Barclays fantasy premier league “ones to watch” – GK and defenders – Buy Hold and Sell – GW6

Fantasy Premier League, Player Rankings

Here’s the “ones to watch” for GKs and defenders on the Barclays fantasy premier league format for GW6.  This will give the best GKs and defensive players at a variety of price ranges.  I’ll also be categorising players as BUY HOLD or SELL from last weeks article.

This week I’ve added the team defence ranking from my article earlier in the week and in addition to that I’ve also grouped some of the players with other players in their team to illustrate a shift in focus within their team but without it meaning a sell for the other player the example is Coleman and Distin

Here’s the supporting stats:

1.  Minutes per point.  This shows how long it takes for a player to earn a fantasy premier league point.  The lower the better obviously

2.   Clean sheets to date for the team he’s playing in

3.  The fixture ease ranking.  This is the ranking of all teams to see who has the easiest fixtures over the next 6 games.  The team with the best ranking ie 1 will have the easiest next fixtures of any of the fantasy premier league teams over the next 6 games.

4.  For defenders I’ve added in rotation risk.  High medium or low

5.  For defenders, I’ve also put the bonus points to date in so we ca see how they’re faring with the new bonus system

6.  I’ve also ranked the defenders

Just to recap on GK strategy.  Skip over if you’ve read this before

There are 2 schools of thought here. The first is to go with an elite keeper and either a cheap playing reserve or even gamble on a cheaper non playing reserve. The second is to rotate home and away with the 2 cheapest playing keepers.

This year the gap between the 2 has lessened with their being value in GKs at the elite level. Additionally, the increased rotation of the elite club defenders means a GK is a way of getting coverage without the juicy easy home games seeing mass defensive rotation. Rotation of GKs in fantasy premier league games doesn’t happen that regularly and it’s mainly focused on the domestic cups.

As far as defenders are concerned, generally in fantasy premier league,  I start of with 3-4-3 but try and have a balanced squad in terms of spend.  This year the new bonus system is suggesting in the data so far  that if your team gets a clean sheet, then virtually every time  that occurs, 2 of the 4 defenders in that team will get some sort of bonus award.   GW2 saw a significant skewing towards CBs getting bonus awards.  I’ve never been a fan of paying premiums for attacking players and this shy’s away from it.  I generally believe in going for the cheapest defender but balanced with gametime security.  Now I’ll be looking towards CBs if the price differential isn’t significant.

GKs

Mignolet (£5.8m) BUY

  • Minutes per point:  12.5    Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  5  fixture ease rank:  1

3 clean sheets from 5 games and and still by 8 points the highest scoring GK.    Only Agger at £6.0m seems certain of a place in the Liverpool defence after the bizarre selection against Southampton.  Mignolet looks a solid route into the Liverpool defence and is picking up good save points as well

De Gea (£6.0m) BUY

  • Minutes per point:  23.7   Team clean sheets:  2    Team defence ranking:  8  fixture ease rank:  8

Some good fixtures over the next week.  Same price as Vidic but should be less rotatable so a good way of getting coverage.

Boruc (£4.6m) BUY

  • Minutes per point:  3   Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  4  fixture ease rank:  2

Good fixtures and the Saints defence is so good he could almost be a very cheap home and away option.

Defenders

1.  Dawson (£5.1m) BUY

  •   Minutes per point:  17.1 .  Team clean sheets: 4    Team defence ranking:  1  Rotation risk: medium.   fixture ease ranking: 4th     Bonus points to date 2

The Spurs defence goes from strength to strength finally reaping the underlying stats that never translated previously into clean sheets.  Dawson is great value and I’m still banking on him holding off the challenge of Chiriches.  Not liked by the bonus points system but the value is too good to turn down

2.  Coleman (£5.6m)HOLD Distin (£5.0m) BUY

  • Minutes per point:  13.6/ 18 mins .  Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  3  Rotation risk: low/medium.   fixture ease ranking: 3     Bonus points to date 4/5

If you have Coleman definitely don’t sell him especially with Newcastle coming to Goodison.  Distin, however is great value and is a better bonus point magnet.  still has some Alcaraz gametime risk but the value and the bonus points in my mind make it worth it.  I’ve had the Baines debate many times on the site.  £2.5m is just too big a gap for attacking potential for me

