Fantasy Football

With the final intersecting international break behind us, we now enter the final stretch of the 2016/17 Premier League season, headlined by none other than Saturday’s Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton and Manchester City’s away clash versus Arsenal on the following day.

It’s high time for building momentum in just about every sector of the league table, so just who can we look upon to deliver the goods for their respective teams this weekend? Here’s Fresh Football’s Fantasy Football hot picks.

1 - Gylfi Sigurðsson

Position: Midfielder
Club: Swansea City
Price: £7.8m

He’s racked up eight goals and 11 assists so far this season for a side that has, for the most part, been flirting with the relegation zone, so it’s perhaps no surprise to see Gylfi Sigurðsson’s name being spoken in such high esteem within the rumour mill.

And meanwhile the Swans will be hoping their talisman stays long-term; they themselves still have plenty on their plate that requires taking care of, as the Welsh outfit battle for their Premier League status.

Paul Clement has managed to steer Swansea away from troubled waters ahead of yet another crucial clash in the fight to stay up, hosting Middlesbrough at the weekend.

The Teeside club, prior to Jonathan Woodgate’s debut as manager, sit five points behind Sigurðsson’s team in 18th, despite having a game in hand, so it’s a fixture of supreme importance for both corners.

Natural order sees the favouritism lie with Swansea, however, and the likes of the Icelandic playmaker have proven to make a decisive difference in the best of afternoons down in South Wales. Sigurðsson could well bring more euphoria to the stands this weekend.

With the importance on every point fought for growing every week at both ends of the Premier League spectrum, so too are the ones currently being picked up in the world of Fantasy Football, as we drift ever closer to this season’s conclusion.

West Bromwich Albion introduce the fixture list with a home clash at home to morale-devoid Arsenal, this week, but the pick of the bunch is undoubtedly reserved for the City of Manchester, as Pep Guardiola’s men host like-minded top four hopefuls Liverpool.

Sunderland versus Burnley, Bournemouth at home to Swansea City and Crystal Palace’s London Derby against Watford stick out in between the aforementioned fixtures, and with them will come this weekend’s heroes. Here’s Fresh Football’s Fantasy Premier League shortlist:

1 - Chris Smalling
Position: Defender
Club: Manchester United
Price: £5.8m

The big news coming out of Manchester United’s away fixture versus Middlesbrough is that the relegation-bound side will take José Mourinho’s men on without his protégé, Aitor Karanka, following the latter’s resignation as manager of the club.

As has so often been the case, and the Premier League has clear examples in Hull City, Swansea and, contrarily, Crystal Palace, such parting of ways can go one way or the other.

It’s difficult to predict Boro’s mental state, whether or not change will give them the kick they need, but in the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba in the visitors’ end, the Riverside outfit might well be hoping for the desired result to spring an end-of-season relaunch.

Unfortunately for Karanka’s old flame, Middlesbrough have looked equally toothless in attack, even at full strength, as their regular source of goals sit on the bench, dipped in poor form.

So in the event that the 2004 League Cup winners fail to light up the Riverside with goals of their own, we’re backing United’s defensive sector to clock up a satisfactory display, complete with a clean sheet.

Mourinho’s men should be able to keep out a side that’s scored just 19 goals in the league all season, whereas without their key attacking components, the scene is set for a dreamy set-piece to be the decisive difference, one way or another. The likes of Chris Smalling could come up big, here.

2 - Sadio Mané
Position: Midfielder
Club: Liverpool
Price: £9.7m

If there’s a player in Liverpool roster worthy of the Player of the Year title, that man is Mané and in Sunday’s trip to the Etihad Stadium the Senegalese winger has another big occasion to rise up to.

He’s not short of exemplary showings, putting Arsenal to the sword on two separate occasions this season, meanwhile also punishing their North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, in much the same way.

Man City’s domestic form may have picked up in recent games but their midweek defeat and subsequent elimination at the hands of AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League has only accentuated their defensive shortcomings further.

We don’t expect Pep Guardiola to alter his constructive system in any particular way from what we’ve already become accustomed to, which could spell danger against a side that preys so heavily on one’s mistakes.

Much like Mané, Liverpool love a big-game performance - the Reds have practically relied upon them this season - so there’s every chance of it being their day come Sunday.

3 - Fernando Llorente
Position: Striker
Club: Swansea City
Price: £6.5m

We’re at the stage now where clubs become desperate for a hero. Swansea have found three in Gylfi Sigurðsson, Fernando Llorente and manager Paul Clement, who’s responsible for pulling the foundations of this potential great escape together.

