FANTASY FORECAST 2018/19: FPL Gameweek 25
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 25 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 25
Spurs 2-1 Newcastle
Brighton 1-2 Watford
Burnley 1-1 Southampton
Chelsea 2-0 Huddersfield
Crystal Palace 2-0 Fulham
Everton 2-2 Wolves
Cardiff 1-3 Bournemouth
Leicester 1-1 Man United
Man City 2-2 Arsenal
West Ham 0-3 Liverpool
Everton 1-2 Man City
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 25
Best GW Attacking Options:
Spurs (H) vs. Newcastle
Watford (A) vs. Brighton
Chelsea (H) vs. Huddersfield
Crystal Palace (H) vs. Fulham
Bournemouth (A) vs. Cardiff
Man City (H) vs. Arsenal
Arsenal (A) vs. Man City
Liverpool (A) vs. West Ham
Man City (A) vs. Everton
Best GW Defensive / Clean Sheet Potential:
Chelsea (H) vs. Huddersfield
Crystal Palace (H) vs. Fulham
Liverpool (A) vs. West Ham
Who are the teams to look out for?:
Man City: Two games, probably both winnable.
Bournemouth: After spanking the rent boys, I am not overlooking the fact they are travelling to Cardiff. Should be easy points though for the Cherries.
Who are the teams to avoid?:
Everton: Two games, and ever since Origi+6 their season fell apart. Wolves and Man City are both teams that could put the Toffees to the sword.
Man United: After a little bump against Burnley, they travel to big-game Leicester who proved their mettle at Anfield in a display supported by Martin Atkinson in charge.
GW Differential Picks:
The January transfer window has ended, and there is an absolute plethora of new options. Christian Eriksen isn’t a new face, neither is Anthony Rüdiger, and against Man City at the Etihad it could be an hour to shine for Alexandre Lacazette.
FPL Captaincy Picks:
(C): Mohamad Salah – The Egyptian has always had good returns against West Ham, and I can see this being another big game for the Egyptian.
(VC): Sergio Aguero – I am taking a punt on the Argentine, but fear that he may be rotated in at least one of the games, but just in case, he is in contention.
Other Gameweek Comments:
I think this Gameweek will be defined by pure pandemonium, and full of goals. I don’t think there will be many clean sheets, and Man City will at least make six changes between their fixtures. People will be disappointed, people will riot on twitter, and more people will tell me ‘Oh Sam, why does everyone know everything about these new transfers. Am I the only one who doesn’t know about Miguel Almiron (insert crying face emoji)’? I will tell them that I have an interest and keen eye on football, and I won’t let any ignorant neutrals get in the way of what has been one of the most interesting transfer windows.
FPL Hype Picks: Gameweek 25
Formation: 3-4-3
Starting 11
GK: Ederson
DEF: Cesar Azpilicueta
DEF: Aymeric Laporte
DEF: Andrew Robertson
MID: Eden Hazard
MID: Leroy Sane
MID: Richarlison
MID: Mohamad Salah (C)
FOR: Joshua King
FOR: Sergio Aguero (VC)
FOR: Roberto Firmino
Substitutes
GK: Jordan Pickford
MID: Christian Eriksen
DEF: Nathaniel Clyne
DEF: Patrick van Aanholt
Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 25
Spurs 2-1 Newcastle
Brighton 1-2 Watford
Burnley 1-0 Southampton
Chelsea 2-1 Huddersfield
Crystal Palace 2-0 Fulham
Everton 0-2 Wolves
Cardiff 1-3 Bournemouth
Leicester 1-3 Man United
Man City 3-2 Arsenal
West Ham 2-1 Liverpool
Everton 1-2 Man City
FPL Hype Picks: Gameweek 25
Formation: 4-4-2
Starting 11
GK: Rui Patricio
DEF: Marcos Alonso
DEF: Aymeric Laporte
DEF: Andrew Robertson
DEF: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
MID: Paul Pogba
MID: Leroy Sane
MID: Richarlison
MID: Mohamad Salah (C)
FOR: Marcus Rashford
FOR: Sergio Aguero (VC)
Substitutes
GK: Jordan Pickford
MID: Gylfi Sigurdsson
FOR: Michy Batshuayi
DEF: Patrick van Aanholt
Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 25
Spurs 1-1 Newcastle
Brighton 2-2 Watford
Burnley 1-0 Southampton
Chelsea 3-0 Huddersfield
Crystal Palace 2-1 Fulham
Everton 1-1 Wolves
Cardiff 1-2 Bournemouth
Leicester 0-2 Man United
Man City 3-1 Arsenal
West Ham 0-4 Liverpool
Everton 1-2 Man City
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 25
Best GW Attacking Options:
Watford (A) vs. Brighton
Brighton (H) vs. Watford
Chelsea (H) vs. Huddersfield
Crystal Palace (H) vs. Fulham
Bournemouth (A) vs. Cardiff
Man City vs. Arsenal (H) and Everton (A)
Liverpool (A) vs. West Ham
Best GW Defensive / Clean Sheet Potential:
Man United (A) vs. Leicester
Liverpool (A) vs. West Ham
Burnley (H) vs. Southampton
Chelsea (H) vs. Huddersfield
Who are the teams to look out for?:
Newcastle: An early fixture tomorrow morning will benefit Newcastle at Spurs, with the early fixture sometimes an affair where both teams need to wake up. Almiron's arrival and the win at Man City should push Newcastle to some points at Wembley against a weak Spurs side.
Crystal Palace: A big weekend ahead against Fulham could see some real daylight between the hosts and the relegation zone. I've got a feeling the likes of Townsend and PVA might just have big FPL scores on the horizon.
