Fantasy Football Tips Game-week 12

Fantasy Football Tips Game-week 12

Back in the early days of fantasy football the internet was in it’s infancy and actually the most popular games were newspaper led and you had to fill in a form, cut it out, send it off, hope it arrived and then wait for Monday’s edition to see how your team fared. Of course you had to figure that out for yourself as they would simply list the players scores and if you were lucky they would publish the top 10 managers for that week. Thankfully things have moved on a bit. Sort of. Once the internet got a hold of fantasy football you started to see the odd tips article but it was still basic stuff. Usually a player or two from each position and if you were super lucky maybe even a sentence to justify it! Things picked up gradually and one or two sites latched onto the need for more in-depth analysis and indeed interaction with their users. Then came twitter. Twitter’s invention and indeed intervention actually reversed the trend slightly as there suddenly developed a new breed of ‘fantasy advisors’. The trouble was that they basically had 140 characters to convey their picks and so it sent us back in time 10 years to the drab ‘here’s my picks for GW12, list any 3 names’ nonsense. Some such dinosaurs still exist in fact! Fast forward to today and everyone is spoilt for choice with many good fantasy websites with many good fantasy articles with in-depth opinions, analysis, stats, form reports and forward planning theories. Over the years though none have been better or more consistent in our opinion than Kop’s Tips, be that on here or indeed for years before on our beloved FFCheat. Week in, week out, without fail or complaint, he lands a 4,000 word masterpiece with considered and insightful opinions. He’s not always proved right and nor does he seek to boast when he is. It is what it is and it’s always brilliant.

Anyway, enough of the niceties, Kop’s away on holiday so let the mice play!!! Screw the forward planning, stats and common sense, we’ve ripped up the template and gone old school route one! Here are our picks for GW12 and GW12 alone. We figured GW13 was so far away, with an international break and the general injuries and concerns that usually occur, that we would look at this week as if it was the last one ever!

GOALKEEPERS
David de Gea
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 7, 6, 9.
FIXTURE West Brom (H)
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[/three_fourth]Whilst LVG and his troops may be getting it in the neck from pundits and ex-pros alike for their lack of swashbuckling football what is happening slowly and surely in the background is an assembling of the basics, namely a solid defensive unit. LVG is nobody’s fool and recognises that most good teams are built from the back. At the very least it certainly helps and most Championship winning sides do generally boast one of the meanest defences in the league. Four clean-sheets in the last five league games and another on Tuesday night in the Champions League suggests that he is at least getting one crucial element in place. It’s probably no coincidence either that this fine defensive run has coincided with the return of their No.1 keeper after all of the summer shenanigans involving de Gea’s proposed move to Madrid were finally resolved.

United now have the joint best defensive record in the league with just eight goals conceded in eleven games and the great news this week is that just one of those has been shipped at home. Fortress Old Trafford is highly unlikely to be breached this week either as they entertain a West Brom team who have only managed three away goals so far, the second worst record in the league. Pulis and co. will go to stifle, not attack. If you need a keeper fix this week then DDG is our number one pick.

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Simon Mignolet
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 7, 2, 2.
FIXTURE Crystal Palace (H)
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[/three_fourth]If you do need a keeper and you already have a Man United defender in place and don’t fancy doubling up (it wouldn’t be the worst idea actually!) then our second choice would be (gulp) Simon Mignolet. Since Herr Klopp came to prominence Liverpool have been fairly solid. And boring. That’s a perfect recipe for a solid defence. Much like LVG one suspects that he may be coaching the basics back into the team and two clean-sheets in five with just one conceded at most in the other three suggests as much. It’s Palace at home home this week and they will come to stifle, much like West Brom above, the difference being that they will look to attack on the break whenever the opportunity presents itself. But with just four goals in their last seven league games and without a win since the beginning of October the ‘Pardew sparkle’ does look to be fizzling out a bit. A clean-sheet in this one looks a real possibility for Mignolet.

