HFBoards' 2017 Fantasy Football Draft Discussion Thread

[cgf]

Fekir was on my list when I picked Pedro, but I wasn't sure about having Fekir play the right side. Pretty underrated player around here.

I like him a lot if he regains his explosiveness with another year between him & his injury. Having him and/or Insigne to play off of Belotti and/or Werner would lead to some very fun & high scoring football. Which is a big part of my goal here. I really ran with the starting a new franchise from scratch idea and so wanted to focus on building a younger team that could play some very attractive football while growing together into a powerhouse so that the new fans of the franchise could really bond with the players instead of the more mercenary feel an older more established team would.

Basically, the sort of team that Kloppo would want to coach...even though we'd hire Nagelsmann, Pep, Tuchel, Favre, etc. before Jurgen...

 

[Evilo]

Even though I plan on drafting someone still for my starting XI this wouldn't be half bad either:

Dzeko
Mertens - Robben
Lemar - Martinez - Bakayoko - Koke
Romagnoli - Koulibaly - de Vrij
de Gea

Ceballos​

You're misusing Lemar and Koke IMO. You'd be better off changing spots or replacing them with real WB.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

I really like Fekir to (if he recovers well in year two post surgery) and expect him to surpass Insigne in a few years around Belotti & Werner. Setting my attack up nicely to remain at a high level throughout injuries and aging.

But yeah, when I didn't get Biscuits or my german 6s, I really wanted Paredes to sit in front of Christensen - Boateng - Sule...I mean how the hell is anyone supposed to press that quartet? And that's without Diawara dropping back to aid Paredes when I'm using a midfield trio ahead of the back three.

Love your midfield. It's quite young but has loads of potential.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

You're misusing Lemar and Koke IMO. You'd be better off changing spots or replacing them with real WB.

Couldn't agree more, it really wastes both of them to stick them there.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

My starting XI so far:

--------------------Kane--------------------
---Hazard----------------Dembele---
--------Strootman-Herrera---------
------------------Pereira------------------
Alonso-Umtiti-Sokratis-Walker
-------------------Lloris--------------------

 

[Live in the Now]

My formation is lopsided as hell so no reason to post it until we're done. But it's going to take the modern style where teams play three forwards with only one of them actually out wide. Sanchez inside left instead of out left, Pedro wide right. Marcelo as the player who comes up to provide width on left side just like at RM.

 

[Venkman]

Bakayokoke would be a good midfield. Even just for the name.

 

[MJG]

Really debated Berardi there. Good pick.

 

[YNWA14]

They're not wbs. They're wide midfielders with Bakayoko and Martinez sitting deep, in that case.

 

[MJG]

They're not wbs. They're wide midfielders with Bakayoko and Martinez sitting deep, in that case.

Good save

 

[YNWA14]

I had said I was using Koke as a wide midfielder when I made the trade for Lemar.

 

[les Habs]

I had said I was using Koke as a wide midfielder when I made the trade for Lemar.

Assuming you did it had no bearing on my making the trade.

 

[Savant]

You're misusing Lemar and Koke IMO. You'd be better off changing spots or replacing them with real WB.

Oh look a wing back lol

Right on time.

 

[Evilo]

I'm open to trading one of my midfielder (Rabiot/Kanté/Fabinho/Seri) to get a premium LW.
He has to have played in L1 at some point.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I'm open to trading one of my midfielder (Rabiot/Kanté/Fabinho/Seri) to get a premium LW.
He has to have played in L1 at some point.

Hands off.

 

[Venkman]

----Benzema Lewandowski
--------------D.Silva
------Hamsik Marchisio
------------Busquets
Digne Laporte Glik Coleman
-------------Courtois

Pretty happy with my starting 11. Thought about going with 3 CB. Still might but they're protected by Busquets and Marchisio. Falcao could start over Benz. My team is probably the oldest but still plenty of time to draft youngsters.

 

[Evilo]

That's a solid well organised team. Could use a better RB IMO, but otherwise solid team. Ideally, you'd use a "flat" 4-4-2, but while Silva could be used on a side, Hamsik wouldn't.

 

[Evilo]

I continue to shore up my midfield with future star Maxime Lopez. Hard to pick a player from OM, but this one definately brings enthousiasm.

 

[YNWA14]

----Benzema Lewandowski
--------------D.Silva
------Hamsik Marchisio
------------Busquets
Digne Laporte Glik Coleman
-------------Courtois

Pretty happy with my starting 11. Thought about going with 3 CB. Still might but they're protected by Busquets and Marchisio. Falcao could start over Benz. My team is probably the oldest but still plenty of time to draft youngsters.

Very solid team.

Digne, Laporte and Coleman kind of weak spots, and lacks any real top end defender to anchor the backline, but with Busquets and Courtois some of that can be covered up.

 

[Venkman]

Thanks. Didn't anticipate some taking 2 CB early then missed a couple I wanted by a few picks. Laporte and Digne are still young and can improve. I like Coleman, good offensive output and still solid defensively.

