Fantasy Football

A hearty round of applause for the 2.7% of Dream Team managers currently backing Yoane Wissa (£2.2m).The 26-year-old has been tasked with the unenviable task of filling Ivan Toney’s boots for the first half of the season and he’s off to an excellent start.

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Dream Team’s top striker!Credit: DREAM TEAM
With Brentford’s top scorer in the Premier League suspended until January, much of the focus has been on whether Wissa can provide regular goals over the course of several months having previously deputised for Toney impressively in small doses.
2023/24 offers a small sample size with the Bees having played just twice but the DR Congo international has burst out of the blocks with two goals and an assist.
Add in further returns for appearances and shots on target, Wissa currently boasts a tally of 21 points.
This makes him Dream Team’s top striker after two Gameweeks, three points clear of Erling Haaland (£8.6m).
Needless to say, Manchester City’s No9 is at the opposite end of the scale in terms of price and popularity (85.9% ownership).
Wissa and Mbeumo have flourished at the start of the new seasonCredit: GETTY
Wissa took advantage of Fulham’s porous defence in the west London derby on Saturday to add 12 points to the nine he earned away to Tottenham in Gameweek 1.
One key aspect of Brentford’s play since their promotion to the top flight has been Toney’s understanding and interplay with Bryan Mbeumo (£3.7m).
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Understudy Wissa has fulfilled this role seamlessly too with the Frenchman having racked up 24 points already.
Thomas Frank’s side take on Crystal Palace and Newport County in Gameweek 4 before and their September fixtures look relatively favourable too: Bournemouth (h), Newcastle (a), Everton (h).
Dream Team bosses in need of a bargain striker simply shouldn’t look anywhere else than Brentford’s No11!

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CHELSEA suffered a frustrating defeat to West Ham on Sunday but Mauricio Pochettino will have taken appreciated Raheem Sterling’s (£3.5m) performance.The England international did his best to single-handedly claim some points from the London Stadium but his team-mates failed to make the most of his efforts.
His penetrating runs carved the Hammers’ open time and time again, particularly in the first half, and though his end product wasn’t perfect he deserved at least one assist.
Sterling can’t be faulted for his efforts at West HamCredit: DREAM TEAM
Ben Chilwell (£4.5m) failed to convert a free shot from close range after a Sterling cutback before the latter’s quick feet won a penalty only for Enzo Fernandez (£3m) to be denied by Alphonse Areola (£2m).
And in the second half, Sterling created an inviting chance for Mykhailo Mudryk (£2.9m) but the Ukrainian winger volleyed his effort over the bar.
The Blues’ No7 missed out on concrete returns but his impressive performance was recognised in the realm of Dream Team in the form of FIVE bonus points.
In fact, Sterling was the only player to earn maximum bonus points in Gameweek 2.
Add in appearance points and he finished with a deserved haul of seven on Sunday.
Sterling won a penalty for his side but Fernandez failed to capitaliseCredit: GETTY
Experienced Dream Team gaffers will know that Sterling is a force to be reckoned with when in form – he was the overall top points scorer in 2019/20.
It’s early days but he’s started well this term despite Chelsea having mustered only one point from their first two games.
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A glance at the schedule suggests Sterling will have ample opportunities to build on his tally in the coming weeks, starting with a home fixtures against Luton and Wimbledon in Gameweek 3 – although it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was rested in the Carabao Cup.
Pochettino’s men will then face Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge before a trip to Bournemouth after the international break.
Dream Team bosses won’t be overly eager to back Chelsea assets given what they’ve witnessed so far this season but Sterling is worthy of consideration, even if just in the short-term for a friendly run of games.

