The Perfect XI format of Fantasy EPL on Fantrax is going to take the community by storm. Fact. Our good friends at DPLCommLeague have brought the concept over to Fantrax, and it is sensational. We're here to provide Draft Premier League managers with our very own Perfect XI tips for each gameweek. Details of the concept and rules can be found here!
Check out DPLCommLeague for further information on the format, regular updates on the latest standings, as well as information on how you can enter.
Fantasy EPL Gameweek 5 Perfect XI
So, what is Perfect XI? Similar to Official Fantasy Premier League game, all managers have full access to the entire player pool each week, meaning multiple teams within the league could be completely identical. The main departures from OFPL are the Fantrax Default Scoring, unlimited transfers each week, no budget/salary cap, and live lineup changes available. This means that each week you can select a dream team of Fantrax assets who you think will score the most points on a given gameweek, and have the added bonus of being able to see the real life lineups before your players lock in. Magic.
Check out our Gameweek 5 Perfect XI tips below. These are our recommendations for the best eleven players this weekend! Picks are now accompanied by our weekly projections, which our Inner Circle members can exclusively access.
GK: Ederson
Team: Manchester City
Opponent: Southampton (Home)
Projected Fantasy Points: ~7.5 (GK projections coming soon)
The Thought: Playing Ederson this week is chasing a clean sheet without a doubt. But City have a 58% chance of getting a clean sheet, and if they concede, surely it won't be more than one goal. Ederson has kept 3 clean sheets in a row now, and we think there's no reason to start doubting now. Pivot: Alisson
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Team: Liverpool
Opponent: Crystal Palace (Home)
Projected Fantasy Points: 16.5
The Thought: Once again: The best scoring fantasy defender in the game, averaging an impressive 25 points a game, don't overthink this one. This week he has a 54% chance of keeping a clean sheet, 40% chance of assisting, and 15% chance of scoring. Plug Trent into your lineup and let the points flow in, regardless of how they come.
Pivot: Konstantinos Tsimikas, Andrew Robertson
DEF: Joao Cancelo
Team: Manchester City
Opponent: Southampton (Home)
Projected Fantasy Points: 14.2
The Thought: Like the aforementioned Liverpool RB, its hard to bench Cancelo, and there's really no reason to do so this week. He scores phenomenally well offensively, and has a 58% chance of keeping a clean sheet this week vs. Southampton. Pivot: Oleksandr Zinchenko
DEF: Reece James
Team: Chelsea
Opponent: Tottenham (Home)
Projected Fantasy Points: 14.0
The Thought: We're going to zig a little here with others may zag. Marcos Alonso remains the 2nd highest scoring defender in Fantrax this season. However, he's come back down to earth a bit, scoring 6.75 and 5 points in his last two weeks. Reece James is hopefully on the opposite trend. Like Alonso, he's taking corners for set pieces for Chelsea and bombs forward regularly. Interestingly, the projections slightly favor James this week over Alonso (11.9 projected), so we're going to take the risk. Alonso is also a risk of getting benched or subbed early for Chilwell as he returns to fitness. Spurs have mostly looked good this year, but considering last week, and the injuries to Son and other first-choice attackers, Chelsea look to be in a good spot to capitalize. Pivot: Marcos Alonso/Ben Chilwell
MID: Jack Grealish
Team: Manchester City
Opponent: Southampton (Home)
Projected Fantasy Points: 16.3/15.2
The Thought: In previous weeks, I've said to play Grealish if KDB doesn't play. This week, I think you should start him regardless of whether his teammate also plays. Grealish is the highest projected player this week, and against a Southampton team that City put 5 past last time they played, he'll surely be involved in an attacking return. Grealish has a 40% chance of scoring, and a whopping 52% chance of assisting this week. Not to mention, he's also been on corners (even with KDB on the field in UCL), so his floor is definitely there (from open play too obviously). Pivot: Ilkay Gundogan
MID: Bruno Fernandes
Team: Manchester United
Opponent: West Ham (Away)
Projected Fantasy Points: 15.9
The Thought: Bruno continues to be a lock in every gameweek of Perfect XI when he starts for United, and this week is no exception. Fernandes may have lost most of his set pieces to Greenwood and Shaw this season, and he may have opened the season a little slowly, but he's still the lynchpin of the United attack, which happens to have Ronaldo as its primary goal scorer. Even against the solid West Ham, Bruno has a 38% chance to score and a 40% chance to assist. You just can't ignore those odds in Perfect XI.
Pivot: Paul Pogba
MID: Kevin De Bruyne
Team: Manchester City
Opponent: Southampton (Home)
Projected Fantasy Points: 16.1
The Thought: Is this the week KDB finally makes his triumphant return? You know the drill by now. If KDB plays, you start him. He started the midweek UCL game, and Pep likes to get his players quickly in-form so I wouldn't be surprised to see him start again vs. Southampton. He may not get the full 90 minutes, but with KDB, 45-60 is usually plenty to justify his inclusion in your starting lineup. If that doesn't convince you, De Bruyne has the highest assist odds of the weekend at 55%, to go along with a 40% chance of scoring. Pivot: Ilkay Gundogan
MID: Allen Saint-Maximin
Team: Newcastle
Opponent: Leeds (Home)
Projected Fantasy Points: 14.6
The Thought: Finally a semi-interesting pick! I was tempted to once again choose Mason Mount for the 4th mid spot but I've opted instead for the man in-form Saint-Maximin. The Newcastle attacker is the 5th highest scoring midfielder this season, and I expect him to keep it up against Leeds at home. Leeds are without 3 of their usual CB's, and rumoured to be without a few of their first-choice attackers as well. Saint-Max has a 30% chance of scoring and 17% chance of assisting, but I expect him to do damage regardless against a makeshift backline. Pivot: Mason Mount
FWD: Mohamed Salah
Team: Liverpool
Opponent: Crystal Palace (Home)
Projected Fantasy Points: 15.3
The Thought: Salah has the highest goal scoring odds of any player this week, nearly 60%! He also happens to be the second highest scoring forward this season after the banned Antonio Pivot: Dioga Jota
FWD: Adama Traore
Team: Wolves
Opponent: Brentford (Home)
Projected Fantasy Points: 14.8
The Thought: Traore hasn't scored or assisted yet this year but he still is the 3rd highest scoring forward this season. That goes to show his undeniable fantasy floor. This week against promoted side, Brentford, we hope Traore has more of a ceiling game. He's predicted to score or assist 45% of the time this week, and you know that even if he doesn't, he wont tank your lineup like other goal-dependent strikers might (Ronaldo anyone?). I must say I prefer Mahrez this week, in what should be a City blowout of Southampton, but I don't expect him to start. If he does, I think he's a great play and you can bench any other forward not named Salah for him. Pivot: Riyad Mahrez
FWD: Sadio Mane
Team: Liverpool
Opponent: Crystal Palace (Home)
Projected Fantasy Points: 16.1
The Thought: Second times the charm right? Last week I said: "Sometimes its good to zag when others zig. We think this might be a good opportunity for that. Yes, Salah has scored better so far this season, and yes, he has penalty kicks, but Mane has a better fantasy floor, and its a good week to take advantage of that." Well I'm sticking with somewhat similar logic against a leaky Palace side this week. I say, play both! Pivot: Dioga Jota
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