The team selected for GAFFR gameweek 3 managed to accumulate 61 points, this is a pretty poor score especially compared to our gameweek 2 team which managed to get 90. This low score is mainly down to a sub-par performance by Cardiff who I had a lot of faith in for their game against Peterborough.

Goalkeeper Pick

Mark Travers (£5.0M) vs BPL (H)

For our starting ‘keeper I have again gone for Bournemouth shot-stopper Mark Travers, Bournemouth face a struggling Blackpool team who have only scored once so far this season. Bournemouth themselves have been reliable defensively in their games this season not against clubs called West Brom and look a good bet for a clean sheet in this one.

GAFFR Defender Picks

Kenny Tete (£6.0M) vs HUL (H)

Once again I’m putting my faith in Fulham’s Kenny Tete. Somehow Fulham are yet to keep a single clean sheet this season despite having the lowest xGA in the league. On average they’ve conceded just 0.47 xG per game but have actually conceded in all of them. Tete himself played very high up the field against Millwall away in gameweek 3 and I can only imagine this will continue here.

John Egan (£6.0M) vs HUD (H)

Yes, I do realise that Sheffield United were just on the end of a 4-0 defeat however I believe that to be more a product of West Brom’s great attack. “The Blades” face a Huddersfield team who haven’t started well. My confidence could be misplaced but I do believe that Sheffield United could keep a clean sheet in this one.

Tommy Smith (£5.1M) vs NOT (H)

Stoke have been one of the solid defences over the start of this campaign with the 3rd lowest xGA and they face a Nottingham Forest side who have struggled for creativity, this is reflected in the fact that they have the 4th lowest xG in the Championship. Smith however isn’t just a player I’d pick for clean sheet potential, he has the joint-most assists so far and that could very well continue.

GAFFR Midfielder Picks

Callum Robinson (£9.1M) vs BLA (A)

At this point, Callum Robinson is becoming essential in GAFFR. Despite being listed as a midfielder he has started the season as a striker for West Brom and it is working. Robinson is the league’s top scorer after three games and has the 2nd most shots, and joint 3rd most shots on target meaning it is likely to stay that way. His three goals have come from an xG of 2.2, not an unsustainable overperformance.

Jamal Lowe (£8.5M) vs BRI (A)

Though Swansea haven’t had a good start to the season by any means I think that they have a winnable game here and their talisman Lowe should get amongst the goals. Lowe is listed as a midfielder in GAFFR but has started OOP upfront for Swansea, giving him a better chance of being the man who puts the ball in the back of the net.

Phillip Billing (£7.1M) vs BPL (H)

As mentioned earlier, Bournemouth have a pretty good fixture here against a poor Blackpool team who have conceded the 2nd most xG out of any Championship side this season and a strong team like Bournemouth should be able to exploit Blackpool’s weaknesses. In Bournemouth’s recent win over Birmingham, Billing was the highest forward player on the pitch on average which suggests he is heavily involved in Bournemouth’s chances.

Fabio Carvalho (£5.1M) vs HUL (H)

Fabio Carvalho has probably been the breakout star of the Championship so far. The attacking midfielder has averaged three shots and three key passes a game so far, incredible numbers for any player, let alone an 18-year-old. At just £5.1M Carvalho is brilliant value and should be in nearly everybody’s team at this point.

GAFFR Forward Picks

Aleksandr Mitrovic (£11.0M) vs HUL (H)

Mitrovic once again showed why he is one of, if not the best striker in the league in Fulham’s victory over Millwall in gameweek 3. Mitrovic is an absolutely incredible goalscorer at this level and is a safe pick every week. I don’t think anyone would be surprised if he finishes this season amongst the top points scorers in GAFFR.