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MANCHESTER UNITED’s most-popular players have stumbled out of the blocks in Dream Team this season.Erik ten Hag’s side started with a win against Wolves but they were largely outplayed at Old Trafford and ultimately benefited from the visitors’ wastefulness.
In Gameweek 2, the Red Devils travelled to north London for an entertaining clash with Tottenham but one that ended in a 2-0 defeat.
Many of Man United’s popular stars have produced few points between them so farCredit: DREAM TEAM
It’s early days but several widely-selected assets have provided meagre returns for Dream Team managers.
Only Erling Haaland (£8.6m) amassed more points than Marcus Rashford (£6.3m) last season but the England international has mustered just six points from two outings so far this term.
The 25-year-old’s ownership of 21.1% makes him the fourth-most popular striker in the game at present.
Mason Mount (£3.4m) was hugely popular prior to Gameweek 1 with many gaffers seeing him as a value-for-money selection.
However, the ex-Chelsea midfielder has struggled to make a positive impact in his new surroundings so far and has returned just four points as a result.
That’s a disastrous result for the Dream Team bosses who opted to spend £3.5m of their initial budget on Mount rather than Kaoru Mitoma or Solly March.
Man United have underwhelmed in their opening two gamesCredit: GETTY
Most disappointing of all has been Lisandro Martinez (£3.8m).
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The World Cup winner remains the eighth-most selected defender in Dream Team but probably not for long after his own goal at Spurs.
The ex-Ajax centre-back was replaced at half-time against Wolves and his scuffed clearance that ended up in Andre Onana’s (£4.2m) net capped a miserable opening to the new campaign.
At the time of writing, Martinez has ZERO points to his name!
Bruno Fernandes (£6.4m) has ticked over well enough with ten points thanks to some tackles and big chances created but even his owners may be feeling tad twitchy.
So should gaffers act this week to replace Man United’s stuttering stars?
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With Manchester City set to face Sheffield United, moving from Rashford and company to Phil Foden (£4.4m) and friends looks a smart move on paper.
However, it could be argued that Ten Hag’s men deserve more time to prove themselves.
They welcome Nottingham Forest to Old Trafford in Gameweek 3 which has to be considered one of the most favourable fixtures possible.
Steve Cooper’s side are no pushovers at the City Ground but they have a miserable record on the road.
If the hosts aren’t able to cash in this Saturday then there won’t be much hope of them producing substantial returns the following week away to Arsenal or against Brighton after the international break.
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THE 2023/24 Dream Team season is still in its infancy but that doesn’t mean gaffers should allow themselves to be complacent.With two transfers available per Gameweek there’s plenty of room for flexibility and every in-form asset is worthy of consideration.
Enter Taiwo Awoniyi (£2.6m).

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On a hot streakCredit: Dream Team
Nottingham Forest’s No9 opened the scoring at the City Ground on Friday night when the hosts beat Sheffield United 2-1.
Granted, the Blades appear one of the Premier League’s more favourable opponents at present but Awoniyi also scored against a formidable side in Gameweek 1 in the form of Arsenal.
In fact, the Nigeria international has now scored EIGHT goals in his last six outings.
It’s worth acknowledging that this spree is spread over two seasons, separated by a lengthy summer break, but the bigger picture is that he has found in feet in England’s top flight.
2022/23 was his first campaign among Steve Cooper’s troops and he finished with 11 goals in all competitions at an average of one every 142.7 minutes.
Forest are impressive at home but dire on the roadCredit: Reuters
Awoniyi was on Liverpool’s books for years without ever playing for the Reds at senior level and was signed by Forest off the back of an impressive campaign with over-achievers Union Berlin.
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A groin injury disrupted his debut season but he’s started the current term is similarly prolific style to how he finished the last one.
At the time of writing, the 26-year-old features in just 0.8% of Dream Teams but that slim minority of gaffers have been handsomely rewarded.
He took seven points off the Gunners from just 19 minutes played and added eight more at the expensive of Sheffield United to take his season tally to 15.
Alexander Isak (£4.2m), Erling Haaland (£8.6m) and Yoane Wissa (£2.2m) are the only strikers above him in the rankings right now.
Wissa is Dream Team’s top striker at this early stageCredit: GETTY
An affordable differential on a goalscoring streak is a tempting Dream Team option by definition but many gaffers will be perturbed by Forest’s upcoming fixtures.
The two-time European champions are always competitive on familiar ground but their record on the road is worse than dismal.
Cooper’s side mustered just eight points away from home all last season (the worst return among all 20 clubs) and they lost their first away game this term too – although that was a difficult match-up at the Emirates in fairness.
Forest travel to Old Trafford in Gameweek 3 and Stamford Bridge in Gameweek 4.
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They play Burnley at home in the Carabao Cup in between those fixtures but rotation is likely in the country’s secondary domestic cup competition.
Still, Awoniyi is forcing himself into the conversation with every goal he scores.

