Fantasy Football FF247 Team Gameweek 8
It seems an age away now, but GW7 was a pretty good gameweek for the FF247 team. We managed to beat the average score again, amassing 62pts vs an average of 51pts. Our score was very much built around the performance of our midfield and strikers, which in all honesty was the same for a great many fantasy managers this week. Firstly captain Aguero notched his 5th goal in seven games this season, scoring the 2nd of City’s goals at Villa, although he had us nervous for most of the match! A bonus point just made it sweeter, meaning a 14pt return. Other decent returns on that Saturday were Siggy’s two assists vs Newcastle and Sterling’s assist for Liverpool’s winner home to West Brom. Taylor and Moore disappointed in defence, but c’est la vie. Mannone chipped in with 3pts home to Stoke – his save points echoing memories of last season. Onto Sunday and Di Maria was the star – scoring the first for United, assisting the second and collecting three bonus points courtesy of his well-deserved man of the match performance. Spurs goal meant no clean sheet for Alderweireld as thoughts turned to Chelsea and that man Costa. Mixed emotions before the game – of course we want our players to do well, but with many captaining Costa, we didn’t want him going crazy – even a brace would of damaged our ranking! Well, just the one goal and no bonus points justified our decision not to captain him, while reliable Fabregas set up his goal. So all in all, satisfying, the green arrows appeared and we now find ourselves sitting pretty in 13,682 place – a comfortable position to be in at this stage of the season.
Transfers for GW8
Well it’s all change this week as we have used our two free transfers. We explained our plans last week and the lack of injuries over the international period has meant that those plans haven’t changed…much. There is however a slight personnel change. We have:
Sold Stoke defender Marc Wilson and Liverpool midfielder Raheem Sterling
and bought Everton defender Leighton Baines and Southampton midfielder Dusan Tadic.
Baines we feel is difficult to ignore in FPL – if he only played in a side that kept more clean sheets, he really would be a genuine “must have”. Just one clean sheet in Everton’s first seven fixtures may also lead some to question us spending 7mln on the defender, especially when it means selling Sterling to finance it. Our reasoning is this – Baines is as much about his attacking prowess as his defensive stability – he is on all set pieces for the Toffees, including penalties – indeed, already this season, in those first seven games he has contributed one goal and three assists, picking up six bonus points in the process. He is consistently one of, if not the, highest scoring defender in FPL. Need more? Ok – in these first seven games, Everton have faced the firepower of Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Arsenal. Everton’s next six home games are against Villa, Swansea, West Ham, Hull, QPR and Stoke, while in the same period they also travel to Burnley and Sunderland.
Selling Sterling was a much harder decision, but in the end something had to give and at this stage we are very happy with the remaining midfielders and strikers. Despite Liverpool’s attractive looking short-term fixture list, they are, in Rodgers’ own words, “still in transition” and, of course, Sterling has very recently complained about felling tired. Throw in constant Champions League action including two ties with Real Madrid and all this makes us feel we can live FPL life without Sterling for now. That’s not to say he won’t do well in the meantime and the return of Sturridge may well reinvigorate him, but Baines is the priority.
So we have bought Dusan Tadic. In all honesty, we really wanted Saido Mane, but the African returned late from international duty and Koeman didn’t fill us with confidence that he would play this weekend. Given there is another international break in a few weeks, plus the African Cup on Nations in January, we feel Tadic is probably the safer pick. Southampton’s fixtures are pretty appetising and we felt some Saints attacking coverage will be important these next few weeks.
Captain
Our captain for GW8 is Angel Di Maria – a unanimous decision. Three double-digit scores out of four shows how quickly the midfielder has settled in to Premier League life and also illustrates his class and form. With Falcao and RvP also finding the net recently for United, confidence is high for the Reds at one end of the pitch at least. There are of course other great options this week: Aguero home to Spurs, Costa at Palace, Welbeck home to Hull, Siggy in great form at the moment, Pelle at home to Sunderland and of course even Baines as Villa travel to Goodison. But there’s nothing quite like a strong Monday Night Football captain and when many have already counted their double points for the weekend, we’ll be hoping ADM carries on his recent trend as United travel to West Brom.
Our vice captain is Diego Costa.
Here is our team in all it’s glory this week then –
And in text format as promised –
Krul
Alderweireld Taylor Baines
Di Maria Fabregas Sigurdsson Tadic
Welbeck Costa Aguero
Subs – Mannone Boyd Moore Hutton
Hearing that Sturridge is out for another 4 weeks.
Evening All,
Is my team good to go?
Krul
Baines Clyne Taylor
Fabregas Di Maria (C) Gerrard (VC) Siggy
Costa Welbeck Pelle
Subs: Mannone Boyd Wilson Moore
All good JMD, pending any further Costa news….
Theo Walcott played for the under 21’s tonight. He played the first half in a 0-0 result.
Nice team.
Considering if I should stick or twist, current team:
Could drop fab to bring in baines. 1ft only though, so maybe wait until next week?
Cheers!
J.
Note – fab to chadi. hutton to baines.
Evening James.
Have you really ditched the assist machine Fab and gone double Burnley at the back?! You really are a gambling so and so aren’t you!!
I think the team looks great, but I think it’s more likely that Fab finds his shooting boots rather than the assists drying up. But I suppose something has to give to get baines in. A lot of people (myself included) hoping that he racks up the points with the upcoming fixtures.