Jaidon Anthony (£6.2M) vs BPL (H)

A mainstay in these teams, Jaidon Anthony is back for another week. If you ask me, nobody should have Solanke in their sides currently. If you want a Bournemouth forward. Get Anthony. He makes more key passes, has more shots and more shots on target, expect him to be amongst the goals in a favourable fixture here for Bournemouth

Viktor Gyökeres (£5.6M) vs REA (H)

Last gameweek we had a cheap forward in the shape of Femi Azeez, this week it’s Gyökeres, or Viktor as he is listed on GAFFR. Viktor is a really good option in GAFFR because of the large volume of chances he gets. Only Phillip Zinckernagel has more shots on target so far this season. Gyökeres also has an xG of 2.14, roughly in line with his two goals showing he puts the ball away at a reliable rate. This week, Viktor has a pretty good fixture playing against a leaky Reading defence and I back him to add to his tally here.

Team of the Week for Gameweek 4

Formation: 3-4-3

Starting XI Cost: £74.7M

You can find GAFFR Fantasy Championship resources for the 21/22 season here.

After a successful rendition of this post in gameweek 2, where the side picked managed to accumulate a whopping 90 points, even with our captain sent off, I am back to announce my picks for gameweek 3 of the GAFFR season.

GAFFR Goalkeeper Picks

Mark Travers (£5.0M) vs BIR (A)

In goal I have opted for Bournemouth shot-stopper Mark Travers, Travers faces a side whoever achieved more than one xG in a game once in their last four Championship matches. Birmingham have struggled to break down high-level defences in the past and I see it as not being any different here.

Simon Moore (£4.0M), BENCH

No changes from last week here, Moore kept a clean sheet in one half against Barnsley and Coventry still look pretty solid at the back. Still, the only nailed £4.0M keeper in GAFFR.

GAFFR Defender Picks

Antonee Robinson (£6.5M) vs MIL (A)

Once again, no changes in this spot. Despite his blank last week, I’m still a believer in Antonee Robinson coming up good. Fulham have a really strong defence and Robinson plays the highest upfield, giving him opportunities for attacking returns.

Kenny Tete (C) (£6.0M) vs MIL (A)

Yes, I’m being serious, Tete captain. Even though he played further back than Robinson in GW2, Kenny Tete seemed like the player with more attacking prowess. His late runs seem like they could cause problems for the opposition defences this season. I realise this is quite a left-field captain pick and you may feel free to disagree. Can’t be worse than last week’s captain eh?

Sean Morrison (VC) (£6.0M) vs PET (A)

I correctly predicted that Morrison could get a chance for an attacking return in GW2, but by no stretch of the imagination did I think it would be an assist. The 31-year-old was absolutely immense in his first league game back from injury and has definitely locked down his place back in the Cardiff line-up. Cardiff have the T-2nd best xGA in the league so far (1.01) so should be favourites for a clean sheet.

Jordan Zemura (£5.0M) vs BIR (A)

You may be starting to notice a pattern emerging with this defence. Jordan Zemura, while not getting an attacking return or even a clean sheet impressed Bournemouth fans with a mature performance against Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately, I have to report that he suffered from the same problems as against West Brom by no fault of his own. After Bournemouth’s David Brooks was sent off Zemura had to set a lot of further back limiting his potential. I think it is unlikely Bournemouth see another red here and it could be Zemura’s breakout game.

Tommy Smith (£5.0M) vs SWA (A)

I’m sure by now you knew this was coming, Tommy Smith completes the exact same back 5 as last gameweek. Stoke face a Swansea side who haven’t looked impressive in either of their games under Russell Martin so far and looked bereft of any attacking ideas against Sheffield United in gameweek 2. Smith always carries a chance of getting an attacking return and seems like a player who really suits the bonus point system in GAFFR.

GAFFR Midfielder Picks

John Swift (E) (£6.5M) vs BRI (H)

John Swift has had what can only be described as a sensational start to the season at Reading and I expect that to carry on against Bristol City. The club had troubles defensively last season and they don’t seem to have improved too much. Swift also benefits from having a home advantage with a full crowd behind Reading.

Ryan Giles (£4.6M) vs PET (A)

Ryan Giles is yet another player who has had a spectacular start to this campaign. Giles has featured predominately as a winger in a 3-4-3 formation so far, a similar role to someone like Rhian Brewster, who costs £8.5M and is listed as a Forward.

