fantasy premier league GW1 – 5th draft team including some radical changes

Fantasy Premier League

There’s some radical changes after the weekend for our 5th draft team.  The weekends events really changed things.  I feel there are still more to come as we count down to the 8th of August and fantasy premier league GW1.  I’ll talk though the changes and the selection and transfer dilemmas.  

fantasy premier league GW1 – 5th draft team including some radical changes

So after the weekend it’s all change in our fantasy premier league GW1 team.  Unfortunately they won’t be the last!  Here’s a few basic reminders before we talk through them

Firstly no Sanchez and Aguero due to the Copa America late start.  We do have a plan for getting him in though.  Copy and paste this article into a new tab

fantasy premier league team selection tips – some thoughts on the Aguero dilemma

No worries about the new hips.  We’ll be using them in the 2nd half of the season most likely

While we’ll probably use our first wildcard after GW4 opens for the 2 week international break.  This should give 2 weeks of increased team value and a chance to correct the early mistakes/gambles in our team.  Despite that the team has been set up to continue if it seems the wrong thing to do.  What I mean is that it’s not just a team for 4 gameweeks

Anyway here’s the latest team with the changes afterwards explained:

fpl..preseason5

The changes

£5.5m Liverpool def Clyne out – £4.5m Liverpool def Gomez in

The first of a few gambles.  The £4.5m LB Gomez has been a strong presence in the Liverpool lineup in pre-season and looks a strong bet for the Liverpool LB spot.  This will save money for attacking players but also cover at the least clean sheet element of the 43% ownership of Liverpools Clyne.  A big gametime gamble

£10.0m Man City mid Silva out – £8.0m Southampton mid Mane in

Southampton have some great fixtures and with Mane playing so well towards the end of last season and in the Europa League tie against Vitesse he seemed an excellent pick.  Silva has a tricky few fixtures to start and no Aguero on the end of his key passes potentially.  The £2m saving was very necessary

£7.5m Swansea mid Siggy out  – £6.0m Sunderland mid Lens in

Was a little worried about Siggy’s fixtures and needed the cash downgraded.  Lens’ good form and fixtures were the reason for his choice.  It’s still one I’m umming and urrring over though as will be clear later.  I mean look at Lens’ first 6 fixtures,  Could they be any better?

Leicester (A)
Norwich (H)
Swansea (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Spurs (H)
Bournemouth (A)

£5.5m Bournemouth fwd Wilson out  – £8.5m Liverpool fwd Benteke in

Another gamble.  Benteke started and played well and scored in the friendly against Swindon at the weekend.  Will he start against Stoke?  It’s got to be doubtful but Bournemouth, West Ham and Norwich the next 3 home games is very attractive and surely he will be ready to start for the Bournemouth game in GW2 at least.  This wasn’t a rejection of Wilson but a vote for Benteke

£8.0m Southampton fwd Pelle out  – £9.5m Spurs forward Kane in

This is solely an ownership play.  Now 36%.  I’m nervous of not owning him.  This debate will run and run though as if he blanks after the United away game hIs ownership and value could take a knee jerk battering.  His excellent pre-season game against the MLS all stars also didn’t help keeping him out either.  This one will run and run.  Fixtures after the United game are ok though.

£4.5m Bournemouth def Francis out – £4.0m Newcastle def Taylor in 

I don’t realistically think Taylor could play.  My alternative is to downgrade Lens to Matt Ritchie of Bournemouth so I can buy a £4,5m defender who will play.  I really want Lens though.  You did see those fixtures didn’t you?  So I’ve lived with it for the moment but I’m not happy

£4.5m Sunderland def O’Shea out – £4.5m Sunderland def Jones in

Really didn’t like Kaboul and Coates lining up in the weekend preseason game as the CB combination for Sunderland.  Jones has featured more heavily so I’ve made the shift.

So have I really gone too far?  I have a seemingly certain no show in Taylor and a gametime gamble in Gomez.  Meaning I potentially only have 3 playing forwards if you consider Jones nailed on which is hardly the case.  Then there’s Walcott and that saga plus Benteke probably on the bench for GW1 and Kane away to Man Utd.  The more I write about it the more I get more nervous over it.  Never mind  there’s still  a week to go.  However I’ve shifted the team from proven players to more fixture based players.  That is at least what Lens, Mane and Benteke are.

Ownership

Here’s a check on the players with over 30% ownership

Hazard 56% – In my team

Clyne 43% – Covered by Gomez if he plays

Kane 36%- In the team reluctantly

Rooney 34% – In my team

Ivanovic 32% – covered by Azpilicueta

Benteke 31% – In my team

So fairly covered there.  I’ve therefore neutralised the main players who can unduly harm my rank.  I’m happy with all the players in any case except Kane who I think is too expensive.

I won’t debate the merits of ownership.  You can read the arguments in my strategy review by copying and pasting this into a seperate tab.

fantasy premier league strategy – a review after the end of season

The core players

These are mostly covered above.  Hazard, Rooney, Azpilicueta, However I would also classify Walcott as a proven and reliable player.  It’s just gametime.  Kane isn’t,  he’s an ownership player as I mentioned above

The fixture players

Lens

I’ve mentioned him above.  The fixtures are incredible and his record for club and country is good plus his pre-season has been successful.  Can he produce in a team not exactly known for goal scoring.

Leicester (A)
Norwich (H)
Swansea (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Spurs (H)
Bournemouth (A)

Mane

Good form so far. Good fixtures for the first 4 especially

Newcastle (A)
Everton (H)
Watford (A)
Norwich (H)
West Brom (A)
Man Utd (H)

Benteke

The home games are excellent even if the away games are terrible.

Stoke (A)
Bournemouth (H)
Arsenal (A)
West Ham (H)
Man Utd (A)
Norwich (H)

The cheap fillers

I’ve put £4.5m GK Myhill in even though I will probably need to change him in October when Foster returns.  However having a WBA GK at that price is definitely worth the 1 transfer.

I’ve already talked about Gomez who isn’t a cheap filler but a potential bargain saving £1m.

The 3 rotating defenders now become Taylor if he plays, Jones and Huth.  If Taylor were to play then the fixtures would be:

GW1 – Huth home to Sunderland

GW2 – Jones home to Norwich

GW3 – Jones home to Swansea

GW4 – Huth away to Bournemouth

GW5 – Huth home to Villa

GW6 – Taylor home to Watford

So Taylor interestingly is not that vital to the rotation and could be replaced if a WC were used after GW4.

£4.5m Bournemouth midfielder Surman looks a good bet for the 5th midfielder.  He seems reasonably gametime secure and has some attacking potential without being a YC problem

Captain options

Here’s how the captains will look going into gameweek 4 when I intend to get Aguero in

GW1 – Hazard home to Swansea

GW2 – Benteke home to Bournemouth, Rooney away to Villa

GW3 – Rooney home to Newcastle

Watchouts over the coming week

  • Steven Taylor’s prospects of starting
  • Joe Gomez’s prospects of starting
  • Any words on the Sunderland defence
  • Any words on Walcotts position
  • Any words on Bentekes fitness
  • The Southampton lineup against Vitesse during the week

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