Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 10 Review

I was quite pleased with my points tally this week all things considered. The gameweek average was 58 points and I was 5 points below this with 53 (ignoring the minus 4 I took). Normally I wouldn't be too pleased coming in below, but with last week's lowly total of 23, and my first choice captain not playing this week it felt like something of a victory.

Gameweek Points: 53 (-4)

Gameweek Rank: 3,505,865

Overall Rank: 397,345

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The Positives :D

• Both my transfers paid off :) Success scored - I'll resist any temptation to make any puns on his name - and David Luiz got his clean sheet. The Success goal in particular was quite fortunate. He'd scored just 9 points in the previous 9 games. So to get 6 points was quite a windfall. Hopefully he'll continue to get game time.
• Sterling got an assist, making up for last week's no show.
• Newcastle got a clean sheet. This really saved my week in a way. It also saved me from the constant shame and embarrassment that was coming with owning two Newcastle defensive options. So I finally have a little bit of justification.

The Negatives :(

• Hazard missed through injury - though fortunately this was a problem affecting many managers.
• Robertson was rested. This was particularly galling as I'd captained him in anticipation of Hazard not starting.
• Which leads to the next problem - Firmino was my vice captain, and clocked up just 2 points in spite of Liverpool scoring 4 goals. Having Firmino and not Salah or Mane is what really killed my week in relation to other people this week. My judgement at the start of the season was that Firmino would match or outscore Mane over the season as a whole. So far this judgement is proving to be badly wrong! - and it's cost me. I'm still not in a rush to ditch Firmino though, as Liverpool won't be facing a team like Cardiff at home every week.
• Lucas Moura also failed to deliver once again, though it was a difficult game against Man City. Hopefully he'll keep starting, which is the one bright point with him. I may have to start seriously looking for a replacement soon though the way it's going. Again though, like with Firmino it's not something I'm massively worried about.

Overall I'm actually quite happy with my team. I feel like I've reached a kind of zen like calm when it comes to FPL. I'm past the stage where I'm worried about price changes. I feel like I've got a long term plan, and I'm less concerned with weekly rank rises and falls. I'm also happy to be patient with some of my players that aren't bringing in the points at the moment - such as Firmino.

(Bobby Firmino as an FPL Zen Master)

The Top Five Players I Don't Own That I Fear

1. Mane

Having Firmino and not Mane really damaged me this week, and there's no obvious route for me to bring him in. Though if Hazard's injury is more serious than appears he'd be an obvious and easy replacement.

2. Aubameyang

It's similar with Aubameyang, as I have Lacazette in his stead. It would be difficult, but not impossible to find the extra £1m or so to upgrade, but it really is something I'd rather not have to do just yet.

3. Agüero

He didn't deliver this week, but it was a tough away game at Spurs, and not a good game to judge him. Southampton at home on Sunday could be a completely different story. I'll just have to have my fingers crossed that Stirling starts that game and matches him somehow.

4. Salah

Salah is definitely in scoring mode now, and he rewarded the people who have shown faith in him on Saturday. Hopefully for my sake he won't get similar points tallies against the better sides that Liverpool will face going forward.

5. Barkley

Ross Barkley is looking really good. If he keeps starting games he could be tremendous value at just £5.8m. Frustratingly he would be out of reach for me at the moment as I already have three Chelsea players. If that wasn't the case I'd be very, very tempted to bring him in for Lucas Moura.

Other players that are looking great and deserve mention are Bournemouth's Callum Wilson, who's getting mega points at the moment, and also Xherdan Shaqiri. Shaqiri is getting points even when he's just making cameo appearances off the bench. In fact, it's a little reminiscent of Hazard at the start of the season. He's very much on my radar at the moment.

As for my potential transfers this week I'm currently looking at bringing in John Stones for the Southampton home tie. It would just be a straight swap for Tomkins. However, it would also be something of a gamble as he's only started 6 out of the 10 Premier League games for City so far. Laporte would be a much safer option, but sadly he's just out of my price range. I'll have to wait and see what the injury situation is for Hazard and Gündogan before I make any decisions though.