Callum O’Hare (£5.0M), BENCH (1st)

Callum O’Hare once again proved to be a bonus point magnet for Coventry as they took on Barnsley in GW2. He was unfortunately booked though which lost the Coventry man a point. I back O’Hare to work his magic against a poor Blackpool side in GW3.

Phillip Billing (£7.0M), BENCH (2nd)

Phillip Billing once again showed his class for Bournemouth in GW2. I’d be cautious of starting Billing in your team as Birmingham are yet to concede a goal in the Championship this season and it could be risky expecting them to do so now.

Sander Berge (£5.5M), BENCH (3rd)

Sander Berge is still a player I see a lot of potential in when it comes to GAFFR this season, even if this Sheffield United side are the only team yet to score in the competition. Berge plays against West Brom in this matchday and so is firmly on the bench.

GAFFR Forward Picks

Aleksandr Mitrovic (£11.0M) vs MIL (A)

Even though Millwall are known for their impressive defence I think Fulham should have what it takes to overpower them and with Mitrovic as the focal point. Fulham managed to bag 5 against an admittedly inferior Huddersfield Town side despite a red card to key man Harry Wilson. Mitrovic opened his account for the season in the said fixture and will have a good chance of repeating that in this one.

Kieffer Moore (£10.0M) vs PET (A)

Kieffer Moore impressively scored his first of the season against Blackpool last time out despite coming on as a substitute and will hope that after getting those minutes under his belt he is ready to start Cardiff’s showdown with Peterborough. Moore’s influence on this Cardiff side cannot be underestimated. He is an integral part of Mick McCarthy’s system and will be looking to get another goal against a side yet to keep a clean sheet.

Femi Azeez (£5.5M) vs BRI (H)

Alright, alright. I’m not ashamed to admit I might be jumping on the bandwagon a bit with this one. Reading youngster Azeez however had a really solid pre-season with the Royals and has carried that form into the Championship campaign, getting off the mark in his last outing. Reading have one of, if not the best-attacking fixture this week and it’d be rude not to pick up on them potential gem in Azeez.

GAFFR Team of the Week for Gameweek 3

Formation: 5-2-3

Total Cost: £92.6M

You can find GAFFR Fantasy Championship resources for the 21/22 season here.

With the GW2 of the Championship season swiftly approaching I want to share my thoughts on the best team of players to select for this gameweek in GAFFR. I should make a disclaimer here stating that I am in no way suggesting you should go to ridiculous lengths to get these players in your team and that we are looking at this with only gameweek 2 in mind.

GAFFR Goalkeeper Picks

Bradley Collins (£5.0M) vs COV (H)

In goal, I have opted to go with Bradley Collins of Barnsley. Barnsley have a favourable fixture at home to Coventry, a team who recorded just the joint 5th lowest xG of any Championship team in gameweek 1. Barnsley themselves didn’t look amazing defensively against Cardiff in their Championship opener, however, at home and with an easier fixture I’m backing them to get a clean sheet here.

Simon Moore (£4.0M), BENCH

At this point, Simon Moore is by far the best £4.0M keeper in my opinion. A nailed starter for a side who picked up clean sheets here and there last season is too good to pass up on.

GAFFR Defender Picks

Antonee Robinson (£6.5M) vs HUD (A)

The first of two Fulham defenders in this team, Antonee Robinson has long been an exciting prospect and I can see him getting his first returns of the season here. Fulham faces a Huddersfield side who many have predicted to struggle this season and I can’t help but agree. A lacklustre draw against a Derby side in disarray will have don’t little to help the momentum of this Huddersfield side. I think Fulham will learn from their own mistakes in their first game and will truly put Huddersfield to the sword, potentially leading to an assist for Robinson.

Kenny Tete (VC) (£6.0M) vs HUD (A)

The second Fulham defender in this team is obviously Kenny Tete. Tete was really advanced in Fulham’s first fixture of the Championship season, playing much higher up the field than Robinson. As mentioned in the section on Robinson, I can see this being a very rewarding afternoon for Fulham. I think it’s easy to argue that Tete is a better pick than Robinson due to his more attacking role, especially with him costing £0.5M less.

