Burnley trio feature, alongside Leicester pair
Monday 12 August 2019 15:17, UK
There was no winner of the £100,000 on offer for the Fantasy Football Ultimate XI, but who made the line-up after the Premier League made its return?
Fantasy Football Ultimate XI is a new game mode that lies within Sky Sports Fantasy Football, running for Gameweek 1 only. Managers had to pick a side in a 3-4-3 formation, with no budget or team restrictions, and match the highest scoring 11 players in order to win the £100,000 jackpot prize.
With a new look back-four containing new signings Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, David de Gea kept a clean sheet at Old Trafford, making up half of what he achieved at Old Trafford last campaign. The Spain international made a fine save with his feet and registered tier two save bonus points in the demolition of Chelsea.
Harry who? One game and one clean sheet for Jonny Evans, who was partnered by Caglar Soyuncu. Wolves did have a goal ruled out due to VAR, which saved Evans five of his 12 points. Five more were earned by tier two passing bonus points, off the back of Leicester seeing 70 per cent of the ball. Tackle tier one points were also achieved in a good opening weekend for the 2.56 per cent of Fantasy Football bosses who had Evans.
Following on from Evans' performance, Pereira was resolute in defence for Brendan Rodgers' side, highlighted by the clean sheet and tackle tier one bonus points. He too achieved passing tier one bonus points, seeing much of the ball down the right flank.
A flying start for Burnley and a flying start for Erik Pieters, who made two of the goals in a 3-0 victory over Southampton, subsequently earning five points for the clean sheet too. Tackle tier one bonus points were met, rounding off a good weekend for Pieters.
Raheem Sterling's hat-trick? Kevin De Bruyne back to his best? These were two of the main outtakes from Manchester City's thumping of West Ham, but the performance of Riyad Mahrez went under the radar to an extent, looking threatening all afternoon. Three assists, three. This reiterates his real presence and effect that he had on Saturday. He made tier one tackle bonus points too, helping in defence as well as attack.
Only 0.52 per cent had faith in Johann Berg Gudmundsson, and he delivered, finding the net against Southampton. Although Paul Pogba registered the same amount of points, Gudmundsson made the Fantasy Football Ultimate XI due to his cheaper price and therefor value-for-money, a shrewd pick for managers.
Many were questioning whether John McGinn could cut it in the Premier League, but it did not take the Scot long to answer his critics as he put Aston Villa ahead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A battling performance was rewarded by tackle two tier bonus points, adding three points to his tally of 11.
Tanguy Ndombele demonstrated a calm and personified performance in his first Premier League game as a Tottenham player. His finish from outside the area replicated this, which drew the game level. There is no doubt the new signing can really impose himself on the Premier League, and be a real point-puller for Fantasy Football managers.
Two shots on target, two goals for Ashley Barnes. Not many tipped him to get off to a serious start, backed up by the mere 1.11 per cent of Fantasy Football bosses who believed he could. He would have scored an extra three points for his Sky Sports Man of the Match award, but with the Ultimate XI rules, there were no Man of the Match points added on to totals.
Notoriously known for not liking August, Harry Kane banished the hoodoo as he scored twice in quick succession to land a blow to Aston Villa's return to the Premier League. With his two goals came tier one bonus points, rewarding the 22.22 per cent of managers who had selected his services.
Moved to a striker in Sky Sports Fantasy Football? No problem. His 19 points in Ultimate XI made Raheem Sterling the highest scoring player in Gameweek 1, and this was with a point deduction for a yellow card and without his Man of the Match points. His three goals made him the only other player (along with Ashley Barnes) to hit tier two shot bonus points, racking up a hefty points total in just the first weekend.
