Weekly Picks: The Bargain Hunter-Week 2
And we’re off. Now that we’ve gotten that pesky first day of school out of the way, we can really start to dig our heels in and get to work on the season ahead in Fantasy Premier League. Gameweek 2 starts today, with the Premier League unveiling its new Friday Night Lights promotion with Manchester United facing Southampton.
As far as last week went, I wouldn’t be fooled by some of the points put on the board by a surprising group. Players like Etienne Capoue, Stephen Kingsley and James Collins all put together solid performances, but don’t expect these guys to be contributing like this on a consistent basis. Instead, it’s more important to look at stats like chances created rather than assists and shots on targets rather than goals from the first week.
Looking back on my bargain picks from last week, West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster was the clear stud. The keeper secured a clean sheet against Crystal Palace and played a critical role with four saves, including a few how-did-he-do-that moments. Meanwhile Idrissa Gueye continued to do what he does best, and that’s shutting things down in the midfield with six tackles and two interceptions, only good for a league that considers those metrics.
We’ve started filling up our Rotoworld draft leagues, but it’s never too late to join, and you can find them all here under “Rotoworld Draft League”. If they are all filled up, let us know on Twitter and we’ll add more leagues. For obvious reasons, we’re capping leagues at 10 users in order to encourage a higher level of competition. And if you’re bored of the attacking-based FPL.com or Perfect XI formats, our salary cap league on Fantrax (Rotoworld Salary Cap) mirrors the old Yahoo format that includes advanced statistics and defensive metrics. It’s not for the casual FPL.com player, and that’s why we love it.
Without further delay, here are the bargains for Week 2. 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 salary-cap 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 or draft leagues with limited waiver claims.
BARGAINS:
GK – Maarten Stekelenburg (Everton)
There have been rumors swirling this week of Everton making a move for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. But until that happens, all we know is that Stekelenburg is the No. 1 under new manager Ronald Koeman. The Dutch international made three saves last week against Spurs in a 1-1 draw, but I like this pick for the upcoming fixtures. With Ashley Williams set to pair with Phil Jagielka in defense, Everton will face West Brom, Stoke, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace in the next six gameweeks. I think there are some clean sheet points to be had there and Stekelenburg is still available in half of Fantrax draft leagues.
DEF – Gareth McAuley (West Brom)
I feel like managers should know by now that Tony Pulis defenders are going to put up points no matter what. And yet, there are clear-cut starting defenders like McAuley who are taken in only 37.8 percent of draft leagues. We saw why Pulis defenders are so consistent with the clean sheet against Crystal Palace last week. Personally, McAuley is the perfect type to have on your bench for injury purposes or a favorable gameweek against a weaker club. After Everton this weekend, the Baggies face Middlesbrough, Bournemouth, West Ham, Stoke and Sunderland.
MID – Adnan Januzaj (Sunderland)
This is a bit of a risky pick so early in the season, but if you are not happy with the attacking options that your draft produced I suggest taking a look at Januzaj. He came off the bench last week against Manchester City, but I expect him to become a starter in no time, possibly even this weekend against Middlesbrough. David Moyes was the man who got four goals and five assists out of an 18-year-old Januzaj in 2013/14, and now he has a more experienced winger with a definite need for an attacker like him. If you fancy the risk, Januzaj is available in nearly three-fourths of all Fantrax draft leagues.
MID – Gaston Ramirez (Middlesbrough)
We may finally be seeing the return of Gaston Ramirez to his 2012/13 form with Southampton that saw him record five goals and four assists. The Uruguayan international looked excellent in a 1-1 draw with Stoke City in the club’s return to the Premier League. Ramirez recorded an assist on newcomer Alvaro Negredo’s early goal and also looked sharp with three key passes. Ramirez is taken in only 48 percent of Fantrax draft leagues and looks like a shrewd pickup as Boro’s No. 10, even if he just rides your bench for now. We know what he is capable of and that alone is worth a waiver claim.
FWD – Adama Diomande (Hull City)
Diomande was one of my Hull City picks of the year in my season preview before last weekend, and the Norwegian international didn’t disappoint in the stunning season-opening upset of Leicester City. Diomande scored the first goal of the Premier League season with an overhead kick that was originally credited to Abel Hernandez. The forward is a definite starter at the moment and is taken in only 28.5 percent of draft leagues. His real value lies in salary-cap formats as his price will be crazy low, like it is in the FPL.com game, but Diomande could be that third striker off the bench in your league.
