Booster strategies for Gameweek 7: Leapfrog Mini League rivals with power spike from European fixtures

DREAM TEAM gaffers should be frothing at the mouth looking at Gameweek 7’s fixtures.

No fewer than TEN Premier League clubs are set to pull double duty with the European games less likely to feature the extensive rotation seen in the Carabao Cup.

This is a perfectly viable time to activate one of your three Boosters in hope of a power spike that could propel you above your Mini League rivals.

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GettyTrippier is Dream Team’s top defender after six Gameweeks[/caption]

Park the Bus

Dream Team’s most-powerful Booster doubles the points of all your defenders for the duration of the Gameweek.

Select a formation with five at the back and you essentially strap the captain’s armband to over half your team simultaneously.

Needless to say, activating Park the Bus when your defenders have two fixtures each has the potential to yield season-defining returns.

Hypothetically, the following back five would feel immensely strong for Gameweek 7:

William Saliba (£3.6m) – Bournemouth (a), Lens (a)
Ben White (£4.2m) – Bournemouth (a), Lens (a)
Kyle Walker (£3.6m) – Wolves (a), RB Leipzig (a)
Diogo Dalot (£2.9m) – Crystal Palace (h), Galatasaray (h)
Kieran Trippier (£5.4m) – Burnley (h), PSG (h)

Matty Cash (£2.8m) and Pervis Estupinan (£3.4m) are also tempting options for this tactic but it wouldn’t be all that surprising if they were rotated for their respective European fixtures having both started in the Carabao Cup this week.

Alternatively, many gaffers will want to block-pick several defenders from the same defence in conjunction with Park the Bus.

Manchester City and Arsenal could fit the bill for such a ploy this coming Gameweek, although it may be best to wait for home fixtures for optimum results.

Dream TeamCaptain Fantastic[/caption]

12th Man

If Gameweek 7 doesn’t feel quite right for Park the Bus – which sometimes requires more than two transfers to set up perfectly – then 12th Man could be an easier way into bumper returns.

Julian Alvarez (£4.4m), Phil Foden (£4.4m) and Bruno Fernandes (£6m) are all appealing options with a pair of relatively favourable fixtures at their disposal.

Deploying 12th Man could also be a way of counteracting the uncertainty around Bukayo Saka’s (£6.3m) availability.

Arsenal’s No7 is a doubt for Bournemouth away on Saturday having been in considerable discomfort at the end of the North London derby.

The electric winger is the second-most popular player in the game and is currently just five points shy of Erling Haaland (£8.3m) at the top of the rankings.

Mikel Arteta tends to start Saka even if the 22-year-old is not 100% fit so many gaffers will be hesitant to transfer him out of their XI – if he skips the league game that may be enough of a rest for him to return away to Lens, who are currently 16th in Ligue 1.

One possible strategy for Saka owners is to keep him in their team while using their 12th Man Booster to select another attacking Arsenal asset, ensuring they won’t miss out the Gunners’ favourable double header regardless of the England international’s availability.

Martin Odegaard (£5.1m) is the obvious choice as no midfielder has registered more shots on target (12) than the Norwegian playmaker this season – he’s scored three goals so far.

Gabriel Jesus (£5.2m) would be the alternative choice – his minutes are practically guaranteed given Leandro Trossard (£3m) and Gabriel Martinelli’s (£4m) injury concerns.

Or perhaps a West Ham player could slide in as your 12th Man?

The Hammers face Sheffield United this weekend and will be looking to replicate the ease with which Newcastle dismantled Paul Heckingbottom’s side.

In James Ward-Prowse (£4m) they have arguably the perfect player to exploit the Blades’ glaring vulnerability at set-pieces – Kieran Trippier (£5.4m) notched two of his three assists from dead-ball situations at Bramall Lane.

David Moyes’ troops then travel to Freiburg on Thursday night – Jarrod Bowen (£4.7m) averages 7.8 points-per-game in 2023/24.

ReutersThe obvious choice for captain once again[/caption]

Max Captain

Max Captain is best deployed when multiple players have two fixtures to fulfil and it would all but guarantee you a successful Gameweek 7 if activated now.

However, there’s a risk of wasting the effect of this Booster if the player who ends up with the most points for the Gameweek is the man you would have chosen as captain anyway.

Let’s be honest, we’re talking about Haaland.

With that in mind, it’s probably best to wait until Man City’s prolific No9 doesn’t have such inviting fixtures before opting to activate Max Captain.

The bionic poacher is set to play RB Leipzig in midweek; he scored five against them in one game last season.