Fantasy Football

OUR latest Gaffer of the Week needs to show more confidence in himself.Robert Crawford has titled his XI ‘Trash’ but his selections proved to be anything but that in Game Week 11 as they racked up 109 points, the biggest total of all active teams!
Let’s take a closer look at how the Manchester United fan came out on top…

Robert’s faith in West Ham defensive assets was justified as Kurt Zouma (£2.7m), Aaron Cresswell (£2.7m) and Lukasz Fabianski (£2.9m) combined for 34 points.
The former scored the Hammers’ opening goal in their 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Monday night and claimed the Star Man award too for an 18-point haul.
Cresswell and Fabianski both achieved 7+ ratings on top of their clean sheet points for eight each.
It may sound greedy but Robert might even feel like he missed out on some points from his selected Irons as none of them featured in the 1-0 win over Silkeborg in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night.
Still, given that Zouma was the highest-scoring defender of the Game Week (with an ownership of just 1.8%) he can’t have too many complaints.
Diogo Dalot (£3.4m) has proved to be an excellent value-for-money option despite an early wobble.
The Man United right-back opened the scoring against Sheriff Tiraspol in midweek to pocket 13 points in all, more than making up for his blank at Stamford Bridge at the weekend.
Dalot is now the fifth-best asset in his position having moved onto 62 points overall.
Lisandro Martinez (£3.7m) picked up seven points for his efforts.
Dream Team’s best-performing defender in Game Week 11
In midfield, Phil Foden (£5.5m) returned a goose egg as he started on the bench against Brighton before participating in the 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League that essentially became an exercise in energy conservation.
Kevin De Bruyne (£7.5m) sat out in Germany having added 13 points to his impressive tally against the Seagulls, capping another masterful performance with a trademark long-range stunner as Pep Guardiola’s side registered a 3-1 win.
The brilliant Belgian leapfrogged Foden to become Dream Team’s outright best midfielder with 77 points to the English starlet’s 75.
Casemiro (£2.5m) was Robert’s ace in the hole though, popping up in stoppage-time to grab the Red Devils a point against Chelsea with a looping header.
The Brazilian generally specialises in the facets of the game that don’t necessarily translate to Dream Team returns but the combination of late goal and diligent midfield marshalling earned him the Star Man award in west London for a 13-point haul.
Robert was among the 0.6% of gaffers who benefited from the five-time Champions League winner’s efforts this week.
Man United’s saviour at Stamford Bridge
Up top it’s pure firepower with Cristiano Ronaldo (£5.4m) joining the Premier League’s two leading scorers this season.
Erling Haaland (£9.1m) bagged what felt like a customary brace at the Etihad on Saturday to take his overall Dream Team points tally to 187 – could he reach 200 before anyone else celebrates a century?
Harry Kane (£7m) had a late goal cruelly chalked off at home to Sporting CP in midweek but his owners still took eight points from his close-range header against Newcastle.
Man United’s legendary No7 has been severely limited in terms of playing time this term and, truth be told, Robert may be better off investing the budget into a guaranteed starter but it all worked out fine this week as the 37-year-old eventually got his goal against Sheriff for an eight-point return.
Superb stuff, Robert, good luck to you and all gaffers ahead of Game Week 12!