Saturday’s fixture brings forward another battle for the Swans, taking on a below-par Bournemouth side that sees three points separate the two teams in the league table, such is the latter’s poor form.

The pair are also the leaders for the most amount of goals conceded this season, so it’s one that’s set-up to be a bit of a goal-fest, statistically.

With or without a thriller, we suspect Llorente, who’s gone three in three for goals, will inflict some damage upon a Bournemouth defence that’s depleted by suspensions and mid-season departures.

With each gameweek that beckons, the need for points heightens in just about every sector of the Premier League table. Us Fantasy Premier League players will be counting each and every point that comes our way too, as we head approach the final bend of a long season.

Here’s who Fresh Football’s tipping to be this weekend’s difference makers and give you the bragging rights over your mates.

1 - Gylfi Sigurðsson
Position: Midfield
Club: Swansea City
Price: £7.6m

Carlo Ancelotti’s former partner in crime, Paul Clement, may well have set Swansea City on their way to climbing up the Premier League table, but if there’s one man to which the Swans also owe much of their recent success to, that man is Gylfi Sigurðsson.

In the Icelandic star Swansea have raked in 17 important goals (including assists) to their league tally and yet more success in front of goal could be on the over the coming weeks.

First up for the Welsh outfit are Burnley, a side who have been incredibly impressive on their own turf, but one that has also seen their form on the road fall way below of the precedent set at home.

Sean Dyche’s side have gone on to lose 10 out their 12 away games in the Premier League this season, and so the threat posed by Sigurðsson, both from open play and set-pieces, could prove to be what tips the balance should Swansea renew Burnley’s poor form.

Furthermore, the Swans will be pleased to know the likes of Hull City, Bournemouth and Middlesbrough, all within touching distance in the bottom half of the table, make up the composition of their next three fixtures, so there’s a facet of longevity to picking the ex-Tottenham Hotspur man ahead of this weekend.

As Manchester United and Southampton prepare themselves for a special night out in Wembley for the EFL Cup final, subsequently taking Arsenal and Manchester City out of the firing line for a hot minute, life in the Premier League continues with important clashes in and around parts of the table.

But in the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alexis Sanchez, Sergio Agüero and others, the question of who to turn to as captain will be the one that looms large for many of us Fantasy Premier League players this weekend. That’s nothing that a little friendly advice from Fresh Football can’t fix, however.

1. Diego Costa

Club: Chelsea
Position: Striker
Price: £10m

It’s the week of the heavy hitters for us and fewer names have been as synonymous to the skipper’s armband as Diego Costa’s this season. The Chelsea forward has supplemented the Blues’ title charge with 15 league goals from 23 appearances, making him a top favourite for the Golden Boot this season.

We fully expect to see the Brazilian-born Spain international reinforce his bid for the hotly-contested end-of-season gong this weekend, as Chelsea welcome a few familiar faces back to Stamford Bridge.

Paul Clement, the former assistant manager of the London outfit under Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure, as well as his sidekick, Claude Makélélé, another to don the Chelsea blue, have turned fortunes around at what was once considered to be a relegation-bound Swansea City side.

The team from South Wales have made steady strides since Clement’s appointment to find themselves 15th in the Premier League table, but that does little to the fact that the West Londoners are overwhelming favourites in this clash, as they look to take another step towards the league title.

It may or may not be easy for Blues, but Costa has come up with his fair share of clutch moments up top for Antonio Conte’s side in the best and worst positions, so we expect the ex-Atlético Madrid striker to deliver.

As the scenario gets tighter both at the top and bottom of the Premier League, the margin for error for all 20 clubs hits an all-time low with each coming week, adding greater intrigue to every upcoming matchday.

This week sees Manchester City hope to bounce back from their disarmament at Goodison Park last week when hosting Tottenham Hotspur, whereas José Mourinho’s men roam to the Bet365 Stadium to take on Stoke City.

London duo Arsenal and Chelsea land more ‘favourable’ fixtures at home to Burnley and Hull City, respectively, in addition to Liverpool welcoming Swansea City to Anfield, which has the potential to alter the picture at both ends of the table. Here’s who we’re tipping for success in Fantasy Premier League this week.

