Gameweek 10 – Best Punts

Last Gameweek Bobby Zamora came up trumps, delivering the assist to Charlie Austin’s opener. I highlighted his physical capabilities in holding up the ball and this was clear to see as he brought the ball down on his chest, with his back to goal, to lay off Austin. To my disappointment Ross Barkley didn’t start, with Martinez deciding to rest him after he played 90 minutes in midweek against Lille. However, when he came on he turned in a usual dynamic performance, nearly assisting in the dying seconds. I would advise you to seriously consider him as the ever-improving Toffees welcome Swansea to Goodison this weekend. My defender, Sebastien Pocognoli was lively and threatening against Sunderland but also very lucky not to be booked on multiple occasions. Here are this Gameweek’s punts with ownership figures correct as of the 29th October.

James Collins

Position: Defender

Club: West Ham

Price: 4.5

Ownership: 0.3%

There was a period last season in which James Collins was a fantastic cut-budget option in a stingy Hammer’s defence. Now he is back to full fitness and has impressed in his last two starts. West Ham have enjoyed an incredible start to the season, with their strikers stealing the show. However, Collins’ mesmerizing display against Manchester City won him the plaudits. He made a clearance off the line, 12 clearances altogether and won every aerial dual he competed in. Collins is a commanding colossus in the middle of the West Ham defence and gets the most out of his height and strength. This means that not only is he number one at the back but he is a threat from set pieces as well. Similarly to other centre backs I have picked so far this season, such as James Tomkins and Craig Dawson, Collins can connect with set plays meaning that not only is he likely to score but knock the ball down to assist team-mates too. Furthermore, with Stewart Downing on set pieces, the delivery will be top-notch.

He was all over Yaya Toure last Gameweek, who is considered one of the biggest physical threats in the world, so I cannot see Stoke’s likely forward Mame Biram Diouf  presenting a problem. Stoke endured a midweek Capital One Cup fixture against Southampton and will be feeling the consequences, especially with Peter Crouch picking up a red card and missing out this weekend. There is an added risk when punting for Collins. His run of games has only been a result of Tomkins’ absence with injury, who is back in the squad this week. But judging by Collins’s recent displays a role on the bench would be harsh for this Premier League veteran.

Yannick Bolasie

Position: Midfield

Team: Crystal Palace

Price: 5.4

Ownership: 0.4%

My normal method of choosing my punt is to get a shortlist of players then go stat crazy. That was going well this week with my midfield shortlist consisting of Yannick Bolasie, Moussa Sissoko, Chris Brunt and Ryan Mason. However there was very little to separate them. With Newcastle’s strikers misfiring, Sissoko has the chance to make an impact against a weak Liverpool side, Brunt’s recent set pieces have been near perfect and Ryan Mason punished me for not picking him last week with an assist against Newcastle. In the end I went with my personal favorite, Yannick Bolasie.

I love watching Bolasie play. He is lightning quick with fantastic dribbling skills. He can turn defence into attack in a matter of seconds and has the potential to be one of the best wingers in the league. However, there is one thing that holds him back – his end product. One week he will be clinical then for the next five he will be hopeless in front of goal. However, he keeps getting in the right positions so I am sure consistency will come. His average position was the most advanced of all Palace players against West Brom, even further forward than lone striker Frazier Campbell. He won the penalty that Mile Jedinak converted and that brought him an assist last week. This season he has tried an incredible 55 dribbles – only Sterling and Hazard have attempted more – had 13 shots and delivered 49 crosses. The attacking intent is there, it is up to him to capitalize on it. To increase his appeal, Bolasie takes corners for Palace and there is plenty to aim at, for example Hangeland has scored twice from corners already this season.

Crystal Palace welcome Sunderland to Selhurst Park this weekend. The Black Cats have endured a difficult start to the season and find themselves in the all too familiar bottom three. Their defence is an absolute shambles with errors all over the place. It has become almost comical, with Vito Mannone’s poor footwork and Vergini’s knack for scoring goals… in the wrong net. They have conceded 17 times this season and managed only two clean sheets. Bolasie’s pace and directness will split the back four in two and if he keeps his head he should have a good Gameweek.

Charlie Austin

Position: Forward

Team: QPR

Price: 5.7

Ownership: 0.5%

Sometimes you have to go with form over fixtures and that is certainly the case here. I was trying hard to convince myself that it would be foolish picking Austin against Chelsea but I have gone with my punt-driven heart. QPR are on an improving trend, and ever since the re-introduction of Bobby Zamora, Charlie Austin has been much more of a threat. Zamora likes to drift wide, meaning that often Austin is acting as a lone striker. Therefore he has the added confidence of a strike partner as well as having more space in the box. He scored twice last Gameweek and assisted against Liverpool. He now has four goals this season and will want to build on that. If QPR are to avoid the drop this season he will be key. He is a fox in the box with 16 of his 27 shots coming for inside the penalty area. He has also attacked five set pieces this season which highlights his threat from dead ball situations. Austin has one assist to his name this term and has created four goal scoring opportunities. This potential for added assist points further increases his appeal.

Obviously QPR’s fixture is far from favourable. Chelsea are unbeaten at the top of the league. However, they have only managed three clean sheets this season. Despite their excess of quality up front they are a little shaky at the back. Gary Cahill and Felipe Luis played in midweek so they may be feeling fatigued and I can see mistakes in that back four. For many it may be a punt too far but that’s what I’m writing these articles for… come on Charlie Austin!