Spot the Differential – Gameweek 1
Filed under: Spot The Differential - Posted by: Paul
Having rolled out the Scout Picks on Friday evening, we now turn our attentions to the first Differential article of the new campaign. If you’re new to this, the idea is to highlight certain Fantasy assets with low ownership – typically under 5% – ahead of each Gameweek and wax lyrical over their chances for the fixture ahead. This term we’re concentrating on just one player per Gameweek and, to get the ball rolling, we’ve opted for a proven Premier League goalscorer…
Let’s be honest – last season was a bit of a write-off for Darren Bent. The Villa forward arrived on the back of 41 goals over his previous couple of campaigns but the installation of Alex McLeish to the Villa Park hotseat put paid to the forward’s Fantasy potential, as the midlands outfit attempted to grind out results under the former Birmingham boss. As a result, Villa returned a meagre 37 goals over 2011/12, the second lowest tally in the league and only one more than Stoke; starved of service up top, Bent managed just nine goals before his season was ended in early March due to an ankle injury.
With McLeish now nothing more than a bad memory, Villa fans approach the new season with far greater enthusiasm. New boss Paul Lambert has handed his players a license to attack as he looks to replicate the offensive threat of former club Norwich; the Canaries racked up 52 goals upon their top-flight return under the Scot, a goal haul bettered only by the top six last time round. Already, Bent has been singing the praises of the new man in charge, with a change in tactics set to alter how we assess Villa’s Fantasy prospects for the season ahead:
“He wants us to be really dangerous and create loads of chances. He wants us to be an attacking outfit. He has a philosophy where he says: ‘If we’re going to lose, we’re going to lose having a go’. He wants us to have a right good go at every single team. That’s how it should be. We have attacking players in the team who can cause real damage and he’s told them to go out and do their stuff. It’s certainly going to be a dream for me playing that way as a striker.”
Villa roll up to West Ham for their Upton Park opener on the back of decent pre-season form. Lambert’s side have racked up eight goals in their final four fixtures and Bent signed off on summer duties with a smartly-taken brace against Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen – aided by the creativity of Charles N’Zogbia, Brett Holman and Stephen Ireland, he could well be set to spoil Big Sam’s party tomorrow afternoon.
Bearing in mind the Hammers managed just seven clean sheets at home in the Championship last season, Lambert’s men will be anticipating goals. With spot-kick duties in his locker, an ownership currently under 3% and a strong set of fixtures to follow, Bent looks the man most likely to produce as the Villains seek to exorcise the ghost of McLeish with a new-found sense of optimism.
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“I understand you don't consider Dempsey a striker. He has developed into playing in different positions, but for me he is a pure striker. ”
Andre Villas-Boas reveals his views on Clint Dempsey's best position.
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August 18 at 9:55 am
El Magico says:
Quick One…
A) Gunter or Harte
B) Zabaleta or Clichy
C) ACole or Ivanovic
D) Mata or Hazard
most have the same price, making the choice more difficult
August 18 at 10:02 am
Gnubuntu says:
JASUS THATS NOT QUICK.
Gunter
Zab
Cashly
Haz
August 18 at 10:03 am
Bebop says:
zab
no clue on (a)
A cole for safety but I’m on ivanovic for now
Mata for safe, hazard if your team has no other punts
August 18 at 9:57 am
Bebop says:
is gorkuss a reading starter?????
August 18 at 10:04 am
snowman says:
yes
August 18 at 10:11 am
Bebop says:
thanks
August 18 at 9:58 am
Superdry7 says:
August 18 at 9:48 am
SUPERDRY7 SAYS:
RMT
Federici (Begovic)
Hangeland / Shawcross / Mertasacker (Clyne / Williams)
Y Toure / Bale / Gerrard / Ramires (Wright-Phillips)
Aguero / Torres (C) / Petric
Taken risk with Stevie G but hoping for the old man to return to his best
August 18 at 9:59 am
snowman says:
Appreciate an RMT on following
Feds DDG
Zabaleta A Cole Demel Cuellar Clyne
Michu Ramires Bale Yaya Noble
Tevez Graham Torres
£4m in the bank
August 18 at 10:12 am
Bebop says:
I wouldn’t have both michu and gahram, drop michu for larsson and play noble after this gw play larsson
August 18 at 9:59 am
jpdyolf says:
Is anyone going all out Chelski and reading and then wildcarding GW2 ? – it’s a gamble I know
August 18 at 10:13 am
Bebop says:
I’m not but i’ve set my team up well but i feel i’ll end up wildcarding in gw3-4
August 18 at 10:01 am
Gnubuntu says:
Spiderman or Batman?
August 18 at 10:00 am
jpdyolf says:
What about Robin – he plays at man utd now have you heard?
August 18 at 10:07 am
spencersas says:
why does everyone keep saying mata? Di matteo said he was going to rest him in the upcoming games….
August 18 at 10:11 am
Gnubuntu says:
Madness is normality, just what happens when it gets close to a gw, I have stayed away, don’t like him even if he does play but in the end nobody knows. You should get a grav they look well nice
August 18 at 10:32 am
ajsobers says:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/foot.....sfeed=true
“Di Matteo though, suggested that Mata had paid a physical price and the Chelsea manager has already targeted the period in and around the September international fixtures to give his player a rest. He said that Mata acknowledged he needed it and the player himself has spoken to the Spanish Football Federation on the subject.”
He says September.
