Dream Team

THIS article should have been written earlier.We have been aware of Ben Mee’s (£3.4m) healthy Dream Team returns for a while now and probably should have highlighted his viability already but as the old saying goes: better late than never.
The 33-year-old has proved to be a smart recruit for Brentford, adding experience, leadership and reliability to their defence.
He’s also chipped in with three goals in 20 appearances for the Bees so far, his latest coming in the form of a brave header to open the scoring against Southampton on Saturday.
Thomas Frank’s side scored three unanswered goals to register a comfortable victory and move up to seventh in the table.
Mee scooped the Star Man award on top of his goal, clean sheet and 7+ rating to bank 18 points when all was said and done – his best Game Week haul this season.
Buzzing Bee!
The former Burnley centre-back has amassed 34 points in his last three games having contributed to a trio of consecutive clean sheets.
This prosperous run has propelled Mee up the rankings and he’s now the ninth-best defender in Dream Team.
Given that one of the assets above him is Joao Cancelo, who will spend the rest of the campaign on loan with Bayern Munich, Brentford’s No16 is effectively eighth in his position.
At £3.4m, Mee is the cheapest defender currently in the top 15 and his ownership of 2.5% is also the lowest among the same group.
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The slim minority of Dream Team bosses who have backed him (which probably features plenty of Brentford supporters) have been handsomely rewarded for relatively little investment.
Mee deserves huge amounts of credit for his efforts to date, the other names at the top of the defensive rankings include Thiago Silva (£5.8m) and multiple representatives from the top four clubs: Newcastle, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal.
Credit where it’s dueCredit: getty
Whether Mee can maintain his lofty position remains to be seen.
Brentford have no European commitments and were eliminated from the FA Cup by West Ham in the third round, meaning their Premier League games will be their only fixtures for the remainder of the campaign.
Having a singular focus may well help them achieve an impressive league position but, generally speaking, successful Dream Team assets will be active in more than one competition during the second half of the season.
Mee will have to be immense to keep pace with the likes of Lisandro Martinez (£4.6m), Nathan Ake (£4m) and Ben White (£4.8m) if the Manchester clubs and the Gunners go deep in Europe.
At the risk of wishing time away, if the Bees continue their good form and end up qualifying for a European competition then Mee may well be a smart selection in 2023/24. More

JUST one Dream Team gaffer achieved three figures in Game Week 20.Simon Jebson earned 101 points (also known as a Dalmatian) thanks to an extensive array of Manchester United assets.
Let’s see take a closer look at how the Sheffield United fan topped the pile.
No fewer than eight Old Trafford residentsCredit: dream team
David de Gea (£3.9m) was the only one of the eight Red Devils present not to contribute as he missed out on what probably should have been a clean sheet at home to Reading in the FA Cup.
Tom Heaton was given the gloves for the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
Lisandro Martinez (£4.6m), Luke Shaw (£3.9m) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£3.8m) combined for 21 points, all taken from Steve Cooper’s side in midweek.
Given that Man United are one of just three teams pulling double duty in Game Week 21, Simon could well be in for back-to-back bumper weeks.
Old Trafford hosted the most successful assets in Game Week 20
You would have got incredible odds on Casemiro (£3.8m) and Fred (£2.5m) combining for 42 points in a Game Week this term.
The Brazil internationals generally let their team-mates enjoy the attacking side of the game while they run the hard yards in midfield.
But that all changed this past week as the former Real Madrid favourite scored a brace against the Royals while Fred registered two goals and an assist across the two fixtures.
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Impressively, Casemiro pocketed two Star Man awards to bank 25 points, his highest Game Week haul yet!
In comparison, Bruno Fernandes’ (£5.8m) eight points seem somehow underwhelming but an assist and a pair of 7+ match ratings continued his prosperous form.
Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) joined his cross-town rivals in Simon’s midfield but the brilliant Belgian blanked at home to Arsenal.
Manchester City’s playmaker-in-chief remains Dream Team’s top midfielder but a run of 15 points in his last seven games represents a notable drop-off from his usual high standards.
Spurs could really do with Son at his best in the coming monthsCredit: getty
Up front, Mohamed Salah (£8m) assisted Harvey Elliott’s (£2.6m) goal against Brighton but the Egyptian forward missed out on a 7+ match rating so he had to settle for just the two points.
Marcus Rashford (£5.8m) continued his fruitful spell with a ten-point haul despite the fact he failed to score – VAR saw to that.
Man United’s No10 received two 7+ ratings and provided a brace of assists to bank ten points.
Last but not least, a frankly inspired selection from Simon in the form of Son Heung-min (£5.1m).
The South Korean superstar has not been at his best this season but took full advantage of Tottenham’s FA Cup match-up with Preston, scoring twice to claim the Star Man award and an 18-point haul.
Read More on The Sun
No forward scored more points than the 30-year-old in Game Week 20.
Superb work, Simon, good luck to you and all gaffers ahead of Game Week 21! More

