Here’s the GW15 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 Friday 30/11 PM)
If you’re 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. At the bottom is a key if you want a bit more detail on the factors listed
GOALKEEPER
Hart – £6.9m – quality fixtures HOLD
I say this every week but City have the best defence and its 5 clean sheets of 7 games. Hart wont be rotated and it seems Kompany is the only other safe option.
Ruddy £4.6m budget SELL
Now injured with a Feb return date
Begovic £5.3m budget HOLD
They’ve had the golden period of fixtures but they’re still the best defence outside the elite teams so I wouldn’t be selling. The price and the fixtures though would put me off buying
Guzan – £4.5m budget
Now seems to have established his place. Viable rotation only
De Gea – £5.6m SELL
The whole Utd keeper thing is getting ridiculous, just as one establishes his place then another takes over. I would stay away.
Bunn £4.0m Budget BUY
With Ruddy out Bunn looks the replacement until Feb and good rotation value behind a relatively solid defence
Federici £4.3m Budget BUY
Another option if you’re looking for a budget rotation filler for your team. McCarthy is out for the season so should be secure. Personally Shorey in defence is a better option for me although Fed would give you better returns in game week 16
Szczesny £5.3m fixtures BUY
Good value for getting Arsenal defensive exposure although Gibbs and Sagna are around the same price. Arsenal definitely have the fixtures
other budget for rotation include Gazzaniga or Tremmel at £4.0 although they both have serious game time risk.
DEFENCE
Rafael – £6.5m – attack HOLD
Despite the return of Smalling and Jones he’s still holding his place and although I expected rotation mid week it didnt come. Fixtures are too good and price too high to be selling now. Take the game time risk because its everywhere in the Utd defence anyway
Jagielka – £6.1m fixtures. SELL
I’ve been holding on to Everton assets while the fixtures have been continuing but now is the time to sell all of them apart from Fellaini. Im including Baines in this. While I am his biggest fan and yes you do get a winger with clean sheet potential you can also get this from Glen Johnson with much better fixtures
Huth£5.5m fixtures attack SELL
The golden fixtures are over and at £5.6m there’s far better options. I would definitely still hold if you have Cameron at £4.7m but I dont believe Shawcross or Huth warrant £5.4m or £5.6m respectively given the alternatives
Cuellar £4.5m fixtures BUY
Sunderland despite my poor defensive rating do have the ability to get clean sheets at home as their home defensive stats are good. They are the principal anomolie in this area. They also have 2 games in game week 16 and good fixtures so definitely dont sell now and worth buying
Johnson £6.3m fixtures BUY
Im a huge fan of this guy who plays like a winger with clean sheet potential and has the best shooting stats of any defender. He is more expensive than everyone else but has that attacking edge. I dont normally recommend paying premiums for attacking defenders but this is one of the few exceptions. There is a “however” though in the form of the next 2 fantasy pemier league players
Wisdom – £4.5m budget
Anyone who saw the fiasco of the Lennon goal ast week will know that Downing isnt a left back and that surely that cannot continue. £4.5m to be in the 2nd best defence of the league with great fixtures is worth the gamble in my mind and a home game to Southampton is as good a time as any to start. If you feel you have cover in your reserves this is a great gamble
Enrique £5.9m fixtures attack BUY
Johnson maybe playing like a winger but Enrique is playing as a winger and getting forward. The price is ok and the fixtures great. He’s also a little cheaper than Johnson. Its just that with Johnson you know he will play every week whereas how long will the Enrique situation continue. However we are relatively close to the January wildcard so it is a fixable situation. Personally I think its worth the gamble.
Sagna £5.4m fixtures HOLD (injury doubt)
Is a doubt for the weekend. The Arsenal defence is underated and Sagna also brings good attacking potential at a really reasonable price. Good fixtures as well. Gibbs at the same price is a BUY though
Nastasic £5.5m value BUY
Anyone apart from Kompany and Hart is going to be a game time risk and Citys fixtures arent great but with Lescott seemingly out in the wilderness the 19 year old Serbian seems worth the gamble for exposure to the best defence in the league. Also not the type of player to come on as sub either like Zab is so you shouldn’t see those annoying 1 pointers. Worth the gamble
Budget
Clyne £4.0m– Saints attack.
Fonte £4.1m– Saints attack
Gorkks – £4.0m Reading. 2 games in game week 16 dropped last week. I would hold though until after GW16
Davies £4.0m budget– Seems to be holding his place as Swansea LB. Fixtures are now ordinary. Rotation only.
Turner(Norwich) £4.2m budget HOLD (injured to Dec 8)
Best value out of the underrated Norwich defence and also has historic attacking potential. Still only a rotation option.
Shorey £4.1m Budget
Alternative option as a rotation filler to Gorkss at virtually the same price. Takes free kicks so has some assist potential
MIDFIELD
Pienaar – £6.9m – fixtures. SELL
hasnt been returning the fixtures are now rubbish. Sell
Fellaini – £7.6m form. HOLD
Top of the shooting stats for midfielders but has slipped a little in the last 6 ranking. Returned with a goal last week even if it was a shot from distance. Remains to be seen if he’s fixture proof and the next 6 games will definitely tell us. Im sticking with him but everything else of Evertons is going
Cazorla – £9.5m quality. HOLD
Its really not happening for him at the moment stat wise and last 2 games no returns. He’s also dropped out of the last 6 shooting stats table despite ok fixtures. Home to Swansea is not the time to sell though unless you’ve got nothing else in your squad to change.
