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Tracking the Fantasy Football Veterans – Gameweek 2

After a very successful Gameweek 1, many of the 50 veterans Fantasy Premier League managers I’m tracking felt confident enough to bank a transfer.  This proved costly in Gameweek 2, but may pay off in the long term as 70 per cent gave themselves two free transfers ahead of Gameweek 3. 

TRANSFERS

The veterans made only 0.29 transfers per team, down on activity among the Top 10,000 managers, whose average was 0.76, and the overall managers’ average of 0.79. Only one veteran took a hit and two spent their Wildcard chip  in Gameweek 2.

Top players bought:

– Philippe Coutinho (LIV): 13.22%
– Zlatan Ibrahimović (MUN): 10%
Top players sold:

– Jamie Vardy (LEI): 16.67%
– Anrew Ayew (WHU): 13.22%
– Anrdre Gray (BUR): 10%

Jamie Vardy has missed several opportunities in his first couple of weeks and, more significantly, has relinquished spot-kick duties to Riyad Mahrez. A further decline in ownership among the veterans looks inevitable.

CHIPS

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Teams who didn’t use any chip in Gameweek 2 scored 10 points more than the managers who decided to use their wildcard early in the season. However, those figures are slightly skewed as of the two that wild carded, one had a good Gameweek while the other had a disaster.

THE VETERANS’ TEMPLATE

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Top starting players

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Andre Gray from Burnley was a huge veterans’ differential. Three out of four of them had him in the starting lineup, while among the top 10,000 managers his ownership was only 15%. The Burnley striker scored and assisted  against Liverpool.

CAPTAINS

Almost all (47) the veterans captained Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero. Three others tried something different, with Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Zlatan Ibrahimović being handed the armband. Overall and amongst top 10,000 managers Aguero was also the top captained player.

OVERALL RANKINGS

– Maximum points: 76
– Biggest rank improvements: 358,613 places

After Gameweek 2, the average overall position of all 50 veteran teams is 509,323 – 124,532 places worse than after Gameweek 1. Among the Veterans, 30% gained a green arrow, while 70% saw red. In addition, the veterans’ average Gameweek 2 score was 63.62 points (after hits), which was lower than the top 10,000 average (64 points) although better than the overall average (56.3 after hits). Gray helped the veterans, but his goal and assist was not enough to replicate the veterans’ Gameweek 1 heroics.

BEAT THE VETERANS
Everyone in the “Beat the Veterans” mini league with 35 points or less were eliminated. In total 2,156 managers survived Gameweek 2  with d Kirk notching the highest score – 94 points. Rules can be found here.

Kavali `In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.`

28 Comments Post a Comment
  1. J0E
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    Thanks for this. Andy G letting the side down with his hasty wildcard. 😉

    1. MrPeabody7
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      What is the expect of Lee Chung-yong as a 4th or 5th midfielder ? Is he regular in playing XI ?

    2. Kavali
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      But he helped plenty of managers to stay in Beat the Vets mini league, only five were eliminated 🙂

    3. RedLightning
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      And he still doesn't have Zlatan! - Getting Zlatan in quickly was the only reason I played mine.

  2. Taffer
    • 10 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    Sell Firmino for Wanyama? He has much better stats over the past 2 games (1 goal vs 0 goals) which we know is an indicator of long term performance in FPL.

    1. Kavali
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      Don't buy Wanyama man.

      1. Taffer
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 6 months ago

        my trolling clearly not working :/

    2. Penzardlife
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      I only wish I could have a full XI of Wanyama's. Important to get on now before his price rockets

      1. Taffer
        • 10 Years
        7 years, 6 months ago

        He's basically Aguero at a 1/3 of the price

    3. itsmilks
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      No. No. No.
      Sell Firmino by all means, but for Wanyama?

  3. meechamspowders
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    thoughts on this shower:

    jakup, heaton

    valencia, stones, morgan, evans, friend

    townsend, coutinho, mahrez, tadic, capoue

    zlatan, rondon, aguero

    i don't like my midfield. but they've got decent games this week. i wouldn't mind barkley.

    anything really urgent standing out??

    1. Simon69
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      I think the mid looks fine & nothing urgent - Not a huge fan of Rondon as a pick.

  4. Penzardlife
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    Best replacements for Friend?

    1. Simon69
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      Why are you booting?

  5. Az
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    I was the noob that captained Harry Kane.
    Sorry Vets!

    He's gone now for Ibra 😉

    1. J0E
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      And so the last of the Demeble theory deniers drifts off into the sunset. Welcome to team Kane can't score without Mousa! 🙂

      1. itsmilks
        • 9 Years
        7 years, 6 months ago

        I'm still in denial! #onemoreweek

      2. Az
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        7 years, 6 months ago

        I thought Wanyama would dispell that theory, become a Dembele v2 while letting Alli roam free and create chances.
        Jannsen has completely ruined Kane as a FPL prospect imo. 10.9/11.0 and a forward spot for a number ten? No thanks!
        Don't even think Dembele can restore Harry now! Will be interesting to see what happens when he's back... if Harry gets another 20 goals from there-on.. you deserve a knighthood!

  6. Dsm11
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    Whats with all the Friend hating?

    1. itsmilks
      • 9 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      Injury doubt

  7. Angin out the Begović
    • 11 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    J Rod on the loan move?

  8. Stinger73
    • 7 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    Any opinions on below:

    Foster , Jakupovic
    Stones, Valencia, Williams, Amat, Collins
    Hazard, Pogba, Alli, Barkley, Capoue
    Aguero, Rooney, Gray

    Yes I know no Ibra. Went with Rooney. Now toss up between him/Lukaku/Costa??

    1. blue book
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      And now as a reply:

      Liking the Hazard Barkley Pogba midfield core. And with both Pogba and Rooney you could get some assists if Ibra scores and maybe a goal from one of them too. Man Utd well covered.Question marks maybe over Alli and Gray. Toss up between downgrading Alli and upgrading Gray or vice versa. The option of getting an ultra budget, guaranteed starter, bench fodder third striker to enable a good fourth midfielder is there. But it does mean save the FT.

  9. blue book
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    Liking the Hazard Barkley Pogba midfield core. And with both Pogba and Rooney you could get some assists if Ibra scores and maybe a goal from one of them too. Man Utd well covered.

    Question marks maybe over Alli and Gray. Toss up between downgrading Alli and upgrading Gray or vice versa. The option of getting an ultra budget, guaranteed starter, bench fodder third striker to enable a good fourth midfielder is there. But it does mean save the FT.

    1. blue book
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      Sod it, that was supposed to be a reply ...

  10. Philman
    • 14 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    One of my fave articles of the week, but I am biased 🙂

    I feel like an imposter not owning Gray.

  11. A.T
    • 13 Years
    7 years, 6 months ago

    Love this article. Thanks.

    1. Kavali
      • 13 Years
      7 years, 6 months ago

      Thanks Athletico Timbo