 

[cgf]

I continue to shore up my midfield with future star Maxime Lopez. Hard to pick a player from OM, but this one definately brings enthousiasm.

Yeah, that kid is a lot of fun to watch, reminds me a little of Mahmoud with just how silky he can be under pressure at such a young age. Had him on my list of 8s in case I couldn't get Curt to give me Paredes and had to play Diawara at the 6.

Was really hoping you'd ignore him with all of the midfielders you already have, so I could snap him up later.

That's a solid well organised team. Could use a better RB IMO, but otherwise solid team. Ideally, you'd use a "flat" 4-4-2, but while Silva could be used on a side, Hamsik wouldn't.

I have to disagree; Biscuits, Marchisio, & Hamsik is a spectacular midfield trio and should never be played flat. You have the best 6 on the planet, a brilliant passing 8, and an excellent dynamic/more-mobile 8/10 who can drive things forward with his dribbling when no passing alleys can be opened up for Busquets, Marchisio & Laporte. And even though I'm not the biggest Silva fan, that group is perfect for a 4-3-1-2; especially with Lewy & Benz up top both being so strong in connecting with their team-mates.

I'll agree with the concerns at FB...though Digne should solidify himself as a top tier player with the consistent PT against top opposition that he'd get on that team in this hypothetical league we are creating...and that the CB pairing doesn't scream WC. Although there to Laporte could easily get back on track and reach that level, and Glik is a strong vet to partner him with; so with the right CB & RB prospect to eventually surpass Glik & Coleman, I could get excited by his back 4 of the future. But regardless of the back 4; I absolutely love that shape for the midfield + attack that he has.

I'm open to trading one of my midfielder (Rabiot/Kant�/Fabinho/Seri) to get a premium LW.
He has to have played in L1 at some point.

You saw the trade I made right? Send me a proposal

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Dybala
Martial - Mkhitaryan
Kurzawa - Iniesta - Tolisso - Alves
Azpilicueta - Varane - Kimmich
Buffon​

I like it a lot.

 

[cgf]

Thanks. Didn't anticipate some taking 2 CB early then missed a couple I wanted by a few picks. Laporte and Digne are still young and can improve. I like Coleman, good offensive output and still solid defensively.

CB is a curious position because you have a handful of guys with excellent resumes that people can argue are the best in the world; and after that top group things break off in a few different directions. There's your strong veteran starters who can get the job done at the highest level but will never contend with those elites (Glik being a great example of an excellent vet who's just not great). You have the tier of younger guys who have shown that kind of talent but not that kind of consistency or been handed that kind of responsibility with one of the biggest clubs...and in this tier you have kids who have just recently broken through and so still have plenty to prove and learn at the highest level (like Sule/Rugani); as well as young players who broke through recently and either stagnated before reaching that top level or had a crap season throw off their development (like Tah/Laporte); and young guys who are a little further along but don't have quite as much raw talent as those elite prospects or the current elites (guys like Umtiti/Koulibaly).

So it really comes down to how you want to structure your D; when I couldn't get 2 of the current elites I decided to pair the elite guy I did get with two elite prospects who have been rising steadily; even though they still have to prove themselves with the biggest clubs. But pairing a more experienced top prospect with a strong vet isn't exactly a bad course of action when they have a midfield like yours to play behind and forward duo like Lewy & Benz.

 

[cgf]

Dybala
Martial - Mkhitaryan
Kurzawa - Iniesta - Tolisso - Alves
Azpilicueta - Varane - Kimmich
Buffon​

I like it a lot.

I'd push Martial up alongside Dybala; as Dybala is the forward I'd rather have dropping deeper to combine with Miki; but yeah that team should be able to play some beautiful football.

I'd prefer more of a 6 in the midfield as Iniesta needs to be free to make his marauding runs, and Tolisso is more useful when he can push forward as well; but that's more of a stylistic feeling than a matter of necessity or functionality...plus my not being the biggest Martial fan...that makes me think that replacing Martial with a quality CB, while pushing Kimmich into the midfield and Iniesta up into the attacking midfield; would leave you much harder to disrupt in the build up, as well as making you harder to take advantage of when you do lose possession before the final third.

 

[YNWA14]

The only misgiving I have about Lewandowski/Benzema is that I feel they're both better suited to being lone strikers.

Also, Koulibaly has all the tools and talent to be a top CB (and has been just under that bracket the last two seasons really).

WBS: Your back line to me looks like it could get bullied pretty easily by a 2 striker formation, and Iniesta/Tolisso seems like it could get bullied by pretty much any other midfield and doesn't exactly offer the most protection to the defence. Not a huge fan of Martial myself, but Mkhi is great and so is Dybala (though I feel he's become overrated). Love Alves, too, though he's getting old. If you're going to go with a 2 man midfield I don't think Iniesta should be part of the double pivot -- personally I'd play him over Martial behind Dybala and get a better midfielder for that position. EDIT: Or better yet, move Kimmich beside Tolisso and get a strong CB to anchor the backline since Kimmich shouldn't play there anyway.