Fantasy Premier League Focus

Our weekly look at the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game is rolled out once again, as we analyse the leading lights in the Scout League and cast an eye over the fluctuating transfer market, as winter wildcards continue to be fluttered:

Scout League Standings

T.I. remains at the top of the Scout League after registering 86 points in the Gameweek gone by. He opted for four players for the double – captain Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla, Joe Cole and Guy Demel returned 60 points between then, while Robin Van Persie was joined by Everton pair Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines in picking up the points. T.I. is now the world number one and sits on 1522 points overall, with a wildcard still in his locker.

A non-mover in second spot is Kelvin Travers. He opted for five double Gameweek players – captain Walcott was joined by Cazorla, Thomas Vermaelen, Kevin Nolan and Jussi Jaaskelainen, while Van Persie, Michu, Juan Mata, Ben Davies and Luke Shaw also chipped in with six or more points apiece. Thanks to a 99 point haul in Gameweek 23, he sits on 1521 points – a single point behind T.I. and in second place in the overall standings; he also still has a wildcard left to play.

Our top two have established a gap over the chasing pack, with Eddie McGeever the best of the rest in third. He picked up 92 points last time round, though opted for only four double Gameweek options – captain Walcott, Mark Nobel, Kieran Gibbs and Jaaskelainen – while Van Persie was joined by Luis Suarez and Carlos Tevez up top. Elsewhere, Michu, Mata and Nathaniel Clyne all produced the goods. He sits in 14th spot overall on 1496 points and is another with a wildcard still up his sleeve.

Former world number one Iyad Zahlan holds steady in fourth spot after an 89 point haul in the Gameweek gone by. Having played his wildcard, he handed four double Gameweek players a chance to impress – captain Walcott, Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna and Demel. Van Persie, Suarez, Shaw, Fellaini, Michu and Mata also chipped in as he moved to 1495 points – 15th in the overall standings.

Dan Jones completes our top five thanks to a 97 point return over the double. He drafted in five players from Arsenal and West Ham and, while Szczesny, Demel and Joey O’Brien failed to prosper at the back, captain Walcott and Lukas Podolski produced 53 points between them. Van Persie, Fellaini, Michu, Leighton Baines and Frank Lampard all helped Dan move to 1495 points – 17th in the world standing. He’s the fourth of our featured players with a wildcard still to play.

The performances of our top five keeps Fantasy Football Scout at the top of the Best Leagues, with a 4.8 point gap over our nearest rivals – the FFS Members league. TI leads the way there, with world number three Julian Zipparo sitting in second spot.

For the contributors, Mark remains on top thanks to a 108 point return in Gameweek 23. With the armband on Walcott, he also collected hauls from Podolski, Baines, Van Persie, Mata, Fellaini, Michu, Davies and Edin Dzeko and sits in 897th spot in the overall standings.

Market Trends

Swansea’s Ben Davies has proven the most popular player this week so far. Over 50,000 Fantasy managers have snapped up the cut-price left-back after his 10 point haul against Stoke last weekend – elsewhere at the back, Joey O’Brien’s return from injury has earned him 31,000 new owners, while the budget appeal of Nathaniel Clyne has persuaded 22,000 to jump on board the bandwagon. Unfortunately for Ryan Nelsen’s 15,000+ new owners, he plays his final match for QPR on Tuesday against City before leaving to take over at MLS club Toronto FC.

In midfield, there’s a bit of variety in this week’s transfers in, with wildcards earning many plenty new owners. Juan Mata and Theo Walcott are the top two, with 40,000 and 38,000 respectively, though Marouane Fellaini and Michu continue to pick up plenty investment, with a combined new ownership of 57,000 to date. Steven Gerrard, David Silva and Gareth Bale have all appealed in the premium bracket, while Jonathan de Guzman’s 15 points against Stoke last Saturday have earned him almost 30,000 new owners.

Up top, the mid-price pair of Steven Fletcher and Daniel Sturridge lead the way with over 41,000 and 28,000 transfers in respectively. The top two scoring forwards, Luis Suarez and Robin Van Persie, continue to increase in ownership –both have made their way into over 20,000 new squads, as has Loic Remy, though the latter is a doubt for QPR’s FA Cup clash with MK Dons this weekend, with Harry Redknapp revealing he “is struggling” to make it.

For transfers out, it’s no surprise to see Eden Hazard (59,000) as the main man after his dismissal at Swansea in midweek – the Chelsea midfielder is set to serve a three-match ban, though the FA could increase this upon revision. Demba Ba is next in line, with over 52,000 Fantasy managers already frustrated by Rafa Benitez’s rotation policy, while over 37,000 have quickly moved on Santi Cazorla following Arsenal’s double. Stoke’s poor defensive form has persuaded 23,000 to part company with Ryan Shawcross, while top scoring keeper Asmir Begovic (13,000) has also been shipped on, though the Potters have some decent home games on the horizon.

With the double now done, West Ham pair Jussi Jaaskelainen and Kevin Nolan have been transferred out by a combined 42,000 after recent poor form, while misfiring forwards such as Jermain Defoe (30,000), Dimitar Berbatov (25,000) and Fernando Torres (18,000) have also been sacrificed as forward lines are reshaped.