Lallana – £6.1m – fixtures form HOLD
Has been disappointing and only returned in the Newcastle game despite looking good and the stats being ok. I would hold on until after the Reading game though which follows the difficult away game at Anfield.
Ben Arfa. – £7.8m SELL
Injured for 2 weeks. I personally don’t think he’s worth holding with the fixtures deteriorating
Walters – £6.3m fixtures SELL
What you ask, after a 9 point haul and some of the best shooting stats of the season a sell? If ever there was a case for faith in fixtures it was this with a kind run of games seeing 2 9 point returns. Yes he has seen some great shooting stats but I don’t believe he’s fixture proof and when your next fixtures are
WBA A
Avl A
Eve H
TotA
Liv H
Then its a good time to sell even if Saints is next after that
McAnuff – £5.1m fixtures HOLD
Hasn’t returned in 6 games. Hold is only due to the 2 games for Reading in game week 16 then its a sell
Valencia £8.5m – fixtures HOLD
Injury but potentially back this week. The cheaper alternative to RVP although not for me as an assist based player. Nani injured should make him a secure pick
Mata £9.6m form SELL
Even I didn’t think the Benitez effect would be this drastic. 2 nil nils including 1 which made the dodgy Fulham defence look like Man city. WHM (A) SUN (A) are tricky fixtures though and they’re followed by a blank. You would really have to have faith.
Sterling £5.7m BUY
Place seems assured. An attacking midfielder for Liverpool at this price with these fixtures is great value. Isn’t that consistent though and hasn’t shown up in any shooting or chances created stats so you’re relying on fixtures, position and value rather than consistent returns
Bale £9.8m Quality fixtures BUY
How could I ever have thought about selling him. Luckily still in my team. Highly placed in the shooting stats for midfielders in the last 6 and the season plus with the fixtures improving then he’s a great buy in my view
Walcott £8.7m fixtures BUY
Not in the shooting stats but if you want Arsenal midfield coverage with their good fixtures he’s better than Cazorla at the minute on recent form
Budget £4.5m ish
Schneiderlin – £4.4m Saints
Puncheon – £4.6m Saints
Has more attacking potential than Schneiderlin but potentially also more game time risk with Do Prado, Ramirez and Rodriguez. Has started the last 4 though and with relatively ok fixtures after the Liverpool away game he seems a good midfield filler.
Robson kanu £4.3m
Has started the last 3 and produced some reasonable shooting stats (although only produced an assist) even if against the background of easy fixtures. Could do worse at £4.3m and 2 games in game week 16 and reasonable overall fixtures
FORWARDS
Tevez £9.4m – quality. SELL
I think there are better options while City go through a period of ordinary fixtures.
RVP – £13.7m – QUALITY fixtures. BUY
While Utd have such good fixtures he’s an essential. Rooney dropping deeper and lack of production from the midfield means he’s the best option by far. Stats aren’t anything like last year but still worth buying
Jelavic – £8.5m – fixtures quality form SELL
Nows the time to look for alternatives
Lambert – £6.0m form. value HOLD
fixtures have dropped off but I would hold until after Liv A and Rdg H
Ba – £8.2m form . HOLD
After Wig H and Ful A I will be looking to sell
Aguero – £11.0m. QUALITY SELL
Hasn’t been firing and City’s fixtures are fairly ordinary so I would be looking for alternatives at the moment.
Suarez – £10.5m fixtures BUY
Great fixtures. Miles ahead of everyone in the shooting stats and now seems to have turned it in to goals. I would go as far as saying a must have for me.
Crouch £6.8m value fixtures SELL (Injury doubt)
His recent record is 2 2 1 2 5 2 7 1 which is appalling given the fixtures. Next fixtures are away to WBA and away to Villa so its time to sell
Holt £6.0m HOLD
Has done nothing for 6 games and not in the shooting stats hierarchy. However with the next 3 fixtures below, I would probably hold on unless I had a compelling transfer requirement at forward
Sun H
Swa A
Wig H
Giroud £8.4m fixtures BUY
Last 2 away games have been blanks but in my mind he’s still the best Arsenal coverage over Cazorla and Walcott. 4th in the season and last 6 shooting stats despite tricky fixtures and home to Swansea plus Arsenal are 1st in the next 6 fixture ease schedule you could do alot worse than buy him.
Benteke £6.5m form BUY
With QPR A and Stoke H his next 2 fixtures are appealing but after that they get more difficult. However has shown the ability to score and post impressive stats no matter what the opposition so worth buying
Berbatov £7.4m fixtures BUY
Hasn’t returned in his last 3 but the fixtures are about to improve. Has shown he can post shooting stats irrespective of the opposition and also creates chances as well. Should flourish with the fixtures below
Tot H
New H
QPR A
Liv A
Sot H
Swa H
Defoe £7.9m fixtures form BUY
Personally Bale would be my Spurs exposure of choice and Defoe is a bit of a gamble given that you could possibly argue that Adebayor fits the AVB system better but its hard to see him replaced given his form and the fixtures are reasonably good if you’re willing to gamble on the game time risk . Here’s the fixtures
Ful A
Eve A
Swa H
Sto H
Avl A
Sun A
I’m not putting a budget section for strikers. I just think the position is too important and there’s too much quality to put a filler in.
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.