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DON’T say we didn’t warn you.Prior the new Dream Team season getting underway, we flagged Solly March’s (£3.7m) low ownership as an injustice.
Whereas Kaoru Mitoma (£3.5m) started the campaign among the most-popular midfielders in the game, Brighton’s No7 featured in fewer than 3% of teams by the time Gameweek 1 kicked off.
March then scored the Seagulls’ first goal of the season in what eventually became a 4-1 rout of Luton on the south coast.
March madness!Credit: DREAM TEAM
On Saturday, the 29-year-old punished the vast majority of Dream Team gaffers again with two goals in four minutes at Molineux as Roberto De Zerbi’s side once again swaggered to a 4-1 win.
Not only is March the Premier League’s joint-top scorer at this exceedingly early stage, he’s top of the Dream Team rankings on 27 points!
His ownership has crept up to 5.7% but that will surely skyrocket after his brace in Gameweek 2.
Clearly Mitoma was Brighton midfielder of choice for Dream Team managers – his ownership of 18% makes him the fifth-most selected asset in his position.
And the Japanese dribbler has proved to be a very fine choice, as evidenced by 18 points from his first two outings.
It’s just that too many gaffers were happy to overlook March, who has been a key player at the Amex since the change in dugout personnel.
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March has unlocked another level under De ZerbiCredit: GETTY
He was a useful utility player under Graham Potter but his lack of attacking panache meant he was never considered a viable option in the world of Dream Team.
All that changed when De Zerbi took the reins as the Italian tactician immediately installed March as a right winger instructed to take up predatory positions inside the opposition’s box.
Factor in the Seagulls’ more open, enterprising style of football and it’s no wonder March’s goal involvements have gone through the roof in the last year.
Having previously never scored more than three goals in a season, he bagged eight in 2022/23 with just as many assists to his name.
And three goals in 164 minutes at the start of the current term suggests he’ll provide more of the same going forward.
Goals flow freely under the Italian gaffer’s watchCredit: REUTERS
March may not be as fashionable as the younger Mitoma, who scored a brilliant solo goal against Wolves, but the numbers don’t lie.
Better yet, why choose between them when you could have both?
Brighton have scored 69 league goals under De Zerbi and the ex-Shahktar coach hasn’t yet celebrated a year on English soil.
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Extrapolate the figures out over a 38-game campaign and only Man City and Arsenal score more goals.
The point being, there’s plenty of points to be had backing Brighton assets – a combination of Mitoma, March and Pervis Estupinan (£3.6m) looks fantastic right now.

