POSITIONAL RANKINGS 2018/19: FPL Gameweek 15
With so many transfer trends and varying levels of form impacting the strategies of FPL players around the world, ahead of each Gameweek we will be providing our top ten selections in each position (GK, DEF, MID, FOR) for standalone rounds of games. Our player selections will be based purely on our opinion of those players on our watchlist any given week, with may positively sway FPL or Draft players with their own thoughts and decisions heading in to a Gameweek. All aboard.
Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 15 Deadline
For the 2016/17 Premier League season, the FPL deadline will be one hour before the commencement of the week's first game. The Premier League website lists each FPL deadline, you can always ask on social media, and you can also view a real time countdown on our Weekly Hype page.
FPL Gameweek 15: Goalkeeper Selections
1) Alisson (LIV): £5.7m – vs. Burnley (a)
2) Ederson (MCI): £5.8m – vs. Watford (a)
3) Lukasz Fabianski (WHU): £4.5m – vs. Cardiff (H)
4) Hugo Lloris (TOT): £5.4m – vs. Southampton (H)
5) Jordan Pickford (EVE): £5.0m – vs. Newcastle (H)
On the heels of Gameweek 14, there’s two keepers sitting at the top of the shot-stopper charts, with Alisson and Ederson both on 70 points. Callum Wilson ended Ederson’ hopes of a 9th clean sheet in Man City’s 3-1 home win against Bournemouth, though Alisson had contrasting fortunes against Everton, keeping a clean sheet and making vital saves in a dramatic 1-0 victory against their local rivals, Everton.
The Brazilian duo find themselves in similar predicaments this weekend, both travelling to goal-shy sides in Burnley and Watford. In all likelihood, both are key contenders to keep yet another clean sheet this coming midweek, so once again are natural picks for the top of the Goalkeeper rankings.
Immediately outside of the South American duo is Lukasz Fabianki’s home fixture against a Cardiff side who have begun to turn a few heads this season. West Ham were worthy winners at Newcastle, with Fabianki amongst the bonus in an 8-point haul. The Polish international is without doubt the best budget option to rely on with back-to-back home fixtures on the horizon.
Hugo Lloris’s Spurs side have looked more comfortable at home, and if they play with the same intensity against Southampton as they have recently done against Chelsea and Arsenal, they’ll brush The Saints away.
Speaking of Newcastle and their poor form, they travel to an Everton side who have only featured 2 goals in their last 3 matches, scoring once and conceding once – with the Toffees keeping a clean sheet against Cardiff in between a goalless draw at Chelsea and a narrow loss at Liverpool. Jordan Pickford will fancy his chances in another goal-shy encounter against Newcastle.
FPL Gameweek 15: Defender Selections
1) Andrew Robertson (LIV): £6.5m – vs. Burnley (a)
2) Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV): £5.2m – vs. Burnley (a)
3) Virgil van Dijk (LIV): £6.0m – vs. Burnley (a)
4) Marcos Alonso (CHE): £7.1m – vs. Wolves (a)
5) Aymeric Laporte (MCI): £6.1m – vs. Watford (a)
6) Lucas Digne (EVE): £4.9m – vs. Newcastle (H)
7) Michael Keane (EVE): £5.0m – vs. Newcastle (H)
8) Fabian Balbuena (WHU): £4.4m – vs. Cardiff (H)
9) Shane Duffy (BHA): £4.7m – vs. Crystal Palace (H)
10) Toby Alderweireld (TOT): £5.9m – vs. Southampton (H)
With a short turnover between Gameweek’s 14 and 15, there are some familiar faces who are stacking the decks from a defensive point of view this week.
It’s been hard to dislodge Liverpool assets from the top 5 picks, with Robertson, Alexander-Arnold and van Dijk all steady returners who are features of every week. Robertson in particular has been a case of set and forget, even though it is TAA who has been supplying the assists and goals in recent weeks, with Virgil even providing his first assist of the season in Liverpool’s last-gasp derby victory over Everton. All three are hot favourites, with most of the FPL Community talking about doubling down on Jurgen Klopp’s defensive assets. The only killer this midweek might be rotation, with Dejan Lovren primed to come back in to take a starting birth from Gomez or Trent.
Just beneath a Liverpool side which has kept 9 clean sheets from 14 games this season, are the other popularity picks in Aymeric Laporte and Marcos Alonso. Laporte once again started for City against Bournemouth, taking his run in the team to 14 consecutive Premier League starts, whilst Marcos Alonso kept a predictable clean sheet at home to Fulham. It should be business as usual with City travelling to Watford, and Chelsea travelling to an out of form Wolves side. Set and forget.
