Fantasy Premier League

Fantasy Challenge: Which players to pick who win fouls?

30 Oct 2024
FPL Challenge Foul Play lead

FPL expert Sam Bonfield highlights the best players to target, with each foul won worth two points!

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The theme of the latest Fantasy Challenge is "Foul Play". Players will score two points every time they win a foul, but will lose a point for each foul conceded.

When deciding which players to invest in, using an unlimited budget to select your five-a-side team, it is important to look at how they rank for this week's key stats, as well as the fixtures. 

Here, FPL expert Sam Bonfield reveals her approach for Gameweek 10.

Pick your Fantasy Challenge team NOW!

Who's best for fouls won?

The defender who has won the most fouls this season is Brighton's Joel Veltman (£4.5m), with 19, one more than Spurs' Destiny Udogie (£4.9m). On paper, these look like the two defenders to target for this metric. However, they have both also conceded 10 fouls, reducing their appeal.

Veltman is averaging 2.11 fouls won per game, but is also conceding 1.11 fouls per game. With two points for a foul won and one point lost for a foul conceded, he would on an average week return 3.11 points, in addition to his weekly score for this challenge. By comparison, James Justin (£4.6m) has won 16 fouls and conceded only four. This means that his average weekly gain would be 3.57 fouls and just 0.44 fouls conceded, also making his average weekly return 3.1 points. Therefore, it is really important to look at both metrics to ensure that the gains aren't outweighed by the potential minus points for fouls conceded. 

Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes (£6.2m) leads the way with fouls won among midfielders, with 33. He has conceded 13, which means that while he is conceding an average of 1.44 fouls per game, he is also winning an average of 3.66 fouls per game, giving him really good potential for returns. However, he faces Arsenal in Gameweek 10 and therefore his potential for goals and assists is weakened.

James Maddison (£7.6m) also fares well for fouls won, with 22 so far, while he has conceded only nine. However it is Cole Palmer's (£11.0m) stats that are the most impressive. He has won 21 fouls and conceded just three. 

Up front, Matheus Cunha (£6.6m) has won the most fouls this season, with 18, but has also conceded 10. Although Yoane Wissa (£6.0m) has missed two matches this season, he still performs well. The forward has conceded just three fouls and has won 12. Erling Haaland (£15.4m) is normally my go-to forward, but he has won just five fouls and conceded eight, so he is likely to lose points based on his average this season. 

There are three starting goalkeepers who have won two fouls this season, in David Raya (£5.6m), Emiliano Martinez (£5.0m) and Matz Sels (£4.6m). Wolves' Jose Sa (£4.3m) has also won two fouls, but he could lose his starting spot if Sam Johnstone (£4.4m) is fit to return. But Raya is also one of only three goalkeepers to have given away a foul this season, along with Ederson (£5.5m) and Robert Sanchez (£4.7m). 

So, what's the best line-up?

In goal, I am opting for Sels. He and Nottingham Forest have been solid defensively, keeping three clean sheets and conceding only seven goals. They host an inconsistent West Ham side, so there is potential for a clean sheet, as well as extra points for fouls won.

At the back, I was torn by going for the likes of Veltman and Udogie and hoping for the upside of fouls won. However, neither defender looks likely to keep a clean sheet against Liverpool and Aston Villa respectively, especially with Micky van de Ven (£4.7m) a doubt for Spurs. Therefore, I have opted for Vitalii Mykolenko (£4.3m). Everton have struggled defensively this season, but Jarrad Branthwaite (£4.8m) is now available again and that should strengthen the Toffees' backline. They have a favourable trip to Southampton in Gameweek 10, and with nine fouls won, there is potential upside for extra points with Mykolenko, too. 

FPL Challenge GW10 line-up

In midfield, Palmer stands out, having a good fixture at Man Utd, as well as good metrics for fouls won and conceded. On that basis, the Chelsea star will also be my captain. He is joined by Maddison, who wins a lot of fouls and also benefits from taking the subsequent free-kicks.

For my forward slot, it's Wissa who gets the nod over Haaland. I like Wissa's fixture against a Fulham side who have only kept one clean sheet so far this season, as well as having good potential for an uplift from fouls won. 

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