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DREAM TEAM brings you all the latest injury, suspension and availability news ahead of Gameweek 2 in one easily digestible dose.Reece James (£4.5m) will be out for a few weeks having suffered a hamstring injury against Liverpool last weekend.
The England international was among the most-popular defenders in the game but his ownership will now plummet after yet another setback – Ben Chilwell (£4.5m) remains an appealing option for gaffers keen on an attacking Chelsea full-back.
James’ career has been blighted by injury setbacks so farCredit: DREAM TEAM
Many Dream Team managers were dealt a huge blow by Kevin De Bruyne’s (£7m) premature exit at Turf Moor.
The Belgian playmaker, among the most-selected assets in the game, re-aggravated the hamstring issue that forced him off in the Champions League final and will unfortunately be sidelined for approximately four months.
Additionally, Pep Guardiola has ruled John Stones (£5m) out of Saturday night’s game against Newcastle at the Etihad – Bernardo Silva (£4m) is also a doubt.
The treble-winning tactician seemed unsure of Ruben Dias’ (£5.5m) availability, first naming the Portugal international among his absentees and then later saying the commanding defender has a chance of being involved.
Gameweek 2 comes too soon for Manchester United new boy Rasmus Hojlund (£4m) and so Marcus Rashford (£6.5m) will probably lead the line for his side once again.
Erik ten Hag revealed that Lisandro Martinez (£4m) has trained with the rest of the squad ahead the Red Devils’ visit to Tottenham.
The World Cup winner was replaced at half-time against Wolves but should be among the matchday squad at the very least.
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Spurs’ own Argentine centre-back Cristian Romero (£3.5m) is “good to go” following his knock to the head at Brentford.
Hojlund will have to wait a little longer for his debutCredit: GETTY
Aleksandar Mitrovic (£4m) will sit out Fulham’s west London derby against Brentford but tackle-machine Joao Palhinha (£3m) will be among the squad, whether or not he’s able to start remains to be seen.
David Moyes will be able to call upon new signings James Ward-Prowse (£3.5m) and Edson Alvarez (£2.5m) this weekend.
The Hammers are said to have a fully-fit squad for Chelsea’s visit to east London.
Marc Guehi (£2.5m) is available for Crystal Palace’s home fixture against Arsenal on Monday night – the centre-back was substituted in Gameweek 1 but only because of cramp.
As for the Gunners, Jurrien Timber (£3.5m) will be absent for the foreseeable future having incurred a significant knee injury in his competitive debut for the club.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£2.5m) played in a behind-closed-doors friendly in midweek and is subsequently in contention to feature for Everton at Villa Park on Sunday.
The hosts will be without Tyrone Mings (£3m), who was stretched off with a knee injury away to Newcastle in Gameweek 1 – he joins Emi Buendia (£2.5m) among the long-term absentees.
Mings suffered a bad injury at St James’ ParkCredit: PA
ARSENAL
Injuries: Gabriel Jesus, Mohamed Elneny, Jurrien Timber
Suspensions: None
ASTON VILLA
Injuries: Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, Alex Moreno, Jacob Ramsey, Leander Dendoncker, Bertrand Traore, Jhon Duran, Tim Iroegbunam
Suspensions: None
BOURNEMOUTH
Injuries: Dango Ouattara, Lewis Cook, Alex Scott, Adam Smith, Ryan Fredericks, Marcus Taverneir, Lloyd Kelly (doubt), Emiliano Marcondes
Suspensions: None
BRENTFORD
Injuries: Ben Mee (doubt)
Suspensions: Ivan Toney
BRIGHTON
Injuries: Tariq Lamptey (doubt)
Suspensions: None
BURNLEY
Injuries: Michael Obafemi
Suspensions: Anass Zaroury
CHELSEA
Injuries: Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja, Christopher Nkunku, Beniot Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Marcus Bettinelli
CRYSTAL PALACE
Injuries: Michael Olise, Will Hughes, Matheus Franca, Malcolm Ebiowei, Nathan Ferguson (doubt)
Suspensions: None
EVERTON
Injuries: Seamus Coleman, Dele Alli, Dwight McNeil, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (doubt)
Suspensions: None
FULHAM
Injuries: Aleksandar Mitrovic
Suspensions: None
LIVERPOOL
Injuries: Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago Alcantara
Suspensions: None
LUTON
Injuries: Dan Potts, Jordan Clark, Gabriel Osho, Reece Burke
Suspensions: None
MANCHESTER CITY
Injuries: Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Bernardo Silva (doubt), Ruben Dias (doubt)
MANCHESTER UNITED
Injuries: Tom Heaton, Rasmus Hojlund, Tyrell Malacia, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo
Suspensions: None
NEWCASTLE
Injuries: Javier Manquillo, Joe Willock, Emil Krath
Suspensions: None
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Injuries: Omar Richards, Wayne Hennessey, Felipe
Suspensions: None
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Injuries: Rhys Norrington-Davies, Oliver McBurnie (doubt), Daniel Jebbison (doubt), Rhian Brewster, John Fleck, Ismaila Coulibaly, Jayden Bogle
TOTTENHAM
Injuries: Rodrigo Bentacur, Ryan Sessegnon, Bryan Gil, Fraser Forster, Alfie Whiteman
Suspensions: None
WEST HAM
Injuries: None
Suspensions: None
WOLVES
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Injuries: None
Suspensions: None

