The Premier League this year hasn't been kind to the Fantasy Premier League managers. The usual suspects have not been firing but most managers still seem to be keeping their faith in these players and their prices aren't dipping. Or maybe most of you have gotten really frustrated and have decided that it's not worth it. But for those of us who are looking to soldier on, these are our tips to help you guys turn things around.
I'll start from the back of the pitch. If you still own a keeper who costs more than 6 then you're probably not spending wisely because it's the dirt cheap keepers who are actually racking up the points. Vorm at 5.0 and also Artur Boruc at 4.6, both of whom seem to have a good run of fixtures coming his way. Swansea (H), Man Utd (A), Fulham (H), Stoke (A), Hull (H) and Arsenal (A) are Southampton's next six games. Although they seem to have some daunting games on the road, they are one of those teams who can nick it against the big sides. Players from Soton other than the aforementioned Boruc who may be a decent bet are Fonte and Lovren at 4.9 and 5.1 respectively. Both players have been rewarded fairly well via the bonus points system with each of them getting 7 points each in 6 games which is a fantastic return for players of that price. Further up the pitch, Pochettino seems to prefer Osvaldo playing behind Lambert who are slowly starting to get accustomed to playing with each other. They're priced at the late 7s and although they could get a good number of goals against sides that are in and around them, they tend to be quiet in the games against the bigger sides. Also with someone like Lukaku of the same price region, is it worth investing on these two fire or fail forwards? So if you're looking to get onto the Soton bandwagon, then I suggest the defenders and Boruc.
Swansea on the other hand have Soton (A), Sunderland (H), West Ham (H), Cardiff (A), Stoke (H) and Fulham (A). Unlike Soton, Swansea seem to have a safe run of fixtures and you'd put your faith in them if you were a betting man. Ben Davies has been racking up the points over the past two gameweeks and in all probability looks like he will continue to do so over the coming gameweeks. But the lack of demand for him sees his price remain at 5.0. If you're looking for options from the Swans' midfield, then Lord Jonjomort (Jonjo Shelvey) seems to be a good investment to make at 5.6. Seems to be a fixture in that midfield and seems to be an assured and steady flow of 2 points a gameweek at least. Michu is and always has been a favourite for us fantasy managers and while there are chances that he could bag you a hatful of points, he's too popular for those among us who believe in frugality (9.0), but in a season like this where uncertainty is ripe, quality deserves to be paid for and Michu seems to have come good in his last 3 games barring the one against Arsenal. That being said, Michu is the reason that you should all stay away from Swansea's forwards. Bony(7.6) was a big signing but six games into the season and he's yet to get a decent run in the side. Wait a game or two before taking a risk with him because the upcoming run of fixtures could maybe make Laudrup a bit more generous with the game time that he will afford Bony but until then invest at your own risk.
Chelsea face Man City at the end of the month, but the two games before that one and the run of fixtures post that game up until when they face Arsenal just before Christmas seems to be a fantastic run of matches. Unfortunately, Chelsea's attacking lineup has been very unreliable up until this point. Hazard, Oscar and Ramires seem to be playing quite often in that midfield but the none of the others seem to be assured a spot in the starting lineup but it looks like Eto'o(8.9) will be starting this weekend and a little while after this weekend too with Torres picking up a knock in the week. That's a high price to be paying for someone who hasn't really impressed up until now but the run of fixtures looks like it could finally help Chelsea's strikers find some form, but you would be taking a bit of a risk if you're going to be picking him this week. Meanwhile, Jose seems to have finally warmed to Juan Mata so there's a chance that he could start, but you never can predict with someone like Jose, so I'd suggest you wait before you decide to pounce to get him. However, it's a big risk to pick any of the Chelsea attackers as none of them seem to be doing anything worthwhile from an FPL point of view and given their prices, it's seems to be too much of a risk to have any of them in your team. The defenders are a different prospect though. Ashley Cole and Ivanovic seem to be the untouchables at the back but they all cost more than 6.0 but I think it's a safe bet to rely on them to get a clean sheet. But if you're looking to invest in a defender of that cost, then I'd go with someone who's dangerous from set pieces and I don't really think there are many who are as good as Ivanovic(6.5).
