The best possible fantasy football XI so far this season
If you’re getting whooped in your fantasy football mini league, you’ve come to the right place.
That’s because FanTeam have launched a free-to-enter Second Chance fantasy football game which offers participants the chance to wipe the slate clean in January and compete for a massive £100,000 prize pool during the second half of the Premier League campaign.
That’s right, starting from Gameweek 22 (January 14) you are invited to start from zero again and reignite your bid for fantasy football bragging rights.
Better yet, we’ve pulled together a few statistics to help give you the edge on your mates. Keeping in mind the strict 100M squad budget and rules restricting you from selecting more than three players from one team, we’ll walk you through the best possible XI you can select based on points won during the first half of the campaign.
How to join FanTeam’s Second Chance Premier League 2021/22 Fantasy Football tournament for free:
To sign up, you need to be over 18, Gamble Aware and meet FanTeam’s terms and conditions. Otherwise, just follow these simple steps:
- Head to FanTeam and sign up
- Join the ‘Second Chance Season Game’ tournament with your free entry ticket
- Create a team and click ‘Enter Tournament’
The best possible XI on FanTeam
Jose Sa (4.8M)
FanTeam points so far: 96.3
Second behind only Ederson in terms of points accumulated so far this season, Jose Sa sneaks into the Best XI because the Manchester City quota is used up on outfield players. Sa has the best save percentage of all goalkeepers to make 10 or more appearances in the Premier League this season (80.82%) and he’s settling into life at Wolves as the season progresses. The 28-year-old has only shipped two goals in his last eight appearances.
Joao Cancelo (6.7M)
FanTeam points so far: 116.6
Wherever he’s deployed by Pep Guardiola — at right or left full-back — the Portuguese international consistently delivers. While keeping abreast of his bread-and-butter duties as a defender, Joao Cancelo is an attacking threat and then some. He’s had more shots (43) and kept more clean sheets (11) than any other Premier League defender this season. With one goal and four assists, it’s hard to argue against finding a place for him in your team.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (7.9M)
FanTeam points so far: 113.1
Arguably the league’s best creator and he’s racking up points for clean sheets too. Quite simply, Alexander-Arnold is a fantasy football cheat code. No player in England’s top division has created more chances (55) or big chances (11) than him. He’s currently vying with Liverpool pal Mohamed Salah for this season’s ‘assist king’ title, with nine goals laid on for team-mates already.
Ruben Dias (6.2M)
FanTeam points so far: 93.9
Last season Ruben Dias announced himself as the Premier League’s best centre-back. The 24-year-old has carried that form into this campaign and with him astutely marshalling City’s backline the defending champions have positioned themselves as near-impregnable (City average 0.72 goals conceded when Dias is on the pitch). Dias has kept more clean sheets than any other centre back since he made his Premier League debut (23).
Antonio Rudiger (5.7M)
FanTeam points so far: 91.7
It is little wonder Antonio Rudiger is reportedly winning admiring glances from Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. The Germany international is thriving under Thomas Tuchel, who has given him the license to maraud forward with devastating effect. Rudiger has had more shots (27) than any other centre back in the Premier League this season, while no other central defender has had more shots on target (7) or scored more goals (2).
Mohamed Salah (13.4M)
FanTeam points so far: 189.4
Where to start? You simply can’t afford to leave the Egyptian out of your fantasy team (once he’s back from Afcon duty). Mohamed Salah has the most goals (16), assists (nine), shots (80) and touches in the opposition’s box (204) than anyone else in the Premier League. We’re starting to wonder if Mo is short for Most.
FanTeam’s Second Chance fantasy game explained:
Sadio Mane (10.4M)
FanTeam points so far: 118.9
Quietly having an impressive season in fantasy football terms, only Harry Kane (103) and Salah (96) have scored more non-penalty goals in the Premier League than Mane (82) since he made his Liverpool debut. Only team-mate Salah (80) has had more shots than Mane (61) in the Premier League this season, with the Senegalese also ranking second in the top flight for shots on target.
Mason Mount 107.9 (7.2M)
FanTeam points so far: 107.9
There was a time many doubted whether a Chelsea academy graduate could break into their first team and hold down a regular starting berth. Those days are seemingly over with Mason Mount firmly establishing himself as Frank Lampard’s heir. Despite their riches in attack the 23-year-old is the Blues leading marksman in the league (7) and has been directly involved in more goals than any other English player in the Premier League this season (12).
Bernardo Silva (7.3M)
FanTeam points so far: 113.2
Following a recent purple patch, Guardiola described Bernardo Silva as the league’s best player. Not exactly renowned for his scoring prowess, Silva’s output has helped position City as runaway title leaders. Among his team-mates he ranks first for goals (7) and second for touches in the opposition’s box (112) and chances created (31).
Jarrod Bowen (6.5M)
FanTeam points so far: 108.1
Some eyebrows were raised when West Ham acquired the services of Jarrod Bowen from Hull City, but those suspicions have quickly subsided as he’s accelerated to the next level this season. Bowen is the Hammers leading creator (seven assists) and he’s chipped in with three goals. He’s a big-game player, too — 30% of Bowen’s Premier League goals and assists since the beginning of last season have come against ‘Big Six’ sides.
Michail Antonio 98.8 (7.5M)
FanTeam points so far: 98.8
Michail Antonio started this season like a house on fire. West Ham’s nominal centre-forward bagged four goals across the Premier League’s opening three rounds. He’s since found the net on four occasions, but the Jamaican international remains a problem for oppositions as David Moyes’ side chase a top-five finish. He’s one of only two players to have clocked up 15+ goals and 10+ assists since the start of 2021. No prizes for guessing the other (yes, it’s Salah).
