Fantasy Premier League 2017-18: Players to pick for Gameweek 7

It was a high-scoring game-week 6 as multiple strikers scored goals and created havoc in the Premier League. Harry Kane stepped up once again in a London Derby as he scored twice to lead Spurs to a 3-2 victory over West Ham United.

Manchester City kept their fine form going as they thrashed Crystal Palace 5-0 with an all-round performance from all the players. Their rivals Manchester United were also able to grab all 3 points against Southampton thanks to a Lukaku strike.

Liverpool once again had a tough time but managed a win as Jamie Vardy missed his penalty and the game finished 2-3 in the favour of the Reds. Arsenal won thanks to a brace by new boy Alexandre Lacazette much to the delight of the Gooners who did not want their man to fall behind in the race for the Golden Boot.

As we move forward to the next gameweek, the obvious strategy of loading up on premium forwards seems to be catching up with most players. However, the crucial questions as to which ones to take seem to be a huge headache for most players as the team balance can be damaged by a heavy front trio strategy. Let's take a look at the players who could make a difference this coming gameweek:

Forwards

11. Harry Kane - Long Term

Kane brings with him great form away from home

Managers who kept faith in Kane were rewarded as the Englishman hit 2 goals in quick succession against West Ham last week. Kane has been frustrating but his away form speaks for itself. The player has had the highest shots taken (39) and leads the next in line, Romelu Lukaku (27), by quite a margin.

With a strong midfield with Alli and Eriksen to back him up, we expect Kane to deliver yet again this coming week. Kane also had a superb Champions League outing as he scored a hattrick.

Tottenham travel away to play Huddersfield town, a team with only a single victory in their last 5 matches. Although the Terriers have been defensively sound for the majority of their campaign till now, a strong Spurs attack could completely blow them away.

10. Romelu Lukaku - Short Term

The Belgian is our captain for this week

The Big Belgian will be wearing the armband for our team this gameweek as he faces a weak Crystal Palace team who just can't get away from their horrid form despite getting in a new manager in Roy Hodgson.

Lukaku's home form had been phenomenal at his old club Everton and the forward has brought it to Manchester United as well. His consistency and strong potential for points at home make him a force to contend with this gameweek. Lukaku also has an extremely high pick percentage (56%) which means that not having him could backfire immensely. The forward also scored a brace against CSKA Moscow earlier this week in the Champions League.

However, United are heading towards rough fixtures soon and it would be advisable to bank on another premium striker in the long run.

Midfielders

9. Sadio Mane - Long Term

Not many have the pace and power that Mane possesses

The Senegalese man returns back from suspension after a horrendous challenge on Ederson. The lethal winger will inject serious pace into Liverpool's already pacey frontline. With the entire first-choice attackers fit and running, we can expect Liverpool to punish their opponents with some great counter-attacking football. Mane displayed great form before his suspension and had scored in each of the 3 games that he had started.

Liverpool travel away to St James' Park as they play against their former manager Rafa Benitez's Newcastle United. Although the Magpies have defended well till now, the chances of them keeping a clean sheet against a full-blown Liverpool attack seem slim.

8. Riyad Mahrez - Differential

Mahrez hasn't been at his best this season

Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez started the season with a bang as he assisted thrice in the first couple of matches. However, the Algerian lost his form somewhere down the line and this coincided with the Foxes bad form.

The silky dribbler is a great punt for this gameweek as Leicester City face a Bournemouth defence that has been shambolic till now. The Cherries’ backline has been leaky and has not kept a single clean sheet. They’ve conceded a total of 11 goals already and have not shown any signs of improvement.

An attacking winger in Mahrez who has a low pick rate can definitely give your team an edge over the others.

7. Henrikh Mkhitaryan - Short Term

Mkhi has been a constant in our team now

We've decided to double up on attackers from the Red Devils as there is plenty of opportunities against a team like Crystal Palace who just aren't able to put up a show in the Premier League. The Armenian midfielder has shown strong desire and hunger this season and has already been involved in 6 goals for his team.

