Fantasy premier league – “ones to watch” midfielders – GW15 Buy Hold or Sell

I’ve provided the following stats to support the player choices and to guide you in your decisions.  I’ve now moved this to this year:

1.  Goals and assists this year.

2.  Time per point scored this year.  This is how many minutes it takes for a Barclays fantasy premier league point to be scored over the course of this season. The lower the better obviously.

3.  Rotation risk.  High, medium or low.  High is the greatest risk of rotation.

4.  Fixture ease ranking:  The link is at the bottom of the article but essentially I’ve ranked all the teams by the ease of the first 6 fixtures.  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.

5.  Consistency:  The % of times that the player got a goal or assist  as a % of games played

6.  I’ve also ranked them in their categories as who I think is currently the best choice

7.  Last 5 return consistency rate:   Its now time to take into account recent form so I look at the amount of times a player has returned in the last 5 games played

8.  I’ve also added a couple of fixture punts.  These are people not showing great form or consistency who now have some excellent fixtures which you may want to roll the dice with

Midfielders

1.  Hazard (£9.6m) BUY

• Goals and assists:  6 goals 6 assists.  Time per point scored:   12.9  mins .  Rotation risk: medium.   fixture ease ranking: 12th.  Consistency 7/14   50%  Last 5 return consistency:  3/5

I think both managers may have described him as “unplayable” in the GW14 match against Sunderland with his 2 goals and an assist.  Its certainly a roller coaster ride as he has a fantastic time per point scored statistic and a could be better consistency stat.  However he does have the overall best underlying shooting and creating chances stats of anyone apart from the injured Silva.  What is unarguable is that on his day against poor opposition he can be devastating.  The home fixtures against Palace and Swansea look particularly appealing

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Stoke City (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Arsenal (A)
Swansea (H)
Liverpool (H)
Southampton (A)

2.  Ramsey (£7.5m) BUY 

• Goals and assists:  8 goals 5 assists.  Time per point scored:    11.8 mins .  Rotation risk: medium.   fixture ease ranking: 17th.  Consistency 9/14  74%  Last 5 return consistency:  3/5

Just when you think it may fizzle out after 2 blanks he comes back with 2 goals and an assist.  You just have to go with the form and ignore the fact that he’s never scored more than 3 in a season.  Has an incredible knack of drifting into the box in home games when teams sit back and conversley has unbelievable energy on the counter attack.  This means he can score in whatever situation.  Has started to show some underlying shooting stats as well.  However they don’t support what he’s doing but Ramsey is way beyond logical justification.    Luckily covering him isn’t expensive.  3 difficult fixtures next but that seems irrelevant

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Everton (H)
Man City (A)
Chelsea (H)
West Ham (A)
Newcastle (A)
Cardiff City (H)

3.  Ozil (£10.3m) HOLD

• Goals and assists:  3 goals 7 assists.  Time per point scored:  12.7  mins .  Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 17th.  Consistency 6/11    55%        Last 5 return consistency:  3/5

After a couple of blanks has returned to form with a goal and 2 assists in his last 2 games.  Has finally started to produce some shooting stats in addition to creating loads of chances.  3 tricky fixtures next though.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Everton (H)
Man City (A)
Chelsea (H)
West Ham (A)
Newcastle (A)
Cardiff City (H)

4.  Nasri (£8.2m )  HOLD

• Goals and assists:  4 goals 4 assists.  Time per point scored:  13.2  mins .  Rotation risk: medium  fixture ease ranking: 8th.  Consistency 7/14   50%          Last 5 consistency return rate:  2/5

Finally produced at home to Swansea.  Doesnt really have any shooting stats.  More of a creator of chances.  Will be interesting to see what happens when Silva returns. Navas has been in good form and Nasri may not hold his position.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Southampton (A)
Arsenal (H)
Fulham (A)
Liverpool (H)
Crystal Palace (H)
Swansea (A)

5.  Gerrard (£9.0m)  HOLD

• Goals and assists:  3 goals 6 assists.  Time per point scored:  16.9  mins .  Rotation risk: low   fixture ease ranking: 20th.  Consistency 8/14   50%          Last 5 consistency return rate:  4/5

Mr Consistency through set pieces and pens just keeps on producing.  After not returning in his opening 5 games he’s now returned in 8 of his last 9.   One of a couple of midfielders sustained on set pieces and pens without any shots in the box stats.    Big price is the only negative and the percentage of your squad that would be Liverppol players.  Assuming everyone has Suarez that is.  3 tricky fixtures in the next 6 also isn’t that attractive

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

West Ham (H)
Tottenham (A)
Cardiff City (H)
Man City (A)
Chelsea (A)
Hull City (H)

6.  Mirallas (£7.3m) HOLD

• Goals and assists:  2 goals 4 assists.  Time per point scored:  18.3  mins .  Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 7th.  Consistency 4/14   29%       Last 5 return consistency rate:  1/5