WITH transfers set to be replenished on Friday morning, Dream Team gaffers will be hoping to identify which players are most likely to bank plentiful points throughout February.As if any extra motivation was needed, the manager who racks up the most points between now and March 2nd will win a brand new PlayStation 5!
With that in mind, allow us to suggest three candidates we believe are capable of producing bumper months.
Bruno Fernandes (£5.8m)
It’s all smiles at Old Trafford right nowCredit: getty
Manchester United are the busiest team this month with seven fixtures to fulfil before the start of March.
A two-legged Europa League meeting with Barcelona, the Carabao Cup final, and a rearranged Premier League fixture against Leeds means loads of scoring opportunities for the Old Trafford residents in the coming weeks.
Marcus Rashford (£5.7m) is the name that should come to mind first and foremost but we’ve promoted his virtues enough in the last few weeks – if you ignored our advice then you’ve missed out some massive hauls.
The England international’s ownership has sky-rocketed to 33.7% since the restart but the Red Devils’ Portuguese midfielder features in 13.2% of teams, meaning a fair few gaffers are overlooking his form.
Fernandes has amassed 53 points across the last five Game Weeks and a busy schedule should ensure the returns keep flowing.
Generally speaking, backing several Man United assets looks to be a wise approach for the coming weeks.
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Nathan Ake (£3.7m)
A well-timed goal!Credit: getty
Fresh off an 18-point haul in Game Week 20, the Dutchman looks set to be Manchester City’s first-choice left-back for the foreseeable future after Joao Cancelo’s surprise departure to Bayern Munich.
Ake underlined his impressive recent form when he scored the winner against Arsenal in last Friday night’s FA Cup showdown, earning him a Star Man award in the process.
Granted, Pep Guardiola’s side haven’t kept as many clean sheets as they would have liked this season but, when reasonably priced, their defensive assets remain solid options.
City have six fixtures to squeeze in this month with three of them coming against bottom-half opposition: Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth.
On paper, there should be a healthy allotment of points up for grabs for Ake and company.
Eddie Nketiah (£3.5m)
Underestimated by Dream Team bosses?
Arsenal have five games in February which makes them less busy than the Manchester clubs but more active than the likes of Newcastle and Brighton.
One of the Gunners’ fixtures sticks out like a sore thumb, a top-of-the-table clash with Man City which will be a serious test of their title-winning credentials.
However, the rest of the match-ups are relatively favourable.
Nketiah will continue to lead the line as Mikel Arteta’s side take on Everton, Brentford, Villa and Leicester around that meeting with Guardiola’s men.
It’s worth noting the game against the Bees takes place at the Emirates – Thomas Frank’s side are considerably weaker on the road.
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Arsenal’s homegrown poacher has deputised for Gabriel Jesus (£5.3m) superbly while the Brazilian has been sidelined.
Nketiah has scored seven goals in his last eight outings and still only appears in 3.6% of teams. More

PINCH, punch, first of the month and all that waffle.Any self-respecting Dream Team managers knows that flipping over the calendar means a fresh batch of transfers are imminent.
Gaffers will be able to make changes from Friday morning ahead of Game Week 21.
As always, it’s best to consider the schedule for the month ahead when deciding on a strategy so let’s whip through the fixtures that await each of the teams currently in the top half.
ARSENAL

Everton (a)
Brentford (h)
Man City (h)
Aston Villa (a)
Leicester (a)

A huge game awaits
It’s worth noting that the Gunners don’t have any European commitment to fulfil until March because they have already qualified for the Europa League round of 16.
In terms of Premier League fixtures, one match-up sticks out like a sore thumb.
It could be argued that the visit of Pep Guardiola’s men to the Emirates on the 15th is Arsenal’s biggest game in years – victory would make them huge favourites to claim the league title.
Elsewhere, the Bees are not as threatening away from their hive and there should be plenty on points on offer against Everton, Villa and Leicester, three sides currently in the bottom half.
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MANCHESTER CITY