Man United: Just got a feeling that they'll roll Leicester over here, even though the Foxes typically perform well against Top clubs.
Who are the teams to avoid?:
Man City: Rotation.
Everton: Bang average.
Spurs: Injuries.
Chelsea: Out of form.
FPL Captaincy Picks:
(C): Sergio Aguero – Rotation aside, the potential is there for The Kun to have a big week. Maybe. Maybe not. I've given up trying to understand City's line-ups and tactics anymore. None of it makes sense.
(VC): Mohamed Salah – The best option who isn't in a Double Gameweek by a million miles.
Other Gameweek Comments:
This first Double Gameweek is just not computing with me very well, at all. I'm just not feeling it, and feel like with City facing a Double Gameweek, and then having no fixture the same week Liverpool travel to Man United, that relying on the PL champs might just cause more problems than it is worth.
If they were in unbeatable form, I'd probably have 3 of their players, but given their line-up selection and form, there's no way of knowing how high the ceiling will be.
FPL Hype Picks: Gameweek 25
Formation: 3-4-3
Starting 11
GK: Jordan Pickford
DEF: Marcos Alonso
DEF: Aymeric Laporte
DEF: Andrew Robertson
MID: Andros Townsend
MID: Raheem Sterling
MID: Richarlison
MID: Mohamad Salah (VC)
FOR: Marcus Rashford
FOR: Sergio Aguero (C)
FOR: Gonzalo Higuain
Substitutes
GK: Tom Heaton
MID: Gylfi Sigurdsson
DEF: Virgil van Dijk
DEF: Patrick van Aanholt
Fixture Prediction: Gameweek 25
Spurs 2-0 Newcastle
Brighton 1-1 Watford
Burnley 1-1 Southampton
Chelsea 3-0 Huddersfield
Crystal Palace 1-2 Fulham
Everton 2-1 Wolves
Cardiff 1-2 Bournemouth
Leicester 1-2 Man United
Man City 3-1 Arsenal
West Ham 0-3 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Man City
FPL Forecasting: Gameweek 25
Best GW Attacking Options:
Chelsea (H) vs. Huddersfield
Everton (H) vs. Wolves
Bournemouth (A) vs. Cardiff
Man United (A) vs. Leicester
Man City (H) vs. Arsenal
Liverpool (A) vs. West Ham
Man City (A) vs. Everton
Best GW Defensive / Clean Sheet Potential:
Spurs (H) vs. Newcastle
Chelsea (H) vs. Huddersfield
Liverpool (A) vs. West Ham
Who are your essential Gameweek player picks?:
Aguero: The Argentinian managed to start 18 of his 20 appearances this season missing 4 weeks for injury. He managed to score 11 goals and provide 8 assists. He is expected to be the main striker on the front line, and start both games this g
Gameweek. Moreover, Pep will manage his minutes by probably substituting him for Jesus at 60’ for one of the games.
Sane: Scored twice and assisted twice over the past 4 Gameweek's. His minutes were managed in his last 3 games (~70’), and rested in cup games. He currently is one of the most in-form players in Man City side, and with Mendy out, he might start both games.
Salah: Bad weather and worse performance led to a draw with Leicester at Anfield. However, 6 double-figure hauls in the last 9 Gameweek's says all about the Pharaoh. During his last three matches against West Ham in the league, Salah scored 4 goals, provided 1 assist and had 9 shots on target.
Who are the teams to look out for?:
Man City: Although it was a bitterly disappointing match against Newcastle, with Man City players showing a sloppy performance, this team stands out in this Double Gameweek: Facing the slack Arsenal defence at the Etihad Stadium, and visiting the struggling Everton. I don’t expect another “faux pas” from a team racing for the title.
Liverpool: GW24 was a chance for Liverpool to widen the gap with Man City, yet, they did not seem determined nor focused for the win against Leicester. They are playing away against a West Ham who, after a surprising win against Arsenal, lost their last 3 games in different competitions while conceding 9 goals.
Chelsea: Chelsea are currently out of form after 2 defeats. Unfortunately, they conceded 6 goals and some problems surfacing between Sarri and some players. However, they are hosting Huddersfield who managed to create only 3 big chances while conceding 11 in the last four Gameweek's.
Who are the teams to avoid?:
West Ham: It will be wise to avoid the Hammers players for GW25 before their fixtures ease up (to face 1 top 6 in the next 7 gameweek's). Facing the genuine title contenders will not be an easy walk.
Arsenal: And more specifically their shaky defence against the attacking power of Man City.
GW Differential Picks:
Higuain: Owned by only 1.6% of the FPL managers, I have a punt that the GW25 match against Huddersfield will be a good opportunity to debut his goal-scoring records in the premiere league after a slow start in his first match. This is a hunch and not backed up with stats.
FPL Captaincy Picks:
(C): Aguero
(VC): Mohamad Salah
Other Gameweek Comments:
It might be wise to double-up or triple-up on the teams playing the double gameweek (EVE and MCI) but keep in mind that you will need to either bench them or transfer them out ahead of GW27. Taking hits to on-board those players and/or transfer them out may counter the game points gained from the player double appearance. Plan accordingly!
Personally, I am facing many weaknesses in my team that need to be fixed, and seriously considering to navigate this gameweek without additional GW players (I currently own Richarlison only).
FPL Hype Picks: Gameweek 25
Formation: 3-5-2
Starting 11
GK: Kepa
DEF: Robertson
DEF: David Luiz
DEF: Trippier
MID: Son
MID: Sane
MID: Sterling
MID: Salah (vc)
MID: Richarlison
FOR: Aguero (c)
FOR: Higuain
Substitutes
GK: Lloris
FOR: King
DEF: Keane
DEF: Wan-Bissaka
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.
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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.
