Ahead of Gameweek 11 in EFL Fantasy, expert FPL Reactions shares his picks for the week in his team reveal.
Goalkeeper
Exeter City seem to be maintaining a fantastic run of defensive form currently. They go into their Double Gameweek off the back of keeping four clean sheets on the bounce. With limited attacking threat amongst their defensive assets, I have decided to back Joe Whitworth between the sticks. The 20-year-old has two very good opportunities to keep a clean sheet against 21st-placed Shrewsbury and an inconsistent Reading.
Defenders
Wigan may just have the best defence across all three leagues so far this season. Although currently sitting 16th in League One, the Latics have incredibly managed a mammoth seven clean sheets in their previous seven matches in all competitions. Sitting amongst the highest-scoring defenders in the game and benefitting from those shut-outs is centre-back Will Aimson, who is averaging 7.8 points per game this season.
Joining Aimson is the highest-scoring asset in Fantasy EFL, Mickey Demetriou. The Crewe centre-back has racked up a whopping 127 blocks, clearances and tackles, which combined with clean sheet and attacking potential, makes him an absolute essential for Fantasy EFL managers.
Midfielders
I was immediately drawn to two midfield assets when it came to building my starting VII.
Doncaster Rovers’ form so far has seen them rifle into second place in League Two and the fixtures ahead suggest they can sustain or even better that. It’s 18th placed Swindon and 20th Bromley up next for Rovers, two sides who have been inconsistent. To take advantage of their ropey defensive lines, I’m backing their talisman Luke Molyneux, who has produced five goals and two assists in 10 league matches.
Completing the midfield is Josh Brownhill. Even considering recent slip-ups, I am convinced Burnley are the best side in the Championship. They face two away matches this week against Sheffield Wednesday and Hull, which I think could provide Brownhill with opportunities. Brownhill may play in central midfield but four goals and one assist already this season suggests that isn’t hindering his output. In addition, Brownhill also takes his side’s penalties and regularly picks up additional points for underlying metrics like interceptions and key passes.
Forwards
One side who have mixed fixtures this week is Birmingham City, but I’m not sure how much that matters. They sit atop League One after winning all but two of their matches, whilst also averaging 1.8 goals scored per game. Because of this, backing their main striker seems like a wise move – and that man is Jay Stansfield. The 21-year-old made a brilliant start to the season, scoring three times in his first two league matches. His form has slipped since then, registering just one assist in his last three games, but I don’t think it’ll be too long before he starts producing again.
Norwich City seem to be firing on all cylinders at the moment. The Canaries have netted 3-4 goals in three of their last four matches, so investing in their attack could be crucial this week. Their most in-form attacker heading into meetings with Stoke City and Preston North End is Borja Sainz. Contributing to the recent form with an impressive five goals and two assists, Sainz could well be one of the best assets in the game currently.
Captaincy
Taking into account everything mentioned above and his consistency since the start of the season, I have decided to captain Demetriou. We are at a point where he could one of the highest-owned players amongst the elite managers. For that reason, unless you captain him, you’re not really benefitting from his returns. With that in mind, he currently has the captaincy armband.
However, one other player who I am considering is Sainz. His explosive form has forced himself into the captaincy debate, one that I imagine will rage on until the deadline.
Team Selection
The Double Gameweek could have a huge upside when it comes to team selections this week. Whilst many may decide to play it safe, I’ll be shooting for the stars.
With that thinking, I have decided to back Burnley. The Clarets face two away trips and most of us know that away wins award more points than home wins. Their defensive form has also impressed me, as they have bagged a clean sheet in each of their last three matches. Burnley offer win, away, clean sheet and goals potential this week, so were an easy selection.
Before I even saw the fixtures I decided Norwich City were another team I wanted to back this week. Their overall winning and scoring form has really caught my eye recently. What is interesting is that I picked them whilst being totally unaware that both of their matches are being played away from home. Although usually it would put me off, it had the opposite effect.
