Round 9 of Sofascore Fantasy LaLiga brings a double gameweek for Athletic Club and Levante, and some big injury and suspension news around the most-owned players. The deadline is today, Friday 16 October, at 16:30 UTC, so here are the picks that matter.

Round 8 averaged 39.2 points, with a top score of 109, so Round 9 is a chance for the 192,000 managers in the game to make up ground. Athletic and Levante play twice this round: Levante are away at Deportivo de A Coruña on Friday and host Athletic on Wednesday 21 October, while Athletic visit Valencia on Saturday and Levante on Wednesday. Remember the limit of three players per club, and that the Wildcard, Free Hit and Triple Captain chips are all available in this competition.

Injury and suspension alert

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Deportivo, 6.2, 21.8% owned) is out with a meniscus injury, and Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid, 11.3, 15.6% owned) is suspended after a red card. Andrei Rațiu (Rayo, 5.7, 13.7% owned) is out with a muscle injury, and Nicolas Pépé (Villarreal, 12.9% owned) with an eye injury. Espanyol goalkeeper Marko Dmitrović (9.2% owned) is doubtful with a back injury.

One to watch closely: Aymeric Laporte (Athletic, 6.5, 17.4% owned) is listed as doubtful with an illness, and Oihan Sancet (Athletic, 5.1) is out with a calf injury, which is why he should not be picked despite a high projection.

Captain pick: Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, 13.0) is the pick for the armband. He has 101 points in eight rounds (12.6 per round), a form rating of 13.0, and Sofascore projects him for 11.43 points at Real Betis, the highest of any outfield player this round. He has seven goals and five assists, with 44 shots and 31 key passes, and a 72% goal probability and 50% assist probability for the trip to Betis. He is owned by 51.9%, so captaining him is hardly a differential.

For something slightly different, Raphinha (Barcelona, 11.3, 27.2% owned) has 113 points, the best total in the game, with 12 goals (three of them penalties) from 8.84 xG, and a 74% goal probability, the highest of the round. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, 12.5, 56.4% owned) has seven goals from 8.85 xG and 44 shots, and a 49% goal probability and 43% assist probability at home to Sevilla.

Barcelona have two of the three best captain options, but with the three-per-club limit, choose carefully.

Goalkeepers

Unai Simón (Athletic, 6.5, 19.1% owned) is the standout pick. With two matches he is projected for 10.66 points, the highest of any goalkeeper by some distance. He has four clean sheets in seven games, 18 saves and 45 points, and Athletic have a 25% clean-sheet probability.

Álvaro Valles (Betis, 6.0, 12.2% owned) has the best average of any keeper (8.75, 70 points in total), with four clean sheets and 34 saves, but hosts Barcelona, a 5% clean-sheet chance. Joan García (Barcelona, 6.7, 15.7% owned) has four clean sheets and a 13% chance away at Betis.

On a budget, Mathew Ryan (Levante, 5.7, 8.3% owned) has two games and 24 saves, with a projection of 5.91, though Levante’s clean-sheet chance is only 5%.

Defenders

Yuri Berchiche (Athletic, 6.1, 3.1% owned) is the best double-gameweek defender. He is projected for 9.27 across both matches, has three clean sheets in six games and, unusually for a defender, 12 shots and six key passes. Cheaper options from the Athletic backline are Jesús Areso (5.1, 0.4% owned, projected 7.51) and Aitor Paredes (5.2, 2.9% owned, 32 points).

Alejandro Grimaldo (Atlético, 6.7, 22.8% owned) has 58 points, a form rating of 10.7, and three goals (two of them penalties) and a 38% goal probability at Espanyol, with Atlético carrying a 25% clean-sheet chance. His projection is 8.38.

Levante’s Adrián de la Fuente (6.1, 6.1% owned) has two goals and 37 points in 611 minutes, and is projected for 7.61 across the two games, but Levante’s clean-sheet chance is only 5%, so he is an attacking pick.

Midfielders

On top of Yamal and Raphinha, the double gameweek offers the cheapest route to points.

Robert Navarro (Athletic, 5.2, 0.8% owned) has two goals from 1.37 xG and is projected for 8.70 across both games. Nico Williams (Athletic, 6.9, 7.6% owned) is projected for 7.98, with 1.32 xA and seven key passes. Both have played only around 57 to 61 minutes per appearance, so rotation is a risk.

Roger Brugué (Levante, 4.8, 1.0% owned) is the best budget play: three goals from 3.19 xG, 36 points, an 18% goal probability and a projection of 8.59 over two matches. Jon Ander Olasagasti (Levante, 5.8, 6.8% owned) has 12 key passes and is projected for 7.17.

Outside the double gameweek, Alex Baena (Atlético, 7.8, 12.7% owned) has four goals, two assists and 18 key passes for 54 points, and Anthony Gordon (Barcelona, 7.5, 5.0% owned) has four assists and 12 points in Round 8.

Forwards

Iván Romero (Levante, 6.1, 7.6% owned) is the double-gameweek forward. He has 3.26 xG, 18 shots and a form rating of 8.3, and Sofascore projects him for 8.26 points with a 19% goal probability.

Ante Budimir (Osasuna, 7.0, 12.9% owned) has six goals from 5.09 xG, though three of them are penalties, and a 41% goal probability at home to Racing. Roberto Fernández (Espanyol, 5.6, 6.9% owned) has six goals from 3.94 xG and a 35% goal probability at home to Atlético.

Be careful with Sergio Camello (Rayo, 5.7, 10.5% owned): seven goals from only 2.53 xG makes him a regression candidate.

Players to avoid

Julián Álvarez (Atlético, 8.5, 17.0% owned) has only eight points and has played 128 minutes in four appearances. Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona, 7.4, 22.7% owned) has a form rating of 1.3, and Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid, 6.8, 16.4% owned) averages just 2.75 points a round.

Looking ahead to Round 10

The Round 10 deadline is Friday 23 October at 16:30 UTC, with El Clásico at the Camp Nou on Sunday 25 October (19:00 UTC) the headline fixture. Athletic host Getafe and Levante visit Real Sociedad, so the Athletic and Levante players you pick now will still have a match to play. Barcelona and Real Madrid players are the picks to consider holding for the Clásico.

Summary

Captain Yamal, with Raphinha as the alternative. Simón in goal, Berchiche and Grimaldo in defence, Navarro and Brugué in midfield, and Romero and Budimir up front. Check on Laporte before the deadline, and set your team before 16:30 UTC today.

All prices, points, ownership, projections, probabilities and injury information are from the Sofascore Fantasy LaLiga data at the time of writing.