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IT’S hard to know what to make of Liverpool this season.Clearly Jurgen Klopp’s side are operating a level below what Dream Team gaffers have come to expect, a quick look at the league table says it all, but still they are capable of dominating any given fixture on their day.
October’s results perfectly illustrate what a mixed bag it’s been for the Reds this term.
This month they’ve lost to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, and were perhaps a tad fortunate to come away with a 3-3 draw at home to Brighton given the extent of the one-way traffic in the first half an hour.
But in the same breath they’ve battered Rangers 7-1, beat the previously undefeated Manchester City, and dusted Ajax 3-0 in their own tulip-filled back garden.
Liverpool secured Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win over AjaxCredit: getty
Wednesday night’s victory in Amsterdam ensured Liverpool’s place in the Champions League round of 16 but the highlight from a Dream Team perspective was the performance of Harvey Elliott (£2m).
The 19-year-old capped an impressive performance with his second goal in as many European games, an accomplished finish with his weaker right foot.
When all was said and done, the ex-Fulham midfielder scooped the Star Man award, just edging out Andy Robertson (£4.6m) and Darwin Nunez (£5.2m) to add 13 points to his season total.
Factor in the three points he earned for a 7+ rating at the City Ground on Saturday and Elliott’s Game Week haul of 16 has put Dream Team bosses on alert.
Danny Ings (£2.7m) and Kurt Zouma (£2.4m) are the only players to have racked up more points in Game Week 11 at the time of writing.
Elliott has made things happen for Liverpool in recent weeks
More broadly, Elliott has accumulated 24 points across the last three Game Weeks, notable returns for an asset who costs just £2m.
On current form, the teenager warrants a spot in Klopp’s first-choice midfield and while Liverpool may be more vulnerable at the back than last season, they still pack a punch going forward.
In the Premier League, only the current top three (Arsenal, Man City, Spurs) have scored more goals and their Champions League tally of 15 is only bettered by Napoli and Bayern Munich.
If Elliott is to continue as a regular starter then surely the goal involvements (and accompanying Dream Team points) will continue to flow.
Suddenly the talented youngster is just nine points off the top ten midfielders but the key to his viability is the value for money he offers.
One for Dream Team managers to ponderCredit: getty
Pairing Elliott with an expensive asset like Phil Foden (£5.8m) still comes in £1.7m cheaper than the pairing of Bruno Fernandes (£4.9m) and Riyad Mahrez (£4.6m) – and on current form the former duo are more likely to provide healthy returns.
Cost-effective bargain assets often act as a key that can unlock an XI’s full potential – Elliott may fit the bill.
Plus, Liverpool host struggling Leeds at Anfield in Game Week 12…

