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
Good evening Chins and Alex and assorted night owls. Just returned from a trip to see my 90 year old granny and I’m trying to get my side in order. I’ve got Hutton, Duff, and David Jones (Burnley mid) on the bench. Any opinion on Hutton (Everton away) vs Duff (West Ham home) for the first sub? Here’s how I’m set up now, would you make any changes?
Krull (Foster)
Baines Clyne Taylor
Sterling ADM (C) Siggy Fabregas
Costa Aguero (VC) Ulloa
Subs: Hutton, Duff, Jones
Firstly, stick that armband on Costa if you’re keeping him!! 😉
I’d play Duff ahead of Hutton this week. In fact, i’d be tempted to play him ahead of Taylor too. Stoke won’t be easy.
Nice team though. My WC team isn’t going to look all that different!!
Sorry,…. Evening Red by the way!!!
How rude of me!!
Ha, no worries at all Chins! Thanks for the reply, it’s nice to see someone up at this time of night. You’re getting fat on Texas sized portions in the good ol’ US of A if the memory serves though, so we’re on the same schedule. I’m way up in the north east in Vermont- less cowboys and more hippies.
How goes the WC? You getting closer to a final draft?
Vermont eh. Getting cold yet? Had another 90 degree here today. Nice.
See below for WC – I’d appreciate your views.
Rate My Team Please and can’t decide on the 2 transfers I can make
Mannone
Shawcross , Lorven, Clyne
Sterling, Di Maria , Fabregas, Sigurdsson,
Falcao (VC), Costa (C), Welbeck
Subs Krul, Moore, Hutton, Marney
0.2m in the bank
Hi Razor,
Definitely play Krul instead of Mannone. I know it’s the toon, but home to Leicester is a lot nicer than away to Southampton.
I’d replace Marney with Boyd (if you want to stick with Burnley), or Obertan if you like points for this week in case Costa doesn’t make it.
I’d transfer out Louvren. Nice fixtures but they’ve looked awful at the back. And 5.4 is a lot to have on such a shaky chance at CS points.
For 5.4m I’d look to get an Everton defender in (Jags) for Lovren.
I’d replace Shawcross with Chambers from Arsenal after this week. Frees up 0.3m too.
Cheers chambers I wanted to get in. I was thinking of Jagielka myself as Pool have been shocking at the back so far.
Just captaincy I need lol
Ok. Alex, Red, and anyone else out there….
I think this is my final(ish) drat….
Have I gone Burnley GK’s??? You know, I think I have. Double Burnley won’t be a habit. Injuries permitting, this weekend will be a one-of.
My logic…
For the money in GKs, I could only afford to pick one 4.5 and a non starter 4.0. WBA was my clear alternative and they have a toughie this weekend and then play Chelsea and Arsenal in wk12 and 13.
Leicester were an option but can’t keep clean sheets.
Burnley play Arsenal in wk10 and then don’t have a really tough one until Spurs in wk17. (I’d give them a chance home to Everton and home to Southampton, which are there only other tricky games between now and week17).
Baines and Chambers will play every week. Hutton will fill in for Clyne nicely when Southampton have tricky games up until the new year. – Thank you Calvin Clyne for that awesome fixtures tracker!!
Mids are straight forward. Obertan has a nice game this week. – Thanks Cookie and Alex.
I feel like having at least one differential so have gone for Hazard over Fab the assist machine. I may regret that decision, but you only live once.
Stuck with Costa. Just don’t trust Jose. If I sell him, he’ll cost me another 0.4m to buy back. I don’t have the cash to spare.
All feedback welcome…
Thanks!!!
Is your gk going to start tho this week?
Good spot Razor. But….. Look who my back up is!!! #alwaysthinking.
What about the rest?
Ta.
Otherwise team is grand. Could u check my post above as I need help & can’t decide on transfers. Lovern, Marney & maybe Sterling (so called tired) and who to fit in
Cheers Razor – Feedback left above for you.
Chins, I can’t stop to chat mate as I’m shattered and off to bed (want to be up to watch the City game as I’m out rest of Saturday, missing the other games) but I think you’re in great shape with this, overall. Mane feels like a bit of a gamble to me, and I’m still unsure over Welbeck but the latter is probably personal bias (he’ll certainly get the chances and the fixtures are good) and if Mane clicks he’s an awesome differential. Love Hazard- a couple of big scores from him could see you climb nicely. Your defence is great- I have similar plans in mind but am aiming to accomplish them without a WC…we’ll see. Good luck pal!
