Round 9 (98) – Christian Benteke
Last season saw Christian Benteke regain his place as the starting number nine at Crystal Palace under Roy Hodgson and once again he proved what a beast he is in this version of the game. He even added 10 goals into the mix on top of his standard 205 aerials won to lead him to a very solid 10.47 points per game. If he keeps his place in the side under Patrick Vieira then round nine is a huge steal for Big Ben but there will, no doubt, be some uncertainty around his role under the new boss.
Pick of the round – Potentially Benteke to be honest. Che Adams and Tariq Lamptey have the potential to impress at this point.
Round 10 (119) – Joao Pedro
A complete punt but well worth it at round 10. What’s not to love about a teenage Brazilian in the number 10 shirt? Nine goals and two assists in 31 starts suggests that Joao Pedro is a talent and I’m prepared to use a 10th round pick to have the chance to enjoy a potential break out season in the Premier League.
Pick of the round – I love Timothy Castagne at this point. The Leicester wing back has DEF1 potential, especially if he stays on the right. A lot depends on his recovery from injury, however.
Round 11 (122) – Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva’s Manchester City career appears very uncertain at this point but he has to be worth a punt at round 11. With arrivals expected at the Etihad along with a bigger part for Ferran Torres, I’d only take Silva if I already had a very solid base which I believe I had in each position at this stage.
Pick of the round – If Nuno Espirito Santo keeps faith in: 1. his wing back system and 2. Serge Aurier then the Ivorian will be absolutely dynamite this season. A steal at round 11. Big ifs though.
Round 12 (143) – lIAM cOOPER
My first “boring but solid” pick of the draft. I was a big fan of Liam Cooper as a streaming option last season due to his aggressive defending style. He scored a solid 8.9 points per match last season, largely thanks to 96 aerials won and 45 successful tackles. A decent 32 blocked shots last season indicates he will benefit nicely from Fantrax’s newest scoring category.
Pick of the round – Anthony Martial if he gets a look in back at United. Nathaniel Phillips if he gets a well deserved move (preferably to Burnley).
Round 13 (146) – Ross Barkley
My first pick with a transfer in mind. Ross Barkley is highly unlikely to even get a look in on his return to Chelsea so I imagine he will be after another move, whether it be on loan again or permanently. Barkley was on fire at the beginning of his Aston Villa move last season and it’s well worth the gamble that he will get something similar this summer. A return to Villa appears off the cards but somewhere like Everton or West Ham would suit the attacking midfielder nicely.
Pick of the round – There’s a lot of talk around Michael Olise. Eberechi Eze’s injury may see the youngster thrust straight into the spotlight.
Round 14 (167) – Tammy Abraham
See the previous pick but replace Ross Barkley with Tammy Abraham. The striker needs (and deserves) a move away from Chelsea to revive an extremely promising career. He’s good enough to lead the line for almost anyone in the division and is a must draft if he once again receives first team football.
Pick of the round – With Gini Wijnaldum gone, is it finally Naby Keita’s year?!
Round 15 (170) – Dan Burn
I seem to pick Dan Burn in almost every draft I take part in around this stage. The gigantic Brighton centre back/left back will almost always end up in the free agents pool but he’s well worth a stream on a good week and has a similar ceiling to the far more popular Tariq Lamptey. I’ll always start Burn in a game against a bottom half opposition.
Pick of the round – If this is the season Said Benrahma nails down a regular starting spot, this is the pick of the whole draft, never mind the round.
Round 16 (193) – Ryan Fraser
Why not? The Newcastle version of Ryan Fraser hasn’t hit the heights of the Bournemouth one (nowhere near, in fact) but he still showed glimpses during his few starts. I managed to stream him for his 24 point ghost point haul against Crystal Palace and that may cause me to have higher hopes than most for the wee man. I never draft a goalkeeper so Fraser would be the natural player to drop out on the first matchday but I wouldn’t be averse to keeping hold of him if it appears he will start for Newcastle on a regular basis.
Fantasy Football 92 