Fantasy Football

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

IT’S early days but Dream Team gaffers should mull over potential Booster strategies every Gameweek of the season.Generally, we’d advise patience at this embryonic stage of the campaign.
One round of fixtures is nowhere near enough time to gauge form and since each of your three Boosters can only be played once per season, it’s probably better to wait until you’ve got the lay of the land.
However, if you’re keen to play a Booster early – and there’s something to be said for taking an early lead in your Mini League to put the pressure on your rivals – then consider the following options.
12th Man
So much more than just Ivan Toney’s understudyCredit: DREAM TEAM

Select an additional player from any position to score points for your team for one Gameweek only

Best used when you can’t bear to part with any of your current players, the ideal 12th Man will take advantage of a particularly favourable fixture(s).
Remember, your 12th Man is recruited for free so you’re not bound by budgetary constraints.
For example, it’s highly likely that many Erling Haaland (£8.5m) owners aren’t able to afford Mohamed Salah (£7m) as well.
In regards to Gameweek 2, gaffers in this situation could select the Egyptian hero as 12th Man in hope of capitalising on Liverpool’s first home fixture of the season, Saturday’s meeting with Bournemouth.
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It’s almost exactly a year to the day Jurgen Klopp’s side battered the Cherries 9-0 at Anfield…
Bryan Mbeumo (£3.5m) is a decent 12th Man nominee this Gameweek too.
The Frenchman banked nine points against Tottenham on Sunday and this coming weekend he’ll be unleashed upon a Fulham side that allowed Everton 19 shots last time out.
Because 12th Man provides only a temporary advantage, some gaffers may feel it’s best employed to recruit an in-form asset they feel isn’t a necessary long-term addition to their XI.
Max Captain
Salah or Haaland for the captain’s armband in Gameweek 2?Credit: Reuters

Whichever one of you players scores the most points during the Gameweek will automatically be selected as captain

Instinct says this Booster is best deployed when there are a few juicy fixtures to target and several viable captains.
Does Gameweek 2 fit that description? Arguably it does.
Erling Haaland (£8.5m) is the obvious choice for the armband for the majority of managers but a fixture against a Newcastle side fresh off the back of a 5-1 victory represents a more challenging match-up than usual for Manchester City – especially as the treble-winners were in action late on Wednesday night in the Super Cup.
Elsewhere, the aforementioned Salah v Bournemouth contest looks appealing, as does Bukayo Saka (£6m) against Crystal Palace – there will be more variety in captaincy this weekend for sure.
In short, it’s not the worst time to play your Max Captain Booster by any means but it’s probably best to wait for a double Gameweek later in the season.
Park the Bus
“Did somebody say Park the Bus?”Credit: Getty

Every defender in your team earns double points for one Gameweek only

The first thing to note is that you’re going to want your XI set up in a 5-4-1 or 5-3-2 formation when this Booster is activated.
And again, improve your chances of maximum returns by waiting for a double Gameweek.
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If you’re absolutely desperate to channel Jose Mourinho by playing your Park the Bus Booster now then a back five of Pervis Estupinan (£3.5m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£6m), William Saliba (£3.5m), Ben Chilwell (£4.5m) and Lewis Dunk (£3m) looks great on paper given the fixtures.
But trust us, there’s no need to do anything rash just yet.

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DREAM TEAM managers have the luxury of at least two transfers available to them every single Gameweek this season.This allows gaffers to tailor their XI to the upcoming fixtures to a greater degree than ever before.
With that in mind, allow us to suggest some worthy recruits ahead of Gameweek 2.

