Welcome to AM’s Perfect XI - Week 6 player picks. This column focuses on Togga’s Perfect XI game, which you can play via their IOS and Android app. Find the apps here and make sure you update regularly to take advantage of the constant enhancements: https://www.playtogga.com
In case you missed it we’ve set up a Rotoworld PL Private League where you can challenge myself and the rest of the RW PL team over the course of the season. To join it download the app and then click the below link from your device, or find us from the Featured Leagues tab:
Each week I provide a Perfect XI of my own for the upcoming gameweek, recommending 11 players to consider along with some honourable mentions. The players listed won’t necessarily be the exact 11 selected for my own Perfect XI fantasy side. The point of this column isn’t to tell you exactly who to pick; it’s to present some ideas and get your brain whirring. I’ll be listing a combination of the must-haves and slightly riskier options, alongside the odd hunch. Hopefully you’ll find this useful whether you’re playing Togga’s game or looking at potential transfers for your official Fantasy Premier League team.
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I’d like to start by patting myself on the back for last week’s column, which featured the following XI recommendations:
Claudio Bravo - Clean Sheet
Kyle Walker - Clean Sheet
Gael Clichy - Clean Sheet
Scott Dann - Goal
Leighton Baines - Misc points
Kevin De Bruyne - Goal & Assist
Christian Eriksen - Rested
Riyad Mahrez - Assist
Andros Townsend - Goal & Assist
Harry Kane - Goal
Romelu Lukaku - Goal & Assist
Aside from Eriksen being rested and the slightly disappointing return from Baines it was an absolutely cracking weekend, breaking 200 points for the first time this season. It was enough to move my Perfect XI side up to 21st in the Rotoworld Private League and in to the Top 50 in the overall standings.
Week 6 comes with a standard Saturday 12:30 BST (British Summer Time) kick off and it’s another tasty looking match-up as Jose Mourinho’s stuttering Manchester United host defending Premier League champions Leicester City in the early game. Here are your fixtures ...
SATURDAY
Man Utd v Leicester
Bournemouth v Everton
Liverpool v Hull
Middlesbrough v Tottenham
Stoke v West Brom
Sunderland v Crystal Palace
Swansea v Man City
Arsenal v Chelsea
SUNDAY
West Ham v Southampton
MONDAY
Burnley v Watford
And the picks ...
KEEPERS
Jordan Pickford - It’s taken me a while to realise that selecting goalkeepers potentially set for an “easy” game isn’t always the best option in Perfect XI, especially with the lack of clean sheets going around this season. The keepers playing for smaller sides getting pummelled by lots of shots and making saves seem to be doing the business recently and so I’m going to give Jordan Pickford a whirl as improving Crystal Palace look to dominate Sunderland. Risky? Yes - and so I’ve listed some safer options below.
Honourable Mention: Claudio Bravo away at Swansea, Simon Mignolet at home to Hull
DEFENDERS
Craig Dawson - Stoke have completely lost the ability to defend set pieces this season and it’s costing them dearly. Last week Scott Dann was able to profit with a goal from a corner (in all honestly he could’ve had a hat-trick) and now it’s West Brom’s turn. Gareth McAulay has been the set piece danger-man for the Baggies so far this season but something is pulling me towards Craig Dawson for Week 6.
Martin Kelly - With Sunderland on the agenda it was important to list a Palace defender and it was set to be Dann (again) but he tweaked a hamstring in the EFL Cup last night. We therefore return to an old favourite - Martin Kelly - who will be filling in for the recovering Papa Souare over the coming months. Kelly is an all-action defender who can get stuck in and get forward, which should lend well to the PXI scoring system.
Kyle Walker - I’ll repeat last week’s praise: “The top scoring defender in the Official FPL game and right up near the top of the PPG rating in Perfect XI, Kyle Walker has been magnificent for Spurs so far in both defence and attack.” He rewarded us with another 15 points in Week 5 and it’s Middlesbrough this weekend, so Walker should be locked in again.
Leighton Baines - I had a dream on Monday night that Leighton Baines scores a penalty against Bournemouth. It is the entire basis for this pick.
Honourable Mentions: Nathaniel Clyne at home to Hull, Christian Fuchs away at Man Utd, José Holebas away at Burnley
MIDFIELDERS
James Milner - Stop laughing at the back. I haven’t yet decided whether to field James Milner or Philippe Coutinho for the home match-up with Hull in Week 6 but there is a slight lean towards Milner at this stage. Despite the fact the ex-England man is playing out of position at left back he’s still producing plenty of crosses when overlapping and he’s also on penalty duty. Both players are tempting but only one will make the final line-up, with a decision to be made on Saturday morning.
Kevin De Bruyne - The Belgian is an absolutely joy to watch at the moment, having a hand in all 4 goals against Bournemouth. The prospect of a 100% fit and in form De Bruyne linking up with a fully refreshed and unsuspended Sergio Aguero will have Swansea’s defenders quaking in their boots ahead of this weekend’s clash.
Jason Puncheon - The Andros Townsend tip paid dividends last weekend but I’m turning attention to his teammate Jason Puncheon this weekend. Puncheon is playing in a central attacking role just behind Christian Benteke and is taking the vast majority of set pieces and so it could be his turn to shine against Sunderland.
Kevin Mirallas - Ronald Koeman has got Everton purring at the moment with a number of players showing signs of a renaissance. One of those men is the mercurial Kevin Mirallas, previously inconsistent but now cementing the left-wing role as his own. It feels like this weekend might be the occasion for the fiery 28-year-old to grab his second goal of the season as the Toffees travel to Bournemouth.
Honourable Mentions: Dimitri Payet at home to Southampton, Etienne Capoue away at Burnley, Dele Alli away at Middlesbrough, Nacer Chadli away at Hull
STRIKERS
Roberto Firmino - It was initially frustrating to see Roberto Firmino listed as a striker in Perfect XI when he’s a midfielder in the official FPL game, but those frustrations are slightly unfounded because the Brazilian has been deployed as a forward (or the hipster’s “false 9") in Jurgen Klopp‘s strongest line-up. With the likes of Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana feeding the chances I expect the Firmino to get himself on the scoresheet against Hull and I’ve brought him in both in this game and in FPL.
Sergio Aguero - He’s back, he’s back, he’s back he’s back he’s back. Sergio Aguero. Fresh. Facing Swansea. Get involved.
Honourable Mentions: Romelu Lukaku away at Bournemouth, Salomon Rondon away at Stoke, Vincent Janssen away at Middlesbrough, Troy Deeney away at Burnley
That’s it for Week 6. Check out the Rotoworld Features page to see a whole bunch of great content to get you ready for the weekend ahead. Feel free to comment below to us know how you’re getting on so far. And of course, good luck to all managers this week.