My Overall Points: 583

My Overall Rank: 397,345

FPL Friday Preview: GW10

So, after last week's horror show I've decided I need to take a hit - or a devil's wildcard as I tend to think of them. I really begrudge surrendering hard earned points. I love even just a single point off the bench, and by buying a transfer I'm giving up four of them 😡  ...but I've hit hard times.

It does give me a chance to move towards my plan to have five "top six" defenders at the back though. I think I'll make the actual transfers a little closer to the deadline just in case any late news comes in, but I've got my plans laid out already. (I'll post a screenshot of my team line-up at the bottom of the article when it's all done and dusted.)*

The transfers I'll be making are;

Watford's Troy Deeney out for his £4.5m teammate Isaac Success

and then;

Arsenal's Sokratis out, for Chelsea's David Luiz.

(My GW10 transfers for a minus 4 hit)

The removal of Sokratis is a little bit heartbreaking in a way, I've become a bit attached to him. He's back to full fitness now and played in last night's Europa League game, so there's a chance he could play this weekend. Though it's most likely it'll be Mustafi and Holding at the back once again. It would have been nice to have stuck it out to see him actually earn me some points, but to have left him in another week would've meant risking not having eleven players on the pitch for the second time in a row. So David Luiz seems like a sensible replacement.

The transfer in of Isaac Success is more of an enabler to allow me to make the changes to my first team that I need to make. He's pretty much just a bench option really. My main reasons for choosing him ahead of other options are as follows;

a) his price - £4.5m means I can reallocate £1.5m more to my defence.
b) he's played a part in every Watford game this season, so hopefully he's guaranteed a point off the bench if and when he's needed.
c) he started in gameweek 9, so if Deeney's injury troubles continue he could get more game time over the next few weeks.

Hopefully these changes will help get my season back on track. As for the rest of my team there are a few things of note. Firstly, I'm having to double up on Newcastle again. This is obviously a bit of a gamble, but I still feel that Newcastle have been unlucky this season. Both with their run of fixtures, and with their run of luck.

Last week's game against Brighton was a classic example. They were beaten 1-0 and suffered the wrath of the pundits once again. However, their performance wasn't actually that bad from what I saw, and they dominated the ball and the chances in the game. So I think they're due some luck. Southampton away might not be a bad place for them to start turning things around.

There are also doubts over Hazard of course, but I'll probably captain him anyway.** Likewise Gündogan remains on the injury table. I've been trying to hang on to him as I think he fits my plans going forward quite well. Plus with the way Man City rotate I wouldn't be surprised to see him straight back in for a game once he's fit. So it might be a little premature taking him out. Hopefully he'll be back sooner rather than later.

My team line-up for GW10;

(click to enlarge)

*So transfers made. All set. I've left Gündogan in the starting line-up just on the off chance that he does start, unlikely though it is. Failing that Success should come in. I was gonna have Success behind Tomkins on my bench, but given that Success started last week and Crystal Palace have a tough game against Arsenal it seems like a decent sort of gamble to take.

**With the doubts over Hazard I've decided to un-captain him and look elsewhere. At the time of writing I have it on Robertson (!), which is a slightly unconventional move. He's such a reliable grabber of bonus points though and has a great chance of a clean sheet at home to Cardiff, so it seems like a reasonable shout. My one fear being that he could be dropped what with it being the sort of tie where Klopp should feel comfortable resting players. Hopefully that won't be the case. Firmino is my go to back-up if that does happen.

After last week's shambles they'll probably both be dropped xD Hopefully all goes well though.

Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 9 Review

Halloween came early for me in GW9. Terrifyingly bad week. 23 points, multiple injuries, massive drop in the overall rankings. Absolute horror show (!) ..