3.  Cole (£6.5m)  Hold

  • Minutes per point:  16.5 mins .  Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  2  Rotation risk: medium   fixture ease ranking: 12     Bonus points to date 4

Tricky fixture away to Spurs next  but look solid enough to always be in contention for a clean sheet.  Only a hold as away to Spurs.  Away to Norwich in GW7 is probably safer but you wouldn’t bet against a clean sheet away to Spurs anyway

4.  Clyne (£4.4m)BUY

  • Minutes per point:  13.2 mins .  Team clean sheets:  4    Team defence ranking:  4  Rotation risk: medium   fixture ease ranking: 2   Bonus points to date 4

The Saints defence showed everyone exactly what they could do at the weekend with a clean sheet away to Liverpool meeting them high up the pitch in true Pocettino style.  Clyne seems to have his place back and with everyone going up in price he seems very good value at £4.4m.  Plus he’s got 2 bonus points in both his last 2 games.  With Palace home in the next game it seems a great transfer.  If you want to trade up go for Lovren who’s the bonus point darling at £5.0m with 7 bonus points already.

5.  Kompany (£6.3m) BUY

  • Minutes per point:  20.1 mins .  Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  6   Rotation risk: low  fixture ease ranking: 15     Bonus points to date 0

Even with tricky fixtures the City defence with Kompany will be a clean sheet force to be reckoned with and could you ever imagine him at better value than this.  The away game against Villa is a much easier one with Benteke out and a good place to start in my mind

6  Koscielny(£5.4m) HOLD Mertesacker HOLD

  •  Minutes per point:  42.1 mins/17.1 .  Team clean sheets:  1/1    Team defence ranking:  11 Rotation risk: Low/low.   fixture ease ranking: 10th     Bonus points to date 0/4

I have to apologise, I’ve re rated my best Arsenal defender as now being Mertesacker at £5.5m.  Although Koscielny was the form defender towards the end of last season I think Mertesacker after the Stoke game has shown better attacking prospects and has also shown an ability to get bonus points having clocked up 4 already.  I’ve just got him as a hold as going away to inform Swansea may not be the best time for a clean sheet.  There’s no reason to sell Koscielny at the moment either its just Mertescaker I now think is the best option.  Sorry for this not being last week!

7.  Collins (£4.6m) BUY

  • Minutes per point:  18 mins .  Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  7  Rotation risk: medium.   fixture ease ranking: 15     Bonus points to date 1

The fixtures are probably a bit tricky for him to be a home and away defender and even the next home games of City, Villa, Chelsea  and Fulham are a bit mixed but still for the value he’s a good buy in my mind

8.  Wilson (£4.5m)  BUY 

  • Minutes per point:  21.4 mins .  Team clean sheets:  2    Team defence ranking:  10  Rotation risk: medium   fixture ease ranking: 5    Bonus points to date 4

Not a good performance at Arsenal and haven’t been as convincing as they were under Pulis but still a good value home rotation option and as a filler with the fixtures being good.  If you’re going to buy him then home to Norwich is a good time to do so.  Next home fixtures are WBA Southampton and Sunderland which are good options

9.  Wisdom (£4.4m) HOLD

  • Minutes per point:  81 mins .  Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  5  Rotation risk: high   fixture ease ranking: 3    Bonus points to date 0

Didn’t play against Southampton and neither did he in the Capital One cup but still with Sunderland A and Palace at home next it seems a pretty good time to hold just in case to me

M Turner (£4.5m) SELL

  • Minutes per point:  40 mins .  Team clean sheets:  1    Team defence ranking:  16  Rotation risk: medium   fixture ease ranking: 18     Bonus points to date 0

The defence looks nothing like the defence of last year that got 8 clean sheets at home and it looks like a nailed on sell to me

Chester (£4.0m) SELL   B Turner (£4.0m)HOLD  Baker (£3.9m) SELL Whittaker (£4.2m) SELL

If you’re looking for fillers the above are the best bets.  The rise of importance of defence does question whether you should invest more money which is where I am at the moment. Turner look good holds at this price.  Baker is good value if he comes back into the squad if he comes back in to the squad in front of Clark although that is far from certain.

You maybe wondering why I haven’t got any Utd  or Liverpool (Wisdom apart) defenders in the above.  At the moment if you want cover De Gea and Mignolet are the best options given rotation and price of the alternatives.

That’s it.  On to midfielders next

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