Dream Team

IT was a case of normal service resumed at the Etihad on Saturday.Manchester City made it ten wins in a row in all competitions with a routine 2-0 victory over Everton and no prizes for guessing who made the headlines.
It was none other than Erling Haaland (£7.3m), in his first start at home since recovering from a foot injury, who scored both goals to send out another statement to the defending champions’ rivals.
The Norwegian poacher previously looked a tad rusty against Burnley and Brentford but the vast majority of Dream Team managers correctly anticipated a return to form as he was the most-popular recruit ahead of Gameweek 23.
Not only that, he was the most-selected captain across the last nine Gameweeks.
21 goals and counting this seasonCredit: Dream Team
Haaland slammed home the hosts’ opener in the 71st minute when the ball fell to him from a set-piece.
And the 23-year-old sealed the three points with a typically clinical finish in a one-on-one situation having brushed aside Jarrad Branthwaite (£2.7m).
When all was said and done, Haaland banked 14 points at the Toffees’ expense to reclaim top spot among Dream Team strikers.
He’s currently level with Joao Pedro (£4.3m) on 216 points – the Brighton forward was unavailable at the weekend.

The impressive haul boosted Haaland’s points-per-game average to 9.4 points in 2023/24 – once again putting him top of the key metric.
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At the time of writing, he’s the joint-fifth best performer of Gameweek 23 but he’s not done yet.
City’s No9 needs just four points against Copenhagen on Tuesday night to overtake Declan Rice (£3.4m) and Bukayo Saka (£5.5m), who banked 17 points each against West Ham.
With Pep Guardiola’s side heavy favourites to win in the Danish capital, it’s a likely outcome.
Haaland currently features in 73.6% of Dream TeamsCredit: AP
Haaland finishing as the top scorer of the Gameweek would be nothing more than confirmation of what most Dream Team bosses know already – he is a must-have asset when fit and the default captaincy option.
His latest brace moved him onto 21 goals for the season, the highest tally among all Premier League players.
He’s also the first player to register 50 shots on target – only three others have recorded more than 40.
These stats are even more ominous considering Haaland gave most of his rivals a chance to catch up while he was sidelined for the best part of seven Gameweeks.
A reminder that this is the first of FOUR consecutive double Gameweeks for Haaland and company…

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ARSENAL produced yet another statement victory on Sunday.Following on from their win over Liverpool, the Gunners thrashed West Ham 6-0 at the London Stadium to underline their title credentials.
One notable aspect of the visitors’ performance was their set-piece supremacy.
On the riseCredit: Dream Team
William Saliba (£3.1m) started the rout with a header from a corner which opened the floodgates.
Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) converted a penalty soon after before Gabriel (£3.7m) connected with a wide free-kick to head home from close range, making it three set-piece goals in a 12-minute blitz.
In what was a miserable day for the Hammers, David Moyes would have been particularly disappointed to see his side comprehensively outmatched at set-pieces – an aspect of the game his teams usually prioritise.
In recent years, Arsenal have been synonymous with nimble, technical, diminutive footballers who ensure a certain panache in open play but can be overpowered in certain situations.
This season, however, Mikel Arteta’s side are arguably the most solid and robust in the Premier League.
They’ve conceded the fewest goals and the underlying numbers (expected goals against) suggest they have been most effective at restricting their opponents.
Couple this with their strength at set-pieces and the Gunners now boast a strong backbone rather than a soft underbelly.
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Arteta’s side have returned from the winter break in fine formCredit: AFP
From a Dream Team perspective, this is best exhibited by the lofty statuses now held by their first-choice centre-backs.
Gabriel banked 15 points against West Ham while Saliba pocketed 14 – the pair are the best-performing defenders of Gameweek 23 right now.
More broadly, both are now among the top five assets in their position in terms of total season points.
DREAM TEAM’S TOP DEFENDERS 2023/24

Kieran Trippier – 191 pts
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 179 pts
Pedro Porro – 158 pts
Gabriel – 150 pts
William Saliba – 144 pts

The Brazilian centre-back has scored three goals this campaign – only Dan Burn (£3.5m) and Fabian Schar (£3.4m) have scored more among defenders at this stage.
Whereas Saliba is Dream Team’s leader in terms of clean sheets, having contributed to 12 in all competitions – Gabriel, Ben White (£3.3m) and James Tarkowski (£3.3m) are just behind the Frenchman on 11 each.
Gabriel is already among the most transferred-in players ahead of Gameweek 24Credit: EPA
Looking forward, it’s potentially the perfect time for Dream Team gaffers to back Arsenal’s most-productive defenders.
In Gameweek 24, Arteta’s troops travel to Turf Moor to face a Burnley outfit that have mustered just 13 points since promotion before facing Porto in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
It’s worth noting that while the Portuguese side scored plenty in the group stages of Europe’s premium competition, they’ve registered 33 goals from 20 league games this term – below par for one of the Primeira Liga’s big three.
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Given Arsenal’s defensive record, it would be reasonable for Dream Team managers to expect at least one clean sheet from Gabriel and Saliba – two would yield massive returns.
Arsenal are one of just five teams (Manchester City, Liverpool, Brentford and Luton being the other two) with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 24 so their best performers are likely to be popular recruits this week.

