Putting it all together
5 days to go! One of my favourite parts of playing Telegraph Fantasy Football is putting draft team after team together, looking for the team that will win it for me this year.
With Telegraph Fantasy Football we have got five teams. This means we can use different formations, players and methodologies to see what works.
So here we are! 5 days to go, the excitement is real. The break between each Premier League season seems so long, even though I had the Club World Cup. So this is where the magic happens, I create draft team after draft team until I find the one.
I have built 5 draft teams for the Telegraph Fantasy Football for you to have a look at. Take your own inspiration or maybe you like the team so much you start with it. Sometimes people fall in love with a formation that works for them. Whatever your reason is, the world is your oyster.
I am currently struggling with goal keepers and ended up with Sanchez of Chelsea in each team apart from one. The good news is Alison played the Charity Shield, which indicates to me he will be a starter.
352 Draft Team
Team number 1! This team is very much front loaded and then backed up with attacking defenders. No prizes for guessing what points we are going for with this TFF draft team.
De Cuyper, Robinson and Porro are all very attacking full backs. We are not looking for clean sheets as a primary here, they will be a bonus if they do. We want assists, goals and appearance points mainly. Sanchez is solid, so we have gone with him.
The midfield is one of the finest midfields you can build in Telegraph Fantasy Football. The ever consistent and creative Fernandes, Palmer the creative force of Chelsea, Damsgaard the best midtable creative player, and then the new boys Wirtz and Cherki. Both of which I have great hope for.
When I ran my analysis model, it literally fell in love with Wirtz statistically.
The forwards are to be decided, I don’t think Salah will be able to hit the highs of last year. It was a massive achievement last season, it was an incredible season. I can see the baton changing hands at some point in the season where Wirtz takes over. Mbeumo may be swapped out for Sesko, depending on price.
442 Draft Team
This team is a little left field and potentially with a few budget players. I have gone really heavy on the forwards in both Haaland and Salah. If both of them hit form, which I find hard to contemplate then this team will be writing points for fun.
The midfield is full of performance players, as opposed to the perceive best players. Can’t ignore Wirtz obviously, absolute fantastic stats. Iwobi had the season of his life last year and it’s good to see a talented player like that.
Mitoma needs no introduction, he literally is one of the best midfielders in the league, did you see the touch he made against Chelsea? AS for Doku, this is the year of the Doku, trust me on that.
Defensively we have some interesting choices, Frimpong is one of the best attacking wing backs in Europe, he will be getting us points up and down the field. Robinson was arguably the best full back in the league last year and we are hoping for more of the same. Alison complements Frimpong and is an outstanding keeper, while I’m still not sure who is my keeper.
The main talking points in this TFF draft team is the inclusion of Bogle and Truffert. Truffert is easier to talk about, he had a great season last year in France, attacking full back, works well for Bournemouth.
Bogle on the other hand is playing for Leeds, a relegation club, in defence and could potentially cost us points. Bogle will get us points if Leeds are attacking and bullish, if not he will be a bust as they sit on their hands.
343 Draft Team
This team is based from a theory in my analysis, all these players are the best shooters in their positions. Shots make goals, goals win games, winning players tend to get more points. Yes a little far fetched, but I’m looking forward to seeing how it works out.
The forward line of Haaland, Gyokeres and Wissa is pretty scary to be fair. I worry that Gyokeres is going to be a flop due to not playing at this level and not for a sustained period. Any sign he is not working out, he will be coming out, but I will believe in the creativity of Arsenal to help him.
In midfield I have gone for a number of fan favourites in Palmer, Mitoma and Sarr, followed up with………………you guessed it, Wirtz. There are plenty of goals in this midfield and strike force, so I am keen to see how this theory will work out.
On to the defence, John Stones, one of the finest defenders of this generation is an easy choice and loves a shot. Andersen had a good year last year for Fulham, but I must be honest I am wanting more, whether goals or clean sheets I’m good. Mandava may be the weakness, this isn’t Atletico now despite the same shirt colours, potentially to transfer out early.
433 Draft Team
This team has a very simple strategy, use the players that performed the best last year. The ones that have the top points in the Telegraph Fantasy Football or in our Player Efficiency model. The ones that did not play in the EPL have been calculated in the model to the equivalent level.
The forwards are again very strong with Salah, Mbeumo and Ekitike, but I have my concerns. We’ve discussed Salah before and I can see the baton being passed on.
Mbeumo I’m not convinced, he came from a team that created a lot and he scored a lot, and came to a team that doesn’t create as much. I personally think Cunha will be a better choice as he played really well for a team that gave him scraps.
The midfield is marvellous, and we’ve spoken about these guys a number of times.
The defence is once again made up of full backs that can add to the offensive and the defensive points scoring. It’s a bit of a theme with my teams, I just don’t see the point of getting one dimensional defenders as once they lose their clean sheet they don’t offer any value.
451 Draft Team
Another draft team theory for TFF. I have put together a team of players that are great in possession and keeping possession. The idea is that these players play in teams that hold the ball and stop the opposition attacking, so they get more clean sheets. The other factors of possession are creating opportunities and getting assists.
Funnily enough the backline is made up of centre backs which great at set pieces and passing the ball. The midfield on the other hand are good at set pieces, creating play and even the defensive side of the game.
In essence, this team I have built is a balanced team with the fire power of Haaland up top. It’s a fun team really, I’m not expecting much from the team, but it’s a bonus if it does well. 451 isn’t exactly going to earn you a lot of points unless you multiple the clean sheets, but that’s a difficult strategy to pull off.
Conclusion
There we have it, 5 draft teams for Telegraph Fantasy Football to help you pick your team for the next season. Your formation is going to define how you score your points and you will find certain ones work better.
In the modern era, the five man midfield works best as midfielders score more goals, can assist and defend. It means they are more valuable, especially as the majority of strikers do not score enough.
Whatever you decide to do, have fun!
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