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HOPEFULLY every Dream Team managers is aware by now that our match ratings are provided by WhoScored.Our number-crunching friends use a stats-based algorithm to ensure total objectivity and gaffers should take note of which players tickle the algorithm on a regular basis.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at WhoScored’s Premier League Team of the Season so far.
Team of the Season (so far)Credit: WHOSCORED
The first thing to remember is that this XI only takes into account the ratings achieved in the Premier League.
In the world of Dream Team, European exploits have already gone a long way to shaping the rankings, as they do every season, but still the weekend’s top-flight action remains the bread and butter of the game.
Bernd Leno (£2m) edges out Jordan Pickford (£2.5m) and Alisson (£4m) between the sticks but Dream Team bosses would do well to consider the wider picture in this instance.
The German goalkeeper has performed admirably but that’s mostly because he’s had plenty of work to do.
Fulham have been brilliant in attack this season but they’ve leaked goals too, 22 of them to be exact – only Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Leicester have conceded more.
That tally would be much worse if it were not for Leno but in Dream Team a keeper is only as good as the defence in front of him, hence why he’s mustered just 14 points.
An unexpected front runnerCredit: getty
In contrast, Kieran Trippier (£4.3m) and Fabian Schar (£3m) are contributors to the Premier League’s best defence of 2022/23 at this stage.
Newcastle have shipped just ten goals in 12 fixtures and have infiltrated the top four as a result of their parsimonious discipline.
The England right-back has an average match rating of 7.5 this season, making him the outright best defender – no wonder he’s Dream Team’s most-popular asset in his position with an ownership of 41.3%.
Everton’s defence has dramatically improved this term and there can be no doubt James Tarkowski (£3.1m) has played a huge role in the Toffees’ upturn.
WhoScored’s algorithm has recognised the ex-Burnley centre-back’s efforts, which have also translated to 41 points, a total bettered by eleven defenders.
On the most recent episode of Match of the Day, Gary Lineker and company discussed whether Tarkowski was the most in-form English player in his position and his inclusion in this XI suggests he may well be – are you paying attention, Gareth Southgate?
And of course, no Premier League XI would be complete without Joao Cancelo (£7.5m) – he’s eight points away from becoming 2022/23’s second centurion.
The Premier League’s second and third best players this season according to WhoScored
On a similar theme, Manchester City dominate midfield with three representatives: Kevin De Bruyne (£7.2m), Phil Foden (£5.2m) and Rodri (£3.8m).
The latter is a master of tempo, defensive work and control which, while vital to City’s balance in real life, doesn’t translate to Dream Team returns like goals and assists.
In regards to the latter metric, the brilliant Belgian is streets ahead of all his rivals, he has provided nine assists in the top flight already this season – no other player has more than five.
Foden has provided three assists but he’s scored six goals to De Bruyne’s two and has repeatedly exhibited his keen eye for goal since we got underway in August.
KDB is currently two points ahead of his younger team-mate (77 to 75) at the top of the Dream Team midfield rankings.
Bukayo Saka (£4.5m) completes the podium and claims a spot in WhoScored’s XI with an average match rating of 7.3.
The 21-year-old has four goals and four assists in 11 league outings, helping to spearhead Arsenal’s title challenge.
Kane and Haaland are the only Premier League players into double figures for goals
Up top, Erling Haaland (£9.4m) is the first name on this hypothetical team sheet with an extraordinary average rating of 8.1, putting him in a bracket all of his own.
The prolific Norwegian has pretty much already claimed the Golden Boot having scored 17 league goals, seven more than his closest rival and strike partner in this exercise, Harry Kane (£7.2m).
Tottenham’s No10 narrowly edges out Aleksandar Mitrovic (£4.8m) and Gabriel Jesus (£5.8m) by the barest of margins – the latter pair are both among the league’s top seven players this season according to WhoScored.
Now ask yourself: how many of these assets feature in my Dream Team?

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WHO doesn’t love a bargain?With the likes of Erling Haaland (£9.4m), Mohamed Salah (£7.9m) and Joao Cancelo (£7.5m) likely to break the bank, Dream Team gaffers may be in need of some value-for-money assets to enact their plans.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five players currently available for £3m or cheaper who have registered the most points so far this season.
Philip Billing (£2.9m)

46 points
0.5% ownership

Top Billing
Opening weekend aside, Bournemouth weren’t able to properly compete during the first few weeks of the season but since Scott Parker’s departure they’ve lost just two games in eight.
The form of their Danish midfielder has certainly contributed to the Cherries’ uplift – Billing scored three goals and provided an assist in the space of five fixtures.
That prosperous run yielded 44 points and propelled him into the top ten midfielders, where he still resides now.
Whether the 26-year-old will be able to maintain his impressive returns is another conversation, especially as Bournemouth don’t have European fixtures to bolster their schedule, but he deserves credit for his efforts to this juncture.
Granit Xhaka (£2.7m)

48 points
3.6% ownership

Every reason to smile
In contrast to Billing, Arsenal’s No34 does have regular European commitments to enhance his returns – his goal against PSV in Game Week 10 resulted in a seven-point haul.
The Switzerland international has been deployed in a more advanced position this term, with great effect.
After just 15 appearances Xhaka has already equalled his best ever goal tally (four) for a single season since his transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016.
Add in three assists and the 30-year-old is currently ticking along at a rate expected of out-and-out playmakers and given the Gunners’ successful start to the campaign, there’s no reason for Mikel Arteta to tweak his approach.
Martin Odegaard (£2.9m) is also available on the cheap and some gaffers may feel he’s more likely to provide healthier returns in the long run.
Miguel Almiron (£2.4m)