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DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news ahead of Gameweek 23 in one easily digestible dose.Joao Pedro (£4m) was deemed fit enough to play against Crystal Palace last weekend but the Brazilian, who is currently Dream Team’s top striker, has been ruled out of Brighton’s trip to Tottenham on Saturday.
It’s not yet known when 22-year-old, who has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season, will be available for selection again.
Mikel Arteta told reporters that Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) “looks okay” following his substitution against Liverpool last weekend.
Arsenal’s No7 is the second-most popular player in Dream Team and is expected to start against West Ham on Sunday.
The Gunners’ coach kept his cards close to his chest in regards to the availability of Takehiro Tomiyasu (£2.7m), Oleksandr Zinchenko (£3.5m) and Gabriel Jesus (£4.8m) so all three have to be considered doubts at this stage.

Captaincy & Booster Strategies for Gameweek 23: Focus on Manchester stars for BIG points!

Saka should be fineCredit: PA
As for the Hammers, Michail Antonio (£2.5m) is back in training but this weekend comes too soon – Lucas Paqueta (£4.1m) also remains out.
Lucas Digne (£3.1m) has returned to training this week and has a chance of featuring for Aston Villa against Manchester United on Sunday.
Pau Torres (£3m) returned to the squad in midweek and is also in contention to start.
However, Dream Team favourite Ezri Konsa (£3.2m) has been ruled out for three to four weeks with a knee injury.
Mohamed Salah (£6.7m) won’t be involved as Liverpool host Burnley but the Egyptian superstar may return to training next week, giving him a chance of some minutes in Gameweek 24.
Dominik Szoboszlai (£3.9m) won’t feature either while Thiago Alcantara (£2.5m) has suffered another setback and is awaiting a full assessment.
Conor Bradley (£3m) is still on compassionate leave while Ibrahima Konate (£3.1m) is set to serve a one-match suspension.
Villa defenders have been dropping like flies recentlyCredit: Dream Team
Hwang Hee-chan (£3.3m) and Son Heung-min (£4.8m) have returned from South Korea duty are said to be available for Wolves and Spurs respectively.
The former scored 11 goals prior to his departure for the Asian Cup while the latter bagged 12 in the same time frame.
Anthony Gordon’s (£3.7m) injury isn’t as serious as first feared but Newcastle’s No10 hasn’t trained all week and will almost certainly not travel to Nottingham Forest.
The Magpies will be without Alexander Isak (£4.4m) once again but Eddie Howe told journalists the Swedish striker is “not too far away”.