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PLEASE be aware that the deadline for Dream Team Gameweek 2 is later today at 6:45pm.That’s an hour before Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United kicks off – good luck to those taking a punt on one of Steve Cooper’s troops this evening.
Dream Team gaffers should ensure all desired actions regarding transfers, Boosters and captaincy are completed before the deadline to avoid disappointment.
Here we’ll run through some strong captaincy options for Gameweek 2 but not before we revisit our tips from last week.
The obvious choice came through last weekCredit: PA
Erling Haaland (£8.5m) justified his status as by far and away the most-popular selection with a 14-point haul at Burnley via a clinical brace.
Manchester City’s No9 is the most-selected captain again ahead of Gameweek 2 but a meeting with Newcastle (fresh off a 5-1 win) means he’s not being backed to the same dominant extent.
Elsewhere, we tipped Eberechi Eze (£3m) to have fun against the Blades and that he did although he somehow failed to register a goal involvement.
However, Crystal Palace’s No10 did earn maximum bonus points to end up with eight (doubled to 16 for those who captained him) when all was said and done.
We backed Bukayo Saka (£6m) for a double-digit haul in Arsenal’s opening fixture and the ‘Star Boy’ delivered with 11 points thanks mostly to his sumptuous left-footed finish.
Finally, we deemed Kaoru Mitoma (£3.5m) a decent captaincy option at home to Luton and while the Japan international did provide an assist, he ultimately had to settle for five points.
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Mohamed Salah (£7m)
Class is permanentCredit: DREAM TEAM
Looking ahead now, Liverpool’s Egyptian hero is a very strong alternative to the Haaland default selection.
Salah missed out on his usual opening weekend goal but he looked lively enough against Chelsea and will be licking his lips at the prospect of a home game against Bournemouth on Saturday.
It’s almost exactly a year ago that the Reds decimated the Cherries 9-0 at Anfield so it’s fair to say this fixture is ripe with points for the home side.
Granted, Bournemouth have improved since that humiliation but Andoni Iraola’s approach of “organised chaos” could play into Salah’s hands.
Bukayo Saka (£6m)
We’re backing the England international to produce the goods again in Gameweek 2.
A trip to Selhurst Park represents a tougher challenge than Forest at the Emirates but the Gunners should have too much firepower for Crystal Palace to withstand.
Dream Team bosses almost take Saka’s attacking prowess for granted but what was notable about his first outing was his tally of five tackles against Steve Cooper’s men – an effort that earned him two points.
The Eagles’ left-back Tyrick Mitchell (£2.5m) is a worthy foe but Arsenal’s No7 rarely misses out against bottom-half opposition (Palace finished 11th last season).
Pervis Estupinan (£3.5m)
Not to be underestimatedCredit: GETTY
And now for something a little different.
Brighton’s rampaging full-back created the joint-most big chances in Gameweek 1 and no defender registered more shots on target.
While it’s probably fair to say a home fixture against Luton is one of the most favourable match-ups in the Premier League this term, the Ecuador international displayed his attacking verve in considerable style.
Estupinan travels to Molineux this Saturday to face a Wolves side who find it incredibly difficult to put the ball in the net no matter how many chances they carve out.
If Roberto De Zerbi’s side can get on the front foot then a clean sheet looks highly likely given their opponents’ inefficiency in front of goal.
Estupinan could combine defensive points with attacking returns this weekend.

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Haaland, Salah, Saka and Estupinan make up our top captaincy nominees for Gameweek 2 – we’ll even throw in Bryan Mbeumo (£3.5m) as differential wildcard.
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MOST-POPULAR CAPTAINS FOR GAMEWEEK 2 AMONG ALL DREAM TEAM MANAGERS:

Ering Haaland (£8.5m)
Mohamed Salah (£7m)
Bukayo Saka (£6m)
Bruno Fernandes (£6.5m)
Martin Odegaard (£5m) More