Spurs have a half decent run of fixtures but despite all the mouthwatering signings, they too aren't looking too sharp in front of goal. Their last two games against Cardiff and Chelsea had tons of chances for them, but they only managed to get a goal in each of those games so once again, I'm afraid I must suggest you go for the defenders and once again, I'm going to have to suggest someone cheap in Michael Dawson(5.2) because well if Spurs get a clean sheet then he'll get you the corresponding number of points. Dawson and Vertonghen are equally likely to score and Jan may get a bonus point or two but if you're willing to spend 2mil more for a possible bonus point then you probably just have too much cash lying around. But further up the pitch, Sigurdsson(7.2) seems to be getting Spurs their goals and he and Paulinho(7.0), who has given a decent return to managers who've put their faith in him look like potential point scorers this weekend. Both of them are not shy of going beyond the man on the ball so they'll get their chances and will score goals and set some up too, so at a similar price range both of them seem to be decent buys but Sigurdsson playing a bit higher up the pitch may prompt you to go for him. Finally coming to the highly praised Christian Eriksen. I saw the game against Chelsea and in the first half he was phenomenal. In the short term he looks like he's going to get a good amount of points with games against West Ham, Villa and Hull. So if you can afford him at 8.2 he would be my first pick from that Spurs midfield.
None of the other teams seem to have a decent enough run of games so the rest of the players that I've picked out as potentially fruitful investments are scattered across the remaining teams. Allan McGregor(4.5) of Hull is not only one of the cheapest keepers in the league but is also a regular starter. Hull off late have been on the rise and have been getting some decent results and when Hull keep a clean sheet, a large part of it goes to McGregor so you could get some more points off saves and possibly even bonuses from him. With Brady getting injured, Curtis Davies(4.5) and Sone Aluko(5.0) are probably the only two other players from Hull who look like they'd give you good returns. However Hull's next 6 fixtures include away trips to Everton, Spurs and Soton. But they'd still make good alternatives by sitting on the bench for you.
Amalfitano(5.0) seems to be on a hot run of form but a lot of people think that it'll come to a grinding halt this weekend against Arsenal. I thought that would be the case last weekend with Albion visiting Old Trafford, but he repaid those who had faith in him and how! He's got a tough run of fixtures coming his way, but the link up play between Sessegnon, Berahino and him was incredible and not a lot of defences can keep up to that tempo of passing, so despite the tough fixture list, he's got every chance of pulling off something that spectacular. Peter Whittingham(5.1) is another option for those of you who have financial constraints. He's an assured starter and is on set piece duty and possibly even penalty duty (don't think Cardiff have been awarded a penalty this year yet and I don't see why he wouldn't be allowed to take penalties).
Now for the seemingly obvious players to pick. I've been suggesting very cheap players up until now so that you have enough money lying around for you to be able to pick the players who seem to be scooping up the points. Suarez is back and not only have some niggling fears about Sturridge's spot in the team been put to rest, but Suarez's return has just given managers who have Sturridge in their team more reason to celebrate because their link up play is fantastic and both of them rewarded their owners generously. With Liverpool's next 3 games involving sides that Liverpool should dispatch with ease, Sturridge(9.7) and Suarez(11.1) could be worth the big bucks. Moving onto their Merseyside rivals, it was only a matter of time before us managers caught the Lukaku(7.7) fever. Everton may not have a nice long run of easy fixtures, but if anything is going to happen for them in an attacking sense, you'd wager that Lukaku would be involved. Even if not right away, Lukaku will eventually give you a great return over a long period of time so if you've got the cash, then do splash. Also, as already mentioned in one of our previous columns, Ross Barkley(5.4) is a very good option at that price. Arsenal's next three games are with sides who should be beaten, so those who have Giroud or Ozil can relax. With Arteta's return, there's a chance that Ramsey may be pushed back into a deeper role as Flamini could be the one to make way for Arteta's return. With Flamini gone, Ramsey may not have as much license to go forward (a brilliant observation by our very own #14). But at 6.5 he's not the worst transfer that you may end up making because he was still incredible in the Champions League game against Napoli but do watch out for signs of him playing a more restricted role going forward.
