Fantasy Football Scout picks out four players to get in your line-up for Gameweek 6.
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The first weekend back from September’s international break was one of comeback wins and low Fantasy Premier League (FPL) scores.
Only one of the nine most-bought players was able to deliver a return to managers – Julian Alvarez (£6.8m) – while popular Spurs purchases like Son Heung-min (£9.1m) and James Maddison (£7.9m) blanked at home to Sheffield United.
Son was one of four players we backed last time, but the only success came from Taiwo Awoniyi’s (£6.6m) Monday night assist on Monday night.
Looking ahead to Gameweek 6, with a 13:30 BST deadline on Saturday, here are a few players we think could haul.
JULIAN ALVAREZ (£6.8M)
It would be foolish not to mention Alvarez, considering his stunning form and Pep Guardiola’s comment that he’s “almost undroppable”.
Knowing Pep’s troublesome relationship with FPL, history tells us that this usually means he’ll start the next game onManchester City’s bench. However, the World Cup winner has played every Premier League minute apart from one stoppage-time substitution, bagging two goals and five assists along the way.
Lasting all 90 during his midweek Champions League brace could concern potential buyers but Bernardo Silva (£6.4m) was withdrawn early due to injury, adding to Kevin De Bruyne’s (£10.2m) absence.
Rotation might therefore not be an issue at home to Nottingham Forest, a side who City thrashed 6-0 last season. Alvarez scored twice that day, by the way.
ODSONNE EDOUARD (£5.6M)
One of the only other forwards with appeal right now is Edouard. We also mentioned him ahead of Gameweek 4 but he’s since netted twice against Wolves and once more at Aston Villa.
He’s starting every match for Roy Hodgson’s side and, throughout the league, his four goals and 19 shots inside the box are only bettered by Erling Haaland (£14.1m).
Combine this with Gameweek 6 opponents Fulham conceding the highest number of big chances (20) and second-most on target (34) of all teams and it makes Edouard a pretty convincing alternative for those wanting to downgrade from Nicolas Jackson (£7.0m) or Ollie Watkins (£7.9m).
BRYAN MBEUMO (£6.9M)
Also backed previously is Mbeumo, who remains third for big chances (six) and the top-scoring FPL midfielder (35 points).
Brentford’s penalty taker is about to be at home to Everton, a side still winless and looking lost for ideas.
For Mbeumo’s 29.2 per cent ownership, the chance to have the second-placed individual for expected goals (4.14) facing a relegation battler will be hard to bench. He could even work as a differential captaincy contender.
SVEN BOTMAN (£4.5M)
Finally, Newcastle defenders are proving to be a very popular hunting ground for this week’s transfers.
Although their previous 22 league games had only brought two clean sheets, keeping one versus Mbeumo and Brentford last Saturday was brilliantly timed, as it precedes fixtures against promoted duo Sheffield United and Burnley.
Centre-back Botman landed all three bonus points in Gameweek 5 and, of all defenders not to score last season, he had the most attempts (22) and shots on target (seven).
In a scenario where either Kieran Trippier (£6.5m) or Dan Burn (£4.5m) are rested after their exhaustive exploits in Milan – a somewhat luckier clean sheet – Botman should start and, who knows, maybe he’ll eventually get that goal.
