fantasy premier league – analysing the GW8 top point scorers

Here’s my view on the fantasy premier league GW8 top point scorers. I’ve put them as a fantasy premier league team ie 2-5-5-3.

Myhill (£4.5m)

The reserve WBA GK has a month or so before Foster returns from injury to take his place.  The team has performed defensively well and before GW8 I rated them the 7th best defence.  However too many tricky fixtures for me in the next 6 gameweeks and too short a shelf life to be considered.  Its a no for me

Liverpool (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Chelsea (A)
Aston Villa (H)
Newcastle (A)
Man City (H)

Begovic (£5.5m)

Just  too expensive for me when what you consider you can get Boruc for.  Not as defensively strong as last year although they have 3 clean sheets and he does seem to pick up bonus points with 4. Fixtures aren’t too bad and the 3 home games give hope for clean sheets but you can get Pieters for £5.0m and Wilson for £4.5m if he gets back into the team.   Its a no for me due to better options

Man Utd (A)
Southampton (H)
Swansea (A)
Sunderland (H)
Everton (A)
Cardiff City (H)

Rangel (£5.4m)

Has good attacking intent although so far only 1 assist to his name.  More expensive than the other Swansea options which doesn’t seem worth it as in theory the CBs should get more bonus points.  Excellent fixtures and defence is worth a punt though.  I personally would take  Williams when back from injury as he’s cheaper and should get more bonus points.  3 clean sheets this year so far and before GW8 I rated them 15th defence so it really is a fixture punt.

West Ham (H)
Cardiff City (A)
Stoke City (H)
Fulham (A)
Man City (A)
Newcastle (H)

Chico (£5.0m)

Same comments apply as above.  Slightly cheaper and again only 1 assist to his name.  Hasn’t been a bonus darling and a real YC magnet.  Slightly cheaper than Rangel but Williams when fit is a better option.  I would take Rangel over Chico myself and think they are worth a punt with the fixtures.

West Ham (H)
Cardiff City (A)
Stoke City (H)
Fulham (A)
Man City (A)
Newcastle (H)

Ridgewell (£5.0m)

Another team with  3 clean sheets so far but as I said before they have a much better rated defence than Swansea.  Ridgewell seems solid gametime security having played every minute so far.  Has good attacking instincts and is usually good for a few goals/assists in the season and has a goal so far this season.  fixtures are too difficult for me though so its a no

Liverpool (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Chelsea (A)
Aston Villa (H)
Newcastle (A)
Man City (H)

Senderos (£4.3m)

Just because you score against Palace doesn’t make you an option.  Only Palace and Sunderland have a worst defence and add to that terrible fixtures going forward and its a definite no for me

Southampton (A)
Man Utd (H)
Liverpool (A)
Swansea (H)
West Ham (A)
Tottenham (H)

Olsson (£4.9m)

Same comments as Ridgewell without the attacking ability.  Has no goals or assists this year and only the 2 bonus points despite 3 clean sheets.  A no for me

Liverpool (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Chelsea (A)
Aston Villa (H)
Newcastle (A)
Man City (H)

Hazard (£9.0m)

Definitely not the most consistent.  A real home ground bully against poorer teams.  Has got reasonable underlying stats shooting and creating chances wise but up to 2 gameweeks ago wasn’t showing any output.  Its now 3 goals and 2 assists from 8 games which is certainly respectable.  better fixtures too.  I would probably leave buying until after the City game but he is now a buy option for me even if the home games are trickier than the away games

Man City (H)
Newcastle (A)
West Brom (H)
West Ham (A)
Southampton (H)
Sunderland (A)

Ozil (£10.7m)

There is no precedent in fantasy premier league for him.  Despite not really scoring many goals historically and having very few shots since he joined Arsenal Ozil went for 2 shots and 2 goals against Norwich and its now an incredible  2 goals and 4 assists in 5 games.  Plays high up the pitch supporting Giroud and has the ability to unlock defences like no one else.  I’m still unsure if he will do much apart from assists and whether that alone will justify his price but with Palace next he still remains a buy.  Arsenals real test will come after that though when they play Liverpool H and Man Utd A .  Its still a BUY for me

