Weekly Picks: The Bargain Hunter – Week 9
Another international break has infiltrated the Premier League season, and this break has been particularly “Krul” on the injury front, as many prominent players, including Sergio Aguero coming off a five goal masterpiece, have been cut down by injuries while playing for their country, sending many fantasy managers into a frenzy.
In the FPL game, Aguero and his high ownership has given much for a fantasy manager to think about. Not to mention, there were a select group who didn’t own Aguero for his explosive Week 8, immediately transferred him in, only to see a major investment instantly become a major nuisance. Far be it from me to rub salt in the wound of FPL managers out there, but I kept my first half wildcard through some tough early weeks, got back into the top 80k with the Aguero explosion, and now that wildcard has been activated. In a week where I expect many to be taking point hits, I can sit back and shop like I have an American Express Gold Card with unlimited credit.
But enough about Aguero. For one thing, his excellence and high price does not mesh well with my product. I am here to tell you about the bargains, the cheap men, the forgotten ones. For another, the subject has been covered, extensively. The only other subject in football that has been covered more is the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as the new Liverpool boss. I don’t know about you, but I am getting a bit tired of seeing a picture of Klopp grinning like a kid in a candy store every time I check my Twitter feed. We get it Jurgen. You have a smile that can end all wars. Poor Sam Allardyce picked the wrong week to get appointed to Sunderland AFC. He is trending in social media popularity somewhere between Carrot Top and my seventh grade computer science teacher.
Manchester City may have been hit worst, but the international break has certainly opened the door for some bargain plays. Some short term, some perhaps useable a bit longer. Either way, that is where I come. However, this week’s edition is somewhat bittersweet. There is a transition within the Rotoworls staff and column coverage, as we welcome our newest staff writer Andrew Gastelum to the mix. I will be passing the bargain torch to him when we roll out coverage in Week 10, while I will begin working on a Top Picks of the Week column. (title and format is still a work in progress). So while the author will change and the presentation may look a bit different, the purpose will be the same – no matter what format of fantasy Premier League you play, there is always a need for a player or two or three who can provide returns on the cheap, allowing you to fill the remainder of your XI with all the big names you want racking up points, week in and week out.
Right. So let us dive in to Week 9 as we get set for an uninterrupted month of PL action…
Follow the RotoWorld_PL team on Twitter: Galin | Jeremy | Neal | Nik | Steve | Ben | Rob | Matt
A reminder again of what I look for in my bargains and how I differentiate their value…
One Week Buys (OWB) – when a regular is suspended for a match, ineligible to face his parent club as a loanee, or his fill-in looks to deputize for only a week while the regular nurses a minor injury, this is where to find some replacements. They should only be looked at when you really need help at a position that week alone, and not looked at as long term plays. Best for salary cap leagues with unlimited transactions.
Short-term Buys (STB) – when a regular faces a multi-game suspension, an injury layoff lasting 2-5 weeks, international commitment, etc., this is where you look for players that can offer more beyond one week but do have a limited shelf life in most cases. Worth using a waiver claim or spending a bit more of your free agent budget (FAAB) than the One Week Buys. Can be useful in FPL format as long as you are comfortable with possibly needing to transfer them out in a few weeks.
Long-term Buys (LTB) – when a regular is either facing a month or more out or has lost his spot seemingly to someone better, these are the players that emerge as potential long-term investments and are therefore the most valuable of the group and worth paying up considerable FAAB for. Great for any format, but especially valuable in the FPL.com game.
THE BARGAINS
GK – John Ruddy (NOR) – With the injury to Tim Krul, there is going to be a budget keeper to emerge for Newcastle United – but you will not see me going anywhere near that road to trouble. Perhaps Rob Elliot or Karl Darlow can somehow ascend to useable status, but the keeper position is such a volatile one in most fantasy formats, the risk is simply too high to mess with considering the state of the Magpies. Instead, I offer up John Ruddy, who I have mentioned before this season, as a potential STB for those in need of a cheap keeper. Norwich travel to face the aforementioned Magpies this weekend, then have two of three at home against West Brom and Swansea. I think it is safe to bet on one clean sheet at minimum over the next four gameweeks and in the weeks the Canaries concede, he has historically been pretty good at racking up saves.
