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We're now into the 2nd international break of the season, with 8 Gameweeks done and dusted. We have a good enough sample set of matches in Premier League 18/19 to gain key insights about the way players have performed and the kind of form they are in.
Depending on their form and return on investment, I am going to suggest some key players to sign up for your Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams. I will also suggest the potential areas and players to avoid from each team.
#1 Arsenal
Best Pick: Alexandre Lacazette (£9.6m) has now firmly established himself as the centre forward for Arsenal. With 4 goals and 4 assists so far, and Arsenal playing only one of the 'big six' teams in the next 5 game weeks, he is a good forward option.
Good to have: The presence of multiple budget forward options along with Aubameyang's (£10.7m) middling form has swayed many a FPL managers away from him in early season. He seems to be getting back in his groove and could potentially deliver bumper hauls against weaker opposition.
Potential Trap: Arsenal's defence is extremely inconsistent. Arsenal defenders might give you the odd clean sheet point, along with some attacking returns as well, but it will be hard to predict the games where these returns will come. Stay away from their defenders like Bellerin and Monreal.
#2 Bournemouth
Best Pick: Ryan Fraser's (£6.0m) form makes him the ultimate budget midfield pick for your team. His creative play and assist potential will ensure value for money.
Good to Have: Callum Wilson (£6.4m) and Josh King (£6.4m) are both good value picks as budget forwards, but they may prove inconsistent against stronger opposition.
Potential Trap: Bournemouth is not known to keep clean sheets, so any interest in their backline, having the likes of Stephen Cook and Nathan Ake, despite their set-piece threat, is ill-advised.
#3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Best Pick: Brighton kept 10 clean sheets last year. Owing to tough fixtures at the beginning, they kept their 1st clean sheet in Gameweek 8. With fixtures becoming easier for them, the law of averages suggests that some clean sheets might be on their way. Add the set-piece threat to that, and the defensive duo of Shane Duffy (£4.5m) and Lewis Dunk (£4.4m) become attractive options at their price point.
Good to Have: Anthony Knockaert (£5.5m) has produced some great underlying statistics in the initial gameweeks, and has attacking returns as well. He could be a budget midfield option if you do not have the cash to pick Ryan Fraser.
Potential Trap: Glen Murray (£6.6m) has already scored 5 goals this season, but his conversion rate for opportunities is very high, which might not be sustainable. It looks fine to invest in him for few easy fixtures, but better to stay away in the long run.
#4 Burnley
Best Pick: No one.
Good to Have: Gudmundsson (£6.0m) is the most creative player for Burnley. His assist potential makes him an attractive option.
Potential Trap: Burnley haven't been defensively sound this season, and investment in their budget goalkeeper Joe Hart (£4.6m) should be done with caution.
#5 Cardiff
Cardiff are a no-go zone. They have been the whipping boys of this season so far and any investment in Cardiff is ill-advised.
#6 Chelsea
Best Pick: Eden Hazard (£11.3m) is the standout FPL player so far this year, and he fits the definition of essential. Ignore him at your peril!
Good to Have: Marcos Alonso (£7.0m) is undoubtedly one of the most attacking left wing-backs, and will continue to rake up points in attack as well as defence. He is the costliest defender and his high price might deter some managers.
Potential Trap: Alvaro Morata (£8.7m) and Olivier Giroud (£7.8m) will eat up each other's playing time, and so will Pedro (£6.5m) and Willian (£7.5m). They are all good players, but not worth their weight from a fantasy perspective.
#7 Crystal Palace
Best Pick: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.3m) is a once in a lifetime budget defender to have. You can start him in easy matches, and bench him for the tough fixtures. He is a season keeper.
Good to Have: James Tomkins (£4.4m) is a decent pick as a defender who can provide good returns from set pieces.
Potential Trap: Wilfried Zaha (£7.0m) is the talisman of the team, and most of the scoring opportunities will come through him. However, lack of support around him might lead to diminishing returns as the league proceeds.
#8 Everton
Best Pick: The coach simply loves Richarlison (£6.8m), and has even shown the inclination to play him out of position as a centre-forward. Richarlison is great value at this price point if he can keep up the consistent returns.
Good to Have: Gylfi Siggurdson (£7.4m), although priced higher than Richarlison, is more creative of the two and is also on set pieces. He might well be worth the extra money spent.
Potential Trap: Theo Walcott (£6.5m) has already flattered to deceive several managers, and it will be wise to stay away from him.
#9 Fulham
Best Pick: No one.
Good to Have: Aleksandar Mitrovic (£6.9m) should ideally have been in the 'Best Pick' bracket, given the standout performances that he has given so far. But I expect his returns to diminish as the season progresses, with less creative help from his teammates who are bound to feel the fatigue of continuous defeats.
Potential Trap: Ryan Sessegnon (£6.1m) is listed as a midfielder and is a key player for Fulham. However, he is often deployed as the left back as well, which is never a good sign from a Fantasy perspective.
#10 Huddersfield
The Terriers are another set of folks who can be treated as Fantasy untouchables. They have scored 1 goal from open play in 8 matches and have seen embarrassing margin of defeats, including a 6-1 thrashing from Manchester City. It's best to stay away from them.
#11 Leicester City
Best Pick: Jamie Vardy (£9.0m) is now retired from international football but still seems to be at his very best. He has shown good consistency in previous seasons and might be a really good pick.
