Here’s the GW7 fantasy premier league “ones to watch”. This is a menu of fantasy premier league players to pick from for your team with factors stating why. (values as at Thursday 4/10)
If youre not familiar with the format I’ve put the removals from last week in strikethrough to show you who has come off from last week. The new fantasy premier league players and reasons why are added in italics to make it easier to follow.
Ive added a new feature putting BUY HOLD or SELL next to players to clarify my position an all players except budget and bubbling under players. It aso makes it easier for people wanting a quick look rather than going through the whole article. Below each position if applicable is a “bubbling under” category for monitoring certain fantasy premier league players before they are added to the “ones to watch” list. Remember these are fantasy premier league players I would have in my team. At the bottom is a key if you want a bit more detail on the factors listed
GOALKEEPER
Hart – £7.0m – quality fixtures HOLD
Quality defence will come right. The underlying defensive stats are still good. A good run of fixtures starting at Sunderland H should give returns. Has selection stabilty where the only other option is Kompany
Foster – £5.2m quality.HOLD
Should be clean sheets and save points here. Good fixtures incl home to QPR next
Ruddy £4.5m budget
Needs home and away rotation with another GK but fewer and fewer options in the budget section.
Jaaskelainen £4.8m budget
fixtures moving away from him but same as Ruddy applies
Begovic £4.5m budget
Get Liverpool and Man U away out of the way and the fixtures get far better
McCarthy – £4.0m budget fixtures
If youre really just after someone cheap and will rely on save points then McCarthy is probably the best bet. Federici injured with no return date
Gazzaniga – £4.0m budget fixtures
Ditto for McCarthy
Mannone -£4.5m budget fixtures short term
Could only get you 2 games but if you’ve got transfers burning a whole in your pocket and are willing to gamble that Szczesny wont be back as expected or wont get his place back.
Guzan – £4.5m budget
Can anybody be first choice with Lambert in charge. No defensive stats but if youre looking for a filler its another option
Bubbling under
DEFENCE
Rafael – £5.8m – value. attack HOLD
Utd don’t have great fixtures its true but its essentially the same defence and 2 CMs that last year got 20 clean sheets. However even saying that you cant ignore the defensive stats that stare you in the face. They are not good. I personally wouldn’t touch the rest of the defence this fact but Rafael gives you potential for attacking returns to cover this
Ivanovic – £7.1m attack HOLD
Home game against Norwich but then fixtures get difficult. RDM looks like he will play defensively though. Dont buy but dont sell just yet
Jagielka – £6.1m fixtures. BUY
If you’ve got the cash for Baines you’ll get the returns
Hangeland £5.0m – value fixtures sleeping giant. HOLD
Fulham have reasonable defensive stats although they have benefited from good fixtures and will continue to over the next 6. No attacking stats or bonus points so far so if you want to save £0.5m go for Hughes at £4.5m or Baird at £4.4m who’s playing in midfield but has a Karagounis risk
Jenkinson – £5.0m value fixtures short term. HOLD
According to physio room Sagna’s back in GW7 but no sign from Arsenal thats the case and not on the bench in champs league. Don’t buy but don’t sell until Sagna effect realised
Gibbs – £5.8m fixtures BUY
The best certain game time value in the Arsenal defence. Good fixtures start now. Santos didn’t start in champs league which doesn’t show confidence in him as a replacement.
McAuley – £5.4m Attack HOLD.
Probably the most secure game time wise. Has a knock but expected to recover
Johnson – £6.4m. attack BUY
Good attacking stats. A reasonable run of fixtures coming now starting with Stoke at home. Fixtures slightly improving after United at Home.
Budget
Clyne – Saints attack. fixtures.
Fonte – saints fixtures
Demel – £4.2m
Gorkks – £3.9m Reading. fixtures
Nelsen – QPR £3.9m fixtures. A short term batch of good fixtures coming. Seems to have held his place. Has the potential to nick a goal.
Davies £4.0m- Seems to be holding his place as Swansea LB. Home game to reading this week but fixtures moving away from Swansea
Bubbling under
Wisdom – £4.5m budget
Enrique may return this week with Johnson going to RB. Monitor as great value for a Liverpool RB
MIDFIELD
Hazard – £10.3m HOLD
Dont buy but not necessarily a sell just yet especially with Norwich at Home and as a captain possibility. Poor fixtures.