1. Héctor Bellerín
   Club: Arsenal
   Position: Defender
   Price: £6.5m

A home game versus Sean Dyche’s Burnley could prove to be a potential banana skin for the Gunners, as they try the utmost to leave the Emirates with at least a point.

Commonly, that could see the Clarets take to the field in a naturally rigid and organised manner, much like they did at Old Trafford and at home to Merseyside pair, Everton and Liverpool, subsequently earning themselves five points from a potential nine.

Burnley’s record away from home, however, isn’t so impressive, earning just one point altogether this season on their travels and scoring a mere three goals in the meantime.

A more conservative approach is sure to invite the likes of Héctor Bellerín further up the field, increasing the potential for defensive goal contributions, meanwhile also heightening the chance for clean sheet bonuses, given the visitors’ poor record on the road.

Following a backlog of festive fixtures and the iconic third round ties of the FA Cup, the Premier League returns to its routine ways with Matchday 21, this weekend.

With Manchester United hosting bitter rivals Liverpool before Marco Silva’s league bout as Hull City manager against Bournemouth, there’s plenty to look forward in the coming days. But who will the headlines belong to?

1 - Patrick van Aanholt
Position: Defender
Club: Sunderland
Price: £5.0m

It seems there’s never a time when Sunderland aren’t in desperate need of points and Saturday’s reception of the Premier League’s typical middle-ground club, Stoke City, shall be no different.

Under adverse circumstances to what the table tells us, Sunderland are unbeaten in their last three home fixtures, whereas their opponents have lived dangerously on the road with 19 goals conceded in their 10 away fixtures so far this season.

Patrick van Aanholt has often been someone the Black Cats can rely upon for a goal contribution or two, claiming three for himself in this very campaign, so if David Moyes’ men are to build up a bit more momentum in their fight for survival this week against a Stoke side that aren’t ticking as well as they could be, the Dutch full-back might well have a hand in doing so.

There’s every chance that it could be another weekend filled with goals, given the sheer amount of relegation “six-pointers” and high-profile clashes coming our way in Gameweek 17 of the Premier League.

Arsenal’s trip to the Etihad Stadium and this season’s first instalment of the Merseyside derby stick out like a sore thumb, but pay special attention to West Ham United hosting Hull City, the clash down on the south coast between Bournemouth and Southampton, Sunderland versus Watford, and many more potentially goal-infested games.

With the festive period over the horizon, we appreciate Fantasy Premier League won’t be the first thing on your mind, which is why this week’s edition of Fresh Football’s tip-offs is dedicated to those players you should look to invest in while you take your eye of the ball. Here are our choices:

Michail Antonio
Club: West Ham United
Position: Midfield
Price: £6.7m

After appearing totally downbeat a fortnight ago in response to West Ham’s 5-1 meltdown at home to Arsenal, Slaven Bilić and his men have managed to grab onto some form with a bounce-back 2-2 draw at Anfield to Liverpool and a 1-0 win over a resilient Burnley side in midweek.

The picture looks brighter ahead of Hull’s trip to east London, with the Irons taking on Swansea City and Leicester City following Saturday, all subsequently languishing alongside them in the bottom half of the table.

West Ham have the opportunity to kick-start a revival and in Michail Antonio, the goal scorer in their 2-2 draw against Liverpool and currently with seven league goals to his name, they have a potential hero guide them out of a precarious situation.

2 - Alexis Sanchez
Club: Arsenal
Position: Midfield
Price: £11.7m

Sunday’s clash sees a reunion between Alexis Sanchez and his former Barcelona boss, Pep Guardiola, who’s had his fair share of success up against Arsenal in European competitions over the years. The Gunners will be without key man Shkodran Mustafi, sorely missed in their 2-1 defeat versus Everton on Tuesday, but list of absentees in the blue half of Manchester also goes a long way into opening up this clash.

Sergio Agüero headlines the list of players Guardiola can’t count on ahead of their next fixture, as he serves part of his four-game suspension, whereas midfield general Fernandinho and Nicolas Otamendi are joined by İlkay Gündoğan on the sidelines, likely to be out for up to eight months!

Guardiola will be tasked with averting Arsenal’s recent unbeaten run against City, currently without a loss in their last five league meetings, but if they continue to expose themselves as much as they have done with expansive football directly from the back-line, in particular with Sanchez and co. sniffing around, they could land themselves in deep trouble.

