Weekly Picks: The Bargain Hunter – Week 33
Now that we got that awkward first week back out of the way, now it is time to buckle down and really focus on the remaining stretch run. There are eight weeks between now and the end of the season, which means there is still plenty of time to make a move.
I feel as though my picks last week were a microcosm of how the week went for the majority of fantasy managers: There was some good, some bad and some unfortunate.
Considering he was an extremely risky pick entering the week, Alex Iwobi proved to be a massive success as he scored a goal in Arsenal’s 4-0 drubbing of Watford. Marcos Rojo also did well to record a clean sheet for Manchester United despite just returning from the international break in Argentina.
But while Jakob Haugaard and Jermain Defoe each got the starting nod, neither produced much of anything. Meanwhile, I may have read too much into Jurgen Klopp’s Scouse affection for Jon Flanagan. This week, I’ll try to stay away from anyone who isn’t a bona fide starter.
Without much more delay, here are the bargains for Week 33. I’m welcoming all suggestions and debates on Twitter (@gastelumEPL) and hopefully I can include your thoughts here in this column.
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 Fantasy Premier League 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. Great for any format, but especially valuable in the FPL.com game.
BARGAINS:
GK – Karl Darlow (Newcastle)
Starting goalkeepers are hard to come by, especially if you are in a draft league, which is the only format in which you should even remotely consider bringing Darlow into your team. After all, there are only 20 starting goalkeepers (duh) and a league with more than 10 teams can provide problems when it comes to finding a backup for your fantasy team who actually starts in the Premier League. Due to a season-ending injury to Rob Elliot, who ironically found himself in this exact same position a few months back, Darlow is now a starting goalkeeper. Fantrax says he went from being owned in a grand total of zero leagues to being owned in six percent, meaning managers are starting to take notice. The 25-year-old is solid as a backup choice and has a few favorable fixtures left (Swansea, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa) when he can be your No. 1. If you’re in a goalkeeping bind, Darlow can at least help out a bit.
DEF – Danny Simpson (Leicester City)
This Leicester City defense is becoming all the rage in fantasy circles after four straight 1-0 wins and clean sheets in five of the last six matches. Simpson is the cheapest and easiest way into this newfound stronghold and you should consider him a long-term buy in any format, from Fantasy Premier League.com to draft leagues to daily fantasy. In FPL.com, he’s valued at only £4.2 since he is usually the last on the backline to earn bonus points. Meanwhile, Fantrax says he is still available in 47 percent of draft leagues, which is an incredibly low figure considering he is a starter on a first-place team. And for you DraftKings users, Simpson is up against Sunderland’s dreadful attack this weekend. It sounds like a no-brainer in just about every sense.
MID – Max Gradel (Bournemouth)
If you’re in need of an attacking midfielder, Gradel could be the option for you. The Bournemouth winger was expected to be a major part of the Bournemouth setup after arriving from St. Etienne this summer, but he suffered an ACL injury in August that ruled him out for a significant amount of time. But the Ivorian has recently returned to start each of the last six matches and even added a goal and assist in a 3-2 win against Swansea City. Now that Bournemouth is without Benik Afobe for up to a month due to a hamstring injury, expect Gradel to take up some, if not most, of the attacking slack for a club that hasn’t scored in the last two games since the Swansea match. In FPL.com, he’s available for just £5.7 while draft leagues are where his true value lies considering he is available on the waiver wire in the majority of leagues.
MID – Jonny Howson (Norwich City)
Now while Gradel is the more exciting pick, Howson is the more reliable as a key member of a team desperate to avoid relegation. The midfielder has started every game since Week 19 and has two goals and two assists in that time, those two assists coming in a thrilling 3-2 win against Newcastle on Saturday. He is more widely available than Gradel, but I still think Gradel would make a better pick in most circumstances. However, Howson is cheaper in FPL.com at just £4.9 and the remaining money left over from a transfer could be the difference between adding a more expensive player like Kevin De Bruyne in another transfer. Depending on your need in midfield, one of these two players should provide the answer.
FWD – Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle)
Mitrovic is definitely the riskiest pick on this week’s list, but that’s not saying much. After all, the forward has scored each one of the club’s goals for the past three matches. It took him just 29 minutes as a second-half substitute to score two goals against Norwich City this weekend when the team struggled to break through the Canaries’ defense. He’s a bit of a wildcard in the discipline department, but the 21-year-old has scored eight goals this season and could be Rafa Benitez’s man to drag Newcastle out of its relegation nightmare. Fantrax says he’s available in 45 percent of draft leagues while he’s valued at £6.2 in FPL.com. But for starters, he may be worth a look in daily fantasy against Southampton this weekend.
