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
Okay people…
Costa and Sterling OUT
Aguero and Mane/Schneiderlin IN
???
Or stick with Costa and Sterling?
Last thing you want to do is take costa out over all this speculation because last time, it was said he had a hamstring injury, but he then played and scored so if I was you I would just leave him at the minute and leave sterling Liverpool at qpr he’s got to be involved in that game somehow with an assist or goal. Aguero would be a good man to have at the minute as a lot of people have him and so do I, but it’s not worth risking it if costa plays or comes on for a bit today and returns next week against United
Stick for now I would
Would anyone captain aguero over di Maria this week?
Nope. Pondering between Falcao and Di Maria myself. RvP should make way for Falcao though, if Falcao played alone there I would cap him for sure. Now Di Maria, he takes every set piece now Rooney is out.
Any word on Welly yet? He’s still yellow. >.<
He played in the arsenal under 21s I think, and when asked if he would be playing in champions league he said it was arsenes decision, so he’s not ready for 90 minutes yet, but will most likely be back next gw at some point.
But will he play this weekend?
He’s most likely playing the next U21 game on the 25th, and be integrated into the first team after that. I watched him yesterday and he looked very rusty
No Raz, he should hopefully be for fit for the bench for next gw though
Just realised you said Welly. We all thought Wally!
Welbeck is fine.
I definitely WOULD am477.. 100%. And I am doing so
This is my team at the moment I have 1 FT and 0,3 in the bank
I was thinking of saving my transfer
can I have some feedback ?
What do you plan on doing with pieters? He’s out of favour at the moment so you should probaly look elsewhere.
I am keeping him for one more GW and if he plays today I am keeping him and if he do not he is out
Agreed pieters needs to go & I would find another back up GK who would play
Thanks mate
Watcha guys reckon? Am I good? This is my team:
Forster
Dummett – Moore – Baines
Di Maria (C) – Fabregas – Sterling – Siggy
Falcao (VC) – Pelle – Costa
Subs; Gilks, Hutton, Albrighton, Chambers
Feels ignored. >.<
Raz
Looks good to me. You took in baines I see 😉
Yeah, Baines seems to be a must. He’s like the only defender that’s fixture proof. For real. They sucked at the back and conceded what? 16 goals? And still he managed to be amongst the top defenders. A few cleansheets and he’ll be the best scoring defender for sure. Also, I think Everton had quite a tough run of fixtures, they will have better fixtures now.
Your team looks good as it is I say your ready
Oi Jon, see you’re doing really well yourself. Your team also looks ready, looks a lot like mine. Lol.
And congrats on Iceland humiliating the Dutch.
Looks solid Razman
Fearing the weeks ahead with Costa injury and Sterling worries. Wanted to fix defense but now I fear Kun will be a must. >.<
Bottled it gone with ADM not sterling I will be kicking myself later
I’m captaining ADM too :biggun:
Captains? I’m going Pelle or Baines I think (sorry for posting twice – put it in the wrong one!)
Angel.
AT – here’s hoping for a Baines clean sheet and goal whether you capo
him or not!!
I’m on ADM
Nah bottled it and stuck it on ADM!