Finally, I'm going to address a tricky one. Yaya Toure has been playing significantly deeper than he did in seasons past, but for a holding midfielder, 43 points in 6 games is an incredible return. The goals that he's been getting off late have been some predatory strikes from corners, but he's on direct free kick duty and he's got quite a right foot on him, but at 9.3, he's too much of a gamble for me, unless you made a brilliant move early on in the season by getting him for a relatively cheaper price and you still have him in your team. I wouldn't go out and get him because someone like Michu is a much safer bet.
Well that's it from me ahead of a crucial gameweek before the international break. Hopefully my "expert" advice will be enough to save you from a couple of weeks of international break frustration coupled with the FPL blues.
Disclaimer - All prices mentioned are as on the day this article was published and are subject to change. Also, if football, the Premier League, FPL, life, etc. decides to be a bitch, then we at The Four Man Wall are not to blame.
But if you still feel like blaming me, throw a tomato, or even better, a comment
'Til later,
Blogger #25
I'll start from the back of the pitch. If you still own a keeper who costs more than 6 then you're probably not spending wisely because it's the dirt cheap keepers who are actually racking up the points. Vorm at 5.0 and also Artur Boruc at 4.6, both of whom seem to have a good run of fixtures coming his way. Swansea (H), Man Utd (A), Fulham (H), Stoke (A), Hull (H) and Arsenal (A) are Southampton's next six games. Although they seem to have some daunting games on the road, they are one of those teams who can nick it against the big sides. Players from Soton other than the aforementioned Boruc who may be a decent bet are Fonte and Lovren at 4.9 and 5.1 respectively. Both players have been rewarded fairly well via the bonus points system with each of them getting 7 points each in 6 games which is a fantastic return for players of that price. Further up the pitch, Pochettino seems to prefer Osvaldo playing behind Lambert who are slowly starting to get accustomed to playing with each other. They're priced at the late 7s and although they could get a good number of goals against sides that are in and around them, they tend to be quiet in the games against the bigger sides. Also with someone like Lukaku of the same price region, is it worth investing on these two fire or fail forwards? So if you're looking to get onto the Soton bandwagon, then I suggest the defenders and Boruc.
Swansea on the other hand have Soton (A), Sunderland (H), West Ham (H), Cardiff (A), Stoke (H) and Fulham (A). Unlike Soton, Swansea seem to have a safe run of fixtures and you'd put your faith in them if you were a betting man. Ben Davies has been racking up the points over the past two gameweeks and in all probability looks like he will continue to do so over the coming gameweeks. But the lack of demand for him sees his price remain at 5.0. If you're looking for options from the Swans' midfield, then Lord Jonjomort (Jonjo Shelvey) seems to be a good investment to make at 5.6. Seems to be a fixture in that midfield and seems to be an assured and steady flow of 2 points a gameweek at least. Michu is and always has been a favourite for us fantasy managers and while there are chances that he could bag you a hatful of points, he's too popular for those among us who believe in frugality (9.0), but in a season like this where uncertainty is ripe, quality deserves to be paid for and Michu seems to have come good in his last 3 games barring the one against Arsenal. That being said, Michu is the reason that you should all stay away from Swansea's forwards. Bony(7.6) was a big signing but six games into the season and he's yet to get a decent run in the side. Wait a game or two before taking a risk with him because the upcoming run of fixtures could maybe make Laudrup a bit more generous with the game time that he will afford Bony but until then invest at your own risk.