50 points
5.1% ownership

What Jack Grealish sees in his nightmaresCredit: getty
Who doesn’t love a surprise package?
Publicly mocked by Jack Grealish (£4m) during Manchester City’s title celebrations earlier this year, the Paraguayan winger is well on his way to having the last laugh over the England international.
Having found the net six times in 12 league outings, Almiron is five goals (and 25 Dream Team points) ahead of Grealish in 2022/23.
Newcastle went fourth with their win at Spurs on Sunday and will fancy their chances of European qualification at the end of the season having tasted defeat just once so far.
Historically, Almiron has been a Dream Team asset to avoid but 50 points at £2.4m represents incredible value for money after 11 Game Weeks.
Bukayo Saka (£4.5m), Phil Foden (£5.8m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£7.2m) are the only midfielders with more points at the time of writing.
Gianluca Scamacca (£3m)

51 points
3.8% ownership

That’s a defender’s blood on his shirt (probably)
The first thing to note here is that the Italian target man has blanked in each of his last four outings.
However, general first impressions of Scamacca in a West Ham shirt have been positive.
He plundered 26 points in two legs against Viborg to underline the potential of favourable match-ups in the Europa Conference League – he’s banked 36 points in the competition already.
While the ex-Sassuolo striker’s domestic returns have been modest in comparison, he did score against Wolves and Fulham and has looked threatening without just rewards at times.
Truthfully, there are so many viable options up front at the moment that it’s probably wise to invest in the best possible combination, which doesn’t include Scamacca right now.
Saying that, he’s certainly one to monitor closely – he may be useful later in the campaign.
Fabian Schar (£3m)

53 points
12.7% ownership

A key cog in the league’s best defenceCredit: getty
It all started with an 18-point haul in Game Week 1 for Newcastle’s No5.
His long-range thunderbolt against Nottingham Forest earned him the Star Man award on top of a clean sheet to propel him out of the blocks.
While it’s unrealistic to expect Schar to score from 25 yards more than once in a blue moon, you can almost set your watch to his defensive returns.
Eddie Howe’s side have conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League this season, hence Schar’s current ranking as the joint-fifth best defender.
Kieran Trippier (£4.3m) is second among assets in his position thanks to four Star Man awards but at this point doubling up on Newcastle defenders is a perfectly reasonable strategy.

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IF you’ve tuned into a Leicester game recently and wondered when David Luiz had returned to the Premier League then you’re almost certainly not alone.Wout Faes (£2.4m) shares the same position and distinctive hairstyle as the ex-Brazil international but he is very much his own man – the Foxes’ man of the moment in fact.
Tasked with filling the gap left by Wesley Fofana (£3.2m), the Belgian centre-back has single-handedly transformed his side’s defence in recent weeks.
Brendan Rodgers’ side conceded 22 goals in their first seven league games of the season and looked a total mess but they have let in just one goal in their most recent five outings.
This dramatic turnaround has coincided almost exactly with Faes’ introduction to the starting line-up.
Leicester’s defence has improved considerably since Faes became a regular starterCredit: getty
We say almost because the 24-year-old’s debut came at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where Leicester shipped six after a late hat-trick from Son Heung-min (£5.7m).
However, since then Faes has contributed to four clean sheets in five fixtures, a run that has lifted the Foxes off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone.
Naturally, this upturn is mirrored in Dream Team returns.
Faes has banked 33 points across the last four Game Weeks at an average of 6.6 per game, making him one of the most in-form assets in his position.
Of course, his overall tally is harmed by that painful hammering at Spurs where he incurred minus five points but still his season average of 4.7 points-per-game is only bettered by five other defenders (minimum three appearances) at this stage.
The list of assets in the ex-Reims defender’s position currently averaging fewer points-per-game includes Ruben Dias (£6m), Gabriel (£3.9m), Reece James (£5.7m) and several other popular options.
Similarly, Timothy Castagne (£2.6m) has racked up 30 points in his last five games and could also be considered a potential Dream Team bargain if Leicester’s transformation into a tight defensive unit is to be a permanent one.
Not David Luiz – okay?
That’s a big if though as even this improved run of form has featured defeat at Bournemouth and a drab draw at home to Crystal Palace, two results that irked the King Power faithful.
Even this weekend’s 4-0 victory over Wolves at Molineux was not quite as it seemed – the hosts registered 21 shots to the Foxes’ five.
Looking forward, Faes’ impressive defensive record is under serious threat this coming Saturday as Leicester welcome Manchester City to the midlands.
Erling Haaland (£9.4m) rarely leaves an opponents’ sheet clean but the Belgian can get through that daunting encounter without suffering severe punishment then he may be able to make up some ground against Everton, Newport and West Ham before the World Cup.
At the very least it’s worth monitoring the returns of Faes and Castagne seeing as they are both so reasonably priced right now.