He is also deployed on set pieces very often which provide him with more chances of getting us offensive returns.

A weak Crystal Palace defence which has been in disarray, on the whole, has been strengthened by Sakho's arrival but will still find it difficult to cope with the United attack.

6. Aaron Ramsey - Differential

Ramsey can fetch you a lot of points on his day

The lack of Arsenal cover in most teams could turn out to be a problem in the long run but we have identified Aaron Ramsey as the player to solve this dilemma. Priced at a moderate £7.0m, Ramsey has been a constant threat offensively with several bombarding runs from the middle.

The Welshman has scored once and assisted twice over the season till now but the headroom for more offensive points from him is huge. With a pick percentage of less than 4%, he is a differential option you could consider if you are unable to get in Alexandre Lacazette in your team.

Arsenal host Brighton this gameweek and the Gunners have displayed solid form at home. With 9 goals from 3 home fixtures, we can expect another strong performance from the Red and White Army who will want to stay within hunting distance of the top 4.

6. Christian Atsu - Differential

d Atsu's trickery can cause real problems to Liverpool's shaky defence

The Newcastle winger is your go-to man who offers to be the most impressive attacking option at a budget price of £5.1. The player has scored once and assisted as many times, but the stats definitely do not show the true story. Atsu has been able to get into good positions but his finishing has let him down on these occasions.

The lack of a solid striker up front has also thwarted the possible chances of getting an assist. Regardless, Atsu's differential ability combined with his price makes him an enticing option.

Newcastle host Liverpool at home who boast of a stunning attack but an equally faltering defence. The Reds have struggled against a good attack and may well again face issues against the Toons.

Defenders

4. Kurt Zouma - Differential

Zouma is a great punt for this gameweek

The first name on the list of defenders goes to Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma who is on loan at Stoke City. The Frenchman is a rock at the back and has a measly pick rate of around 2.5%. Zouma has also the ability to get you attacking returns as he is strong in the air which results in him winning a lot of headers, further helping his bonus points score.

A game against Southampton at the Bet365 stadium should give the Potters their second clean sheet of the campaign. Stoke City have an ailing defence but that shouldn't stop them from keeping a clean sheet against a Southampton team which has scored just 3 goals till now.

3. Sead Kolasinac - Long Term

The Bosnian beast has the ability to get you crucial goals from your defence

The Bosnian has been a huge asset for our FPL teams and has provided an average of almost 6 points per game till now. At a price of £6.0, Kolasinac is difficult to accommodate due to the heavy amount spent but is completely worth the money.

As a wingback, Kolasinac also constantly bombards forwards and has a strong potential for attacking returns especially through his dangerous crosses.

The Gunners have a solid run of fixtures and will face Brighton at the Emirates Stadium this week. The Seagulls have only scored 5 goals in 6 matches and have struggled to create and score alike.

2. Kiko Femenia - Differential

Kiko may have displaced Janmaat and become the first choice right back

A risky option but someone we have decided to go with nonetheless is new Watford signing Kiko Femenia who arrived at the club from La Liga club Alaves. Kiko got his chance after Janmaat got injured and the Spaniard did not disappoint his manager. The player returned an average of almost 7.5 in the 4 starts that he has made for the Hornets.

It seemed that Kiko's days were numbered as Janmaat was declared fit and started once again against Manchester City. However, the manager has gone back to trusting Femenia who started their last match that was played against Swansea City.

Watford will be playing West Brom this weekend and the Hornets will definitely want to get a win against the Baggies. Tony Pulis' teams have always had a difficulty when it comes to going forward and a similar case can be made for the current West Brom team which has scored a measly 4 goals in 6 games.

Goalkeeper

1. David De Gea

Jesus Loves but Dave Saves is our mantra for this gameweek

Phil Jones' injury has forced us to look elsewhere for our United coverage and we have decided to go with goalkeeper David De Gea who has contributed to 5 clean sheets in 6 matches for the Red Devils.

A match against a weak Crystal Palace should not hassle United, especially at Old Trafford. The Eagles have not scored a single goal till now and will in all probability continue their losing streak.