully or Simply Overmatched?

plfantasy.substack.com/p/viktor-gyo...

I'm not sure I will use this feature and "overrule" the model too often but it's unbelievably cool and well done that's its likely worth the subscription fee anyway. Well done guys, this looks absolutely amazing.

Wrote a few words (for the first time in a while) to try and place Salah's early season data in context with his past few seasons.

plfantasy.substack.com/p/should-we-...

Joe, you got me thinking that maybe the answer to all my issues is to just force Wirtz out for a hit (with Gyokeres and Evanilson) which allows me to keep Salah and bring in Haaland. Selling Gyokeres before WHU, BUR and SUN seems like a mistake though?

Haha, the odds go up now. Red card for Ekitike (YC for throwing the ball away and second YC for taking his shirt off lol)

But the *panic* to do so will be funny nonetheless

I'm not smart enough tactics wise to know what works, but I wonder if you can play Wirtz on the left with Ekitike as the nominal "10" / second striker off Isak, and switch so you one central and one wider depending on the type of game? They do seem to occupy similar spaces sometimes.

Agreed it would be REALLY harsh to permanently drop Ekitike, but LIV will surely want to get Isak going, and they will need to start figuring out the patterns of play when he's in the team so they're ready for the biggest games (when Isak surely plays). I think there are more combinations to come

I almost started the season with them both (went with Mo), and I am once again tempted to bring in Haaland but keep Mo. It's very possible we are all working towards having them both but some (smarter) people like yourself have figured it out more quickly!

Isak with a goal and then being subbed for Ekitike at HT sure seems like he's heading towards a start at the weekend at Palace. Will be peak FPL if Liverpool's attack immediately gels, Salah is dominating, and we all start making plans to get him back for Haaland.

I need a sub 6.4m midfielder and I considered just going there now as I don't need him this week. As it is, I think that at least one of Bruno, Reijnders or Wirtz will need to be sold in a few weeks when Rodri has proven his fitness and would make an interesting downgrade to release some cash.

I didn't follow any preseason chat when def cons were launched, but did anyone talk about Rodri's potential when he comes back? By my calcs he would have averaged 5.2 PPG excluding bonus in 2023-24. He hit the DC 16 times and was 1 away 5 more times. He genuinely is close to a 4 pt floor

United have looked reasonably dangerous going forward with Cunha and Mbeumo settling in well, and Sesko still ramping up his minutes. They have the season's best fixture in GW3 (Burnley at home) and then get SUN and BRE in GW6 and GW7. Bruno simply has to be KEPT

Arsenal at home in GW1 and Fulham away in GW2 was a tough set of fixtures and yet Bruno has averaged 90 mins, 12 DC, 0.49 xG and 0.17 xA over those games. That is a 4 point floor and significant attacking upside, including penalty duties for a side that could win a good number of pens.

Meanwhile, if that penalty goes in, Bruno could have easily scored 12 points (App 2, DC 2, G 5, Bonus 3) *despite* playing so deep, which 100% validates the theory that he remains not just an option, but an elite FPL option

United have a visit to the Etihad in GW4 then welcome a good Chelsea side to Old Trafford in GW5. Bruno simply HAS to be sold.

His penalty was terrible and seemed to show the kind of mental weakness we've seen before from him, and with one of the league's best takers generally on the pitch for United - Mbeumo was 91% successful from the spot for Brentford - he could even lose those duties soon

He's still on some set pieces - of course United scored from a corner from the other side - but if you want a defensive midfield who might get an assist from a corner then Declan Rice can save you 2.5 million

His positioning was laughably terrible for an FPL asset, compared here to Tyler Adams, Mosies Caicedo, and Declan Rice. They specifically made note on commentary of one occasion Bruno got forward as "a rare forray", a phrase typically reserved for when Craig Dawson runs up the pitch a bit.

I think yesterday's Bruno Fernandes performance was the absolute quintessential Bruno game that he will struggle to top all year. In the *same game* he somehow managed to prove right both those who hate him, and those who love him as an FPL asset.

Palmer being a late withdrawal from this route, losing a clean sheet to a 0.01 xG shot and 0.18 xGC total, and not having 50%+ EO Pedro with his goal and two assists from 0.41 xG + 0.11 xA is tough viewing.

Having started Sanchez over Dubravka, that 100%+ EO Burnley clean sheet is going to sting tomorrow.

Cole Palmer injured in the warmup. People's patience is already thin, and this will be an interesting split in those who force a move and those who hold (assuming it's not a major issue)

I thought Tyler Adams was excellent today and so it's no surprise to see him dominate the DC (18). But I don't think Senesi (14), Szoboszlai (12) or Smith (10) notably jumped off the screen, but yet they've all notched the +2 points. Minutes more important than ever as we see with VVD vs subbed FBs

My too quick reaction to the new Defensive Contributions is that they are going to quietly rack up really quickly and players in position to capitalize may be underrated for some time. You don't need to do *that* much to hit that 10/12 DC level.

The absolute disdain and shock with which the commentator said "Chiesa, of all people" after his goal was a bit much. He's had a couple of down seasons to be sure, but he was the best player on Italy's Euro 2020 team and is still only 27. It's not like the backup keeper scored in injury time 😂