Sean Morrison (£6.0M) vs BPL (A)

While unfit for GW1, Sean Morrison is almost guaranteed to start in Cardiff’s trip to Blackpool. Morrison made his return in the Carabao Cup in midweek and looked poor, however after getting 90 minutes in the bank I feel like Morrison will be raring to go this weekend. Cardiff conceded just the 3rd lowest xG in the division against an ever-dangerous Barnsley side so should be favourites to shut out Blackpool in this one. Morrison also always carries the threat of a goal from set pieces.

Jordan Zemura (£5.0M) vs NOT (A)

I have to admit, before the Championship’s opening fixture, the name Jordan Zemura was one that I had never heard but after watching him against West Brom I can safely say I’ve heard of him now. Zemura was unspectacular in that game but I suspect this was due to West Brom wing-back Darnell Furlong constantly forcing him back. In a game where he may have more freedom against a pretty uncreative Nottingham Forest side, Zemura is a pretty safe pick.

Tommy Smith (£5.0M) vs BIR (A)

Coming off of an impressive GW1, Tommy Smith will be looking to continue his good start to this campaign, the Stoke right-back notched 2 assists vs Reading which was fully deserved when you see he made five key passes and three successful crosses, a good creative performance for someone listed as a defender. Stoke face a Birmingham side who pulled off an upset victory last time out, however, I can’t see them pulling off a similar result here. This solid Stoke side will likely be too much and you can bet Tommy Smith will be in on the action if that reigns true.

GAFFR Midfielder Picks

Harry Wilson (C) (£9.5M) vs HUD (A)

The 3rd and, of course, final Fulham player in this team, I feel it would be hard to look past Harry Wilson after his solid performance in GW1. Fulham’s new man will have now had longer to work with the team and will likely be looking to add to his goal tally this week against a previously mentioned uninspiring Huddersfield outfit. Wilson is obviously a proven Championship asset and should really be a mainstay in most GAFFR teams this season.

Callum Robinson (£9.0M) vs LUT (H)

One of West Brom’s goal scorers last Friday against Bournemouth, Callum Robinson is listed as a midfielder on GAFFR despite the fact that he seemingly played in a forward role on the opening weekend. West Brom are at home this weekend which should give at least a slight advantage. They face a Luton team coming off a resounding 3-0 victory, however, that was against a very poor Peterborough team. I feel like West Brom should be favoured in this one and when they score this season it seems Robinson will be involved a lot.

Phillip Billing (£7.0M) vs NOT (A)

Phillip Billing began the season very well against West Brom, scoring in a close-fought encounter but it isn’t just his goalscoring exploits that have him in this team, in Bournemouth’s first Carabao Cup game of the season Billing completed five key passes, showing he does also have a creative side to him.

Sander Berge (£5.5M), BENCH (1st)

Sander Berge should not be playing Championship football. Simple as that. He is a player far above this level. Though Sheffield United couldn’t muster up a result against Birmingham, it was evident that Berge was a class above. Sander played a creative role, getting forward often and trying to be the one to start attacks in a surprisingly Conservative “Blades” side. In my opinion, Berge will definitely get a few goal contributions this campaign and is really nicely priced at £5.5M.

Marlon Pack (£4.6M), BENCH (3rd)

Marlon Pack started his season with not just a goal but an all-round solid performance at home to Barnsley. Pack is very cheap at £4.6M and will look to expand on his first start. He is however a potential rotation risk.

GAFFR Forward Picks

Uche Ikpeazu (£6.5M) vs BRI (H)

Last season Bristol City conceded the most xG in the league (incl. relegated teams) but were handed a fortunate break this season when they got to face newly-promoted Blackpool on the opening weekend. ‘Boro aren’t exactly high scorers themselves, but I feel like Ikpeazu fits their system to a tee and could get involved amongst the goals in this one.