The Chilean leading the line for the Gunners has proved to be a revolutionary feature in north London this season, thus far leading the Premier League’s goal scoring charts with Chelsea’s Diego Costa on 12 goals, and with a double-header at home coming up against West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace into the New Year, there could well be more to come from Sanchez, starting Sunday.

Theo Walcott is a valid alternative, despite his poor show at Goodison Park this Tuesday, off the back of two goals in Arsenal’s last two home games, as well as occasionally popping up on the score sheet against City over the years.

3 - Diego Costa
Club: Chelsea
Position: Forward
Price: £10.2m

Winning ten out of their last ten games in the Premier League, leading the table by six points, Chelsea are without a doubt the in-form team in the division. A portion of that is owed to Diego Costa, goal scorer of the winning goal versus West Brom last weekend and owner of 11 more throughout this season, with the Spain international promising more from his startling performances.

Next up for Antonio Conte’s man is a date with Crystal Palace; an away trip that is sure to test the Blues’ endurance in what can be considered a gap year for the side relieved of its European duties in midweek, as opposed to many of their title rivals. Chelsea’s last outing on Wednesday saw them settle for a 1-0 win against relegation candidates Sunderland.

Crystal Palace are coming off a strenuous task themselves, however, as they were sunk by an 88th minute Zlatan Ibrahimovic winner in a 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United, so the fitness worries are also there for the club that’s conceded 31 goals already this season.

Can Costa add to that count? We wouldn’t bet against it, whereas the all-action striker also has winnable home fixtures against Bournemouth and Stoke City to top up his goal scoring antics following Saturday’s early kick-off.

Premier League football could well be in for a triple dosage of goal-laden games this week, given the amount of must-win duels coming our way.

In hope of a response to Wednesday’s 5-0 drubbing at the hands of FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League, Leicester City will be praying for three points, something that has escaped them since late October.

The Foxes’ opponents this Saturday come in the form of favourable quantity Manchester City, also coming into this weekend’s clash off the back of European disappointment versus Celtic and with an underwhelming record of just three wins in their last six league games.

Old Trafford hosts the anticipated meeting between top four contenders, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, neither being left with much margin for error, whereas at the other end of the table, the likes of Hull City, Crystal Palace, Swansea City and Sunderland all face “cup finals” of their own.

But with so many blows expected to be traded this weekend, it’s perhaps a surprise to see we’re backing just one striker to rake in a large sum of points this weekend in Fantasy Premier League. Here are our reasons:

1 - Gylfi Sigurðsson

Club: Swansea City
Position: Midfielder
Price: £7.4m

Currently sitting bottom of the pile in the Premier League, the need for points is urgent at the Liberty Stadium and they won’t have many better opportunities to do so than when Sunderland come to town.

The Black Cats are on the up, winning three of their last four league games, but they’re still very much within the realms of the lower end of the table, as two points separate the relegation candidates prior to Saturday’s fixture.

Swansea’s last victory saw the Swans topple Crystal Palace in a 5-4 thriller a fortnight ago, of which Gylfi Sigurðsson was on hand to chip in with a goal and assist en route to victory. Last weekend’s 5-0 loss away to Spurs was the first time in six appearances that the Icelandic star didn’t contribute directly to a Swansea goal, so if Bob Bradley’s side are to lift off the root of the league table come Saturday, we expect the 27-year-old to have a significant input.

Another week has come and gone, and Fresh Football returns with its weekly edition of Fantasy Premier League hotpicks, bracing ourselves for the action ahead in Gameweek 13.

In between that time, the current title holders, Leicester City, continue to impress on a continental stage, so much so that the 13 points amassed in Group G by the Foxes has already surpassed their current mark of 12 points in the Premier League.

Arsenal’s murky relationship with the month of November continues, but, in the meantime, the Gunners are also still unbeaten since their 4-3 defeat to Liverpool back in August - an improvement from past seasons.

Elsewhere, the Manchester City continue to show signs of being anything but the finished article under Pep Guardiola, whereas Tottenham Hotspur’s return to the European elite has proven to be short lived; a 2-1 defeat at the hands of AS Monaco sealing their fate.

In fear of a European hangover, but also due to potentially glaring opportunities to pick up points elsewhere, we’re avoiding games between the aforementioned clubs altogether.

So here’s who we’re topping to come up trumps this weekend.

1 - Jonny Evans

Club: West Bromwich Albion
Position: Defender
Price: £4.5m

Tony Pulis and his club appear to have gotten their mojo back. After claiming just two wins from their first 10 league games, West Brom have proceeded to pick up back-to-back victories versus Leicester City and, most recently, Burnley, defeating the newly-promoted side 4-0 on Monday night.

