Dream Team Transfer Recommendations for Gameweek 28

BIG TIPS

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DREAM TEAM managers have until 1:30pm on Saturday to select their captain for Gameweek 28.

There are no double headers to target this coming Gameweek so it’s simply a case of identifying the player most likely to cash in this weekend.

Mohamed Salah (£8m) has been the most popular captain for the last 12 Gameweeks and Liverpool’s main man is set to maintain that status ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.

The Reds will meet Newcastle at Wembley to determine the first trophy winners of the season.

Salah has racked up 454 points via 32 goals and 22 assists in what will go down as one of the all-time great Dream Team campaigns; clearly he is a strong captaincy option.

Furthermore, he boasts a fantastic record of ten goals and eight assists in 17 games against the Magpies.

However, cup finals are often cagey affairs and Eddie Howe’s side will do everything in their power to frustrate the Egyptian superstar, who wasn’t at his best in either leg of the Champions League round of 16.

Additionally, Arne Slot is expected to be without Trent Alexander-Arnold at Wembley and it’s the talented right-back who often finds Salah in promising positions with his wide range of passing.

Many Dream Team bosses will be tempted to captain Bruno Fernandes (£6.4m).

Manchester United’s captain is red hot right now having earned a whopping 39 points in Gameweek 27!

The Portuguese midfielder scored a superb free-kick against Arsenal at the weekend before a clutch hat-trick against Real Sociedad on Thursday night to ensure his side’s progression to the Europa League quarter-finals.

Granted, two of his goals came from the penalty spot but what’s more relevant is that Fernandes is hoarding almost every point available at present.

He must therefore be considered a viable skipper ahead of the Red Devils’ trip to Leicester this weekend.

The Foxes have lost six consecutive games in all competitions, including a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford in the FA Cup.

Fernandes banked nine points from that encounter but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he notched double digits this time around given he averages 12.6 points-per-game across his last eight outings!

Manchester City are at home to Brighton and so Erling Haaland (£8.1m) is in the captaincy conversation.

The prolific No9 has scored 28 goals in all competitions this term but the Seagulls are in great form and so this match-up can’t be considered a friendly one – Fabian Hurzeler’s side won the reverse fixture on the south coast.

But if you want to strap the armband to a big centre forward with a favourable fixture this Gameweek then perhaps Chris Wood (£3.9m) fits the bill.

Nottingham Forest’s target man has plundered 18 league goals and he will be hopeful of adding to that tally at Portman Road on Saturday.

Ipswich are 18th in the table having conceded 58 goals, only Southampton and Leicester have shipped more to date.

Which twenty-six Reds will we see?

A good bit has changed about the nature of the Cincinnati Reds roster mix since last we gave our best guess at who might be included on it come Opening Day.

Spencer Steer’s shoulder maintained its issues, and he received a cortisone shot back on March 1st. Andrew Abbott, though, has seen his shoulder progress well enough that he threw a pair of IP in a AAA game just yesterday. Rhett Lowder is still behind schedule, unfortunately, but at least it looks like he’s moving forward and not backwards. Speaking of ‘back,’ Tyler Stephenson headed for an MRI after lingering back pain.

Rule 5 draftee Cooper Bowman was sent back to the Oaksacvegas Athletics, while former top prospect Noelvi Marte was officially sent down to AAA.

That’s a lot to process, as are the risks of losing players in camp as non-roster invitees if they aren’t selected to start the season. Same goes for players with no options remaining, as they very well could be scooped up on waivers if not placed on the roster from day one.

With Opening Day now less that two weeks away (!!), here’s our latest, greatest estimate of which Reds will make up the Opening Day roster.

Catcher

I’ve got Tyler Stephenson (1) still on here alongside Jose Trevino (2), as all initial reports on Ty Steve’s back are that his issue is minor. It may mean we see more of Jose in the lineup early on, so far there’s nothing to suggest these aren’t the two backstops they’ll carry from day one.

Infielders (5)

Elly De La Cruz (3) and Matt McLain (4) are the cornerstones of this team, and they’ll form the middle infield. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (5) and Jeimer Candelario (6) seem to be locks in the corner rotation, while Santiago Espinal (7) has solidified his spot as the do-it-all infielder in reserve.

Gavin Lux

Gavin Lux (8)! He’ll see time at 3B, 2B, LF, and even at DH when the time is right. Since I’ve got Spencer Steer beginning the year on the IL, Lux’s versatility will help offset that usually created by having Steer on the roster for the time being.

Outfielders (5)

TJ Friedl (9) is back and healthy and poised to be the everyday CF and leadoff man all 4-WAR style once again. He’ll be flanked by Jake Fraley (10) and Austin Hays (11) most days, with Stuart Fairchild (12) a RHH option on days when Terry Francona wants to stack those up against southpaws. That brings us to Blake Dunn (13), whose RHH ability wins out in this mix over Will Benson since Lux, a LHH, is filling the ‘move anywhere when it’s time to switch’ role previously occupied by Steer, a RHH. In other words, I think Francona will choose to have one more righty bat around than another lefty.

Starting Rotation

Hunter Greene (14) will start on Opening Day, as well he should. He’ll be flanked in some order by each of Nick Martinez (15), Brady Singer (16), and Nick Lodolo (17) for sure at this point. Since the season is long as all heck, I just don’t think the Reds will rush back Andrew Abbott at anything less than ‘full stretched out,’ so I expect him to begin on the IL and miss a turn or two through the rotation - if anything, that may make him even more valuable down the stretch in August/September. I think the Reds carry Carson Spiers (18) as something of ‘starter on an expected bullpen day’ for the time being.

Bullpen

I don’t believe Graham Ashcraft (19) starts the year in the minors - rather, I think he’s carried as the piggyback guy for Spiers’ turn through the rotation with the expecation that he can fill-in for multiple IP when needed in a role akin to how Martinez began last year. Brent Suter (20), Sam Moll (21), and Taylor Rogers (22) form the LHP corps in the ‘pen, while Alexis Díaz (23) will resume his role as the closer. RHP options Emilio Pagán (24) and Scott Barlow (25) have guaranteed money on their deals, so they’ll be down there until they prove ten times they shouldn’t be, leaving one final spot that I’m expected to be filled by Tony Santillan (26) - he pitched well enough last year to deserve it and he’s out of options, so that’s a no-brainer.

Notes

Steer and Abbott are the two notable omissions here. Despite how dismal the Reds have begun seasons in recent memory (and how much that has folded any and all optimism entering those years immediately), I just think they’ll play it safe with them (and Lowder). Abbott getting ~27-28 starts is still very much viable, as is Steer surpassing 550 PA.

Ian Gibaut being back in camp is cool, and he’s fanned 8 against a lone walk in 7.0 IP so far this spring. He’s not on the roster, however, as a NRI on a minor league deal, so I don’t expect him to beat out the rest of the options above. That said, I do think he’s showing enough right now to firmly be in the mix as the first bullpen arm promoted when the inevitable dings happen to the rostered names ahead of him.

Chase Petty has looked really, really solid so far in camp, and at this rate he’ll make his debut (and more) as a Red at some point this year...just not on Opening Day or in the first few turns of the rotation, assuming all goes well elsewhere.