DEF -Baba Rahman (CHE) – The exciting 21 year old Ghanaian international who arrived to Stamford Bridge this past summer is finally set to make his Chelsea debut now that word has come out of a Grade One hamstring tear to Branislav Ivanovic, with our resident injury expert Ben Dinnery expecting the Serbian to miss around three weeks. The lackluster display by the defending champions so far this season cannot be blamed entirely on a single player alone, but it has to be said that Ivanovic has been Ivan the Terrible in his defensive abilities this season. The insertion of Rahman will certainly merit a STB and deserves a bit of cash from one’s free agent budget in formats that use FAAB on the waiver wire. Perhaps he flops with his chance and Chelsea continue their defensive woes, perhaps Jose Mourinho will want to get cute and give Kurt Zouma a look out wide, but the betting man has to think Cesar Azpilicueta will switch over to his more accustomed right back spot and Rahman will get his audition on the left this weekend as the Blues host Aston Villa. The fact is, if Rahman can excel during his chance, he might stick for the long term, turning a bargain STB into a LTB. With only 20% ownership in Fantrax leagues, the time to buy or bid is now. FPL players should take a wait and see approach.
DEF – Geoff Cameron (STK) – Did anyone catch the USA v Mexico match a couple of nights ago? Despite a heartbreaking last minute loss, my blood is still pumping from such an exciting match. Cameron was the man on the end of a header that helped the USMNT equalize after conceding to El Tri early, and he has been a mainstay on the Potters back line in league play. Stoke have a pretty good set of fixtures on tap over the next six gameweeks, and while Jack Butland has been the clear winner in fantasy when it comes to investing in their back line, I think Cameron is due for a decent haul or two over the next several weeks. Like Rahman, his ownership in draft leagues is hovering around 20%, meaning there is a high probability he is out there for free. You shouldn’t have to spend any FAAB money or burn a waiver claim priority number, but if you are looking for a change in defender in that format, wait until Thursday or Friday and scoop him up. FPL players should consider him too as a 4th or 5th defender if playing their wildcard, as his 4.5m price tag is solid considering his job stability and recent form. Another STB qualifier.
MID – Almen Abdi (WAT) – I have already made the move for Abdi in my Playtogga league a few days back, so I definitely and putting my money where my mouth is in touting him here. The underlying stats are showing a positive gain as the weeks go by, and I think he is going to start raking in the points over the next several weeks. FPL players needing to downgrade at the midfield position or are looking for a useable fifth mid if on their wildcard should be excited about his current 4.8m price tag, while in other formats, he has already begun to put up some very useful point totals, thanks largely in part to chances created, a stat which has him among the top five in that category to date. He wasn’t nailed on when the season began, but he has been influential in the four consecutive league starts he has made and I think his position is safe for a stretch and worthy of a STB and potentially a LTB in FPL if looking for that 5th mid below the 5m mark. The assists should come – only four other players in the league have delivered key passes on a more frequent basis.
MID – Jeffrey Schlupp (LEI) – In FPL, he is listed as a defender this season, in Fantrax, he checks in as a midfielder. Either way, Schlupp showed us at times in Leicester’s promotional campaign last season how dynamic he can be, and a fantasy asset no matter what his position classification is. Well, last gameweek, he opened his account on the current season, and we all are aware of how well-oiled the Foxes attack has consistently been all season. Yes, we all have or want Jamie Vardy or Riyad Mahrez, but if neither can be obtained in the draft league format or are too expensive in salary leagues, why not see if Schlupp is beginning to hit form and look at him as a STB investment with solid upside potential.
FWD – Aleksandar Mitrovic (NEW) – I do not get every call right and if there ever was one player to back that make me look foolish in a moment’s notice, it would likely be Mitrovic. The stats are not going to dazzle anyone and the last thing one want in a striker is one that has as many Red Cards as he does goals scored (one each so far). That goal came in Newcastle’s last match however, and sometimes when a striker finally breaks his duck with his new club, the floodgates can open, and goals come pouring out. The schedule is quite favorable and it is not like Newcastle have to earn a point anywhere along the way in order for Mitrovic to provide returns. Yes, his discipline issues are a concern. He will have his 1 pointers here and there in the FPL format. But if you can look beyond that and have a bit of faith that he can keep his temper in check, you may agree with me that he has class in his striking ability and can score with his head with a well-delivered ball. Again, this call may come back to haunt me within minutes if he sees another red card, but many have given up on this striker in draft leagues ans he should still carry a kind price in other formats. With five consecutive matches against lower-tiered clubs, my hunch is that he will be grabbing the headlines for positive reasons over the next month and change. That is enought to anoint him as a LTB prospect in my final Bargain call of the season.
So that is what I have to offer at this stage of the week, in my final edition of The Bargain Hunter. Be sure to follow me on Twitter, @FuzzyWarbles, as I will update during the week any other prospects that may emerge or to alert you of prospects I have already promoted, who for one reason or another, suddenly have lost their appeal. International play hasn’t completely wrapped up yet, so much can change between now and your next deadline.
Good luck to you all, my fellow hunters. May your arrows be green.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