Chelsea face Man City at the end of the month, but the two games before that one and the run of fixtures post that game up until when they face Arsenal just before Christmas seems to be a fantastic run of matches. Unfortunately, Chelsea's attacking lineup has been very unreliable up until this point. Hazard, Oscar and Ramires seem to be playing quite often in that midfield but the none of the others seem to be assured a spot in the starting lineup but it looks like Eto'o(8.9) will be starting this weekend and a little while after this weekend too with Torres picking up a knock in the week. That's a high price to be paying for someone who hasn't really impressed up until now but the run of fixtures looks like it could finally help Chelsea's strikers find some form, but you would be taking a bit of a risk if you're going to be picking him this week. Meanwhile, Jose seems to have finally warmed to Juan Mata so there's a chance that he could start, but you never can predict with someone like Jose, so I'd suggest you wait before you decide to pounce to get him. However, it's a big risk to pick any of the Chelsea attackers as none of them seem to be doing anything worthwhile from an FPL point of view and given their prices, it's seems to be too much of a risk to have any of them in your team. The defenders are a different prospect though. Ashley Cole and Ivanovic seem to be the untouchables at the back but they all cost more than 6.0 but I think it's a safe bet to rely on them to get a clean sheet. But if you're looking to invest in a defender of that cost, then I'd go with someone who's dangerous from set pieces and I don't really think there are many who are as good as Ivanovic(6.5).
Spurs have a half decent run of fixtures but despite all the mouthwatering signings, they too aren't looking too sharp in front of goal. Their last two games against Cardiff and Chelsea had tons of chances for them, but they only managed to get a goal in each of those games so once again, I'm afraid I must suggest you go for the defenders and once again, I'm going to have to suggest someone cheap in Michael Dawson(5.2) because well if Spurs get a clean sheet then he'll get you the corresponding number of points. Dawson and Vertonghen are equally likely to score and Jan may get a bonus point or two but if you're willing to spend 2mil more for a possible bonus point then you probably just have too much cash lying around. But further up the pitch, Sigurdsson(7.2) seems to be getting Spurs their goals and he and Paulinho(7.0), who has given a decent return to managers who've put their faith in him look like potential point scorers this weekend. Both of them are not shy of going beyond the man on the ball so they'll get their chances and will score goals and set some up too, so at a similar price range both of them seem to be decent buys but Sigurdsson playing a bit higher up the pitch may prompt you to go for him. Finally coming to the highly praised Christian Eriksen. I saw the game against Chelsea and in the first half he was phenomenal. In the short term he looks like he's going to get a good amount of points with games against West Ham, Villa and Hull. So if you can afford him at 8.2 he would be my first pick from that Spurs midfield.
None of the other teams seem to have a decent enough run of games so the rest of the players that I've picked out as potentially fruitful investments are scattered across the remaining teams. Allan McGregor(4.5) of Hull is not only one of the cheapest keepers in the league but is also a regular starter. Hull off late have been on the rise and have been getting some decent results and when Hull keep a clean sheet, a large part of it goes to McGregor so you could get some more points off saves and possibly even bonuses from him. With Brady getting injured, Curtis Davies(4.5) and Sone Aluko(5.0) are probably the only two other players from Hull who look like they'd give you good returns. However Hull's next 6 fixtures include away trips to Everton, Spurs and Soton. But they'd still make good alternatives by sitting on the bench for you.
Amalfitano(5.0) seems to be on a hot run of form but a lot of people think that it'll come to a grinding halt this weekend against Arsenal. I thought that would be the case last weekend with Albion visiting Old Trafford, but he repaid those who had faith in him and how! He's got a tough run of fixtures coming his way, but the link up play between Sessegnon, Berahino and him was incredible and not a lot of defences can keep up to that tempo of passing, so despite the tough fixture list, he's got every chance of pulling off something that spectacular. Peter Whittingham(5.1) is another option for those of you who have financial constraints. He's an assured starter and is on set piece duty and possibly even penalty duty (don't think Cardiff have been awarded a penalty this year yet and I don't see why he wouldn't be allowed to take penalties).