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DEFENDERS
Chris Smalling
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 11, 6, 5.
FIXTURE West Brom (H)
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[/three_fourth]As we have highlighted above with DDG, United welcome the Baggies this week and a fourth consecutive clean sheet seems as good a bet as any for United. One of the more surprising facts in what has already been a bizarre season in many respects has been the rise of Chris Smalling. Often ridiculed for silly errors and just generally switching off, Smalling seems to be the main beneficiary from the slow yet gradual philosophy that LVG is trying to engineer at Old Trafford. He is now the highest scoring defender in FPL and his form and avoidance of injury has seen him become the mainstay of a rock solid United defence. Smalling has played every minute of every match this season and while he is yet to score, he is always a threat from set pieces and a first goal of the season may not be far away.

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Virgil van Dijk
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 9, 2, 6.
FIXTURE Sunderland (A)

Ryan Bertrand
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 0, 2, 11
FIXTURE Sunderland (A)
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[/three_fourth]We have linked the two Southampton defenders together as which one you decide to go for is dependant on your personal preference. Both have the ability to deliver at either end of the pitch, a fact that has been highlighted over the past three game-weeks. Van Dijk has the presence and ability to be a real handful at set pieces, as we would expect from a 6ft 3inch international defender who has already scored twice for the Saints. Bertrand was many FPL manager’s must-have defender last season due to his two goals and three assists combined with the solid defensive unit that the Saints have turned into. An injury to Bertrand meant he missed pre-season and his season only began in GW7 with manager Koeman warning it would take him a few weeks to get “match sharp”. He exploded in the win over Bournemouth last weekend with a clean sheet and as importantly an assist for the first goal as he linked up well going forward down the left flank.

One assumes that Saint’s trip to Sunderland will see them dominate the game and create plenty of chances – we feel both Bertrand and van Dijk are solid choices this week.

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Bacary Sagna
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 1, 6, 2
FIXTURE Aston Villa (A)
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[/three_fourth]In all fairness we could have selected Aleksandar Kolarov, Vincent Kompany or Nicolas Otamendi for our City representation but we have sided with Bacary Sagna due to his kinder price tag. Sagna costs just 5.5mln, whereas you would need to pay well over 6mln for the others and with Smalling and van Dijk and/or Bertrand also hardly bargain material, 5.5mln for a City defender seems great value. Villa have of course been dreadful, though there will be some confidence in the recent appointment of Remi Garde as manager. A less gung-ho approach will be expected but City will obviously remain strong favourites going into the fixture. City of course started the season with five consecutive clean sheets before Kompany got injured – their clean sheet ability only returned when their captain did – for the derby at Old Trafford. They would also have kept a second straight shut-out vs Norwich last weekend until Joe Hart dropped a harmless cross at the feet of Cameron Jerome – we cannot of course account for those keeper mistakes and it is clear that with Kompany in the side, City are a tough unit to break down. With Pablo Zabaleta injured, Sagna will continue on the right and has been described by some City fans as one of their best players of the season so far – his defending has been solid and he has marauded well down the wing and been part of many of City’s attacks.

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MIDFIELDERS
Riyad Mahrez
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 4, 6, 15
FIXTURE Watford (H)
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[/three_fourth]It has been said that some FPL managers benched Mahrez last weekend. Well, they won’t do that again for a while will they? Two goals at resolute West Brom re-established the Algerian as the top scoring FPL midfielder with 85 points, including seven goals, five assists and 17 bonus points – and he’s still available for just 6.6mln if you don’t own him! Have you missed the boat? Not necessarily, you’ve just missed the first few boats, but there is one leaving port this week if you want to get on and enjoy the trip. Watford we know can be tough to break down as Stoke and West Ham have found out over the previous two gameweeks, but we know Leicester attack, attack and attack some more and if Vardy doesn’t get you then Mahrez probably will. The Foxes have scored in every game this season and it would be a major surprise if the Hornets stung the Leicester attack this weekend.