Lisandro Martinez (£2.8m) is expected to be out for at least eight weeks following the knee injury he incurred last time out.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£2.6m) was scheduled to return but the Manchester United full-back pulled out of training on Thursday and therefore remains a major doubt.
Crystal Palace will be without key players Marc Guehi (£2.4m), Eberechi Eze (£3.9m) and Michael Olise (£4.1m) against Chelsea on Monday night.
Harvey Barnes is expected to replace GordonCredit: Getty
ARSENAL
Injuries: Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira, Gabriel Jesus (doubt), Oleksandr Zinchenko (doubt)
Suspensions: None
ASTON VILLA
Injuries: Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, Lucas Digne (doubt), Jhon Duran, Ezri Konsa
Suspensions: None
BOURNEMOUTH
Injuries: Ryan Fredericks, Tyler Adams, James Hill, Max Aarons
Suspensions: Philip Billing
BRENTFORD
Injuries: Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, Kevin Schade, Bryan Mbeumo, Josh Dasilva
Suspensions: None
BRIGHTON
Injuries: Julio Enciso, Solly March, Joel Veltman, Joao Pedro, James Milner
Suspensions: None
BURNLEY
Injuries: Luka Koleosho, Jordan Beyer, Charlie Taylor (doubt), Hannes Delcroix (doubt), Nathan Redmond
Suspensions: None
CHELSEA
Injuries: Trevoh Chalobah (doubt), Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwo, Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Robert Sanchez, Levi Colwill (doubt), Beniot Badashile (doubt)
Suspensions: None
CRYSTAL PALACE
Injuries: Cheick Doucoure, Joel Ward (doubt), Rob Holding, Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
Suspensions: None
EVERTON
Injuries: Dele Alli, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Andre Gomes, Arnaut Danjuma, Amadou Onana (doubt)
Suspensions: None
FULHAM
Injuries: Adama Traore, Issa Diop, Harry Wilson, Raul Jimenez, Armando Broja (doubt)
Suspensions: None
LIVERPOOL
Injuries: Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Kostas Tsimikas, Joel Matip, Ben Doak, Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah
Suspensions: Ibrahima Konate
LUTON
Injuries: Tom Lockyer, Marvelous Nakamba, Mads Juel Andersen, Teden Mengi (doubt)
Suspensions: None
MANCHESTER CITY
Injuries: None
Suspensions: None
MANCHESTER UNITED
Injuries: Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount, Anthony Martial, Aaron Wan-Bissaka (doubt), Lisandro Martinez
Suspensions: None
NEWCASTLE
Injuries: Elliot Anderson, Matt Targett, Joe Willock, Nick Pope, Joelinton, Alexander Isak, Jamaal Lascelles (doubt), Anthony Gordon
Suspensions: Sandro Tonali
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Injuries: Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White (doubt), Gonzalo Montiel
Suspensions: None
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Injuries: Daniel Jebbison, John Egan, Chris Basham, George Baldock (doubt), Max Lowe (doubt), Ivo Grbic, Oli McBurnie (doubt)
Suspensions: None
TOTTENHAM
Injuries: Ryan Sessegnon, Alfie Whiteman, Manor Solomon
Suspensions: None
WEST HAM
Injuries: Lucas Paqueta, Michail Antonio
Suspensions: None
WOLVES
Injuries: None
Suspensions: None

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THE spotlight is firmly on Manchester City in the world of Dream Team right now.The defending champions are the only team with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 23 and so gaffers should stock up on Pep Guardiola’s favourites.
Everton visit the Etihad on Saturday in the first Premier League game of the weekend before the treble winners travel to Copenhagen for the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie in midweek.
With that in mind, let’s talk captaincy options.

PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

An ominous figureCredit: Dream Team
Dream Team bosses have had to think carefully about which players to elect for double points in recent weeks while Erling Haaland (£7.6m) was sidelined with a foot injury but the prolific poacher’s return may simplify the conversation.
The Norwegian No9 was the default captain for the vast majority of switched-on gaffers throughout the first half of the campaign and with good reason.
Haaland averages 9.2 points-per-game in 2023/24 – a figure only matched by the injury-prone Michael Olise (£4.1m) – and no player was able to surpass his tally of 19 goals in all competitions while he was unavailable.
He’s looked a tad rusty in his last two outings but with City purring (nine straight wins in all competitions) it surely won’t be long before he’s back among the goals.
Some gaffers may be tempted to take Haaland on in regards to captaincy in Gameweek 23 by strapping the armband to the in-form Phil Foden (£5m).
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Statistically City’s most in-form Dream Team assetCredit: Reuters
The England international bagged a hat-trick against Brentford on Monday night to draw level with Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) at the top of the overall rankings.
With 13 goals and ten assists to his name this season, Foden is certainly an appealing option.
Any concerns that Haaland’s return would dampen the midfielder’s eye for goal were thoroughly dispatched at the Gtech Community Stadium and he looks well placed for a double-digit return this coming Gameweek.
Then there’s Kevin De Bruyne (£6m).
The Belgian’s return from injury has contributed to a feeling of inevitability about City’s form going forward.
He’s provided 27 points across the last three Gameweeks via a goal and four assists.
A class actCredit: PA
In terms of playmaking, De Bruyne is unrivalled but, if anything, his relentless chance creation only makes Haaland a more attractive captaincy option as it’s the latter who usually benefits.
It surely has to be one of City’s superstars for the armband in Gameweek 23 and, despite Foden’s impressive form, it’s hard to look past Haaland.
BOOSTER STRATEGIES
Many gaffers will be eyeing up City’s double header as an opportunity to reap the rewards of Park the Bus.
It’s a nice idea on paper but Guardiola’s rotation policy introduces a certain degree of risk.
Setting up an XI with Kyle Walker (£3.1m), Josko Gvardiol (£3.3m), Ruben Dias (£3.1m) and Nathan Ake (£3.2m) – plus either Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m) or Kieran Trippier (£4.8m) – has huge potential but it wouldn’t be all that surprising if significant minutes for John Stones (£3.3m), Manuel Akanji (£3.6m) and/or Rico Lewis (£2.9m) scuppered such a plan.
Plus, City have actually found clean sheets relatively hard to come this term.
Looking ahead, there are other double Gameweeks to come that look ripe for less risky Park the Bus combinations.
Unless you feel extremely confident you can strike the right balance of City defenders, it’s probably best to keep the strongest Booster in the holster.
All eyes on Man CityCredit: Alamy
12th Man is certainly a viable Booster to activate ahead of the deadline.
If your standard XI looks a little light on City players ahead of what should be a high-scoring Gameweek then simply play 12th Man and select one of the aforementioned superstars as your secret weapon.
Even those with Haaland, De Bruyne and Foden already in their team might think about electing Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) as 12th Man given the schedule.
Finally, if you’re helplessly undecided between the heavy hitters then activating Max Captain will guarantee the optimum choice.
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However, be warned that if you go down this route and Haaland (the default option) goes big then you may end up wasting one of your precious Boosters.
Lock in your strategy before Saturday’s 11:30am deadline!