Spurs (a)
Aston Villa (h)
Nottingham Forest (a)
Arsenal (a)
RB Leipzig (a)
Bournemouth (a)

Four consecutive away days, starting with that trip to north London, will be a test for the defending English champions – Leipzig can be a tricky place to go in the Champions League knockouts.
Saying that, Erling Haaland (£9.1m) will be confident of adding to his goal tally and may even be earmarking Villa, Forest or Bournemouth for his next hat-trick.
NEWCASTLE
Dream Team’s king of defenders

West Ham (h)
Bournemouth (a)
Liverpool (h)
Man United or Southampton (n)

It’s highly likely the Magpies will meet Erik ten Hag’s side in the Carabao Cup final at the end of month – that matter will be confirmed this evening.
Those first two fixtures look ripe for yet more returns from the likes of Kieran Trippier (£6.6m) and Nick Pope (£5.3m) – Jurgen Klopp’s mob are miles off their best right now as well.
However, Newcastle will not be as busy as several other teams this month so it will be interesting to see if their assets can maintain their dominance at the top of the defensive rankings.
MANCHESTER UNITED

Crystal Palace (h)
Leeds (h)
Leeds (a)
Barcelona (a)
Leicester (h)
Barcelona (h)
Brentford (h)

Be aware that final fixture against Thomas Frank’s side is likely to be replaced by the Carabao Cup final, assuming the Red Devils finish the job in tonight’s semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.
A two-legged meeting with La Liga’s leaders in the Europa League ensures Man United have a busy schedule in the coming weeks.
They have an excellent record against Leeds since the Yorkshire club returned to the top flight so backers of Marcus Rashford (£5.7m) and Bruno Fernandes (£5.8m) should expect more points from that double header.
A healthy allotment of Man United assets could be the way to go for Dream Team gaffers this month
TOTTENHAM

Man City (h)
Leicester (a)
AC Milan (a)
West Ham (h)
Chelsea (h)

A relatively tough month for Antonio Conte’s men to negotiate here with the visit of City, a European away day, and a brace of London derbies.
Harry Kane (£7.9m) missed the last game through illness and his owners should certainly keep an eye out for updates but the England skipper is expected to return to the starting line-up this weekend.
BRIGHTON

Bournemouth (h)
Crystal Palace (a)
Fulham (h)

The Seagulls’ game against Newcastle has been postponed because of the latter’s appointment at Wembley.
Kaoru Mitoma (£2.6m) and Solly March (£2.8m) provided superb value for money throughout January but the midfield pair will struggle to maintain their impressive pace this month with so few fixtures to fulfil.
FULHAM
A lean spell

Chelsea (a)
Sunderland (a)
Nottingham Forest (h)
Brighton (a)
Wolves (h)

An FA Cup replay against the Black Cats helps bolster the in-form Cottagers’ schedule.
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s (£4.8m) owners may be concerned that the Serbian target man has mustered just one point across his last five outings – keep an eye on his returns in the coming weeks.
BRENTFORD

Southampton (h)
Arsenal (a)
Crystal Palace (h)
Man United (a)

Generally speaking, the Bees are a force to be reckoned with at home but vulnerable on the road.
That pattern could well extend this month with difficult trips to the Emirates and Old Trafford offset by two favourable home fixtures.
LIVERPOOL

Wolves (a)
Everton (h)
Newcastle (a)
Real Madrid (h)
Crystal Palace (a)

What can Liverpool muster from this season?
Dream Team bosses simply don’t know what to make of the Reds right now.
It’s been a bitterly underwhelming campaign so far but the potential of their most-popular assets can never be ignored – Mohamed Salah (£8.3m) has 151 points to his name.
Liverpool enjoyed themselves in the Champions League during the group stage (for the most part) but a meeting with the competition’s specialists will paint a clearer picture of their fortunes.
CHELSEA

Fulham (h)
West Ham (a)
Borussia Dortmund (a)
Southampton (h)
Spurs (a)

No fewer than three London derbies guarantees a mightily competitive month for the Blues, whose squad has been recently bolstered by yet more expensive arrivals.
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Truth be told, Thiago Silva (£5.8m) and Kepa Arrizabalaga (£3.4m) are the only two players who have made a positive impact in the realm of Dream Team recently.
February will be a litmus test of Graham Potter’s side; fans will be desperate for significant improvements. More

