FANTASY FORECAST 2018/19: FPL Gameweek 18

Ahead of each Gameweek in the Fantasy Premier League, The Hype Train invites a special guest onto its Fantasy Forecast, where the three members of the Hype Team and its Special Guests will duel for FPL supremacy in predicting Premier League scores, as well as going head to head in picking a Scout Picks squad for the relevant Gameweek. In addition, we give our insight into who are the players to watch and those to drop, both for traditional FPL leagues and the Draft mode, as well as providing insight into captaincy picks, differentials for the week, and more. Welcome to the Forecast. All aboard.

Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 18 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.

How does our Forecasting work?

We have taken to our Hype Team, and the FPL Community, to compete in a weekly head to head dual of wits. We ask the questions that dominate each week in the Fantasy Premier League: who to pick, who to avoid, who to captain, and who may surprise. The three members of the Hype Team, and a Guest, will provide weekly insight for the Gameweek ahead.

For the sake of respecting the rules of the Forecast, we have provided an example of what we're sending out to interested parties that will feature throughout the season.

Premier League Fixture Prediction: As pundits, we are testing our football acumen with PL predictions and will be providing regular updated tables and stats in each edition of the FPL Forecast. A perfect score is worth 3 points whilst a correct result is worth 1 point.
FPL Gameweek Forecasting: Answering the regular questions that come up every single week in the Fantasy Premier League community that helps with identifying captaincy picks, transfers, attacking options, clean sheet potential, teams to look our for and avoid, players to consider for the Draft game, the wildcard differential players, as well as general analysis and comments.
Scout Picks: Picking a squad of 15 for a single Gameweek, without any budget, using the rules of the FPL - formations, captains and vice captains, and the player limits of 3 per club (chips will not be feature of these weekly picks)
Each team must pick a Captain, labelled as (c) and a Vice Captain listed as (vc).

Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 18

Wolves 0-2 Liverpool

Arsenal 3-1 Burnley

Bournemouth 3-0 Brighton

Chelsea 2-0 Leicester

Huddersfield 0-1 Southampton

Man City 4-0 Crystal Palace

Newcastle 2-1 Fulham

West Ham 3-1 Watford

Cardiff 1-2 Man United

Everton 0-1 Spurs

FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 18

Best GW Attacking Options:

Liverpool (H) vs. Wolves

Arsenal (H) vs. Burnley

Bournemouth (H) vs. Brighton

Chelsea (H) vs. Leicester

Man City (H) vs. Crystal Palace

Newcastle (H) vs. Fulham

West Ham (H) vs. Watford

Man United (A) vs. Cardiff

Best GW Defensive / Clean Sheet Potential:

Liverpool (H) vs. Wolves

Bournemouth (H) vs. Brighton

Chelsea (H) vs. Leicester

Southampton (A) vs. Huddersfield

Man City (H) vs. Crystal Palace

Who are your essential Gameweek player picks?:

Mo Diame, Jefferson Lerma, Fabinho, Fernandinho, Kante, Torreira, Matic, and Romeu.

Who are the players that might make the difference this Gameweek in the Draft?:

Defenders: Newcastle, Bournemouth, Liverpool.

Midfielders: Man City, West Ham, Chelsea.

Forwards: Bournemouth, Arsenal, Man United.

Who are the teams to look out for?:

Newcastle: The Toon are picking up results, and after their win against Huddersfield I can see them adding to their tally at home. Fulham have still failed to keep a clean sheet, and I can’t see it changing any time soon.

Chelsea: Beating teams not as good as them is what the Blues are best at doing. Leicester are in a limbo period and Eden Hazard is the last face you want to see when you are leaking goals.

Who are the teams to avoid?:

Manchester United: The club is in a mess, and now they are without a permanent manager.

Everton: The Toffees are facing a big team which means they are to be avoided. If Everton win, I’ll write a positive tweet about their worst player.

GW Differential Picks:

Nathaniel Clyne is back in the mix.

Christian Eriksen is getting back up to speed.

Salomon Rondón is hot in form.

FPL Captaincy Picks:

(C) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – The Gabon international has been in front of goal lately. He has hit some blanks, with he is overdue a goal so backing a few from the forgotten man.

(VC) Mohamad Salah – Who else other than the Egyptian King?

Other Gameweek Comments:

Rotation season is still in full swing. Prepare.

FPL Hype Picks: Gameweek 18

Formation: 3-4-3

Starting 11

GK: Alisson

DEF: Andrew Robertson

DEF: Aymeric Laporte

DEF: Marcos Alonso

MID: Ryan Fraser

MID: Eden Hazard

MID: Raheem Sterling

MID: Mohamad Salah (VC)

FOR: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (C)

FOR: Calum Wilson

FOR: Chicharito

Substitutes

GK: Martin Dubravka

MID: Felipe Anderson

DEF: Cesar Azpilicueta

DEF: Nathan Ake

Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 18 Wolves 1-3 Liverpool Arsenal 2-0 Burnley Bournemouth 3-1 Brighton Chelsea 2-0 Leicester Huddersfield 1-2 Southampton Man City 5-1 Crystal Palace Newcastle 2-0 Fulham West Ham 3-2 Watford Cardiff 1-2 Man United Everton 1-2 Spurs