Next up for the Midlands club are Hull City, who continue to slip down the table after winning just once since August. 19th placed Sunderland were the latest side to snatch three points from the Tigers, so one can imagine morale isn’t great at the moment, because the form certainly isn’t.

On the ascendancy, West Brom have every chance of making it three wins on the spin, and failing that, a clean sheet at the very least. We’ll settle for that, tipping Jonny Evans to star.

With the third international break of the season behind us, it’s now full steam ahead for club football until March. Offering no respite, the Premier League returns with a tasty collection of potential relegation ‘six-pointers’, a meeting between old foes at Old Trafford and even a London derby.

Undoubtedly, there’ll be plenty of heart beats to be skipped, goals to be fought for and points to be clocked along the way. Here’s who Fresh Football are backing to lead the way in this week’s Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 12.

1 - Jermaine Defoe

Club: Sunderland
Position: Striker
Price: £7.4m
We could have tipped Diego Costa to star, here, as so many are sure to do, but we like the look of a potentially big showing from Jermain Defoe against lowly-placed Hull City at the Stadium of Light. Of course, Sunderland have fared worse than their opponents so far, winning their first league game of the season as late as their last outing.

The clash between the two clubs is, without a doubt, a must-win game, and given the momentum to be gained from their last fixture and the fact that they’re at home; there may well be a theoretical advantage to be placed upon the otherwise unreliable Black Cats this weekend.

Leading the line, David Moyes’ men will be looking towards Defoe to come up with a clutch moment or two to help them take down Hull. At £m, the veteran could well be the perfect stop-gap for those who simply need to replace an injured/suspended striker for a week, or one that’s otherwise unlikely to come up big against tough opposition.

Trying fantasy football for the first time is both easy and daunting at the same time. You are most likely trying the fantasy league because a friend or a colleague recommended it to you. This means you’re in a private league with them and they can see the exact performance of your fantasy team every week; that’s usually the daunting part.

Fortunately, today’s best fantasy football leagues are easy to play. You have the best picks and tips right here on Fresh Football. More importantly, these next few tips will help you become better at being a fantasy football manager in no time.

Get More Information

One of the keys to constructing the perfect team is getting as much information as you can. If you’re in a mini fantasy league with friends, you can stay ahead of the competition by getting a lot of information about the league, the performance of players and future predictions. Again, Fresh Football has you covered.

Don’t just settle for the usual football news sites and other resources though. There are alternative ways to know exactly which players to pick to create the perfect team. The Sky Bet Android app, for example, is filled with side bets focusing on players and teams. These side bets – and their odds – offer great insights.

You can also join online fantasy football forums for some more pointers. Most of the time, you don’t even have to post or ask questions. Simply read the different discussions happening across the forum and you’ll find choosing top players and making good progress a lot easier to do.

Practice Makes Perfect

I know a lot of fantasy football managers who are now very good at what they do. The good news is that they started as an average manager, just like you and me. It is okay to do badly on your first season. That doesn’t mean you should quit the fantasy league. The more you play, the better you will get at playing the fantasy football game of your choice.

There is a particularly good way of speeding up the learning process, and that is by playing in multiple leagues. You can test out different combinations of players and try different strategies by signing up for an account on multiple platforms. Keep in mind that some fantasy leagues don’t allow players to have multiple accounts, so it is best to use different games for this purpose.

Be Mindful of Your Transfer Allocations

A lot of fantasy leagues offer players the ability to change their initial squads. That ability is limited by transfer allocation. Some games don’t really allow you to alter your squad unless it is during the transfer windows. Others enable you to change your line-up whenever you like, but you still have a limited number of transfers allocated.

One of the most common mistakes a lot of new fantasy football managers make is making changes too often. I know how tempting it is to transfer a few players because they didn’t play well last week – or the past couple of weeks – but that is not the kind of approach you should be taking. Instead, use the transfer allocation only when you are certain that you can improve the team.

So, how can you pick the best players to transfer and new ones to get? Well, the answer lies in the very first tip we talked about: get as much information as possible. Read up on behind-the-scene news, find out who’s injured and whether the players you’re targeting are attending practice sessions. All of these details will help you construct the perfect team for the season.