Crystal Palace (A)
Liverpool (H)
Man Utd (A)
Southampton (H)
Cardiff City (A)
Hull City (H)

Ramsey (£6.8m)

Speaking of no precedent.  Having never scored more than 3 fantasy premier league goals in a season he’s already scored 5 in 8 games.  Having never got more than 6 assists he’s already got 3.  The goals are on the back of ok shooting stats but certainly not enough to justify 5 and he’s not even registering on the creating chances schedule.  However, sometimes you’ve just got to go with the form and Ramsey certainly has that.  My feeling is that he wont continually be able to buck the underlying stats but for the moment, especially with Palace next, he’s a buy.  If you haven’t got him definitely do it this week though, don’t leave it another.

Crystal Palace (A)
Liverpool (H)
Man Utd (A)
Southampton (H)
Cardiff City (A)
Hull City (H)

Mirallas (£7.2m)

A goal and assist at home to Hull he finally got what the underlying stats are suggesting would happen.  He’s only returned in 3 of his 8 games but is creating chances and getting good scoring opportunities.   Fixtures are a bit mixed but there are some good ones and some tricky ones.  At the moment I think he’s definitely a hold.  As I write this I’m not sure I would make the extra leap to buy though although the palace game would be a real point to think about it with 2 home games after that

Aston Villa (A)
Tottenham (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
Liverpool (H)
Stoke City (H)
Man Utd (A

Wilshere (£6.1m)

The third Arsenal player in the mix.  Definitely good value and has now scored in his last 2 games for a total of 2 goals and an assist in his first 8.  However it was 6 games of blanks before that.  My main issue is that I think he has gametime issues when Walcott is back in a couple of weeks.  I can see the Arsenal midfield in 4-2-3-1 being Flamini, Ramsey  –   Cazorla, Ozil and Walcott.   I can only see Wilshere playing through rotation.  Also if you think Ramseys historic scoring record is sketchy then Wilshere has never scored more than 1 fantasy premier league goal in a season.  If you have him then don’t sell him with Palace next but he’s definitely not a buy for me.

Aguero (£11.1m)

Total quality player who even with rotation seems to be racking up the goals and points and is now only behind Sturridge in total points.  An incredible 6 goals and 4 assists in his first 7 appearances.  Great shooting stats and creating chances as well.  Fixtures are mixed and I’ve ranked City 12th in fixture ease.  Can score against anyone but with Chelsea next you may want to defer your buy until after that game.  If you’re going to buy him though, leave it no later than home to Norwich in GW10.  Only cloud is that he will always have gametime risk through rotation, especially with the Champions League important to the club.  That makes him a risky captain choice and with that value to rule him out as a captain option is not ideal to say the least.  Can score as a sub but the captain options in future games need to be thought of if you’re going to take the leap with Aguero.  He’s still a buy its just whether you need to before the Chelsea game

Chelsea (A)
Norwich (H)
Sunderland (A)
Tottenham (H)
Swansea (H)
West Brom (A)

Ruiz (£5.6m)

Made hay with 3 assists against Palace but prior to that he only scored 1 goal and was in and out of the side though injury or Martin Jol tinkering.  If you’re after a cheap striker then he could be a budget option although sometimes plays on the flank which negates his value and sometimes sits on the bench.  Personally, for me,  there are too many good forward options to think of a budget one so its an ignore for me.  Fixtures are horrible as well

Southampton (A)
Man Utd (H)
Liverpool (A)
Swansea (H)
West Ham (A)
Tottenham (H)

Soldado (£9.2m)

after 2 pens in is opening 2 games he then went 5 games with only an assist despite good opposition and then was dropped against West Ham.  That led to mass sales so he of course then returned with a goal and an assist against Villa.  Has good shooting and creating chances stats and you don’t score 24 goals in La Liga last season without knowing where the net is.  He will score goals and is a hold for me at least with Hull next.  Is he a buy with the alternatives and some tricky fixtures in his next 6?  probably not at the moment

Hull City (H)
Everton (A)
Newcastle (H)
Man City (A)
Man Utd (H)
Fulham (A)

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