FPL Hype Picks: Gameweek 18 Formation: 3-4-3

Starting 11

GK: Lukasz Fabianski

DEF: Andrew Robertson DEF: Marcos Alonso DEF: David Luiz

MID: Mo Salah MID: Eden Hazard (VC) MID: Raheem Sterling (C) MID: Leroy Sane

FOR: Pierre Emerick Aubameyang FOR: Sergio Aguero FOR: Chicarito

Substitutes

GK: David De Gea MID: Heung Min Son DEF: Kieron Trippier DEF: Sead Kolasinac

Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 18

Wolves 0-2 Liverpool

Arsenal 1-0 Burnley

Bournemouth 2-1 Brighton

Chelsea 2-0 Leicester

Huddersfield 1-2 Southampton

Man City 4-0 Crystal Palace

Newcastle 2-0 Fulham

West Ham 2-2 Watford

Cardiff 2-1 Man United

Everton 0-2 Spurs

FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 18

Best GW Attacking Options:

Liverpool (H) vs. Wolves

Bournemouth (H) vs. Brighton

Chelsea (H) vs. Leicester

Man City (H) vs. Crystal Palace

Newcastle (H) vs. Fulham

West Ham (H) vs. Watford

Best GW Defensive / Clean Sheet Potential:

Liverpool (H) vs. Wolves

Chelsea (H) vs. Leicester

Newcastle (H) vs. Fulham

Man City (H) vs. Crystal Palace

Who are your essential Gameweek player picks?:

Sterling, Hazard, Salah aka the 'Ssh' (or the shush) or The SHS.

In attack, Rondon and Aubameyang.

In goal, Dubravka (obviously).

In defence, the usual suspects - Alonso and Robertson.

Who are the teams to look out for?:

Newcastle: Mitrovic is walking into a world of pain. A world of dreary, defensive football pain. Filled with clean sheets and evil Spanish tactical masterminds and Premier League champions.

p.s. who would have thought that a match between Newcastle and Fulham would feature two highly decorated Managers that have won some of the best prizes in football (with not so great teams).

Bournemouth: Wilson's back and the attack is stacked. Wilser (you'll get there) could be in full effect against Brighton.

Who are the teams to avoid?:

Manchester United: It's not over by a long shot.

Everton: The Toffees are facing a big team which means they are to be avoided. If Everton win, I’ll write a positive tweet about their worst player.

FPL Captaincy Picks:

(C) Raheem Sterling – A loyal servant of mine this season. Well rested and eager like a beaver for some Fantasy points.

(VC) Mohamad Salah – An easy 8 points this weekend.

Other Gameweek Comments:

Liverpool top at Christmas? The last time that happened, Steven Gerrard's slip was just a few months away. Who won the league that year? Man City.

FPL Hype Picks: Gameweek 18

Formation: 3-4-3

Starting 11

GK: Martin Dubravka

DEF: Andrew Robertson

DEF: Aymeric Laporte

DEF: Marcos Alonso

MID: Felipe Anderson

MID: Eden Hazard

MID: Raheem Sterling (C)

MID: Mohamad Salah (VC)

FOR: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

FOR: Harry Kane

FOR: Salomon Rondon

Substitutes

GK: Bernt Leno

MID: Roberto Pereyra

DEF: Jan Bednarek

DEF: Sead Kolasinac

Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 18

Wolves 1-1 Liverpool

Arsenal 3-1 Burnley

Bournemouth 2-1 Brighton

Chelsea 3-0 Leicester

Huddersfield 1-2 Southampton

Man City 4-0 Crystal Palace

Newcastle 1-1 Fulham

West Ham 3-2 Watford

Cardiff 1-2 Man United

Everton 1-3 Spurs

FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 18

Best GW Attacking Options:

Aubameyang, Hazard, Kane, Sterling, Sane, Lacazette

Best GW Defensive / Clean Sheet Potential:

Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool

Who are your essential Gameweek player picks?:

Sterling, Aubameyang/Laca

Who are the players that might make the difference this Gameweek in the Draft?:

De Bruyne/Mane

Who are the teams to look out for?:

Wolves, West Ham, Arsenal, Man city

Who are the teams to avoid?:

Huddersfield, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Leicester

GW Differential Picks:

Mkhitatyan (ARS), Snodgrass (WHU), Son (TOT)

FPL Captaincy Picks:

(C): Sterling

(VC): Aubameyang

Other Gameweek Comments:

Ralph Hasenhüttl should be able to bring Southampton out of the relegation zone and to safety.

Wolves can maintain their record againt the top 6 clubs with a well fought draw.

Will Mourinho finally get the sack if they fail against Cardiff?

*answer: Jose didn't even make it to the weekend*

FPL Hype Picks: Gameweek 18

Formation: 3-4-3

Starting 11

GK: Ederson

DEF: Alonso

DEF: Monreal

DEF: Luiz

MID: Sane

MID: Hazard

MID: Salah

MID: Anderson

FOR: Aubameyang (vc)

FOR: Kane

Substitutes

GK: Fabianksi

FOR: Lacazette

DEF: Doherty

DEF: Robertson

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.

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All aboard.