Fantasy Football

THIS month is a unique one for Dream Team managers.November contains just two Game Weeks so when transfers are refreshed this coming Friday, gaffers should use them to tailor their XI for the ten days of action prior to the World Cup break.
There will be unlimited transfers available to gaffers during the tournament in Qatar, accounting for any injury setbacks, so you don’t need to worry about veering too far away from your blueprint line-up.
Receiving a fresh batch of transfers for just two Game Weeks represents a chance for gaffers to get inventive.
With that in mind, let’s take a look each club’s fixtures in Game Weeks 13 and 14…
Dream Team bosses can get inventive in Game Weeks 13 and 14Credit: getty
ARSENAL

Chelsea (a)
Brighton (h)
Wolves (a)

Be aware that the middle fixture for all teams with three games is a Carabao Cup match-up – rotation is to be expected.
MAN CITY

Fulham (h)
Chelsea (h)
Brentford (h)

Three consecutive home games for the reigning champions looks ripe for points – will Erling Haaland (£9.1m) be fit?
SPURS

Liverpool (h)
Nottingham Forest (a)
Leeds (h)

It’s a good time to play Jurgen Klopp’s side and both league games being at home will be a boost for Harry Kane (£7m) and co.
NEWCASTLE

Southampton (a)
Crystal Palace (h)
Chelsea (h)

On current form it seems likely that the Magpies’ organised defence will be able to keep at least one more clean sheet before the World Cup break.
Kieran Trippier has 89 points at this stage
MAN UNITED

Aston Villa (a)
Aston Villa (h)
Fulham (a)

A double header against the Villains shouldn’t be too problematic for Erik ten Hag’s men but a trip to Craven Cottage is a potential banana skin – Fulham do concede their fair share of goals though.
CHELSEA

Arsenal (h)
Man City (a)
Newcastle (a)

A very testing set for the Blues, especially off the back of a humbling defeat at Brighton – Dream Team bosses may feel it’s worth ditching their Chelsea assets for this tricky spell.
FULHAM

Man City (a)
Man United (h)

No Carabao Cup fixture for the Cottagers and a difficult brace of league match-ups – something for Aleksandar Mitrovic (£5.1m) owners to ponder.
BRIGHTON

Wolves (a)
Arsenal (a)
Aston Villa (h)

Two favourable league fixtures for the Seagulls but they’ll start as underdogs at the Emirates in the Carabao Cup.
LIVERPOOL

Spurs (a)
Derby (h)
Southampton (h)

Predict Klopp’s starting line-up for the Rams’ visit to Anfield and you could bank a load of points but that’s easier said than done.
Chelsea face a tough run of games leading up to the World Cup
CRYSTAL PALACE

West Ham (a)
Newcastle (a)
Nottingham Forest (a)

Three away days in a row will be an annoyance for the Eagles but they’ll fancy their chances of earning points in both league fixtures.
BRENTFORD

Nottingham Forest (a)
Gillingham (h)
Man City (a)

The Bees are so much better at home than on the road and a visit to the Etihad is clearly a daunting task for any team.
EVERTON

Leicester (h)
Bournemouth (a)
Bournemouth (a)

It’s hard to know what to make of a double header against the Cherries, a team close to Frank Lampard’s side in the league, but Jordan Pickford (£2.6m) and James Tarkowski (£3.3m) have provided excellent value for money so far this season.
WEST HAM

Crystal Palace (h)
Blackburn (h)
Leicester (h)

The Hammers have the luxury of three home games across Game Weeks 13 and 14.
BOURNEMOUTH

Leeds (a)
Everton (h)
Everton (h)

A relatively favourable set but the south coast side have lost three games on the bounce.
LEEDS

Bournemouth (h)
Wolves (a)
Spurs (a)

Jesse Marsch’s troops will feel confident after their win at Anfield – a trip to north London will be a stern test.
Rodrigo has scored six goals in ten starts this season
ASTON VILLA

Man United (h)
Man United (a)
Brighton (a)

Far from an ideal set for Unai Emery – Dream Team bosses should probably stay clear.
SOUTHAMPTON

Newcastle (h)
Sheffield Wednesday (h)
Liverpool (a)

A favourable Carabao Cup match-up is offset but two difficult league fixtures.
LEICESTER

Everton (a)
Newport (h)
West Ham (a)

There’s enough there to keep the likes of James Maddison (£5.2m) interested but the Foxes are unpredictable this term.
WOLVES

Brighton (h)
Leeds (h)
Arsenal (h)

Three consecutive home games is a bonus but on current form the Molineux residents will certainly be underdogs against Brighton and Arsenal.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Brentford (h)
Spurs (h)
Crystal Palace (h)

Another team with three home fixtures but, truth be told, there are no easy games for Steve Cooper’s side at the moment.

Most read in Dream Team More

HERE at Dream Team we felt rather sheepish after the first three Game Weeks of the season.Prior to the start of the campaign we tipped Diogo Dalot (£3.4m) as a potentially clever value-for-money defensive option.
So when the Portugal international was on minus five points after his first three outings we felt guilty about misleading our loyal gaffers.
Thankfully, the 23-year-old has been on a rampage since then and after a Star Man showing against West Ham on Sunday he now finds himself as the third-best asset in his position.
Dalot is quickly becoming a fan favourite at Old TraffordCredit: getty
Dalot has plundered 50 points across the last four Game Weeks and has the opportunity to add further returns this Thursday if selected against Real Sociedad in the Europa League.
Man United stuttered in the opening fixtures of the season but Erik ten Hag has got a firm grip on proceedings since the 4-0 defeat to Brentford in west London.
The Red Devils have beaten Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs and their only loss in their last ten domestic fixtures came against neighbours Man City at the Etihad.
Dalot’s efforts at right-back have significantly contributed to the uplift and he’s currently one of the first names on the team sheet.
His header against Sheriff Tiraspol in Game Week 11 was his first goal of the season and he’s also provided two assists.
More generally, his influence in the final third has vastly improved Man United’s attacking structure, which is one of the reasons Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£2.4m), who is limited in possession, is unlikely to get much of a look-in despite the fact he’s available for selection again after a back injury.
Ten Hag has improved Man United’s results in the last two months
Dalot’s prosperous run started with three consecutive clean sheets against Omonia Nicosia, Newcastle and Spurs – he earned 7+ ratings in each of those fixtures.
His streak was partially interrupted with a blank at Stamford Bridge but he’s roared back with 26 points in his last two outings.
The ex-Porto defender now has 75 points to his name, a tally only bettered by Kieran Trippier (£4.6m) and Joao Cancelo (£7.4m) among players in his position.
Not only is Dalot one of the most in-form assets Dream Team has to offer at the moment, his current price of £3.4m is incredibly affordable.
Dalot features in 8.7% of Dream Teams right now
Victory over West Ham moved Man United up to fifth in the table and they have a game in hand over Newcastle and Spurs – they are very much top four contenders.
A quick glance at the fixtures suggests Dalot’s fruitful spell may extend to the World Cup break.
Ten Hag’s side face Real Sociedad this week before a double header against goal-shy Aston Villa (one clash in the league and the other in the Carabao Cup) before seeing in the break with a trip to Craven Cottage.

Most read in Dream Team More

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!

Most read in Dream Team More

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…

Most read in Dream Team More

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?

Most read in Dream Team More

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.

Most read in Dream Team More