FEBRUARY’S transfers will be available to gaffers this coming Friday and for some they can’t come soon enough.The Premier League’s winter transfer window always changes the landscape to some degree and there are several notable injuries to negotiate as well.
For this purposes of this exercise, we’re going to focus on some relatively popular players who are fit but haven’t been pulling their weight recently and consequently may need replacing.
First up, it’s William Saliba (£3.5m).
Firing blanksCredit: getty
Arsenal’s No12 made a strong start to the season, racing to 36 points by the end of Game Week 7.
However, the Frenchman has only added a further 33 points to his total in 16 appearances since.
Incredibly, Saliba remains the second-most selected defender in the game with massive ownership of 23.7% but the simple fact is he’s not providing returns worth of his popularity – he’s mustered eight points in his last six outings.
The Gunners’ title charge remains very much on track but the significant points are to be had from the likes of Bukayo Saka (£4.3m) and Martin Odegaard (£3.6m).
Additionally, any gaffers that want to back Arsenal defenders should be aware that Gabriel (£4.4m), Ben White (£4.8m) and even Kieran Tierney (£3.4m) have outscored Saliba this term.
No Silva lining here
Bernardo Silva (£3.1m) provided immense value for money last season but he’s averaging just 1.7 points-per-game in 2022/23.
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The Portuguese midfielder has scored two goals and provided five assists in 29 appearances and five of those goal involvements came in the first month of the campaign.
Worryingly, the 28-year-old has contributed just three points across the last nine Game Weeks (49 overall).
Bernardo and his backers have paid the price for his drop-off – he started the season at £4.5m (and peaked at £4.7m) but he may well dip below £3m by the time February’s action gets underway.
Not in safe handsCredit: getty
Lastly, most Dream Team bosses should realise there are better options than Hugo Lloris (£3.1m) in goal.
Tottenham’s No1 is still the sixth-most popular player in his position at the time of writing but his tally of 47 points represents an underwhelming return.
The Frenchman was undoubtedly a top-tier shot stopper in his prime but these days he commits too many individual errors.
Vicente Guaita (£2.5m), Dean Henderson (£3m) and David Raya (£2.9m) are among the extensive list of keepers above Lloris in the rankings right now.
Those clinging onto the past need to realise that all good things come to an end. More

MANY Dream Team gaffers will still be reeling from the revelation that Joao Cancelo’s (£6m) time at Manchester City is at an end.The Portuguese full-back is joining Bayern Munich on loan with a view to a permanent switch in the summer following a disagreement with Pep Guardiola.
It wasn’t that long ago that the 28-year-old was viewed as one of the most important figures at the Etihad and among the best players in in world football in his position.
Cancelo has amassed mountains of Dream Team points in the last three years and many managers, particularly those who support the defending Premier League champions, will be gutted to see him leave.
A sour end to a happy marriageCredit: getty
As the old saying goes: when God closes a door, he opens a window.
Whether Man City bring in a new recruit before the transfer window closes remains to be seen but at this stage it seems likely that Nathan Ake (£3.7m) will be first-choice left-back for the remainder of the season.
The Dutchman has fulfilled the role a few times already this term and popped up in a Cancelo-esque area last Friday night to combine with Jack Grealish (£3.7m) for City’s winner against Arsenal in the FA Cup.
Factor in a clean sheet plus the Star Man award and Ake has pocketed a very handy 18 points in Game Week 20.
No defender has earned more points this Game Week which, given the developments in the transfer market, is immaculate timing.
A well-timed winner
Ake has 76 points overall but perhaps more pertinently, he averages 3.6 points-per-game.
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To put that into context, that’s more than Lisandro Martinez (£4.4m), Luke Shaw (£3.8m), William Saliba (£3.5m), John Stones (£5.2m) and Oleksandr Zinchenko (£4.1m).
If the ex-Bournemouth defender is to be a first-team regular for the remainder of the campaign then he is reasonably priced at £3.7m right now – although expect that to rise this Friday after his 18-point haul.
He’s helpfully cheaper than the aforementioned Stones, Ruben Dias (£5.9m) and Aymeric Laporte (£4.6m).
Go Dutch!
Generally speaking, Man City’s defence has not provided as many points as usual this season but most gaffers would still back them to register their fair share of clean sheets, especially of presented with a favourable run of fixtures.
Dream Team may be losing one of its superstars in Cancelo but the best managers always look for an opportunity in the wake of a problem and Ake may well fit the bill for those in need of a mid-range defender. More