fantasy premier league – transfer deadline day implications

Fantasy Premier League, News

Here’s a summary of the big transfers in fantasy premier league and the implications for our fantasy premier league teams including Ozil, Lukaku, Fellaini, Sakho/Illori, Demichelis, Moses and Eriksen

Ozil to Arsenal

£10.0m in fantasy premier league.  Ozil is one of the worlds premier creative attacking midfielders.  Last season in 23 starts plus 9 as sub he scored 9 goals and 16 assists in La Liga.  That’s a return every 81 minutes which is nothing short of phenomenal.  The previous season he was even more assist based getting 4 goals and 30 starts and 5 as sub.  In my mind he will be a huge success for Arsenal.  It is likely he will play directly behind the striker  in Wengers 4-2-3-1.  It is likely though that the benefit will be felt by other fantasy premier league Arsenal players.  Ozil will give that ability to open up teams who sit deep at the Emirates  and help to unlock those frustrating games when it looks like Arsenal could play all day without scoring.  He has the ability to find the killer pass but also go past someone in tight situations and is a great decision maker seemingly always taking the right option.  However the current fantasy premier league bonus system doesn’t favour the assister.  Get an assist in fantasy premier league and you’re likely to have less than 50% of getting of getting a bonus.  The fantasy premier league managers who really should be celebrating are the owners of Giroud especially and Walcott to a lesser degree. They will be the main beneficiaries of Ozils ability to open up teams.  The 2 players who will not benefit in my mind are Rosicky, who will undoubtedly lose his place in the side and Cazorla who will be stuck in the left side of the 3 in 4-2-3-1.

Personally I would still go for Giroud or Walcott but I think Ozil will have a fantastic positive effect on arsenal attacking play.  To make the case even more compelling    Arsenal have the 3rd next best fixtures of all the teams over the next 6 games

Lukaku loan to Everton

What a signing this is.  He’s also down to £7.4m in fantasy premier league.  By the way he can’t play in Evertons GW4 fixture home to Chelsea as his parent club. Visitors to the site will know what a fan I have always been of the Belgian.   Last year only RVP got more fantasy premier league points per minute than Lukaku.  This was in a team with little creative force apart from James Morrison.  With Everton the problem is the reverse.  Numerous chances are created by Baines and Pienaar but not converted.  The culprit this and last season being Jelavic who despite having a lot of shots in the box has a poor conversion rate.  Lukaku has it all good touch, quick to go past people , excellent in the air and a great finisher.  Probably the only negative is that WBA were very direct and got the ball to him quickly and often with quite long passes.  That wont be the case with Everton’s now patient build up and Lukaku will have to adjust to that.

The loser will undoubtedly be Jelavic and Kone who will be removed from the side.  The winners will be Piennar Baines and Barkley who will have someone to finish off the chances created.  What effect it will have on Mirallas I’m unsure of.  Despite 3 blanks he has still had the shots in the box to make me think he will come right.  I don’t think it will change anything (as he doesnt creat chances) except maybe the focus of chances will gravitate towards Lukaku

He’s a definite buy for me.  Just watch his price to decide whether to buy before or after the Chelsea game

Fellaini to Man Utd

£8.5m in fantasy premier league.  Personally I think Fellaini will play in a CDM role for Man Utd.  Rooney will play behind the striker when fit and I don’t see any repeat of the Everton early season position as a support striker for Fellaini.  Moyes played him as a CDM towards the end of last season and despite Man Utds game based on wing play I still cant see anyone apart from Rooney playing behind RVP.  Fellaini still has the ability against some of the poorer teams to drift into the box from deep positions and create opportunities for himself to score but at £8.5m that in itself doesn’t warrant the price.  I can’t even see that bigger improvement in the defence as a result.  Cleverley isn’t the quality midfielder that should play as a CM for United but he is an adequate tackler, interceptor and short passer of the ball.  I personally think Fellaini’s tackling and aggression will be of benefit to United but not tangibly so for fantasy premier league managers.

It’s a definite ignore for me

Ilori and Sakho to Liverpool

Is this the end of £5.0m cheapie Kolo Toure?  It seems so.  £5.5m Sakho is a 23 year old CB who has played regularly for PSG for 5 seasons and played 14 times for the French National side over the last 3 seasons as well as all the age group National teams.  He does fit Rodgers ball playing defender style.  Interestingly, he seems quite similar in style to Agger in that he’s left footed and likes to defend by going forward and intercepting rather than sitting back.  That similarity is probably the only doubt.  But for a reported fee of £16m its hard to think he will start on the bench.

Ilori is a different kettle of fish.  At only 20 and not a regular at Sporting Lisbon the CB seems like he’s bought for potential and not the now.  Unfortunate at £5.0m

On the basis that Sakho is cheaper than Agger, Johnson and Enrique and a CB more likely to get bonus awards he seems a gamble worth taking especially as Liverpool have the best next fixtures of any fantasy premier league team.

Moses loan to Liverpool

Moses is £6.2m in fantasy premier league.  An interesting move this.  Moses is very fast and direct and can operate on either flank.  He’s not a great crosser of the ball but has the ability particularly from the left flank and cut in and shoot.  Where he plays and what formation Rodgers uses with him will be very interesting.  If Rodgers goes 4-2-3-1 then I expect Moses will play on the left side of the 3 allowing Coutinho to play centrally.  Rodgers has enthused about Coutinho’s ability to do so and his reluctance has been down to lack of the correct wide players.  However Suarez coming back will change things and the medium term prognosis is therefore uncertain.  If Rodgers goes 4-3-3 its a bit trickier to see where Moses  goes and how that effects Coutinho, especially  once Suarez returns.  In short fantasy premier league managers will need to monitor the situation and it is likely that Moses wont be match fit yet anyway.  His returns are also nothing to write home about.  The last couple of seasons have seen a point return every 21 or 22 minutes.  Henderson last year was a far better returnerat the same price.

Personally its a monitor at best.  It does mean the end for Sterling though as a potential cheapie in my  mind.

Demichelis to Man City

Hardly a shock this one after the CB debacle that was the home game to Hull.  A 32 year old Argentinian International who’s played 34 times for Argentina over the last 7 seasons.  Comes from Atletico Madrid but played for Pellegrini at Malaga.  Last season he played 31 times for 4 goals for Malaga.  At £6.0m he’s not cheap though and even though I expect him to go straight in the team, I’m waiting for Kompany who’s £6.4m and still having transfers out (10k so far this gameweek).  Fantasy premier league Lescott  and Nastasic owners are the big losers here which is a shame given their prices at £5.6 and £5.5m respectively.

Eriksen to Spurs

Hardly noticed with the Lamela signing getting the headlines.  Eriksen is £8.0m in fantasy premier league and scored 10 goals and 17 assists for Ajax last year.  He’s a player of real quality.  It seems likely that AVB will use him behind Soldado and fantasy premier league owners who have seen Soldado surviving on scraps within a team devoid of real creative quality will be celebrating long and hard.   Difficult to see Eriksen lasting in a 4-3-3 but given the struggles that this formation has seen in opening up the lofty defences of Swansea and Crystal Palace that would seem a risk worth taking to me.

Personally I would stick with Soldado given the hopefully increased service he will get but Eriksen is a viable option if you want to load up on other strikers.  4-2-3-1 will make it harder for Paulino  to get forward if he becomes one of the double pivot screening midfielders which is likely.

So in summary Eriksens a buy for me if you don’t want Soldado who is still my preference.  Spurs have the 2nd best fixtures of any team over the next 6 games so cover is definitely desirable.

That’s it.  I’ll try and pick up on some of the others tomorrow

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