As always, we update you with our weekly overview of players to look out for ahead of the Premier League action for your fantasy football team. With the North London Derby on the horizon, Manchester United’s struggles, Leicester City gaining momentum and Manchester City blossoming, here are three stars to keep tabs on for your fantasy football team ahead of a cracking weekend of football.

1) – Alexis Sanchez
Club: Arsenal
Position: Striker
Cost: £11.4m

Arsenal, who are unbeaten since the opening weekend of the new season sit joint top of the Barclays Premier League ahead of their North London clash with Tottenham Hotspur which promises to be exciting as always. Ahead of Sunday’s clash at the Emirates Stadium, we take a look at why we feel Alexis Sanchez should be in everyone’s teams this upcoming weekend.

Firstly, he is thriving in the new number 9 role he is playing for the Gunners, if he isn’t scoring goals he is creating chances galore whilst menacing defences, the impressive Arsenal star has six goals thus far this season whilst creating a majestic 20 chances. Spurs’ defender Toby Alderweireld remains a major doubt for the game, Sanchez could find it that bit easier without the Belgians presence.

The Chilean has been in inspired form with six Premier League goals thus far, and will almost guarantee to be a big player for the Gunners this weekend, this is certainly one to keep an eye on.

There’s sure to be a handful of frights, thrills and horror spills to go with a Halloween weekend of football and, as always, Fresh Football will strive to be ahead of the curve in advising you on your Fantasy Football choices ahead of Gameweek 10 in the Premier League. Here’s who to keep tabs on:

1 - Chris Smalling

Club: Manchester United
Position: Defender
Price: £5.9m

Halloween came early for José Mourinho and his Manchester United side last weekend when succumbing to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Chris Smalling played a notable role in the Red Devils’ demise, yet the Englishman remains central to plans of a potential full-blown response from Man United at Old Trafford, welcoming Burnley on Saturday.

The Clarets have scored just once in three Premier League fixtures away from home, and even without Eric Bailly next to him, we think Smalling and co. should have enough about them to thwart Sean Dyche’s team at home, or score a goal himself in what *should* be a standard United win.

The hosts will have to be wary, however, with key man Andre Gray returning from a four-game-ban to hand out some retribution of his own to his teammates and fans.

Back for our weekly overview of players to look out for in Fantasy Premier League football, games such as José Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge and the early season basement battles between Hull City and Stoke City, as well as West Ham United at home to Sunderland, take us into Gameweek 9. Here are three stars to keep tabs on in what promises to be a cracking weekend of football.

1 - Seamus Coleman

Club: Everton
Position: Defender
Price: £5.5m

Among the madness and hyperbole surrounding a couple of renowned Manchester clubs, Everton are going quietly about their business and, with relative success thus far, have found themselves sitting pretty in the top 6.

And meanwhile all three points have escaped the Toffees’ grasp for over a month now, a hard fought draw away to Manchester City pushes Ronald Koeman’s side into a clash against 14th-placed Burnley, also on a winless streak, with new-found positivity.

Burnley will be without their new signing Steven Defour and star striker Andre Gray when hosting the Merseysiders, whereas the visitors boast a neat record of conceding just three goals on their travels.

Pay close attention to Seamus Coleman in this one, likely to pick up valuable clean sheets and maybe chip in with a goal and/or assist while he’s at it.

With the England international scene in a bit of a sorry state, the Premier League returns in good time to hog our attention span. Spoiling us with big match-ups, such as Manchester City versus Everton, Crystal Palace’s London derby against West Ham United and the eagerly-anticipated Liverpool – Manchester United clash on Monday night, Fresh Football will also be on the scene to point you in the right direction with regards to your Fantasy Premier League choices. Here are our three hotpicks:

1 - Laurent Koscielny

Club: Arsenal
Position: Defender
Price: £6.2m

Arsenal’s backline appears to be in good nick, so much so that the newly-formed duo of Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi have conceded just once in their last four games together. On their way to the Emirates Stadium this weekend are Swansea City, who, in Bobby Bradley’s debut as the Swans’ manager, may be more concerned with thwarting the in-form Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott than anything else.

A more committed approach to defending from the visitors is sure to improve the odds of another clean sheet for Arsenal, who will have to keep an eye open for the aerial threat conveyed by Fernando Llorente, Borja Baston and Leroy Fer, among others. In the meantime, Koscielny could also arise as a goal scoring threat at the other end when the opportunity presents itself.