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EVERYONE knows the Premier League’s so-called ‘big six’ receive a disproportionate amount of attention from the media.And to be honest, plenty of Dream Team gaffers are guilty of overlooking assets from the other 14 teams too.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at this season’s best XI not including players from Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham or Manchester United.
GOALKEEPER: Nick Pope (£3.5m)
Spoiler alert: Newcastle are well represented in this XICredit: getty
Newcastle’s first-choice custodian is currently the joint-third best asset in his position but he’s just one point off leaders Alisson (£4m) and Ederson (£5m).
Pope has 48 points to his name and is the last line of defence for the most frugal back line in the top flight – Eddie Howe’s side have conceded just ten goals in 12 games.
The England international’s tally is also helped massively by three Star Man awards, achieved through some impressive displays of shot stopping.
With an ownership of 16.1%, Pope is the second-most popular keeper in the game – Aaron Ramsdale (£3.1m) leads the way in that regard with an ownership of 20.3%.
DEFENDERS: Kieran Trippier (£4.3m), Fabian Schar (£3m), James Tarkowski (£3.1m)
Yet more evidence of Newcastle’s tight defence here.
Too late for an England call-up?
Schar’s total of 53 points is only bettered by four defenders, one of which is Trippier who has amassed 79 thanks to four Star Man awards – no player has more this season.
The right-back is pushing for a place in England’s starting line-up for the World Cup and while Dream Team points will be the last thing on Gareth Southgate’s mind, the form of Newcastle’s fan favourite can’t be denied.
Tarkowski is the 12th-best asset in his position having put in a serious effort to iron out the creases in Everton’s defence.
Only four teams have conceded fewer league goals than the Toffees at this stage and the ex-Burnley centre-back, who has 41 points, has been the leader in steadying what was previously a wobbling ship.
MIDFIELDERS: Miguel Almiron (£2.4m), James Maddison (£5m), Philip Billing (£2.9m), Jarrod Bowen (£4.4m)
Our fourth and final Newcastle representative comes in the form of the man who has gone from a Jack Grealish (£4m) punchline to one of the league’s most in-form players.
Almiron has scored five goals in his last five games, exhibiting a range of finishes to propel the Magpies into the top four.
The Paraguay international is averaging a goal every 167.8 minutes in the Premier League this season and 2022/23 is already his best-ever league campaign in terms of goals for the Toon.
Incredibly, Bukayo Saka (£4.5m), Phil Foden (£5.8m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£7.2m) are the only midfielders with more points than Almiron’s 50 at the time of writing.
Who is laughing now?Credit: getty
Leicester have clawed their way up to 17th after a truly disastrous start and Maddison’s six goals and two assists form the basis of everything the Foxes have done well going forward.
The 25-year-old has been one of the league’s best attacking midfielders for a year now and so his tally of 49 Dream Team points, at an average of 4.5 per fixture, should come as no surprise to gaffers.
Billing has been a huge surprise package this term.
The Danish midfielder fulfils a more advanced role than he did during his Huddersfield days and a spell of three goals and an assist in five games led to an influx of 44 points (he has 46 overall).
After a breakout season in 2021/22, Bowen’s average of 2.6 points-per-game may seem slightly underwhelming but it’s worth noting he’s averaged 7.8 points-per-Game-Week in October.
West Ham’s No20 has 44 points overall, a total that owes plenty to the Hammers’ Europa Conference League exploits.
FORWARDS: Aleksandar Mitrovic (£4.8m), Ivan Toney (£4.6m), Leandro Trossard (£4.2m)
No prizes for predicting our front three – this trio have earned plenty of plaudits this season.
Nine goals in eleven league gamesCredit: getty
Toney (67 points) has eight goals from 12 league outings while his west London rival Mitrovic boasts an even more prolific record of nine in eleven.
Established world-class strikers Harry Kane (£7.2m) and Erling Haaland (£9.4m) are the only players with more Premier League goals in 2022/223 than Fulham’s No9 – they’re also the only forwards with more than his 76 Dream Team points.
Brighton have slipped to ninth since Graham Potter’s departure but, if anything, Trossard’s form has improved.
The Belgium international plundered 28 of his 55 points with a hat-trick at Anfield and he scored his sixth goal of the season this past weekend as the Seagulls succumbed to Man City at the Etihad.
Trossard’s ability to provide returns in massively unfavourable fixtures has made him something of a cult hero among Dream Team bosses – he’s the tenth-best forward at this point.

