Have you ever considered the upside of quitting? I don’t mean on your job or even your fantasy league, but sometimes it is time to give up on players. Twelve weeks into the Premier League campaign and we are starting to get an idea of player usage for most teams. I think 12 games is enough time to elapse to give up on that player you were once so excited to draft. Jose holds a grudge against Valencia, Kompany’s old and Tosun is bad, it’s safe to drop that dead weight. But hope is not lost. There is some real talent on the Premier League waiver wire this week to inject energy back into lifeless teams.
FantraxHQ will be featuring more FPL Draft content than ever before. Check out the full archive and let us know what you think.
Week 13 Premier League Waiver Wire
The FPL Draft waiver wire deals with players owned in 65% or less of Fantrax Leagues.
1. David Brooks – Midfielder – Bournemouth – 60% Owned
Yes, he was a part of this column last week, and quite honestly, it’s a travesty that he is still of a low enough ownership percentage to be eligible again. The term elite is overused in player assessments. However, there is no better way to describe Brooks as a young player. He can change games and has now played 90 minutes in back to back weeks. His returns so far do no justice to his performances and the big points days will come. Barring injury, you can expect to draft David Brooks as a top 30 player next season. Go now and claim him from the Premier League waiver wire.
2. Marc Albrighton – Midfielder – Leicester – 49% Owned
In the football world we can get carried away with proclaiming players ‘the next…’, but has anyone ever been called ‘the next James Milner?’ Albrighton looks in line to become the next perpetually underrated, unexciting player until his twilight years in the game. Over the past three weeks, Albrighton has made a staggering 45 crosses for Leicester and is clearly an important part of the team. Albrighton was unlucky not to have an assist this week that would have made his recent numbers look even better. Leicester have been playing a different style of football recently that emphasizes Albrighton’s crossing ability. As long as Leicester continue to pump crosses in from the wings, Albrighton is an excellent fantasy midfield option and can be picked up from the Premier League waiver wire accordingly.
3.Phillip Billing – Midfielder – Huddersfield – 51% Owned
Don’t call it a comeback! Huddersfield aren’t dead yet and four points in one week give Huddersfield a glimpse of hope that was previously missing. Billing almost made it six points this week when he hit the post from what would have been one of the best accidental cross goals I have ever seen (is there a better type of goal?). Billing has had quite consistent fantasy returns this season despite Huddersfield being relegation fodder until this point. There must be a better feeling around the Terriers locker room this week and an enticing round of fixtures coming up could definitely benefit a player with Billings ability. Even if it’s only for a couple of weeks, Billing is worth adding on the Premier League waiver wire.
4. Idrissa Gueye – Midfielder – Everton – 53% Owned
It’s easy to miss a player like Gueye in fantasy leagues. He doesn’t do that much honestly. He plays largely as a defensive midfielder in front of a regularly changing but solid defensive line and occasionally but not consistently gets involved when Everton go forward. That being said, Gueye leads the Premier League in tackles and plays in a midfield with Gylfi Sigurdson so always has a chance for an assist. This week he did well enough playing alongside Andre Gomes to limit Chelsea’s elite midfield unit. His tackle numbers, alongside an inviting matchup against Cardiff next week, make Gueye a safe floor midfielder to target on the Premier League waiver wire.
5. Ivan Cavaleiro – Forward – Wolves- 19% Owned
So it’s not as deep dive as previous weeks, but Cavaleiro is available in four out of five Fantrax leagues. Cavaleiro can send Xhaka a thank you this week for his second Wolves goal in the Premier League on Saturday. Despite Xhaka’s excellent work for Wolves in the build-up, Cavaleiro still had plenty to do and finished calmly into the bottom corner. Nuno Espírito Santo is notorious for not changing his lineups and Cavaleiro has made a strong case for himself to continue getting starts ahead of Jota. In deeper leagues, Cavaleiro should be picked up from the Premier League waiver wire and can be started immediately.
Fantrax is one of the fastest growing fantasy sites of 2018. With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.
The burning question: When will it be time to give up on Alexis Sanchez?
I’d have a hard time dropping him but no question you can’t start him at the moment. Perhaps there’s a chance on getting something for him in a trade based on his name value?