Bale – £9.4m – Quality.HOLD
All those who sold him for Michu earlier on are hopefully regreatting such a short sighted approach. However fixtures now against him after Villa at home this week. Shown quality to ride out fixtures. Not sure I would buy him but not a sell especially this week
Pienaar – £6.8m – fixtures.HOLD
Fellaini – £7.3m form. fixtures. BUY
Played in an advanced position again. Top of the underlying stats too
Nolan – £6.3m form HOLD
Still as a few good fixtures left with Saints at home in GW8 before they turn against him. Bit dearer than I’d like but plays in such an advanced position you always think he will score. Carroll returning will help immeasurably. Don’t sell not sure I would buy at this stage.
Morrison – £6.0m HOLD
Not producing just at the moment but the best of the WBA midfielders with a goal threat. Most advanced position wise as well. Don’t sell just yet with a home game against QPR this week.
Cazorla – £9.3m quality. form. fixtures BUY
Doing surprisingly well in the shooting stats although the final effort has been wayward but getting into these positions far more. Fixtures improved. Shoots far too much outside the box and a bit assist based but the Chelsea game was encouraging even if his final shot was a bit Suarez like (prior to Norwich!)
Lallana – £6.0m – fixtures form BUY
Good underlying stats.
Gervinho – £7.4m – form. fixtures BUY
Playing as a striker. good underlying shooting stats
Dempsey – £9.2m. quality BUY
Still a bit of a game time risk but home to Villa seems worth the risk to me. Doesn’t have fixtures with him. Has the ability to be fixture proof though
Silva – £9.6m quality form fixtures BUY
Shown shooting form and now has the fixtures going for him. You have to accept that he will be rotated with Nasri but both should play the home games.
Ramirez – £6.0m fixtures BUY
Showed enough away to Everton for Southampton that he will be a threat. Has the fixtures.
Budget £4.5m ish
Guthrie – £4.4m fixtures
lost his place last week so monitor. Could be a sell soon
Schneiderlin – £4.5m Saints
Sterling – £4.6m a risk with Assaidi being purchased but with form shown maybe worth it
Kacaniklic – £4.7m lost his place to Ruiz. Hold for game away to saints in case returns but would then sell
El Ahmadi – £4.5m.
Puncheon – £4.4m.SELL Ramirez will take his place it seems
Bubbling under
Ben Arfa. – £7.9m Quality. form.
I would wait for fixtures to improve.
Hoilett – fixtures. £5.9m.
A little expensive. QPR have some good fixtures coming. Didnt start against West Ham monitor
FORWARDS
Tevez £9.7m – quality. form fixtures. HOLD
Has been sold consistently in FPL. Under threat from Dzeko but fixtures are with City. I still believe him and Aguero are the best partnership. Didnt play in the Champs league which heightens chance of playing this weekend. I wouldnt buy but dont sell with fixtures coming up
RVP – £13.5m – QUALITY. HOLD
Rotation is the risk
Jelavic – £8.4m – fixtures quality form BUY
Lethal finisher, with surprising ability to create chances for others as well
Berbatov – £7.1m quality. form.HOLD
Injured but good value and quality
Lambert – £6.2m form. Fixtures. value BUY
Defoe – £7.8m – Form. quality. value HOLD
Fixtures are against him but you cant argue with the price. I wouldn’t have seen him as a lone striker but showed real quality against Reading QPR and Man U. Adebayor injury and form will see him start.
Ba – £8.2m form. BUY
Fixtures aren’t great but has shown real quality. Has the ability to score against any opposition. Just monitor the noise with the club to ensure no game time risk
Podolski. – £8.6m HOLD
I wouldnt buy him now for Arsenals coverage, I would go for Gervinho or Cazorla in midfield but with the fixtures he wouldn’t be a priority sale.
Aguero – £11.0m. QUALITY fixtures. BUY
Role seems assured. Injury layoff should see him fresher and less rotatable
Suarez – £9.4m fixtures BUY
Top of the shooting stats despite the hard fixtures start. Just the final shot that has been the difference between being world class. Norwich will hopefully change that and the fixtures are better starting at Stoke at home
I’m not putting a budget section for strikers. I just think the position is too important and theres too much quality to put a filler in. However Pogrebnyak at £4.7m is the best option if you really must.
Bubbling under
Crouch £6.6m form value
wait until after Liverpool and Utd away because fixtures improve then
Lukaku – £6.5m
needs to start to be viable. monitor
KEY
quality – an elite player for his position
value – a player at a value that is less than the returns I expect
fixtures – a player facing good fixtures over the next 6 games
budget – filler at the minimum price the position allows. Should play
sleeping giant – a player with past form who may have had a quiet season last year but has the potential for far greater returns than his value
YC – card magnet
DGW – has 2 games in the specified game week
pre-season – has pre-season form
pens – should take penalties
short term – will only play for a few games
Form – current form
hope that stimulates some thought for your fantasy premier league team. Heres the link to the latest fantasy premier league fixtures article if you want to look at that again