August 18 at 10:08 am
Wilhelm says:
Federici (DDG)
Zabaleta – Terry – Hangeland (Demel, Cuellar)
Hazard – Noble – Kagawa – Hoilett (N’Zogbia)
Tevez – Torres (C) – Graham
2 million in the bank
Please rate my team! Any suggestions for improvement?!
Thank you!!
August 18 at 10:15 am
Gnubuntu says:
Looks good to go. https://en.gravatar.com/
August 18 at 10:10 am
burnoutuk says:
A
DDG (Green)
Ivanovic, Zabaleta, Clyne, Demel, Gunter*
Bale, Nasri, Ramires, Dyer*, Nobel
Aguero*, Graham, Torres
or
B
DDG (Green)
Ivanovic, Zabaleta, Clyne, Demel, Hangeland*
Bale, Nasri, Ramires, Pienaar*, Nobel
Tevez*, Graham, Torres
Any thoughts?
August 18 at 10:13 am
Gnubuntu says:
B
August 18 at 10:14 am
Gnubuntu says:
B.
August 18 at 10:17 am
tedward78 says:
Would it make any sense to start with Pogrebnyak and transfer to Petric for GW3?
August 18 at 10:21 am
McEwan says:
Yeah, not a bad move
August 18 at 10:17 am
oly999 says:
Friedel and taraabt
Or
Swartz and pienar/mitch/Larson etc
August 18 at 10:20 am
Speaking of Spurs says:
Got a few more places in my league, want 20 if poss first come first serve!
123901-56871
August 18 at 10:21 am
Frankie says:
Don’t see ANY sense for the Hangeland love among FPL…
I know people talking about his goal threat, his 6 goals scored two years before…
BUT,
last year he played 3420 minutes (i.e. every match), done with 1 goal and 0 assist. This was done with the SAME backline teammates as today, not to mention they are 1 year older now.
I know he has a 5.0 price tag, but does it really matter for someone with only 1 goal? Think twice.
August 18 at 10:23 am
McEwan says:
Disagree. Fulham have always been good for around 10+ clean sheets a season. For 5 mill, same as 1 season wonders Swansea and Newcastle. I think its very generous and that’s before even factoring in his lack of goals last year
August 18 at 10:23 am
vilmorez says:
he’s still a fairly cheap option in a solid midtable defence. he’s no more expensive than schwarzer and he’s cheaper than risse, so the idea is you’re not really paying for the goal threat.
August 18 at 10:33 am
Frankie says:
One interesting thing here is, if you check the total score among all teams in EPL, actually you seldom see any defender outscoring his goalkeeper teammate, except guys like Terry and Evra.
What does that mean? That means if you find same prices for goalkeeper and defender, it is wise to go for the goalkeeper (i.e. Schwarzer), instead of Hangeland
August 18 at 10:28 am
Gnubuntu says:
Anyone alternatives for 5.0?
August 18 at 10:21 am
snowman says:
if playing feds would u double up and play gunter or demel
August 18 at 10:25 am
McEwan says:
Dgw, got to double up and hope for a clean sheet against Stoke. Anything positive thereafter is a bonus
August 18 at 10:28 am
snowman says:
my thoughts exactly just need an objective view as i will always be bias
August 18 at 10:23 am
vilmorez says:
I have the two most owned captain options gameweek one and I’ll inevitably end up wildcarding within a few weeks. No need to worry then.
August 18 at 10:25 am
Brian (Not the messiah) says:
COME TO ME ALL REGS
August 18 at 10:27 am
Brian (Not the messiah) says:
actually this is too busy, next 1
August 18 at 10:29 am
Undercover says:
Hey Brian I’m a regular but in hiding as since the implosion of people on here I’ve noticed every man and his dog I know knows about the site now… Well pissed off
August 18 at 10:26 am
Brian (Not the messiah) says:
are we here guys?!
August 18 at 10:26 am
McEwan says:
Bit quieter round these parts Brian
August 18 at 10:28 am
Brian (Not the messiah) says:
you don’t know, do you?
August 18 at 10:28 am
Ginkapo-Rule No.1: wwkd? says:
http://www.fantasyfootballscou.....n-flutter/
August 18 at 10:29 am
Brian (Not the messiah) says:
yeah, I think thats better
August 18 at 10:28 am
vilmorez says:
i’m presuming there’s a reason this site isn’t exploding atm
also still yet to see any substance behind noble not starting
August 18 at 10:30 am
colonel shoe says:
looks like ill have to ask in all areas…sorry lads
siggy or vdv?
August 18 at 10:30 am
Barry Proudfoot says:
going vdv but siggy debut is tempting as decent preseason form
August 18 at 10:32 am
andres says:
Vdv siggy might play deeper. Vdv could also be used as a forward
August 18 at 10:32 am
andres says:
Guys, my team is
Fed ddg
Ivan zab vert demel clyne
Bale ramires kagawa noble guthrie
Torres tevez graham
3.0 in the bank
How can i find an extra 0.5 to get cazorla instead of kagawa? ( leaving 3.0 in the bank)
Thx
August 18 at 10:35 am
snowman says:
drop vert
August 18 at 10:34 am
ochocinco says:
Start Fabio, Noble or Graham?
August 18 at 10:36 am
snowman says:
anyone else having problems getting onto fantasy site? team changes dont load!!!
August 18 at 10:38 am
vilmorez says:
the site is dying before i can make my final transfer =D
August 18 at 10:39 am
vilmorez says:
yep it’s dead, hahaha