Now that the October international break is coming to a close, it is time to jump back into Gaffr. As a way to get going again, we are going to have a look team by team at who we think the best three players are to own from each team going forward. This is obviously starting from now, so injuries and suspensions will be taken into account. We will list the three for each club and give a very brief explanation for each. So without further ado, let’s dive right in!
Barnsley
Brad Collins (5.3m), Michael Helik (5.5m), Callum Brittain (5.5m)
Barnsley have been bad this season, there’s no other way to put it. They have been less bad in defence though, hence the three players listed here. Collins and Helik are the two biggest reasons it hasn’t been even worse, with Collins being the top scoring keeper in the game. Brittain has some potential for bonus, so he rounds out the three.
Birmingham City
Maxime Colin (5.7m), Jeremie Bela (5.8m), Tahith Chong (5.5m)
Birmingham have suffered from a dip recently, but there are still players to be had from their team. Colin is there due to the potential for attacking returns in addition to any defensive ones. Bela on the other side has been their main source of attacking returns. Chong has been playing in the hole behind the two strikers and has looked the brightest for them recently.
Blackburn Rovers
Ben Brereton Diaz (8.3m), Harry Pickering (4.7m), Tyrhys Dolan (6.1m)
Brereton Diaz has outperformed anyone else from Blackburn by over 30 points and is one of the highest scoring forwards in the game, so even though he’s likely to miss GW12, he is a standout pick. Harry Pickering has done well for them so far in a defence that has performed alright so far, adding an option of an attacking return. Dolan has looked bright in the attack and will play through the middle at times, so he could be an option for people there.
Blackpool
Shayne Lavery (5.1m), Keshi Anderson (5.7m), Josh Bowler (5.6m)
Goalkeeper Chris Maxwell would have been on this list, but he has sustained a quadriceps injury that will keep him out for about 6 weeks. Lavery and Anderson have done well in attack, with one and/or the other being involved in almost all of Blackpool’s goals. Bowler has supported the attack as well, so he would be the other option there.
Bournemouth
Dominic Solanke (11.3m), Philip Billing (7.1m), Jordan Zemura (5.4m)
Solanke is the main man up front and has shown this season that even when he doesn’t score, he’s likely to do well in the bonus. Billing has continued to succeed in the number 10 role that catapulted him onto the radar of Gaffr managers in the second half of last season. Zemura has combined Bournemouth’s defensive solidity with impressive attacking performances from the left back position to make him a good option.
Bristol City
Chris Martin (6.5m), Andi Weimann (6.7m), Daniel Bentley (5.2m)
The Bristol City front two of Martin and Weimann have done very well up front, scoring 4 goals each so far this season. Both continue to look involved in attack and are viable options in spite of a tougher looking run coming up. Bentley has looked very good in goal and that tougher run could lead to points for him in terms of saves and bonus.
Cardiff City
Ryan Giles (4.8m), Aden Flint (5.1m), Sean Morrison (6.0m)
Giles is the main creative player in this Cardiff team and their reliance on him in that regard means he is one of the better options in this team, particularly at his value. Cardiff have been much worse recently, conceding big numbers in a couple of games, but Aden Flint and Sean Morrison probably still have more value than most others in their team. Watch out for a potential new manager bounce soon with Cardiff players if things don’t improve quickly!
Coventry City
Viktor Gyokeres (6.1m), Simon Moore (4.2m), Ian Maatsen (4.6m)
Our friend Viktor is on fire at the moment, one of only two players to have over 100 points so far, with a nice run of fixtures to come. This makes him a very good option in the game in general, let alone for Coventry specifically. Moore is doing very well behind a strong defensive team at a great value, while that strong defence is also what is enabling Maatsen to score well along with the added capabilities while getting forward from his left wing back position.
Derby County
Curtis Davies (4.8m), Nathan Byrne (5.1m), Craig Forsyth (4.7m)
In spite of all the off pitch drama at Derby, Wayne Rooney’s side have been very tough on the pitch. This is particularly the case at the defensive end of the pitch, where they have conceded the joint fewest goals in the league. They have also scored the joint fewest goals in the league, which explains why all three players listed here are defenders. Special mention goes to Davies who is currently the fourth highest scoring defender in the game.
Fulham
Aleksandar Mitrovic (11.2m), Harry Wilson (9.7m), Kenny Tete (5.9m)
Mitrovic is the second highest scoring forward in the game and will provide you with a good captaincy option almost every week. Harry Wilson has settled in well at Fulham and provides another good option, as well as being another player who is good for bonus points. Kenny Tete is back in training now and his absence has been very evident. He gets the edge over Antonee Robinson (6.6) due to slightly less rotation risk.
Huddersfield Town
Harry Toffolo (5.7m), Danel Sinani (6.0m), Sorba Thomas (5.3m)
Huddersfield started off brightly, but have been a bit more hit and miss since then. The first player to mention is Harry Toffolo. He missed some time earlier in the season but has been good for Huddersfield since coming back and is an avenue for points both in defence and attack. Danel Sinani is another one who missed the early part of the season, but his creative capabilities make him a potential asset going forward. Sorba Thomas was one of the stories of the first few weeks of the season. It has quietened down a little bit recently, but the newly minted Wales international is still one of the better players to own on the team.
Hull City
Matt Ingram (4.7m), Keane Lewis-Potter (6.6m), Lewie Coyle (4.7m)
Hull have struggled this season, but they have a good keeper in Matt Ingram who should be looked at, especially with the good run of fixtures. Lewie Coyle is probably the pick of the defenders in addition to Ingram. Finally, anything that does come in attack is likely to involve Keane Lewis-Potter, so he might be worth a look for their positive fixture run.
