👋 Welcome back for another article
How did the free hit get on? It was a weird week - heading in to the final game was only on 42 points and even that I was happy with because the team was 16 points up where it would have been. The pre-free hit team only had one return which was Saka, after the final game the red arrow was green and a 24 point gain on the free hit I'm very happy with. I had no way to get to Foden without selling Bruno or Saka with a free transfers which I wasn't going to do, so the free hit bailed me out.
So that takes us up to 25K. By far the most painful moment was during Newcastle vs Burnley, Burnley got a first half red card and the clean sheet looked a certainty because Newcastle were cruising. In stoppage time at the end of the match Ramsey handballs it which gives Burnley a penalty and the double clean sheet is wiped. Can't help but feel aggrieved as that would've put me on the cusp of 10K but all in all a good week. Gordon 10 pointer, Donnarumma clean sheet, Foden with 3 double digit returns in 3 games, Bruno 18 pointer and Mbeumo also scoring that match.
I've made 3 transfers already, let's run through the team for GW16, future transfer plans, captaincy and everything else.
🧤 Goalkeepers
In goal Raya has Wolves home and Arsenal are comfortably top on the clean sheet odds this week. Their goal against Man Utd last gameweek was their only goal in their last 6 matches.
🛡️ Defence
So one of the three transfers made was Timber in, and I've doubled up. The defence is Vann Dijk, Mukiele, Andersen and Timber.
Timber joins the team in place of Truffert who has Man Utd away. The rumours are Gabriel will be back before Christmas so that could actually be GW17 which is just around the corner, Arsenal are in a desperate position at the back and need him and Saliba back as soon as possible. It's a vicious cycle when you've got a few injuries because then other players get overplayed and then they're at greater risk of injury. We might see him CB again this gameweek and hopefully for the last time this season.
A choice between Mukiele and Munoz in the back 4 this week, who would you play? Assuming Munoz is available. I can't imagine a world where Palace keep a clean sheet so I'd be counting on an attacking return from him, he very rarely gets defcon. It's close but I'm on Mukiele for the good defcon potential and better clean sheet potential, though realistically probably concedes home to Newcastle.
Andersen is my favourite budget defender right now, the next 4 are Burnley, Forest, West Ham, Palace. A clean sheet and defcon in any of those games can be a double digit return. 10.92 defcons per 90 is third among all defenders behind Senesi and Van Dijk. Mukiele also among the best with 10.15 per 90 so 3 of my back 4 are generally great for defcons.
I'm actually not in a hurry to sell Van Dijk despite Liverpool's situation as of late. They just managed a clean sheet in the Champions League away at Inter, and he's got some fantastic fixtures. 3 home games in his next 4 to Brighton, Wolves and Leeds. I'm not convinced there's someone I can sell him for that is definitively better, already tripled on Arsenal. Newcastle defenders look great but I'm looking from GW19 Burnly onward, they've got Chelsea and Man Utd in their next 3. So he's fine in my eyes. Liverpool still fifth best for expected goals conceded.