The immediate attention outside of the Liverpool-City-Chelsea connection this week are two defenders from Everton who have looked the part this season – Lucas Digne and Michael Keane. Digne was a matter of seconds away from keeping a clean sheet at Anfield and earning all 3 bonus points after dominating the BPS system, only for Divock Origi to break the hearts of the 3% of FPL players who have Digne in their squads. As previously suggested with Pickford, Newcastle aren’t big scorers and the writing is on the wall for another tight affair involving Everton, with the Toffees also at home to Watford the following weekend to bolster their defensive appeal.
Fabian Balbuena and Issa Dip have also been very shrewd recruits for West Ham this season, with both starting the season well under Manuel Pellegrini’s management. The Hammers host Cardiff and if it is your defensive you’re looking to reinforce, Balbuena would be our pick from West Ham’s back four to provide the most potential, with the Argentine half-decent in attacking set-pieces, and typically near the top of the BPS standings when West Ham are keeping a clean sheet.
If you’re talking about a player with 3 goals and 2 assists this season, you’d probably be asking about a mid-range midfielder who is hitting some form. Rather, the topic of conversation is about Brighton’s Shane Duffy, who is proving to be a handful in the opposition’s penalty area this season. Add 3 clean sheets to Duffy’s haul this season and you’re looking at 8 returns from 14 games, which has put Duffy just below the leading pack of defenders this week. Crystal Palace visit The Amex on Tuesday, and if Wilfried Zaha still hasn’t found his shooting boots in time for the game, we could be looking at another fine home return for the Irishman.
Toby Alderweireld rounds off our selections mostly out of default as Jan Vertonghen misses the home against Southampton. Toby’s playing his old side, is likely to come back into the side, and offers something at both ends of the field.
FPL Gameweek 15: Midfielder Selections
1: Mohamad Salah (LIV) – £13.0mil vs. Burnley (A)
2: Sadio Mane (LIV) – £9.9mil vs. Burnley (A)
3: Raheem Sterling (MCI) – £11.5mil vs. Watford (A)
4: Leroy Sane (MCI) – £9.3mil vs. Watford (A)
5: Ryan Fraser (BOU) – £6.2mil vs. Huddersfield (H)
6: Eden Hazard (CHE) – £11.0mil vs. Wolves (A)
7: Richarlison (EVE) – £7.0mil vs, Newcastle (H)
8: Gylfi Sigurdsson (EVE) – £7.4mil vs. Newcastle (H)
9: Hueng-Min Son (TOT) – £8.3mil vs. Southampton (H)
10: Felipe Anderson (WHU) – £7.0mil vs. Cardiff (H)
Picking the midfield ten took less than a minute. Liverpool took the top spot after tetchy win in the Merseyside Derby, and they will be looking for an easier test against a faltering Burnley. Behind them are Man City options and they travel to Watford who are more testing than Burnley which is why they don’t make the top of the list; however, they do have the form on their side over their Red rivals.
The rest of the list is made up of the obvious picks as there are lots of home games with expected dominance from the locals. Everton, Southampton, Bournemouth, and West Ham are expected to pick up routine wins. Alongside that we have Even Hazard away to a Wolves struggling for form.
FPL Gameweek 15: Forward Selections
1: Calum Wilson (BOU) – £6.8mil vs. Huddersfield (H)
2: Marko Arnautovic (CAR) – £7.1mil vs. Cardiff (H)
3: Harry Kane (TOT) – £12.3mil vs. Southampton (H)
4: Jamie Vardy (LEI) – £8.9mil vs. Fulham (A)
5: Sergio Aguero (MCI) – £11.5mil vs. Watford (A)
Missing out this week is Arsenal duo Aubameyang and Lacazette, and you could argue with the woeful state of the Manchester United defence they should be on this list. Roberto Firmino has also been lacking form and wasn’t even a consideration.
The best forward option is Calum Wilson, he has the form, and the best fixture on his side. That is why Aguero is only fifth on the list as a precaution from the Pep Roulette he suffered during the Bournemouth game. Second is Arnautovic as we think there will be goals to share in this fixture, and we think Southampton will prove more testing after their draw against Man United. Jamie Vardy rounds up the list as he has form after two goals in two goals, and also travels to a team who have not kept a clean sheet all season…the only team in the entire league system.
Want to know more about The Hype Train?
The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015, specialising in the Fantasy Premier League (#FPL), providing beautiful graphics and weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb ranking tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review movies, live sport, and professional wrestling.
As well as providing FPL articles on our website, we are a founding Contributor to the new Fantasy Football Hub, where you can find more unique articles, including weekly Power Rankings, from The Hype Team. You can support us and read exclusive members only content for just £2 per-month by clicking here.
The Hype Train were nominated and shortlisted for the 'Best Football Blog 2016' by the Football Bloggers Association at their annual Football Blogging Awards (The FBA's), with the final presentation held at Old Trafford in Manchester.
You can follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive content, or visit our website here at www.thehypetrain.co.uk
All aboard.