Following the EFL Cup interlude, the Premier League returns with a series of games to draw our eyes to, in particular the London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea, Leicester City’s visit to Old Trafford ahead of their clash against Manchester United and Tony Pulis’ return to the newly-named Bet365 Stadium, where his West Bromwich Albion side face-off versus former club Stoke City.

As always, Fresh Football will be here to attempt to aid your Fantasy Teams, as we switch our attentions to a list made up entirely of potential goal-getters ahead of Gameweek Six. You can read more advice in our Fantasy Football section. Here are our three hotpicks:

1 - Sadio Mané
Club: Liverpool
Position: Midfield
Price: £9m

Liverpool, with two wins against Leicester City and Chelsea in their last three Premier League games, have emerged as potential candidates for the league title this season, as they welcome a Hull City side, currently winless in their last three outings prior to this week’s league cup clash, to the newly-renovated Anfield stadium.

The Tigers struggled to cope with Arsenal’s pressing game last weekend in their 4-1 defeat at home, a style so synonymous with Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool; meanwhile the Reds will be boosted further by the likely returns of Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum following a 3-0 win versus Derby County in midweek.

In front of an excited home crowd, we’re tipping Sadio Mané to cause Hull’s defence all sorts of trouble in what *should* be a routine victory for Liverpool.

As values of players increase and prolific consistent points-scoring players start to become clearer to Fantasy Premier League players, managers may have to save a little money in the midfield area in order to sufficiently strengthen the defence or the attack and stick with the strict £100m budget.

Here are five low priced midfielders that we feel will not only keep the cost down, but also bring vital points into your squad.

1) Robert Snodgrass- Hull City
Value- £5.7m
16/17 Total Points- 31

Robert Snodgrass is one of the main attacking threats for Hull this season, and following his move from relegated Norwich, the winger has overcome a horrific injury and is back to his his best.

The Scotsman has scored three goals this season in five games, and at just £5.7m, he is a bargain who will score you points in the midfield, having picked up 31 this season, making him the highest scoring Hull City player.

Hull have a couple of tough fixtures coming up. They make the trip to Anfield on Saturday before hosting Chelsea the week after. However, fixtures start to get a little less harsh after the October international break with a trip Bournemouth followed by a home game against Stoke. Plenty of opportunities for Snodgrass to score more points.

As gameweek six approaches, Fantasy Premier League managers will be looking at who to transfer in ahead of the sixth instalment of Premier League action, but here are three players that we strongly advise avoiding including in your squad ahead of the 11:30 deadline on Saturday morning.

1) James Collins- West Ham

The West Ham defence has been to blame for West Ham’s recent troubles. Although some of the goals scored against them have been of high quality, shipping over three goals per game over their last three is not a record that will please Slaven Bilic.

Watford and West Brom have not looked like teams who are likely to score four in a match, but they have managed to do that in matches against the Hammers.

If you are looking for clean sheet points, then James Collins, or any of the West Ham defensive unit for that matter, are not players to have in your squad. They come up against Southampton this week, who have not been clinical in front of goal thus far, but that could change against a shaky West Ham defence.

The Premier League comes early this week and, as always, Fresh Football will be here to try and second guess the professionals in aid of your Fantasy Teams. Here are our picks for this weekend:

1 - Kyle Walker

Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Position: Defender
Price: £5.7m

Sunderland come to town on Sunday, which might feel like quite a relief for Tottenham Hotspur after their midweek defeat to AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League. As slow starters, facing the Black Cats offers Spurs the chance to bounce back into a phase of positivity and, in our case, point us towards the most glaringly likely clean sheet of the week.

No team has conceded fewer goals than Spurs’ two so far, whereas Sunderland have found the back of the net just three times this season, a theme for those in the bottom half of the table. Toby Alderweireld might be a good player to back, but we think Kyle Walker’s enthusiasm on the right flank may offer you even more points via potential assists.

The wait was excruciating, so soon after welcoming the Premier League back, but alas the international break is over to give us a handful of weeks to focus solely on club football again. And what a way to return, as the Premier League gifts us a Manchester derby, Liverpool’s home clash versus champions Leicester City, among other potentially tight match-ups to sink our teeth into.

Such is the equilibrium in some of the games to take place in Gameweek Three that it’s fairly difficult to predict who’ll be your Fantasy Premier League kingpin this weekend, but Fresh Football might be able to push you in the right direction with these three:

1 - Ryan Shawcross
Club: Stoke City
Position: Defender
Value: £5m

A trip to the Bet365 Stadium sees Tottenham Hotspur return to the place they last looked like a fully-functioning side, as they walked over Stoke City with a 4-0 victory. Since then, the Premier League title hopefuls slumped to a third placed finish behind rivals Arsenal, whereas they’ve tasted victory just once in the new season.