Good to Have: James Maddison (£6.9m) is the chief creator behind Vardy, and is also on set pieces. He is the glue which holds the midfield together.
Potential Trap: Leicester have some good attacking defenders, like Ricardo Perreira (£5.1m) and Ben Chilwell (£5.0m), but lack of clean sheets prospects suggest that they are not worth the investment.
#12 Liverpool
Best Pick: Liverpool are renowned for their attack-minded play, but their defence is probably 2nd best in the league. Coupled with the threat for assists and attacking returns, Andrew Robertson (£6.3) is the standout pick for me in this team.
Good to Have: Mo Salah (£12.8m) has been trying his best, but his finishing in front of the goal has been poor the entire season. He might still give you the attacking returns if you are rich enough to afford him.
Potential Trap: Liverpool midfield will soon be prone to rotation, so avoid players such as Milner and Wijnaldum despite attractive pricing.
#13 Manchester City
Best Pick: The Cityzens have the best defence in the league, but highly prone to rotation. So who is the most nailed on pick who will not get rotated? It's the goalkeeper - Ederson (£5.7m). Set and forget.
Good to Have: There are many options in this bracket. I will pick one each from forward, midfield and defence. Sergio Aguero (£11.3m), Raheem Sterling (£11.1m) and Benjamin Mendy (£6.2m) will continue to give good returns and are worth the risk despite the rotation threat ever present in the Manchester City squad.
Potential Trap: Leroy Sane (£9.2m) has given some impressive performances, but the manager tends to start only one of him or Mendy, so Sane's minutes might be limited.
#14 Manchester United
Best Pick: No one, as the players are priced high basis their reputation, but are not performing up to their level.
Good to Have: Maybe Luke Shaw (£5.1m), who will deliver the occasional attacking return in addition to some clean sheets.
Potential Trap: It's hard to believe, but with extremely inconsistent performances, almost everyone in the team feels like a trap right now.
#15 Newcastle United
Best Pick: No one yet, as the Magpies are gripped with owner-coach conflict along with a slow start to their campaign.
Good to Have: With good fixtures on the way, Yedlin (£4.5m) and Kenedy (£4.9) are good options to keep on your bench. If you have money in the bank, Dubravka (£5.0m) is a good goalkeeper to have.
Potential Trap: Newcastle don't really score many goals, so their forward line should be avoided.
#16 Southampton
Best Pick: Danny Ings (£5.7m) has been prolific in his attempts on goal, and is also on penalties. He can be an excellent 3rd forward in your team if you are looking to save up some money.
Good to Have: Hojbjerg (£4.5m) has shown his importance for Southampton in the midfield, and is a good value pick as the 5th midfield option.
Potential Trap: McCarthy and Cedric are good skilful players, but the backline has been conceding too many big chances of late to encourage any investment in these two.
#17 Tottenham Hotspur
Best Pick: Harry Kane (£12.5m) is the biggest force in this squad. He is the chief goal scorer and has been remarkably consistent for Spurs.
Good to Have: Although rotation risk looms over Kieran Trippier (£6.3m) in the long run, he too is worth the punt considering that he regularly bombs forward and takes corners as well as free kicks.
Potential Trap: Christian Eriksen has been one of the standout performers for Spurs in recent seasons, but with Trippier taking the set-piece responsibilities away from Eriksen, the Danish midfielder is not worth the investment at the moment.
#18 Watford
Best Pick: No one.
Good to Have: Will Hughes (£5.0m) can be a good enabler for your team as a budget 4th or 5th midfielder. He has got only one goal so far this season but he has regularly posed a threat for the opposition.
Potential Trap: Jose Holebas (£4.9m) is on set pieces, and will give you points from odd clean sheets as well. But worryingly, he is quite inconsistent and loves a card, increasing his chances of negative points and suspension.
#19 West Ham United
Best Pick: The fixture proof forward Marko Arnautovic (£7.0m) has already collected goals against Arsenal and Manchester United, and has led the line with great authority this year. Fitness permitting, he is easily the best budget forward available for fantasy managers.
Good to Have: Fabianski (£4.5m) is a save machine, and with West Ham's defence improving in recent games, is also a candidate for clean sheet points now.
Potential Trap: Both Yarmolenko (£6.8m) and Anderson (£6.8m) are decent midfield options, but being priced very similar to their teammate Arnautovic suggests that managers should stick to the forward instead.
#20 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Best Pick: Wolves are an absolute gold mine of budget options, especially in defence. Doherty (£4.7m), Jonny (£4.5m) and Bennett (£4.2m) provide excellent value. Doherty and Jonny play as wing backs and promise attacking returns, having already scored a goal apiece. The goalkeeper Rui Patricio (£4.6m) is a strong contender for the goalkeeping spot in your team as well.
Good to Have: Raul Jimenez (£5.6m) is a fairly good option as a budget forward. If he starts converting all the big chances being presented to him, he might become the standout pick at this price point.
Potential Trap: Jota (£6.1m) and Neves (£5.2m) are their key players, but have done nothing of note to suggest fantasy returns. Best to stay away from them.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on personal experience of playing Fantasy Premier League (FPL) from a recreational perspective. These views should not be construed as professional or expert advice.