Lastly, I think we’re both in Banterbury Qual D– looking forward to the inevitable match-up! All best for this week 😉
Thanks Pippin – Appreciate your time mate. – And I look forward to that match up!! Its a tough league we’ve got. A lot of good teams. And I don’t include mine in that list – I’m very lucky to be as high with that many points. But i’ll take it!! 😉
Thanks again.
Hey Chins, with the lack of clean sheets to be had so far I can’t see putting too much money into your GKs anyway, so I don’t see that as a terrible idea. I wouldn’t want to double down by playing Duff too often though, but you know that.
I think Mane is a great differential pick, but his game time might be risky this week after the International matches, and then there’s the African Cup to consider too. I think the FF247 team went with Tadic instead for those reasons, but Mane is cheaper and has looked great.
The front line looks good, Welbeck has a great upcoming schedule and if he can start scoring in the league he’ll be a decent 3rd striker.
Some other ideas I would consider as I don’t really trust Welbeck at this point would be to grab Pelle for Welbeck and then maybe Downing instead of Mane. West Ham have City in GW9 but it’s pretty smooth sailing other than that.
Dunno mate, there’s a lot to think about on a WC but that looks a pretty strong side to me.
+1 on Downing (at least I currently have him). If he keeps playing no 10 and WHam don’t revert to long balls for Nolan to knock down he should score solidly.
Cheers Red – Good shout on Mane and ACoN – I didn’t even realize where he’s from!! – I’ve not actually seen him play yet! His selection is based purely on the views I’ve read from people on here!! The power you guys have eh. Incredible influence.
Anyway… I like Welbeck. No, wait, that’s too strong a word. I think Welbeck can do a good job given the chances he’ll get. I really like the idea of Pelle. Just struggling with Downing. His game time and stats do look good though, and it’s a much bigger data set to go on than 2 games from Mane. Damn. That has really given me something to think about.
Thanks again Red. Appreciate your time mate.
Chins, it all looks good pal. You have two great differentials; Haz and lions arse, the rest are solid and, IMO, necessary at this stage. Your justification for def is very good and I agree competently. I’ll be getting Hutton in next week for the rotation reason you talked about with Southampton. I like your keeper thinking, it makes a lot of sense. Personally i’d still go West Brom but us having the same team is sooo last season! Last thing, don’t capt Costa!
Advice if u can with transfers (2) I can make this week & captaincy
Razor, Shawcross and Lovern to Baines and A.N.Other? Or how about Augero (I dont want to be the man that tells you who to downgrade though!?) With you current team i’d Cappo ADM
Want Aguero in team but need to free up cash if I sold Falcao
you might be able to get the cash u need by selling lovern and clyne and get cheap defenders…
Interesting. If you go for Baines. (And a lot of the great managers are…. ), then that only leaves you 4.1 to play with. And you’ve already to Moore and Hutton as cheapies. If you can downgrade Obertan/Marney to a 4.3 non-playing mid next week to get an extra 0.1m then you could go Duff.
As I said on my WC blurb, you’d be looking to start Baines every week. Even the tough CS games.
Hutton covers Clyne nicely all the way through until Jan WC.
So… you are basically looking at rotating Moore and Duff and Hutton (when he’s not already covering for Clyne) every week. – As at those values, you’re not going to have any flexibility to use transfers to play the fixtures any better than what you’ve got already.
Looking at the fixtures tracker, by rotating between Burnley, Leicester and Villa, those players will allow you to avoid a really tough match all the way up until week 18. And even then, it’s a home game against either Spurs or Liverpool. So nothing too scary!
Hope that helps.
PS. For captain, I’d pick Falcao
secrectly wishing ADM will only get 2 points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s not a secret any more though is it Baunsir!! 😉
Not sure which three to play out of Moore, Vlaar, Bertrand, Clyne and Shawcross. Thoughts?
clyne to me is a bigger attacking threat or bertrand just flip a coin lol
Double Southampton and Stoke if it was me I think Tom.
Moore has newcastle though
It’s your call mate, but I think the stats suggest Southampton and Stoke would be the better play.
Newcastle have played 3 home games. Didn’t score against Man City. Put 3 past Palace and 2 past Hull.
Leicester have kept one clean sheet all season.
cool. cheers mate