Hull’s Striker Conundrum

Let’s be clear from the start: despite a heavy financial investment at the beginning of the season, Hull do not appear to be a good side. Currently 18th in the Premier League table, they look to have a real challenge ahead of them, especially considering the confirmation of injuries to their two main strikers, Nikica Jelavic (3-6 weeks) and Abel Hernandez (4-6 weeks). However, with a real need for attacking returns, Hull may actually provide fantasy players with an out-of-position gem in the short term, with home matches against Newcastle, Aston Villa, and QPR in the next five. Below is the rundown of the most likely candidates.

The Obvious Replacement: Yannick Sagbo (FWD, 4.9)

Sagbo has yet to start for Hull this season; in fact, he has only played 23 minutes of Hull’s league campaign. However, he’s their only recognized striker. There are two major deterrents for Sagbo’s fantasy prospects, though. First, he failed to even make the bench for Hull in the loss to West Brom, so Steve Bruce obviously has doubts about him as a finished product. Secondly, from a Fantasy perspective, he competes for places with a plethora of in-form, similarly-priced forwards in Danny Ings, Ashley Barnes, Harry Kane, Saido Berahino, and Steven Naismith, just to name a few. In short, look elsewhere.

The Most Likely Beneficiary: Robert Brady (MID, 4.5)

Here’s a player with loads of potential that has yet to come deliver this season. Playing almost as many minutes as he did last season, his goose-egg in attacking returns is a far cry from his three goals, 1 assist, and eight bonus points last term. This could be his big chance to nail down a starting spot. Likely to be among the set-piece takers as well as a possible penalty pointman, Brady derserves consideration on those grounds alone. Even more interestingly, after coming on for Abel Hernandez against West Brom, Brady played alongside Tom Ince in what appeared to be a striking position (members can see how far forward he is here). Brady is most likely an option for those looking for a budget fifth midfielder with a fair amount of upside.

The Hail Mary: Tom Ince (MID, 5.0)

At the beginning of the season, there seemed to be a fair amount of buzz about the budding talent of Tom Ince, a player who wedded attacking intent with budget appeal. However, with the addition of Abel Hernandez, Gaston Ramirez, and Mo Diame to the Hull squad, Ince’s gloss quickly faded. On for Nikica Jelavic for 54 minutes against West Brom, Ince partnered Brady in the striker position of what looks to have been a 4-4-2. In that time, he managed two shots and three touches in the Baggies’ penalty box. While he certainly did not set the world alight, Ince looks the most likely candidate to play as the second striker off of Sagbo. Although it would take a brave soul to draft him in for this week, his situation is one worth monitoring. A few starts in the league may be all he needs.

The Spanner in the Works: Gaston Ramirez (MID, 5.4)

The mercurial midfielder on loan from Southampton has shown exactly the kind of performances for Hull that maligned him to Saints’ fans: five starts, one goal and one assist (in the same match), one red card, and two injury lay-offs. Given “an outside chance” of returning this week, his inclusion could negatively imapct the prospects of all three players above. Furthermore, he could offer some value himself, although with the highest price of the four, there may be better options about. His progress should be closely monitored by anyone considering adding Ince or Brady.