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Philippe Coutinho
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 3, 3, 14
FIXTURE Crystal Palace (H)
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[/three_fourth]Coutinho is a streaky player – or inconsistent. Probably both. However, last week’s performance at Chelsea shouldn’t be ignored – time will tell of course if Liverpool’s victory had more to do with a completely out-of-sorts Chelsea side or the Klopp-effect at Liverpool. The safe assumption to make we would suggest is a bit of both – Klopp has clearly brought fun, enjoyment and a relaxed attitude to the camp, something Brenda seemed unable, or unwilling to do. The German will give his players the freedom to play and express themselves, something that Coutinho will enjoy and benefit from – his end product and consistency still needs to improve for him to be seen among the top echelons of FPL midfielders to select from, but his confidence will be on the rise and Klopp will see that as a great starting point to work with as he attempts to get the best out of his Brazilian midfielder. Palace at home won’t be easy and they will have taken heart from keeping United out last weekend, which resulted in only their second clean sheet of the season. However, Klopp will be looking to build on the Chelsea result and with an expectant and excited Anfield crowd behind them, it’s quite likely that Coutinho will again lead the way and make the most of his improved confidence and scintillating form.

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Mesut Ozil
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 12, 5, 10
FIXTURE Spurs (H)
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[/three_fourth]Since his arrival in England, consistency has never been a word associated with the German – and with good reason. His level of performance that persuaded Arsene Wenger to bring him over from Spain has not before now shown itself – indeed Ozil would often go missing, particularly in the bigger games, while often he would be overshadowed by the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla or Aaron Ramsey. Well, one look at the stats shows that Ozil is, for now, the in-form Gooner midfielder – he has scored or assisted in each of his last five matches, providing FPL returns of 5, 13, 12, 5, 10. Some would argue that Alexis is the more explosive and the Gooner more likely to make your game-week special – and we wouldn’t disagree with that – but for 8.7mln, Ozil is almost 3mln cheaper than Alexis and while Wenger continues to suggest that Alexis needs a rest, then maybe a short term punt on Ozil, while he is on form, could just pay dividends. Of course, Spurs have been pretty tight at the back this season, but the North London derby generally produces goals and it’s a fixture that Arsenal have dominated in recent times. Two more assists for Ozil at Swansea last weekend reflected his new found, if temporary consistency – it may just be worth riding the wave while the surf is still good.

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Kevin de Bruyne
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 5, 3, 5
FIXTURE Aston Villa (A)

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[/three_fourth]Consistency is not something that Kevin de Bruyne shies away from and we make no apologies for including him once again in our Tips article. After a quiet debut in GW5, the Belgian has only failed to score or assist in one gameweek, namely the bore draw at Old Trafford, where frankly City were happy to take a 0-0. The derby aside, KdB has scored three goals and assisted on four occasions, including last weekend at home to Norwich when City were strangely struggling to break down the Canaries defence. Villa away this weekend should give de Bruyne plenty of opportunities to improve his already impressive stats. City have failed to score only once this season and the purchase of de Bruyne has enabled them to retain their impressive attacking stats, despite the loss through injury of David Silva and Sergio Aguero – most teams would not be able to cope with the loss of those two and while City have, of course, missed them, de Bruyne’s arrival, creativity and ability to hit the ground running has meant City are looking good at the top of the league with Silva and Kun still to return to the team. Imagine de Bruyne’s stats when Kun returns and he has the Argentinian to create for rather than Wilfried Bony. Silva lovers will argue that the Spaniard is better value, but KdB’s consistency and ability to stay fit is beginning to push him to must-have status in FPL – granted he is not cheap at 10.6mln, but at time of writing only 23% of teams own him – I’d still class him as a differential as read another way, 77 teams out of 100 don’t own him. Get him in your team and leave him there for the season is the message.

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FORWARDS
Graziono Pelle
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 2, 2, 6
FIXTURE Sunderland (A)
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[/three_fourth]The above ‘form guide’ doesn’t exactly look overly enticing but if you delve a bit deeper then you will also find that in Pelle’s three games prior to those he boasted scores of 13, 8 and 14 and that he is the 4th highest scoring forward in the game with 64 points. His six goals and five assists mean that he has been involved in over 60% of all of Southampton’s league goals. As a team they are unbeaten in seven games in all competitions having won five of those with 19 goals in that sequence. Form itself probably doesn’t matter much this week though at is more the opposition that is reeling us in. Big Sam knows the deficiencies and weaknesses of his new team (defence, mainly, or lack thereof), whether he can do anything about them is another matter. A six goal pasting at Goodison last time out suggests it may be a work in progress and while they are working on that the opposition simply licks it’s lips. Pelle has been pegged as a bit of a ‘home-bird’ but his goal and two assists at Chelsea are testament that given the right environment (a struggling opposition) he can be equally as effective on the road.