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FIRST things first, credit where it’s due to Samuel Bexton.He earned a whopping 158 points in Gameweek 22 to beat every other Dream Team manager in the world to the £100 weekly prize.
But he did so in an unorthodox manner.

PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

That’s not how you’re supposed to use Park the BusCredit: Dream Team
There’s a lot to admire about Samuel’s XI but for the sake of shared information, his sub-optimal use of the Park the Bus Booster has to be analysed.
Park the Bus is the most-powerful Booster in the game as it doubles the points of all your defenders for the duration of the Gameweek – essentially giving you extra captains.
To make the most of this special effect, you should use your transfers to ensure you have FIVE defenders in your team at the time Park the Bus is activated.
Whereas Samuel opted to play the precious Booster in Gameweek 22 despite having just three defenders in his team.
Kieran Trippier (£4.8m) played his part with a goal and an assist amid the chaos of Newcastle’s 4-4 draw with Luton for a nine-point return but Pedro Porro (£3.8m) and Matty Cash (£3.2m) combined for just four points.
All in all, Park the Bus earned Samuel an additional 13 points, which is significantly under par.
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Dream Team’s top defender once againCredit: Getty
He would have been better off saving his best Booster for a future Gameweek where he could craft an XI with five defenders, all with two fixtures to fulfil.
While this alternate route would have been much better for Samuel in the context of the entire season, the fact remains that he wouldn’t have won £100 through Dream Team had he not activated Park the Bus, such are the fine margins at the top of the weekly leaderboard.
At the end of the day, he’s earned himself some spending money through a fantasy football game so he probably doesn’t care one jot that his strategy wasn’t fully optimised for maximum returns across the season – that’s the beauty of the weekly prize!
Now that we’ve picked holes in Samuel’s approach, let’s lavish him with overdue praise for his smart selections.
Emi Martinez (£3m) was the top-performing goalkeeper in Gameweek 22, mostly thanks to his nine-point return against Sheffield United.
Familiar favourites Cole Palmer (£4.2m) and Bukayo Saka (£5.5m) scored a goal each with the former benefiting from some extra points via his midweek outing at Villa Park.
And Kevin De Bruyne (£6m) continued his ominous comeback with fantastic assist against Brentford on Monday night as part of an eight-point haul.
Sensational formCredit: Alamy
However, Phil Foden (£5m) was the star of the show at the Gtech Community Stadium with a classy hat-trick.
The England international’s 21-point haul saw him draw level with Saka at the top of the overall season rankings.
But the Manchester City wonderkid wasn’t Samuel’s only hat-trick hero as Matheus Cunha (£4m) produced something very special against Chelsea for a massive 25-point return.
Samuel was among the 2.5% of gaffers who benefited from the Wolves forward’s latest exhibition – an inspired choice!
Captaining Ollie Watkins (£4m) always looked a smart decision as Villa had the luxury of playing the Blades prior to their FA Cup replay with Chelsea.
As it happens, Unai Emery’s men were soundly beaten by the Blues but their top scorer had already produced the goods in the form of FOUR goal involvements (one goal, three assists) against Chris Wilder’s beleaguered troops.
One of the best stories of the Dream Team seasonCredit: Dream Team
Last but not least, Samuel did very well to resist the temptation of Erling Haaland (£7.6m) as the Norwegian poacher was outscored by team-mate Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) in West London.
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The World Cup winner registered eight points and was unlucky not to hit double figures as he notched five shots on target – it’s rare such a barrage doesn’t result in at least one goal.
Well played, Samuel – enjoy your winnings!