Jaidon Anthony (£6.1M) vs NOT (A)

As you can probably tell, I’m pretty high on Bournemouth this week, and Anthony is no exception. Bournemouth fans were crying out for him to start the season’s opener and he did, turning in a solid performance. Anthony seems to be more of a provider than goalscorer from the wing which means it would be nicer if he was listed as a MID but I can still make do with him being listed as a forward. I expect Bournemouth’s attack to become one fo the best in the league with Anthony a cheap gem.

Lyndon Dykes (£8.0M), BENCH (2nd)

Had it not been for the emergence of Jaidon Anthony in GW1 I would’ve definitely had Dykes starting this team. Dykes’ QPR face newly-promoted Hull who while winning 4-1 in their season opener, didn’t look untouchable and could definitely be less of a threat against better opposition.

GAFFR Team of the Week for GW2

Formation: 5-3-2

Total Cost: £93.6M

Points Target: 80

You can find GAFFR Fantasy Championship resources for the 21/22 season here.

With the conclusion of this Championship season’s opening weekend, we can now begin to take a look at some takeaways and conclusions that we may have come to over this first gameweek relating to our GAFFR teams. So let’s take a look at the five points I gathered from this week’s round of games.

Brooks Not up to Scratch? Is He Worth It in GAFFR?

David Brooks (£8.0M) has proven to be fairly hit and miss in his time at Bournemouth and in their game against West Bromwich Albion, Brooks didn’t look like the same player from 2-3 years ago. The Welshman completed just 20% of his dribbles and completed just one key pass showing a lack of creativity which used to be his bread and butter. As of right now, I feel confident in saying there are better options for the same price and cheaper than Brooks, if you own Brooks like myself I wouldn’t rush to get rid after just one gameweek but it’d definitely be something to take a mental note of.

Blades Blunt at the Back?

Going into Gameweek 1 Sheffield United were predicted to be one of the stronger sides in the league, especially defensively, and rightly so. The last time the Blades were in the Championship they racked up more clean sheets than any other side in the division. However, their lacklustre performance against Birmingham City already has people worrying. To be truthful the Blades were very poor at defending crosses, in particular, Birmingham’s goal came from a cross as did the one they had disallowed, Scott Hogan also missed a huge chance which came from the Blades struggling to deal with a dangerous ball into the box. This is only one game but the glaring problems were there, it will be up to Slaviša Jokanović and his team to look to address the issue as the season progresses.

Peterborough the Team to Target in GAFFR

Unfair it may be to write off a team after 1 gameweek, Peterborough’s performance against Luton left a lot to be desired. “Posh” created just 0.2 xG, the least of any side in gameweek 1. This lacklustre showing ended in a 3-0 defeat with Peterborough causing little trouble to Luton throughout the full 90. In the future, we may look to target players who play against “Posh” as captain choices due to their leaky defence and inconsequential attack.

Ben Brereton Diaz Is a Different Beast

While Ben Brereton had a fairly good season last time out, his start to this campaign after he adopted the name Ben Brereton Diaz was nothing short of extraordinary. Brereton Diaz registered a staggering seven shots, the most in the division, while his goal came from the penalty spot, perhaps indicating that he could be the main penalty taker for Blackburn this season. Blackburn as a whole looked very effective. Despite having just 35% possession, the second-lowest of any team in gameweek 1, they managed 21 shots, the most of any team.

McFadzean Is the Man

Prior to the season starting I actually wrote a piece looking at £4.0m defenders, I mentioned McFadzean and his ability to score headers in that article and what a return it was for him. His 96th-minute goal proved to be crucial as Coventry City beat Nottingham Forest 2-1. This goal wasn’t a one-off however, McFadzean had the joint-most shots on target in this game, proving that despite being a centre-back he does carry a goal threat. Coventry assets as a whole looked interesting in this game though, with Callum O’Hare (£5.0M) and Ben Sheaf (£4.5M) both putting in incredible performances and at their prices could be great budget picks in GAFFR as the season goes on.

You can find GAFFR Fantasy Championship for the 21/22 season here.