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Jamie Vardy
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 13, 5, 7
FIXTURE Watford (H)
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[/three_fourth]We are probably preaching to the minority here as Vardy now has an ownership of nearly 50% and with good reason. Eleven goals in eleven games speaks for itself. The only surprise is that he’s gone over the 10 point mark only twice this season. That’s partly down to a lack of assists to accompany the inevitable goal or two but also has a lot to do with his inability to attract bonus points. Despite all the goals he has just 11 bonus points so far. Even when he scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Palace he came up with a big fat zero in the bonus column. In fact that’s four games now this season where he has scored and got no bonus to show for it. Comparing him to team-mate Mahrez is interesting as he has 17 bonus points in over 200 minutes less playing time and every time he’s scored it has attracted at least 2 bonus points and only on one occasion has the goal been alongside an assist. So basically when Mahrez scores you can count that as a 7 point goal and when Vardy does don’t expect more than 4! What we are saying here is that for consistent goals he’s still a snip at 6.8mln so on a points for pounds basis he’s pretty much a must-have, he just may never get you that monster haul that a makes him a worthy captain choice week-in, week-out. But that’s a different argument for a different article.

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Christian Benteke
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 0, 8, 9
FIXTURE Crystal Palace (H)
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[/three_fourth]It seems odd tipping a player who hasn’t completed 90 minutes or indeed even started a game since way back in GW5 but having posted two very respectable scores of 8 and 9 in the last two weeks it seems highly likely that Benteke will start this weekend having been eased back into the fold following his latest injury. But why the sudden love for him? Well, for starters those scores of 8 and 9 were achieved in just 72 minutes of football. He had an eventful 27 minutes against Chelsea to say the least managing to get a goal, an assist, a booking and 2 bonus points. Just imagine what he could do in 90 minutes! His impact secured the three points and it certainly looks like Klopp will play to his strengths unlike Brendan, with balls into the danger zones a priority for him to attack. His goal against Southampton was textbook in this sense, a towering header from an actual cross. His goal against Chelsea was a bit more of a gift as Terry and Cahill gave him so much space to turn and shoot he looked almost embarrassed by it. The assist for Coutinho though was yet more evidence of Liverpool playing to his strengths with a big ball up to the big man who duly obliged with a knock down to the willing runner. He looked healthy enough, sharp and keen and looks set to spearhead this Liverpool attack.

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Wilfried Bony
FORM (last 3 GW’s points) 16, 2, 2
FIXTURE Aston Villa (A)
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[/three_fourth]Bony is an odd one. Had we been writing this immediately after GW9 and that 16 point haul he’d be a no-brainer – two goals, an assist and all three bonus points. A few short weeks later and we’ve seen a good many saying they would sell him this week. Why? Because we are so fickle these days and a quick two games with nothing to show clearly signals a sell sign. We wouldn’t be so swift though, for a couple or four reasons. Firstly, he faced Man United away in GW10 and this was widely expected to be a tight affair and so it proved. His points were no more or less than any other striker in that game. His second two pointer was the real kicker as it was Norwich at home with the Canaries fresh off the back of a six goal kicking in their last away game at Newcastle and so the expectation was weighted accordingly. By all accounts he was unlucky not to score which would have kept the wolves from the fantasy door. Our third reason is that prior to their midweek Champions League game he was challenged by Pellegrini to step up, perform and score. He surely did too and added an assist which would have probably seen him put in a performance worthy of about 12 points in FPL terms. Our final reason is quite simple – Aston Villa! New manager or not they were fairly dire on Monday night and City just love a weak team. They really love a weak team…

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Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Tips Game-week 12. This article was written by Cookie and Inittowinit

Follow @AdamalcockFF247

Follow @SteveCook9

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