Gameweek Points: 23

Gameweek Rank: 5,616,588

Overall Rank: 233,338

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So what went wrong and what went right?

The Wrongs :(

• Gündogan injured
• Deeney injured
• Sokratis injured
• Firmino benched
• Harard - captained, blanked, yellow-carded
• Sterling benched

The Rights :)

• Andy Robertson

Oh, and Wolves didn't keep a clean sheet, which saved me from losing even more ground.

(Halloween Horror Show - GW9: just 23 points)

Not sure where to start going forward. I'm tempted to take a hit, but I don't want to go into panic mode. I do have a plan going forward, which is similar to last week's, but slightly amended. The Deeney injury has given me a chance for some reflection, which is probably a minor silver lining.

So my plan now is to downgrade my third striker and go with five "top six" defenders at the back. Essentially a permanent 5-3-2, with three cheap, but hopefully playing substitutes. I'm going to need quite a few transfers to get this plan in action though, so I could really do with not picking up any more injuries in the weeks ahead.

The Top Five Players I Don't Own That I Fear

1. Agüero

Not having Agüero punished me this week, so if this continues I'm going to be screwed. So big fear here.

2. Aubameyang

Aubameyang is looking awesome at the moment. Even just off the bench. I envy anyone who has him at the moment as it's a gamble that's paying off massively. I actually have a plan to bring in either Aubameyang or Agüero at some point in the future - once I get my other transfers sorted out - and I think I'd actually go with Aubameyang if I was doing it now.

3. Trippier

Spurs are starting to keep clean sheets ..and I have no Spurs defenders! Trippier seems to be playing week in, week out too. He may be a little bit too expensive for me now though :( and there doesn't seem to be an obvious Spurs alternative.

4. Salah

Salah's back in the list. Personally I don't think he performed that well at the weekend. His finish was superb though, and I was slightly concerned watching him play without having him in my side.

5. Özil

Surprise entry this week. I'm a huge fan of Özil, just in pure footballing terms. So I'm always tempted to have him in my side simply because of that. However, whenever I've had him he's done absolutely nothing, and I'm always left with the feeling that I'm choosing him because I like the way he plays the game, and not specifically for FPL reasons. Plus he's quite an expensive player to have when he's not clocking up points.

Watching the Arsenal goals from last night though he looks in absolute top form. I really hope he goes on to have an excellent season, as technically he's an absolute maestro - and a joy to watch when he's on his game. With Lacazette and Aubameyang to provide service for it could be the perfect formula. I think I'll wait a little bit before I consider him for FPL though.

My Overall Points: 534

My Overall Rank: 233,338

FPL Friday Preview: GW9

A few yellow flags next to players might make this week a little difficult for me. Gundogan looks set to miss out for Man City, and Sokratis (as per usual) looks likely to miss out for Arsenal. The signing of Sokratis has been a huge disaster for me, so hopefully I'll be able to axe him with next week's free transfer. Maybe by doing just a straight swap for Liverpool's Gomez.

(click to enlarge)

My team's actually looking quite different from the general "template team" that people commonly have at the moment. So there are quite a few differentials in there. Which I guess means this week could either go really well or really badly for me.

• Tomkins looks set for another price drop over the next few days which will take him down to £4.3m. Everyone, quite sensibly, now has Wan-Bissaka, so a goal from Tomkins would be great for me.
• With Yedlin and Dubravka in for Newcastle's home game against Brighton a clean sheet would be nice there too. Though two Newcastle players is a pretty big risk at the moment.
• In a way Deeney could be my big weapon this weekend, as a goal, or even an assist, would not only gain me points, but also puncture the Wolves clean sheet balloon. Ruining the gameweek of anyone with one or two Wolves options at the back. I've really missed out by not having any of the Wolves back line in my team, so this would be pretty sweet. Likewise, Deeney has done nothing so far for me since I brought him in so I really feel like he's due a goal.
• People have also been dropping Lucas Moura like a stone. It's probably quite a sensible decision as there do seem to be better options out there at the moment. However, if he starts again for Spurs I'm more than happy to have him in there, and hopeful, if not confident, that he could grab something.

