It was a challenging opening week for many fantasy football managers. Nevertheless, it’s great to be back and spurring on your team (sometimes over the side you support). This week, Scott Grayston picks out the ten best bargains on the market, analyses what we learned in gameweek one and looks at which teams have the best upcoming fixtures.
What did we learn?
Top 10 bargains (in no particular order) that have rising values:
DF – Joseph Gomez (Liverpool) – 4.6m – Selected by 7.8%
It appears that Gomez is the preferred choice at full-back this season over the defensively unreliable Alberto Moreno. He is a bargain and is certain to rise if Rodgers maintains his trust in the youngster.
DF – Reece Oxford (West Ham) – 4.1m – Selected by 5.5%
The 16-year-old is being played in midfield and is classed as a defender, which is a fantasy football manager’s dream, especially when they are as cheap as Oxford.
MF – Willian (Chelsea) – 7.0m – Selected by 3.5%
Willian has become an integral part of Chelsea’s midfield now and should certainly contribute more than he did last season (two goals, four assists). At 7.0m, he comes at an attractive price when you compare him to the hefty-priced Hazard, Fabregas and Oscar.
MF – Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City) – 7.0m – Selected by 0.7%
This is a huge signing for Mark Hughes. Shaqiri loves to shoot and play direct football, making him the perfect fantasy football player.
The only concern is how long it takes for him to settle in but he could be worth purchasing before the majority buy him and his price rises.
GK – Sergio Romero (Man United) – 5.0m – Selected by 5.1%
De Gea is missing again for Manchester United’s trip to Villa Park so his Madrid move seems inevitable. Louis van Gaal trusts Romero and he looked sharp in their opening fixture. The Argentine is cheap compared to the rest of the top teams ‘keepers. If Man U don’t buy a replacement for De Gea, his price will certainly rise because he has the number one spot secured.
DF – Matteo Darmian (Man United) – 5.6m – Selected by 11.3%
Darmian was outstanding on his debut last week and is definitely going to be popular with fantasy football managers. He was used as a wing-back when he was in Italy, so expect him to get a handful of assists as well over the season.
DF – Luke Shaw (Man United) – 5.5m – Selected by 6.5%
Shaw was sensational at Southampton two seasons ago but couldn’t get fit and play to his potential last season after his big-money move to Old Trafford. He looks back to his best now though after an impressive pre-season. He should light up the Premier League again this campaign with bursting runs from the back.
MF – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal) – 6.0m – Selected by 7.7%
It’s surprising that the Ox is only 6.0m. If Arsene Wenger is going to deploy Theo Walcott as a striker, that leaves the right wing berth for Chamberlain to grasp. He made the difference in their Community Shield victory and came close to scoring a couple of times last week. He is a risk with Wenger’s options in midfield, but is a cheap risk that could be well worth taking.
DF – Micah Richards (Aston Villa) – 4.5m – Selected by 7.0%
Richards was flawless in Villa’s opening day victory. He helped his side keep a clean sheet and earned two bonus points for his services. It’s great to see him back in the Premier League. Managers will pick him purely out of instinct because he is a household name and is cheap, so his price will inevitably rise.
DF – Matt Targett (Southampton) – 4.0m – Selected by 3.3%
You struggle to find defenders that are 4.0m that are going to be playing but Targett is one of them. Bertrand is injured for the next two weeks so this is a chance for the youngster to impress and they have the potential to earn at least one clean sheet against either Everton (h) and Watford (a).
Who has the best fixtures?
1. Southampton – Everton (h), Watford (a), Norwich (h), WBA (a), Man Utd (h), Swansea (h)
2. West Ham – Leicester (h), Bournemouth (h), Liverpool (a), Newcastle (h), Man City (a), Norwich (h),
3. Bournemouth – Liverpool (a), West Ham (a), Leicester (h), Norwich (a), Sunderland (h), Stoke (a)
4. Spurs – Stoke (h), Leicester (a), Everton (h), Sunderland (a), Crystal Palace (h), Man City (h)
TIP OF THE WEEK:
"NO NEED TO PANIC…"
Don’t worry if you didn’t start off very well. All the big sides had a poor week, especially the defenders and Courtois. If your team contains players from most of these teams, they will succeed in the long run when the top sides start picking up form.
Dream team: (If you want to use your wildcard)