Admittedly, the likes of Everton and Liverpool are never the easiest of teams to face, but Spurs’ attack has looked worryingly laboured in each of their three league games. New boy Vincent Janssen appears to be going through the motions of settling in, whereas Christian Eriksen’s form, alongside that of Dele Alli’s, seems to have deserted him.

Under more concerning circumstances, the statistic haunting Spurs in relation to Mousa Dembélé’s absence, in particular the one that sees chief goal scorer Harry Kane find the back of the net just once without the Belgian midfielder in the starting XI, could again extend itself with a traditionally tricky away fixture for most.

In the receiving end of Tottenham’s attacking woes are Stoke, themselves needing a result to kick-start their season after just a point gained from a possible nine so far this season. The Potters will look to skipper Ryan Shawcross to lead the collective in thwarting a thus far toothless Spurs attack, meanwhile potentially causing an upset at the other end via his threat from set-pieces.

So Sergio Aguero is banned for 3 matches. Can you really afford to keep such a valuable asset not scoring points for 3 weeks? We don’t think so and because of that we’ve drawn up a list of three possible replacements for your Fantasy Football teams.

1 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Price: £11.8m
Next 3 matches: Man City (h), Watford (a), Leicester City (h)

First, the obvious option. Zlatan has already scored three Premier League games and as a man of the big occasion, you would expect him to play a big part in the Manchester derby this weekend against a Manchester City defence that still looks rather frail. After that United have two games that they will be heavy favourites for, but remember that both Watford and Leicester can set up rather strong defences against the big teams. Zlatan’s ability to score in every way though, makes him very hard to defend against and that makes him a reliable, albeit expensive, option for your Fantasy Football teams.

It may be a case of one or the other for your teams when Aguero does return. Between them they cost just short of £25m, making them an incredibly expensive duo to have should you want to include both. If you opt for Zlatan to replace Aguero then it may be a 3-week trial for the Swede to see if he’s capable of replacing the Manchester City striker permanently.

Gameweek three of the Premier League is upon us and, as always, Fresh Football will be here to offer you guidance with regards to your Fantasy Premier League teams. Here are our three hot picks for this week:

1 - Riyad Mahrez
Club: Leicester City
Position: Midfield
Price: £9.5m

Much like last year, nobody knows quite what to expect from Leicester City this season after the heroics of the past campaign. What’s deemed acceptable for the Foxes may well mould itself as the season goes on, but one objective remains clear – they’ll want to win their first league game of the season fairly sharpish!

A disappointing 2-1 defeat away to a depleted Hull City side was followed by a far more respectable score line at the King Power Stadium, drawing 0-0 to Arsenal, but with Swansea City coming to town, Leicester have the chance to right the wrongs.

Leicester will need to look no further than Riyad Mahrez for inspiration, despite the Algerian firing blanks so far this season. The winger grabbed a hat-trick in the Foxes’ 3-0 win versus Swansea at the Liberty Stadium last December, whereas he was also on the score sheet in the return fixture that saw the Premier League champions win 4-0 back in April.

Matchday 1 of the Premier League has come and gone and, if you’re anything like me, you’ll most likely have a fantasy team in need of recalibration. Just a tad, honestly! In an attempt to second guess the professionals, here are three players you ought to consider backing before Friday’s deadline.

1 - Dimitri Payet

Position: Midfielder
Club: West Ham United
Cost: £9.5m

Slaven Bilić will be sure to approach the Dimitri Payet case with caution, so his inclusion in your fantasy team would represent a pretty big risk. The West Ham United manager may have to gamble himself on the Frenchman’s fitness, however, with the Hammers looking lost for inspiration every time they got onto the ball versus Chelsea on Monday.

Payet’s introduction late on in the London derby brought a familiar feel to West Ham’s game, so I’d be equally unsurprised if he’s thrown in to face Bournemouth, in particular with the occasion being the Olympic Stadium’s official debut.

The last clash between the two Premier League clubs at West Ham’s place produced a 4-3 thriller, a score line Payet and co. will be keen to avenge. The club have serious ambitions for the Champions League this season so they must ensure they get points on the board this weekend. They need their Payet back.