Gameweek 9 kicks off on Friday evening in the EFL, as we shift our focus to the future after a rollercoaster of a Double Gameweek 8.
Sunderland host Leeds United in the curtain-raiser. Both sides are competing at the top of the Championship table with aims of promotion firmly in sight.
Here, we go through the top picks for this match. Don’t forget, you can make changes to your Fantasy EFL team, including player/club picks and captaincy right up until kick-off.
Friday night fixture
A win for the Whites will mean that they tie Sunderland at the top of the Championship table with 18 points each. Meanwhile, a Black Cats victory will solidify their spot at the top going into Gameweek 10. Despite the league table positions at the moment, Leeds are slightly favoured due to their impressive recent form. They have four wins, a draw and a loss in their last six league games.
Both sides have impressed on both and have had many standout performers both in attack and defence. The effectiveness of both sides means that it will be a tough fixture for any player to haul, but there are still some great in-form options who are worth a look at.
Top Picks for Friday
Dennis Cirkin (D)
Dennis Cirkin (D) is a no-brainer option for this Gameweek, as the 22-year-old left-back has averaged a massive 8.6 points per Gameweek this season. Although Leeds average 1.6 goals per match, the Black Cats have managed clean sheets in five of their eight matches so far, and this will be the biggest challenge that the Whites have faced so far. Even if Cirkin does not manage to register a clean sheet, he has been consistently racking up points in all kinds of ways. He has registered two assists (+6) and a goal (+7) this season. He has also managed five or more tackles in each of his last four matches.
Luke O’Nien (M)
Luke O’Nien (M) has also been impressive all season. He has 53 total Fantasy points this season and has demonstrated his ability on both sides of the ball, registering 11 interceptions (+22), a goal (+6) and an assist (+3). Leeds have not faced an attack like this this season, and O’Nien can certainly be involved if the Black Cats manage to score against this solid defence. Further, he has managed 2+ interceptions in four of his eight appearances this season. These factors will mean that a blank is unlikely, and a double-digit haul for the 29-year-old is certainly in the cards.
Largie Ramazani (F)
Largie Ramazani (F) is an underrated option who is certainly one to keep an eye on for this fixture and beyond. The 22-year-old summer signing has only been a starter for the Whites in the last three league fixtures, and has goal contributions in each of them. This includes a 13-point haul in Double Gameweek 8, where he managed an assist (+3) and two key passes (+1) against Coventry City and a goal (+5) against Norwich City. The Black Cats have conceded six goals in eight games this season, making it a difficult but not impossible challenge for Ramazani and the Leeds attack to score. He has a good chance of a goal contribution in this one based on his recent form.
Junior Firpo (D)
Junior Firpo (D) is the best Fantasy option for the Leeds defence, and he is very popular this week with ownership of 5.8%. Sunderland have a very solid attack, averaging two goals per game, but they are coming up against the elite Whites defence which has clean sheets in five out of eight games. This elite defensive record has meant Firpo has 56 Fantasy points this season, and he is coming off a 14-point Double Gameweek 8 performance where he had an assist (+3), clean sheet (+5) and four tackles (+2) across the two fixtures. This means that even if the side are unable to register a clean sheet, Firpo has other ways of acquiring points such as through defensive contributions for bonus points, or offensive returns. He’s one of the top picks for Friday night.