Good luck to you mate.
Cheers!!
Not done it yet btw.
And I play 3 at the back.
(2 Southampton)
Great team! How much cash do you have left? I do hear that Chadli is in doubt, however, have you heard anything about this?
James, it’s a brave call to ditch fab but fortune favours étc etc also doubling up on defenders is massive risk V reward. Good luck mate
Anyone RMT – ALL SET …?
Forster
Baines,Taylor,Duff
Siggy,Di Maria,Mane,Sterling
Aguero (c),Welbeck,Costa
Bench : Schmeilchel,Wilson,Wisdom,Cork
Jeet, looking good pal! Interesting you’ve gone Mane (part of a lion incidentally!) he looks a good player and could be a potential to be a bargain. Hope he works out for you mate.
Somewhere near the Lions arse isn’t it Alex 😉
Struggling big time on WC. To Costa or not to Costa? That is the question.
Actually one of many questions. Currently on Krul and Foster at the back. Saving some cash, but keeping a pair that rotate nicely until Jan.
Afternoon chins. Let’s see the famous WC as it stands now mate. Where’s a lions arse? 😉
Here you go then….
No Mane yet…
Help!!
Chins, the bones look good pal. Personally the way Newcastle are defending i’d save the 0.5 and go for all West Brom (and that’s from a man who has Krul/Foster!) especially if you can put that money to good use elsewhere.
I know the pros of Hendo but I just cant do it! Can you get Mane or Tadic if you downgrade Krul?
I’d also go for Obertan as a 4.4 5th mid, as Cookie points out this week he is starting and Newcastle do seem to be able to score.
One more very left field call to save cash; Fab to Sterling…………
Any og those suggestions appeal to you?
Ok. Draft 2 (thousand)….
All in on WBA. I really don’t like their fixtures over the next 6 weeks (MUN, Che, ARS), but it’s them or Leicester or Newc for that money, or Villa for 0.1 more. Villa have nicer fixtures but haven’t exactly mastered the art of defending either. Plus, that would leave me with having to double up on Villa def when I need to play Hutton. Scary.
Thoughts welcome…
Well in draft 2 (thousand and 1) you could go back to Fab and have Krul as your backup giving you two rotators. I just don’t see them keeping that many CS’s and West Brom have looked ok. Your call their pal but for my money I prefer this team to your last. if you went Haz to Fab could you do Mane to Sterling? Or you could leave your team as above but leave fab in and have some money in the bank to change where you want/need to over the next few weeks. Also id keep Costa this week (as you seem to have) and see what occurs. Tidy see?
Cheers mate. I love Fab as a player. Despite the ex Arsenal thing. I just prefer Hazards goal threat. That said, not having Fab is a risk as over 50% have him. Fab does better against the weaker teams. Haz does well against the better teams. Chelski upcoming fixtures are a mixed bag. What does it all mean?! Arrrggghhh!!!
I get your point on not having Krul as a back up. But the fixtures i’d use him are LEI, QPR, whu. Surely there must be a CS or two in that lot?!!
Good shout on Obertan. (Or Silvestres love child as I prefer to call him).
Gonna keep Costa. You just never know.
I want to get Wally in at some point. No idea how though.
Sterling is tempting too. But I can’t afford that with Baines in my team.
This is tough.
And worst of all. No one else is around, so I have to rely on someone who doesn’t know what a Lion looks like!!! 😉
You do know im a zoo keeper ay 😉 Team looks good pal maybe go Krul/Fab for now with the option to upgrade change around in a couple of months in the Jan WC? Pop back in a few hours and you’ll be able to get others thoughts as they wake? Hang on 5 minutes, I want your opinion on something………….
That’s my current team. I’m thinking dullard move of hoilett to obertan and/or pieters to someone, maybe Hutton? This is to free up cash for baines or azpi. What us recon??
Why didn’t you just show me this earlier? Would’ve saved me loads of time on my WC.!! #copyandpaste
Hmm… Def don’t touch the front 7. But you knew that.
Hoillet to a 4.4m will get you another 0.3m right? What do you have ITB now?
You’re gonna play Chambers every week and Villa (Hutton) do cover Saints sticky patch in wks 13-15 and 19-21 really nicely. So def get Hutton at some point before then.
The other 3 defenders (Stoke, Swans, Leic) you can probably live with for a few weeks yet.
So, i’d prioritize ditching Hoillet this week and free up the cash.
0.bigfat0 in the bank. Ok, so hold Pieters for next week and then ditch him for Hutton (cheers for the rotation heads up with Southampton!) and do Obertan-baldy-head this week?
Alex, I think Obertan is a great shout for this week. Personally, I had QPR’s Traore in my team before then. Also 4.4 and maybe more nailed for playing time. But for a cheapie this week to play and to maybe score more than 2 points, i’d go Obertan.
Good call pal, hes going to be first sub but at least if Costa doesnt play he’ll jump in for it. Then Hutton for Pieters next week to save more cash, Sorted. So whats your current WC thinking mate? Or are you just too confused and hit ‘auto complete!?’
Yep Jeet.
Certainly wouldn’t play any of your subs ahead of your first XI.
What’s in the bank, and have you used you FT already?
Yep I’ve had 2FT took a 4 PTS HIT & 0.0 ITB ..!
Well then pack your bags Jeet, cos you’re all set for Gwk8 !!
Good luck mate.