My main concern though is simply having eleven players starting on the pitch, so anything after that will be something of a bonus.

As for captain I'm sticking with Hazard again. It could be a tricky tie against Man Utd, especially if they try to man-mark him. However, he's still a great option. It's also my second game this season without Aguero - and the first where Aguero has a very attractive looking home game - so this could be a big factor in how well I do this week. In many ways I can only really judge Hazard relative to Aguero, so if he blanks in the early opening game tomorrow it'll be a very uncomfortable weekend.

Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 8 Review

I'm quite pleased following this gameweek. Nothing spectacular, but it feels very nice to have an above average week after two below par ones.

Gameweek Points: 67

Gameweek Rank: 809,595

Overall Rank: 108,784

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The gameweek average was 50 points, so 67 is pretty decent I think. My Lacazette for Aguero switch paid off quite handsomely. So that was definitely a positive. Hazard likewise came good again.

My big problem continues to be the Sokratis situation, as he was once again benched. I'm not sure what action to take just yet. I still like the idea of having an Arsenal defender just for team balance. They definitely look to be improving game on game, and a top six finish (i.e. a decent amount of winning results this season) looks pretty much guaranteed.

(Arsenal's current centre-back options - Shkodran Mustafi,

Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Rob Holding)

The problem with the Sokratis & Mustafi centre-back pairing seems to be the lack of pace, especially when attempting to play a high line. So perhaps going forward it'll be just one of those plus a more pacey defender. The younger Rob Holding has played in place of Sokratis for the last two and half Premier League games, so it'll be interesting to see if that continues. At just £4.4m he would be great value for a playing top six defender.

Apart from the Sokratis issue I'm reasonably pleased with my overall team at the moment. There are a few changes I'd like to make if I had a wildcard, but nothing major. I think in future I may try to upgrade one of my cheaper defenders to another top six defender. Perhaps David Luiz. Then I'll be able to play a much more settled and reliable 4 or 5 at the back. Rotating my fifth defender with my third striker depending on the fixtures.

So each week I would have either a 5-3-2 or 4-3-3 formation. It's so hard predicting who will and won't start in the midfield positions this season that I think three is the way to go, with two back-up bargain basement midfielders on the bench.

(My Current Template Plan)

The Top Five Players I Don't Own That I FEAR

1. Aguero

2. Any Wolves Defender

3. Richarlison

4. Trippier

5. Kane

First up, and notably, this is the first time I don't have Salah in the list. The fear has been fading fast, even with Liverpool's home fixture against Cardiff on the horizon. So I'm not in the least worried about not having him in my side at the moment. Though things could change. It is still fairly early in the season after all.

Having switched Aguero for Lacazette he now rises to the top of my list. It's a gamble losing him and I'm just praying it pays off. Or at least doesn't damage me too much.

My lack of Wolves players is really damaging me at the moment too. I completely missed the boat with Wolves, and it seems like every other FPL team has at least one of their superb value defenders in their side. Even if it's just the super-cheap Bennett. I now have the conundrum of whether to jump on the bandwagon or just wait it out and hope Wolves have a dip in form soon.

Richarlison starting up front for Everton really makes him look like someone who's potentially essential. I'm not hugely keen on Everton players as I think it's hard to tell exactly what sort of season they'll have, or what their overall style will be going forward. I'm having a serious look at Richarlison now though. He seems like a natural replacement for Lucas Moura if he stops making the Spurs starting eleven.

Trippier looks like the best Spurs option at the moment. Seeing him in other people's sides and Sokratis in mine really makes me feel like I have a huge weakness. Again, I'm not sure what my plans are yet regarding future defensive personnel, but sadly I think Trippier is now well out of my budget with my current set up. So as with the Wolves defensive options I guess I'm just going have to be patient and hope for the best.