Luton Town
Harry Cornick (5.7m), Elijah Adebayo (6.1m), James Bree (4.6m)
Luton have some of the best attacking numbers in the league, so it should be no surprise to see two attackers from them here. Cornick and Adebayo have been playing in the front two and it has been working for them recently. Both have got goals recently and should be strongly considered, especially Cornick playing OOP. James Bree is the best defensive option, getting very high up the pitch and doing very well in the bonus.
Middlesbrough
Paddy McNair (6.1m), Marc Bola (5.4m), Joe Lumley (4.6m)
Middlesbrough have been disappointing so far this season, particularly in attack. That is why all three players here are from the defensive end. Paddy McNair has now moved into midfield, as well as being on a number of the set pieces, meaning he could be a good pick. Marc Bola gets forward well from the left wing back position, while Joe Lumley continues to be a solid option in goal for managers.
Millwall
Jed Wallace (10.4m), Scott Malone (6.7m), Murray Wallace (5.6m)
Jed Wallace is the main man for Millwall again. If something positive happens for them, he’s likely to be involved. His price is high, but for reliable points he’s probably worth it. Scott Malone is another attacking wing back who is a good avenue for both attacking returns and bonuses. Murray Wallace is another avenue into that solid Millwall defence who will pick up the odd return as well.
Nottingham Forest
Djed Spence (5.1m), Max Lowe (5.2m), Philip Zinckernagel (7.9m)
The arrival of Steve Cooper has provoked a complete shift in Forest’s performances and results. Probably the two biggest beneficiaries have been the wing backs Djed Spence and Max Lowe. While they might not produce quite the same output longer term, we saw what Connor Roberts and Jake Bidwell did for Cooper (and Gaffr managers) last season. Philip Zinckernagel is another one who has really benefited and, with set-pieces as well, should be strongly considered now.
Peterborough
Sammy Szmodics (5.5m), Siriki Dembele (5.5m), Jonson Clarke-Harris (6.0m)
Szmodics showed his potential to help what has been a struggling Peterborough side with his brace against Bristol City. After missing a number of games, he could be a real positive for them. Siriki Dembele offers them pace and quality at the top end of the pitch. Jonson Clarke-Harris will miss the next three games through suspension, but is probably still one of the better Peterborough players to go with!
Preston North End
Josh Earl (4.8m), Emil Riis (6.1m), Daniel Iversen (5.1m)
Josh Earl has quietly been the sixth highest scoring defender in Gaffr this season. A lot of things at Preston have been done quietly this season though. The defence is the stronger suit, hence Earl and the goalkeeper Iversen being listed here. Emil Riis has 4 goals this season, so he’s the positive attacking option for Preston.
QPR
Ilias Chair (7.5m), Chris Willock (6.2m), Lyndon Dykes (8.1m)
After a quiet early season, Ilias Chair has been very good recently and is probably the best QPR asset to have at this moment in time. Chris Willock has still been well involved, even if he has taken a step back from his flying start to the season. The best striker option from QPR is Scotland hero Dykes, who has shown that even if he is coming off the bench, he is the most likely QPR striker to return.
Reading
John Swift (7.2m), Ovie Ejaria (6.5m), Alen Halilovic (6.1m)
John Swift has taken an understandable step back from his flying start to the season, but he is still the top scoring player in the game and still well worth picking. The Reading defence is still an issue, so we’ve gone with two more attacking players here. Ejaria has looked good on his return to the team after missing the early part of the season, while Halilovic was really looking good before missing the game before the break through injury. Assuming fitness (which is dangerous this season with Reading) they could be good options.
Sheffield United
Morgan Gibbs-White (8.2m), George Baldock (6.5m), Billy Sharp (8.2m)
Sheffield United have scuffled so far this season, but there are still some Gaffr assets there. Sharp and Gibbs-White are their joint top scorers, with Gibbs-White’s extra potential for assists and bonuses making him the better option of the two, as well as the competition for Sharp’s place leading the line. Baldock is probably still the best of the defensive options, so he’s the third one here.
Stoke City
Nick Powell (7.9m), Tommy Smith (5.1m), Mario Vrancic (6.7m)
Nick Powell has shown emphatically on his return what Stoke were missing while he was out. We knew how good he was, but it’s always nice when a player can remind you of their quality like that. At 7.9, he’s still a very attractive option to go out and get. Tommy Smith has done very well getting forward for a Stoke team that also doesn’t concede a lot of goals. He has been popular this season, but for anyone looking for a defender, he should be on the list. Mario Vrancic is a classy footballer whose question marks have been about defence and injuries. This is not a problem in this Stoke team, which is allowing him to show his best qualities.
Swansea City
Jamie Paterson (6.7m), Ethan Laird (6.2m), Joel Piroe (7.2m)
Jamie Paterson has quietly been the fourth highest scoring midfielder in the game and with Swansea steadily improving under Russell Martin could be a good mid-price option for people to look at. Ethan Laird has looked like a high-quality player at wing back and in spite of his high price is showing himself to be a very viable option. Piroe has 5 goals this season and could be a differential forward if you’re looking for one.
West Brom
Darnell Furlong (6.1m), Conor Townsend (6.2m), Alex Mowatt (8.5m)
Furlong, despite the lack of attacking returns so far, continues to look dangerous at right wing back and is probably the best option to go with from West Brom. Conor Townsend’s returns have diminished since he moved to left centre back, but hopefully Matt Clarke’s return will see him move back to left wing back. Due to the uncertainty over which attackers will play, we’re going with Mowatt as the third option. He will chip in with the odd goal, as well as potential returns from set-pieces.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this slightly different approach this week. Don’t worry if your players from these teams weren’t mentioned, there were some really tough cuts in there. Have a great GW12, we’ll be reviewing it on Sunday and we’ll see you back here next week!
The EFL Fantasy Podcast (@EFL_Fantasy)