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RARELY has Dream Team been as one-dimensional as Gameweek 23.Customarily, there are all sorts of factors to consider when making transfers with several viable options from multiple clubs but this week it’s all eyes on Manchester City.

PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND’S PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION – SOMEBODY MUST WIN £500 AMAZON GIFT CARD!

It’s all eyes on Man CityCredit: PA
Pep Guardiola’s side are the only team with two fixtures to fulfil in Gameweek 23 by virtue of their Champions League round of 16 first leg against Copenhagen on Tuesday night.
Before that, the defending champions host Everton in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime and so it may even be the case that some gaffers are able to sniff out team news before the 11:30am deadline.
The extra fixture combined with City’s ominous form essentially leaves Dream Team bosses with little option but to go all-in on Guardiola’s troops in Gameweek 23.
And this isn’t a short-term strategy either as City are set for FOUR consecutive double Gameweeks.
It should go without saying that Erling Haaland (£7.6m), Phil Foden (£5m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£6m) are the must-have assets.
But three is probably the absolute minimum number of City players required this coming Gameweek so let’s analyse the other most-viable candidates.
Kyle Walker (£3.1m)
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Fingers crossed for clean sheetsCredit: Dream Team
City have found clean sheets curiously hard to come this season but it’s surely worth backing the experienced right-back to produce the goods across two fixtures.
The Toffees keep it relatively tight at the back but only Burnley and Sheffield United have scored fewer league goals this campaign.
City are also 1/4 to beat Copenhagen in midweek and those odds suggest heavy one-way traffic in the visitors’ favour.
Is it too greedy to hope for two clean sheets in Gameweek 23?
Walker is the defender most immune to rotation but even he’s not fully nailed to start both games, such is Guardiola’s nature.
However, the England international is City’s top-performing defender having earned 115 points to date.
Josko Gvardiol (£3.3m) is close behind on 108 points and is logically the next-best option although some gaffers may feel Ruben Dias (£3.1m) is a safer bet to start both fixtures.
Ederson (£2.6m)
Ederson’s backers may finally be rewarded for their patienceCredit: Getty
If the threat of Pep Roulette creates too much uncertainty in defence then City’s goalkeeper offers a guaranteed route into any potential clean sheets, barring any late injuries of course.
Ederson has underwhelmed in Dream Team this season having only mustered 81 points, a tally bettered by no fewer than nine other players in his position.
But again, if ever there was a Gameweek to back him…

Julian Alvarez (£4.3m)
Monday night’s game between Brentford and City showed that Guardiola is prepared to name Foden, Haaland, De Bruyne and Alvarez is the same starting XI.
The World Cup winner’s minutes are likely to dip going forward but it seems the days of him playing understudy to the Norwegian goal machine are over.
Having scored 13 goals and provided ten assists (not to mention 197 Dream Team points) Alvarez is now firmly a key player at the Etihad and he’s virtually guaranteed substantial minutes across two fixtures this coming Gameweek.
It’s therefore perfectly reasonable for Dream Team managers to pair him with Haaland.
Later down the line it may be the case that there’s only room for one City striker in a competitive XI but the current schedule encourages greed.
Rodri (£3.6m)
City’s linchpinCredit: Getty
There’s no point targeting a double header half-heartedly – it’s all about those extra minutes.
The likes of Jeremy Doku (£3.8m) and Jack Grealish (£3.3m) are awfully tempting, with the former particularly exciting in full flow, but both wingers spend plenty of time sitting on the bench.
Whereas Rodri is an essential cog in Guardiola’s machine – City’s comparatively dismal record without him in the team has been well documented.
Many Dream Team gaffers may still be hesitant to select defensive midfielders but the Spain international has notched six goals and six assists in all competitions this season – a respectable tally.
In fact, only Foden has registered more shots on target than Rodri among City’s midfielders at this stage and of course the latter is comfortably ahead of his team-mates in tackles (worth one point for every two).
Rodri averages 5.5 points-per-game this season so it’s reasonable to expect a double-digit haul from him in Gameweek 23.
The stats suggest the 27-year-old is a superior option to Bernardo Silva (£3.9m) too.
That being said, the temptation to back Doku alongside De Bruyne and Foden in hope of an explosive haul is an understandable one – the Belgium international has previously shown he doesn’t need much time on the pitch to make an impact.
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Most Dream Team bosses will be going hard on Man City this Gameweek but there are multiple player combinations available.
Strike the right balance and you’ll zoom up the rankings!

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