Finally, Kane still looks like he's going to end the season with a huge tally to me. His blank against Cardiff will have disappointed a lot of people, but I think that's more a case of random bad luck than bad judgement on the part of the people who captained him. He looked very sharp against Barcelona, and I think people have probably been reading too much into his overall performances during these opening months of the season. He'll definitely bag a fair amount of goals. Whether he justifies the high price tag though is another question.

My Overall Points: 511

My Overall Rank: 108,784

FPL: Friday Preview - GW8

So I've brought in Lacazette for Aguero, which means with next week's transfer I can bring in Sterling for David Silva. I think I'll make this transfer as soon as Gameweek Nine officially begins as I literally have just enough money in the bank to make the transfer. A £0.1m price swing will completely scupper my plans.

It's a little risky, and perhaps a little silly to make the transfer so soon, what with Sterling still having his GW8 game to play, and then potentially two England games. However, if I don't make it I'll end up spending the entire international break checking the potential price changes. So I'd rather just take the risk and then sit back and enjoy the weekend's games. Plus Sterling is a player that I'm bringing in for the long term, so if I can make sure to get him in without taking a hit then I'm happy to take the risk.

(My transfers for gameweeks 8 and 9)

As for my GW8 team I'm a little bit worried that I may end up with fewer than eleven players on the field. It looks like Gundogan will be out for Man City. Then on top of this both Sokratis and Guendouzi played in last night's Europa League game for Arsenal. They both played the 90 minutes - and both scored! o_O

So it's possible neither could start in Sunday's game. Guendouzi hasn't been getting game time in the Premier League recently anyway, so he's pretty much nailed on for a place on the bench. In fact, both players have scored me precisely zero points in the last two gameweeks :(

So if those three don't play I'm going to have to just have my fingers crossed that all my other outfield players start their respective games.

So this is my line-up;

(click to enlarge)

For the captaincy I'm just sticking with Hazard. Quite an easy decision given my options. Lucas Moura is slightly tempting with Spurs playing Cardiff at home, but I think I'll resist that temptation and just go with the safe option. If Moura takes points away form Kane this weekend it'll just be a huge bonus anyway :)

Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 7 Review

Another sub-par week. I'm starting to struggle now. This gameweek was my worst so far, clocking in at just 44 points - 7 below the gameweek average of 51. I now seem to be in free fall after what was looking like a very nice start.

Gameweek Points: 44

Gameweek Rank: 3,974,452

Overall Rank: 137,714

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First up, the players that did well for me - which should be pretty quick as there were only two, Aguero and Hazard. Fortunately my captain choice payed off as Hazard scored 10 points vs Aguero's 8. So that was a huge bonus this week.

As for everyone else, well, it was pretty woeful. Sokratis was the stand out villain as he remained on the sidelines. So I missed out on Arsenal's second clean sheet in a row. I'll have to keep him for the time being, but I have very low expectations that he'll ever deliver for me. My plans going forward now though are quite interesting. As it stands I have two options I'm looking at.

Option 1:

Bring in Son (or another Spurs player) for their attractive looking fixture against Cardiff this week.

Option 2:

Switch Aguero for Lacazette this week, then bring Sterling into midfield next.

I really like the second option. Sterling is starting to look like a huge asset, and I very much like the idea of a Sterling/Hazard midfield. That looks like it could be the key to a great season. The £11m price tag initially looked too expensive for my tastes, but now Sterling is starting to look like Aguero, but with 5 points a goal instead of 4. So "option 2" looks like the best option as it stands. Although it does seem like a no-brainer to bring in a Spurs player this week. Either way I'll wait til Friday to decide.

The Top Five Players I Don't Own That I Fear

1. Sterling

2. Kane

3. Trippier

4. Lacazette

5. Salah

My Overall Points: 444

My Overall Rank: 137,714