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Two assists and countingCredit: DREAM TEAM
James Maddison (£4m)
Tottenham’s new No10 appears in 15% of teams at the time of writing but his ownership is likely to rise after his showing against Brentford last weekend.
The 26-year-old provided both assists in his side’s 2-2 draw at the Gtech Community Stadium, the first being a perfect demonstration of his set-piece potency.
Maddison banked seven points for his efforts and his fixtures look relatively favourable from now until the end of October – he’s nearing essential status already.
On paper, Manchester United’s imminent visit to north London looks like a match-up to avoid but the Red Devils allowed Wolves acres of space in midfield on Monday night.
If Maddison is afforded the same freedom as Matheus Nunes (£2.5m) and Matheus Cunha (£2m) then he has the necessary quality in the final third to take full advantage, something Gary O’Neil’s lads failed to do at Old Trafford.
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Bryan Mbeumo (£3.5m)
Dream Team bosses should always consider penalty-takers carefullyCredit: GETTY
Bernd Leno (£3m) performed a minor miracle to keep his sheet clean at Goodison Park in Gameweek.
The German goalkeeper made NINE saves and also benefited from Everton’s sloppy finishing – Neal Maupay (£2m) being the main culprit.
If Fulham allow Brentford a similar number of shots on Saturday then surely Mbeumo and company will be better equipped to convert.
The Frenchman has been tasked with filling the goal quota vacated by Ivan Toney for the coming months and he started in fine style by coolly slotting home a penalty in Gameweek 1 for a nine-point haul.
Leno’s shot-stopping prowess could prove to be a frustration for Mbeumo owners but generally it’s a good idea to back a midfielder (who is closer to a forward in reality) up against a porous defence.
Pervis Estupinan (£3.5m)
A formidable assetCredit: GETTY
Brighton’s left-back is the fifth-most selected defender in Dream Team at the time of writing but he deserves to even more popular.
No player created more big chances in Gameweek 1 (worth one point each this season) and no defender registered more shots on target (also worth a point each).
The Ecuador international is a formidable threat going forward but he’s seemingly well placed for a clean sheet this Saturday when he travels to Molineux, home of the Premier League’s least clinical finishers.
Wolves showed again on Monday night that not even 20+ shots is enough to guarantee them a goal and the Seagulls will be hopeful of denying their opponents as many chances as Man United gave up.
Pedro Neto (£2.5m) is a very fine player but he’s prone to leaving Nelson Semedo (£2.5m) exposed to overlaps and two-v-one situations, something Estupinan and Kaoru Mitoma (£3.5m) manufacture for fun.
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It goes without saying that your first port of call when making transfers is to ditch any injured players.
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Kevin De Bruyne (£7m), Tyrone Mings (£3m) and Jurrien Timber (£3.5m) were among the notable assets to suffer unfortunate setbacks in Gameweek 1.
And remember, if you’re happy with your XI as it is then stick with it and you’ll have three transfers available to you for Gameweek 3. More

IT would be a mistake to read too much into the first Gameweek of the season.But in the same breath, it’s never too early to acknowledge a superhuman performance.
And that’s exactly what Bernd Leno (£3m) produced against Everton on Saturday.
A clutch performanceCredit: DREAM TEAM
The German goalkeeper didn’t quite cut the mustard at Arsenal but he’s single-handedly earned Fulham a substantial number of points since his transfer last summer.
Last season, only David Raya (£3.5m) made more saves than Leno in the Premier League but no keeper made more in Gameweek 1.
The 31-year-old produced NINE saves to deny the Toffees at Goodison Park as part of a heroic display to help his team to a 1-0 victory – the hosts accumulated 3.31 xG!
Granted, he benefited from from sloppy finishing, particularly from Neal Maupay (£2m), but the Cottagers’ custodian was more than worthy of the credit he received from fans and pundits alike.
Leno’s efforts translated to 11 Dream Team points, putting him top of the pile in his position at this early stage.
Remember, goalkeepers earn one point for every two saves (per fixture) this season in the improved scoring system, meaning Leno pocketed four for his nine saves on top of his clean sheet and appearance points.
Leno was Fulham’s hero at Goodison ParkCredit: GETTY
After the weekend’s action, that haul put Leno in a bracket all of his own among his peers but Andre Onana’s (£4m) ten-point haul against Wolves on Monday night came close to parity.
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It’s an intriguing situation for Dream Team gaffers; on the one hand Leno’s shot-stopping prowess seems perfectly suited to the 2023/24 scoring system.
On the other hand, Fulham allowed Sean Dyche’s side 19 shots in total, an unsustainable level if they hope to keep many more clean sheets.
Everton were the league’s second-lowest scorers last season, mustering just 34 in their 38 games.
Surely even an average attacking side would have beaten Leno at some point on Saturday?
Neal Maupay didn’t have his shooting boots on at the weekendCredit: GETTY
When selecting the perfect value-for-money option between the sticks, the ideal balance seems to be a keeper with enough saves to make but not so many that clean sheets are few and far between.
Fulham’s overall display in Gameweek 1 was far too porous as it’s unlikely Leno will be able to channel Superman every time he steps onto the pitch.
However, if Marco Silva’s side can tighten up then the German could fit the bill nicely – he features in just 1.5% of teams at the time of writing.
Fulham host west London rivals Brentford in Gameweek 2.
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