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ARSENAL were held to a 1-1 draw at Southampton on Sunday but they still hold a two-point lead at the top of the Premier League table having tasted defeated just once this season.Granit Xhaka (£2.7m) scored the visitors’ lone goal at St Mary’s to underline his new role for the Gunners.
This season it has been noticeable how much more frequently the Switzerland international has occupied advanced positions and influenced play in the final third.
Previously an anchor who specialised in ball recoveries and safe possession, this term he’s operated as more of a box-to-box midfielder with a keener eye for goal.
In fact, the 30-year-old’s strike against Saints was his fourth in all competitions meaning 2022/23 is already his joint-best campaign in terms of goal returns since he moved to north London in 2016.
Xhaka has every reason to smile this season
One more goal would equal his best-ever career tally, achieved in 2014/15 with Borussia Monchengladbach, and with over half a year still to play it seems inevitable Xhaka will set a new personal best.
His reinvention is underlined by his tally of his three assists as well, giving him seven goal involvements in all.
Only Gabriel Jesus (£5.8m) and Bukayo Saka (£4.5m) have registered more goals and assists among Mikel Arteta’s squad so far this season.
Naturally this increased output has translated to Dream Team success.
At the time of writing, Xhaka is the seventh-best midfielder in the game having racked up 48 points.
He was named Star Man at St Mary’s for a 13-point haul, his biggest for a single fixture this campaign.
The list of midfielders currently trailing in Xhaka’s wake includes Bernardo Silva (£4.2m), Jarrod Bowen (£4.4m), Mason Mount (£4.6m), Bruno Fernandes (£4.9m) and Luis Diaz (£5.2m).
Offering Dream Team gaffers superb value for moneyCredit: getty
Even more notable is the affordable price of Arsenal’s No34 – at £2.7m he’s cheaper than Willian (£2.8m) and Daniel Podence (£2.8m).
The Gunners are flying high and there’s certainly no need for Arteta or Xhaka (3.6% ownership) to mess with a successful formula so Dream Team gaffers can expect the latter to continue in a more advanced role, one he’s often occupied at international level.
Whether he’s able to maintain his current rate of scoring is another matter altogether but he certainly deserves praise for his efforts so far.
Arsenal face PSV on Thursday night before hosting Nottingham Forest on Sunday – Steve Cooper’s side are currently bottom of the league so more returns for Xhaka are not out of the question.

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