Here’s some early FFGeek team thoughts in this fantasy premier league GW19 article. We look at gameweek 18, some issues facing the team, transfer thoughts and early captain thinking
FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE GW19 – SOME EARLY THOUGHTS ON THE FFGEEK TEAM
GW18 PERFORMANCE
GW18 points: 68 (average 52) Gameweek rank 786k Overall Rank: 63k (green arrow 23k) Team Value: £103.7m
Here’s the team points:
So a good week. 3 /7 returning attackers which is what you should hope for each week, a captain who scored and 3 clean sheets out of 5 is a successful week. Anytime you get a gameweek rank under 1 million you’ve got to be pleased. That all lead to a 23k green arrow to a 63k overall rank is definitely ok at this time of the season.
I’m still only 3rd in the alternate FFGeek league with the expected goals team and the shots in the box team both on 38k. Moved up 1 place to 4th in the FFGeek contributors league of 15.
The Salah v Hazard captain choice was an irrelevance.
GKs seem to be showing value as it seems like there’s a few double figure point hauls going around. I was lucky enough to get one from Matt Ryan
The expected top 6 PL teams clean sheets also seemed to have returned after a 2 week barren spell a couple of gameweeks ago. GW17 saw 5/6 and this week 3/6
ISSUES WITH THE TEAM
The 2 transfers last week saw the long awaited end of Davies and Choupo Moting and although Kenny (4pts) and Richarlison (2) didn’t exactly excel themselves despite excellent fixtures it’s good to cross 2 more problems of the list.
Here’s the current list.
Niasse
So for the 2nd week in a row no minutes. A non playing member of the team on the bench at this time of year isn’t exactly helpful. A £4.9m sale price and with £0.2m in the bank doesn’t give me any options so it’s either a -4 this week or I roll a transfer over and sort it out next week
Ward
Injured still last week and according to Ben Dinnery’s site only 50% for this week he could be a sale with Burnley’s next 4 fixtures looking like this
Spurs (H)
Man Utd (A)
Huddersfield (A)
Liverpool (H)
Burnley have shown resilience against all the top 6 teams Man City apart but haven’t kept a clean sheet. The problem is though that I would go for a Manchester United option but with a sale price of £4.8m and the £0.2m in the bank that isn’t an option without a hit
Krul
He’s going for £4.3m Adrian in DGW22. It’s just a matter of when. Home to Newcastle this round would be helpful especially as I can’t see Brighton keeping a clean sheet home to Watford. However again it’s insufficient funds as I’m £0.1m short
Morata
£10.5m Chelsea forward Morata has scored 1 goal in his last 4 starts and has not started the last 2 fixtures. However his underlying stats in 3 of those 4 games have been good which is something positive.
However his current gametime problems seem to be partly due to fatigue given his lack of minutes for Juve and Real over the last 2 seasons and an unfamiliar Xmas schedule. Also the success of 3-4-3 with Hazard as a false 9 is making him expendable and restable.
I’m sure he won’t play in the EFL Cup on Wednesday. If he does that would be a very bad sign.
Given that you can rationalise away his form to some extent and that 2 of the next 3 fixtures are good I’m tempted to hold unless we get some significant negativity from Conte
Everton (A)
Brighton (H)
Stoke (H)
Transfer options
My thinking at the moment seems to revolve around these options:
Carrying over the transfer and doing 2 in GW20
Selling Morata and downgrading for who I don’t know yet and investing in upgrading Niasse to unknown or Ward to a Man Utd defender. Both would be a -4
More radical would be Hazard to De Bruyne if I thought De Bruyne was going to play?
Needs more pontification and information. The captain poll
BLANK GW21 AND DOUBLE GW22 THOUGHTS
The maximum DGW22 players available available if you’re thinking of it is a GK and 3 DGW players on the bench for the blank GW21 and then carrying over 2 for DGW22. That potentially could give you 6 players.
Having 3 bench outfielders of DGW22 players in GW21 is tricky in that you would have to be lucky not to have anyone injured or rested over the blank GW21 which would negate some of your double players.
At the moment the certainties for me will be Adrian unless Moyes hints at Hart getting a game and Kane. Could be a West Ham midfielder added to that given their good schedule after and maybe a Spurs defender but that’s unlikely as without Alderweireld and Wanyama plus a tough schedule and a hefty price for the CBs it looks a questionable investment.
CAPTAIN IDEAS
The fixtures this week are tricky for the top 6 teams except Man City who have a great fixture at home to Bournemouth. That’s negated to some extent due to the difficulty of predicting Pep’s team sheet. City play in the EFL cup tonight (Tuesday) so that may give some clues. If I felt sure Sterling was going to start he could get my vote although he’s a little unpredictable. I can’t see me bringing in a City striker for Kane or Morata for this as that really would be risky
I will definitely leave the captain poll until tomorrow so people can vote with the knowledge of Pep’s team sheet and maybe Wednesday night after the 2nd quarter finals
If I don’t go Sterling it’s back to the Hazard (Everton away) or Salah (Arsenal away) debate
TEAM LINEUP BEFORE TRANSFERS
So looking at the fixtures it looks like it could potentially be a tough gameweek.
GAMEWEEK 19 DEADLINE FRIDAY 22 DECEMBER 18.45 UK TIME
Set your team up as is asap in case you forget or don’t have the chance due to real life or Xmas partying
Hope you had a good gameweek
Follow us on twitter and facebook for article updates and news
Geek Leagues
Fantasy Premier League: 5379-1967
Sun: FantasyFootballGeek SGDKX9Y3
TFF: FantasyFootballGeek PIN 8000919 Passcode 1159
Sky: FFGeek 8310511
