Fantasy Challenge: Players to target in remaining fixtures

This week's Fantasy Challenge focuses on defensive actions, with interceptions and tackles now worth one point each while recording three recoveries is also worth an extra point.

Managers are tasked with picking a five-a-side team set out in one of three different formations (1-1-2, 1-2-1, or 2-1-1), and there’s an unlimited budget to do so.

You can enter a squad up until 20:00 BST on Monday, before the final fixture of Gameweek 8.

Here, Alex Dakers picks out some of the best Premier League picks in line with this week’s challenge.

17:30 BST Fantasy Challenge Deadline
AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal

Arsenal will be hoping to leave the south coast with all three points ahead of a tricky stretch of games featuring Liverpool, Newcastle United and Chelsea.

Kai Havertz (£8.3m) will be key in the Gunners' attempt to take the three points. Havertz is consistently among the goals and assists for Arsenal but has also recovered the ball 19 times, made four interceptions and three tackles.

Meanwhile, David Raya (£5.7m) is among the league’s best goalkeepers for ball recoveries, with 61.

The Cherries might struggle to see much of the ball in this one but midfielder Lewis Cook (£5.0m) has made 12 interceptions, six tackles and 42 ball recoveries despite having faced four sides currently in the Premier League top 10.

14:00 BST Fantasy Challenge deadline
Wolves v Man City

Sunday’s pair of matches kick off with another fixture that many might expect to turn into a one-sided affair.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are bottom of the table heading into Gameweek 8, having conceded 21 times and earned just one point, while Manchester City are unbeaten and chasing a record-extending fifth consecutive league title.

Josko Gvardiol (£6.0m) could be a worthwhile choice, then, as the reigning champions’ top interception-maker so far. He is also second-highest on City’s current leaderboard for tackles made, behind Mateo Kovacic (£5.6m) - another potentially fruitful punt, after his match-winning performance last time out when he scored twice in Man City's 3-2 win against Fulham.

As for the hosts, the attacking tendencies of Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.4m) could cause problems for a City side without a clean sheet since the opening match of the season. The Algerian wing-back has two goals and two assists alongside 33 ball recoveries, six interceptions and four tackles.

One potential beneficiary of Ait-Nouri’s creativity is Matheus Cunha (£6.5m), who has made 22 ball recoveries, six tackles and four interceptions. He is among the top three forwards for all of those metrics. Cunha has also been on the scoresheet three times already, despite playing no teams lower than 11th in the league thus far.

16:30 BST Fantasy Challenge deadline
Liverpool v Chelsea

The late game on Sunday is a big one, as league leaders Liverpool host Chelsea.

Arne Slot’s side have only let in two goals this season. Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m) has been his usual composed self, making a joint league-high 17 interceptions already. Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.1m), who also offers huge assist potential, has intercepted the ball five times, recovered it 30 times, and made six tackles.

Ryan Gravenberch (£5.0m) is less of an option in traditional FPL due to a lack of goals and assists but he could be a shrewd pick for this week’s Fantasy Challenge, having made 12 interceptions, 10 tackles and 42 ball recoveries through his first seven matches this season.

Moises Caicedo (£4.9m) will likely battle Gravenberch for that honour in the middle of the park on Sunday afternoon, having tallied 39 recoveries of his own so far, and the Ecuadorian also currently leads the Blues in interceptions, with 10.

And it may be a big ask for Robert Sanchez (£4.7m) to keep a clean sheet at Anfield but the Chelsea ‘keeper can at least boast that he has registered the most ball recoveries, with, 76, of any Premier League player so far this season.

20:00 BST Fantasy Challenge deadline
Nott’m Forest v Crystal Palace

Bringing Gameweek 8 to a close on Monday evening is Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace.

Ola Aina (£4.5m) is worth a mention for this one, as his team’s leader for interceptions and ball recoveries, with 10 and 43 respectively.

From the visitors, Tyrick Mitchell (£4.9m) is the man for this week’s Fantasy Challenge. The Eagles’ left-back has made 13 tackles so far this season - behind only Romero - and completed five tackles to go with his 35 ball recoveries.

Like Gravenberch, you don’t buy Adam Wharton (£4.8m) for goals or assists. But the Palace midfielder leads all Premier League midfielders for ball recoveries, with 46, and his team in interceptions, with seven, so could therefore be perfect for this week’s challenge.

Going forward, Eberechi Eze (£6.8m) is yet to fully deliver on his excellent underlying attacking numbers but he has at least made three interceptions, six tackles and 39 ball recoveries.

On that last stat, it is Palace’s Dean Henderson (£4.5m) who triumphs over Forest’s Matz Sels (£4.5m) so far, with 59 recoveries to 35.