| Player (Position) | Team | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Artur Boruc (GK) | Southampton | 4.6 |
| Michel Vorm (GK) | Swansea | 5.0 |
| Curtis Davies (DF) | Hull | 4.5 |
| Jose Fonte (DF) | Southampton | 4.9 |
| Ben Davies (DF) | Swansea | 5.0 |
| Dejan Lovren (DF) | Southampton | 5.1 |
| Michael Dawson (DF) | Tottenham | 5.2 |
| Branislav Ivanovic (DF) | Chelsea | 6.5 |
| Roman Amalfitano (MF) | West Brom | 5.0 |
| Peter Whittingham (MF) | Cardiff | 5.1 |
| Ross Barkley (MF) | Everton | 5.4 |
| Jonjo Shelvey (MF) | Swansea | 5.6 |
| Aaron Ramsey (MF) | Arsenal | 6.5 |
| Paulinho (MF) | Tottenham | 7.0 |
| Gylfi Sigurdsson (MF) | Tottenham | 7.2 |
| Christian Eriksen (MF) | Tottenham | 8.2 |
| Michu (MF) | Swansea | 9.0 |
| Sone Aluko (FW) | Hull | 5.0 |
| Romelu Lukaku (FW) | Everton | 7.7 |
| Daniel Sturridge (FW) | Liverpool | 9.7 |
| Luis Suarez (FW) | Liverpool | 11.1 |
A consolidation of all my suggestions for the upcoming weekend
Now for the seemingly obvious players to pick. I've been suggesting very cheap players up until now so that you have enough money lying around for you to be able to pick the players who seem to be scooping up the points. Suarez is back and not only have some niggling fears about Sturridge's spot in the team been put to rest, but Suarez's return has just given managers who have Sturridge in their team more reason to celebrate because their link up play is fantastic and both of them rewarded their owners generously. With Liverpool's next 3 games involving sides that Liverpool should dispatch with ease, Sturridge(9.7) and Suarez(11.1) could be worth the big bucks. Moving onto their Merseyside rivals, it was only a matter of time before us managers caught the Lukaku(7.7) fever. Everton may not have a nice long run of easy fixtures, but if anything is going to happen for them in an attacking sense, you'd wager that Lukaku would be involved. Even if not right away, Lukaku will eventually give you a great return over a long period of time so if you've got the cash, then do splash. Also, as already mentioned in one of our previous columns, Ross Barkley(5.4) is a very good option at that price. Arsenal's next three games are with sides who should be beaten, so those who have Giroud or Ozil can relax. With Arteta's return, there's a chance that Ramsey may be pushed back into a deeper role as Flamini could be the one to make way for Arteta's return. With Flamini gone, Ramsey may not have as much license to go forward (a brilliant observation by our very own #14). But at 6.5 he's not the worst transfer that you may end up making because he was still incredible in the Champions League game against Napoli but do watch out for signs of him playing a more restricted role going forward.
Finally, I'm going to address a tricky one. Yaya Toure has been playing significantly deeper than he did in seasons past, but for a holding midfielder, 43 points in 6 games is an incredible return. The goals that he's been getting off late have been some predatory strikes from corners, but he's on direct free kick duty and he's got quite a right foot on him, but at 9.3, he's too much of a gamble for me, unless you made a brilliant move early on in the season by getting him for a relatively cheaper price and you still have him in your team. I wouldn't go out and get him because someone like Michu is a much safer bet.
Well that's it from me ahead of a crucial gameweek before the international break. Hopefully my "expert" advice will be enough to save you from a couple of weeks of international break frustration coupled with the FPL blues.
Disclaimer - All prices mentioned are as on the day this article was published and are subject to change. Also, if football, the Premier League, FPL, life, etc. decides to be a bitch, then we at The Four Man Wall are not to blame.
But if you still feel like blaming me, throw a tomato, or even better, a comment
'Til later,
Blogger #25
No comments:
Post a Comment