Fantrax Finds: Waiver Wire Pickups For Gameweek 5

Fantrax Finds: Waiver Wire Pickups For Gameweek 5

This article is part of our Fantrax Waiver Wire series.

Ahead of each Premier League gameweek, I'll take a look at sub-50 percent rostered players on Fantrax whose situations may have changed or improved, and assess whether or not they are worth a pickup in season-long leagues.  

GOALKEEPER

Matt Turner (11-percent rostered): Turner is the streaming goalkeeper pick of the week with a home matchup against a Burnley side that have just three goals through their opening three matches back in the top flight. Turner is coming off back-to-back double-digit efforts and will need to continue to play well to fend off the newly acquired Odisseas Vlachodimos.

DEFENDERS

Joel Matip (12 percent): Virgil van Dijk is again suspended leaving Matip's starting role almost guaranteed for an away trip against a Wolves side that remain lackluster in front of goal. Matip offers little in attack, but he should chip in with defensive actions on top of having a good shot at a clean sheet.

Jan Paul van Hecke (nine percent): Starting in two of Brighton's first four matches, van Hecke has scored 15 Fantrax Points despite not helping his side to a clean sheet in either start. A trip to Old Trafford isn't as scary as it used to be, while being on the road may lead to more clearance opportunities for Brighton as van Hecke has eight in his two starts. If he doesn't start, Adam Webster would likely be in the XI again.

MIDFIELDERS

Jeffrey Schlupp (36 percent): Schlupp is never the most exciting option, but there's stability in his profile as he hasn't scored below seven Fantrax points while starting each of Palace's four matches. Schlupp's ability on both sides of the ball help his floor for Fantrax players with crosses being the lone category he doesn't really accumulate. The midfielder has taken five shots, created seven chances and made six tackles on the season, though he's only gone a full 90 minutes once. Of note, his starting position may disappear once Michael Olise returns to health or if Roy Hodgson wants to use both Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta in the XI.

Ryan Giles (10 percent): While it never feels great to roster a Luton player, Giles has been a bit under the radar through the opening three matches. Playing as a wing-back in this system has helped his attacking prowess, as he's had two double-digit crossing efforts including 14 in a 4-1 loss to Brighton and 10 in a 3-0 loss to Chelsea. Giles is classified as a midfielder, so he doesn't get clean sheet points, but his role on corner kicks on top of his open-play value make him a strong streaming option against Fulham at the weekend and he's not the worst depth piece for managers moving forward. Of note, he took no corners last match against West Ham with Alfie Doughty and Ross Barkley splitting them. 

FORWARDS

Anthony Elanga (29 percent): I wrote up Elanga in this article a few weeks ago, but he has remained at low-roster shares as he's yet to make a start for Forest. I think that changes soon, as he's been one of the lone bright spots for the team, providing an assist and scoring his first goal after entering the match at halftime to lead Forest to a 1-0 win over Chelsea. Elanga is too talented not to force his way into the starting XI against Burnley, though there is risk of not having a backup option if he doesn't start with this match ending the week on Monday. With Brennan Johnson gone, his main competition for starts could be newcomer Callum Hudson-Odoi, who could be in this article in future weeks if he becomes starter.

Sasa Kalajdzic (six percent): Like Elanga, Kalajdzic has yet to draw a start for Wolves, but he does have one of the team's four league goals on the season coming in a four-minute appearance off the bench against Everton. Kalajdzic is still getting back to full fitness after suffering an ACL injury a year ago, but he has talent after breaking out in 2020 with 16 goals and five assists in the Bundesliga for Stuttgart. It'd be foolish to expect that level of return in the Premier League, but Kalajdzic is readily available for pickup at a thin position while playing for a team that has struggled to find the back of the net the past two seasons.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ethan Sexton
Ethan Sexton covers soccer and is RotoWire's original League of Legends content provider (starting in late 2015). He is a fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, Chelsea FC, Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma and the Boston Bruins.
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