1 return in his last 6.  Very inconsistent but has the chances and his underlying shooting and creating chances stats are very good.  Always looks likely but it never seems to happen for him.  3 good games on the horizon after the Arsenal game.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Arsenal (A)
Fulham (H)
Swansea (A)
Sunderland (H)
Southampton (H)
Stoke City (A)

7.  Cabaye (£6.5m) HOLD

• Goals and assists:  2 goals 4 assists.  Time per point scored:  19.1  mins .  Rotation risk: low  fixture ease ranking: 14th.  Consistency 6/12  50%          Last 5 consistency return rate:  3/5

A Gerrard at a cheaper price and Remy on the end of his chances created rather than Suarez.  Has absolutely no underlying stats.  You’re really relying on his set pieces.  Fixtures are very mixed.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Man Utd (A)
Southampton (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
Stoke City (H)
Arsenal (H)
West Brom (A)

8.  Lampard (£7.5m) BUY

• Goals and assists:  4 goals 3 assists.  Time per point scored:  16.9  mins .  Rotation risk: high  fixture ease ranking: 12th.  Consistency 5/14  36%          Last 5 consistency return rate:  2/5

After the 2 goals against West Ham followed by a blank it was then 1 goal and 1 assist at Sunderland.  Really started to get forward in the last few games.  His underlying shooting stats in recent games have been very similar to those that got him 15 goals last season.  Game time is a big issue though but the price is very generous.  Stoke away could be tricky but Palace at home looks a good bet.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Stoke City (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Arsenal (A)
Swansea (H)
Liverpool (H)
Southampton (A)

9.  Lallana (£7.0m) HOLD

• Goals and assists:  3 goals 3 assists.  Time per point scored:  17.0  mins .  Rotation risk: low   fixture ease ranking: 19th.  Consistency 5/14   36%          last 5 return consistency rate:  1/5

Not returned in his last 3 and 1 of his last 5.  2 of those games were against Chelsea and Arsenal away though.  No real pattern to his scoring though.  At a 36% consistency rate it requires a show of faith with 4 very difficult fixtures in the next 6.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Man City (H)
Newcastle (A)
Tottenham (H)
Cardiff City (A)
Everton (A)
Chelsea (H)

 10.  Coutinho (£8.6m) HOLD

• Goals and assists:  1 goals 1 assists.  Time per point scored:  24.1  mins .  Rotation risk: low  fixture ease ranking: 20th.  Consistency 2/9  22%          Last 5 consistency return rate:  2/5

Just not happening at the moment for him.  In fact his underlying shooting and creating stats aren’t that different than last year when he was one of the best returning midfielders in fantasy premier league.  I think it will come right for him  its just after West Ham the fixtures are a bit tricky.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

West Ham (H)
Tottenham (A)
Cardiff City (H)
Man City (A)
Chelsea (A)
Hull City (H)

Budget midfielders

1.  Shelvy (£5.3m) BUY – Hull City at home next and a fantasy premier league point per minute with 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 5.  A bit of a game time risk due to rotation but great returns so far

2.  Barkley (£5.2m) HOLD – Started after being rested.  Hasn’t returned in his last 7 but has to turn round with him playing so well as a CAM

3.  R Morrison (£5.1m) Suspended HOLD –  Seems a regular first teamer now.  Slowed down the returns though with a only a goal and an assist in his last 6 but looks threatening

4.  Brady (£5.2m) HOLD –  Hasn’t returned in the first 3 games back.  You’re relying on set pieces and pens and his great start before injured.

5.  Redmond £4.6m HOLD   –   Back in the first team with 2 assists in his first 4 games back which is a good return.  Has gametime issues though when Snodgrass and Pilkington return

6.  Amalfitano  (£5.1m) BUY – No returns in 7. However some good fixtures though with Norwich Cardiff and Hull next

7.   Brunt (£5.0m)  BUY – a goal and 2 assists in the 5 games since back from injury.  Good set piece involvement.  Excellent fixtures

8.   Bannan (£4.4m) BUY – 1 goal and 1 assist in the 6 games since back.  Good fixtures as well

9.  Januzaj (£5.0m) HOLD –    Has great potential but really rotation prone. 2 goals and 2 assists in the 8 games he has played is a good return though

10.  Pozuelo (£4.2m) BUY  – started 4 games in a row wth 2 assists in them.  Rotation prone and gametime issues generally.

11.  Whittingham (£5.1m) HOLD –   Steady secure gametime position.  Has pens and  some set piece involvement.   1 return in his last 8 though.

12.  JWP (£4.3m) HOLD –  Has gametime problems and rotated alot.  Only 2 returns although involved in every game and started 8.  Great set pieces though and if guaranteed gametime has good return potential

13.  Kasami (£4.6m) HOLD –  Started every game except 1 but hasn’t returned in the last 6.

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