With player pricing now available in both the Fantasy Premier League and Sky Sports games, it’s time to start delving deeper and analyse what value is on offer in both. Starting with the Sky Sports effort, we examine the players position-by-position, running through the valuations from the cheapest to the costliest and also highlight those Fantasy assets who could well be primed to take advantage of the new bonus scoring system. We’ll take a more advanced look at this particular angle in a further article, in addition to breaking down the Man of the Match recipients in the season gone by…
The Goalkeepers
With no save points for goalkeepers (aside from penalties), the cheap keeper route seems far less viable a tactic in the Sky Sports game. While the three promoted keepers are valued at no more than 4.0, for example, snapping up their services may be somewhat futile if they fail to harvest many clean sheets. Man of the Match awards – another potential source of points – were few and far between last time round, too; only 19 were handed out to goalkeepers over the 380 Premier League games in 2011/12. Essentially, then, we’re looking for those capable of racking up the clean sheets, with spot-kick saves another factor.
Wigan’s Ali Al Habsi is priced at 4.1, thanks mainly to his four penalty saves last time round. The Wigan stopper seems reasonably priced, bearing in mind Norwich John Ruddy comes in at 4.6, despite returning 30 points less than Al Habsi in the Sky Sports game last term. Sunderland’s Simon Mignolet is another strong value contender. The Belgian has been slapped with a 4.4 price tag after scoring 86 points from 29 appearances last season; compare this to Petr Cech’s 82 points from 34 appearances and the Chelsea stopper’s valuation of 5.8 seems a little steep. Elsewhere in the mid-price bracket, Ben Foster, at 4.7, arrives on the back of a 96 point haul in 2011/12, after accruing 10 clean sheets and picking up three Sky Sports Man of the Match awards.
Higher up the ladder, Michel Vorm has been handed a valuation of 5.2; a tempting offer, bearing in mind he was second top for keepers last time round with 114 points – whether he can replicate this tally under Michael Laudrup is perhaps debatable. Tim Krul comes in at 5.5; the sixth most expensive options between the posts, though the Newcastle man was second only to Joe Hart in terms of clean sheets returned, with 15 to the City stopper’s 17. Unsurprisingly, Hart is the costliest option at 6.0, though David De Gea’s 5.9 valuation is something of a risk, considering he played just 29 times in the previous campaign.
The Defenders
The introduction of the new bonus rules this season will undoubtedly play a major part in how we assess our squads for the Sky Sports Fantasy game. With players earning an extra 2 points for 60+ passes and 2 points for 4+ tackles per appearance, it’s not just the prospect of clean sheets that increase an assets’ appeal. Looking at the statistics, full-backs seems to be the likeliest to benefit from this new ruling – our Members Area doesn’t have a single centre-half in the top 10 defenders for total tackles last season, while more than half the top 10 for total passes are full-backs.
At the budget end of the price range, Southampton’s Danny Fox comes in at a mere 3.7; the left-back provided nine assists last season and has his fair share of set-piece and corner duties. Reading’s Ian Harte has been priced at 3.8 but the arrival of Nicky Shorey places question marks over his acquisition. Elsewhere amongst the promoted clubs, both James Tomkins and Jos Hooiveld come in at 4.1; the latter, in particular, looks promising, bearing in mind he notched six times for the Saints last time round. QPR full-back Fabio is reasonably priced at 4.3 and is likely to be afforded plenty starts during his loan stint at Loftus Road – if he can stay fit.
Fulham’s new right-back Sascha Riether has been handed a relatively low valuation amongst the Cottagers’ backline – a price of 4.6 looks the cheapest route into Martin Jol’s defence. Sunderland pair Carlos Cuellar and Matthew Kilgallon come in at 4.8; if either can cement a first-team role in the campaign ahead, they may offer plenty of potential. Swansea new boy Chico has been valued at 5.0 and is far kinder on the budget than any of Michael Laudrup’s backline, Maynor Figueroa affords Fantasy managers the cheapest route into Wigan’s defence at 5.2 – the same price as West Brom’s Liam Ridgewell, though the latter produced 42 points from just 13 appearances in 2011-12.
Davide Santon is an intriguing proposition at 5.3 in the Sky Sports game – the Italian began to cement a first-team role towards the end of last season and if the Magpies can replicate their 15 clean sheets, his valuation cannot be overlooked. Sylvain Distin seems the best route into Everton’s defence at 5.3, while the likes of Robert Huth, Emmerson Boyce and John O’Shea all look more secure, coming in at 5.5, offering guaranteed game time in the mid-price range.
As we move further up the ladder, Angel Rangel arrives at 5.7; bearing in mind fellow Neil Taylor is priced at 6.5, the Spaniard’s cost is a substantial saving for those looking for a Swansea full-back. Similarly, Brede Hangeland is cheaper than John Arne Riise for Fulham by 5.8 to 6.2, though there was just six points between the pair last term. For Fantasy managers eyeing up Liverpool’s defence in light of Brendan Rodgers’ installation at Anfield, Glen Johnson is the least priciest Reds regular at 6.5, while Rafael – at 6.6 – may be a bargain if he can nail down the right-back slot for United. A price of 6.6 has been handed to Younes Kaboul; the cheapest of Spurs’ likely first-choice defence, with new boy Jan Vertonghen heftily priced at 7.2.
Into the top price bracket now and Leighton Baines comes in at 7.1 in the Sky Sports game. Ashley Cole, at 7.3, seems the cheapest of the nailed-on Chelsea options, though the likes of Gary Cahill offers a less pricier option at 7.0 for those willing to take a punt on his starts. Thomas Vermaelen and Nemanja Vidic are both valued at 7.6, while last season’s top four defenders are the most expensive options on offer, with City captain Vincent Kompany the top of the pile at 8.0.
The Midfield
The new bonus ruling also boosts the appeal of defensive midfielders – a position so typically overlooked in many Fantasy games. While the attacking appeal of many big hitters will pick up plenty investment, those players who are happy to sit deep and shield their respective back-fours, breaking up play and keeping distribution simple, offers cut-price alternatives as we look to balance the budget.
The ball-winning ability of QPR’s Samba Diakite could benefit from the new ruling; at 4.3 in the Sky Sports game he’s one of the cheapest first-team options available. Alberto Aquilani comes in at just 4.4; if (possibly a huge “if”) he can nail down a regular role under Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, he has the potential to be a real bargain, as does team-mate Lucas at 4.6. West Ham pair Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan are priced at 4.7 and 4.9 respectively; the former has spot-kicks and a fair share of set-pieces under his belt, while 4.6 priced Mahamadou Diarra at Fulham, QPR’s Alejandro Faurlin (4.8), Newcastle man Cheick Tiote (4.9) and Scott Parker (5.0) of Spurs all could benefit from the passes and tackles ruling.
Elsewhere in the top end of the budget bracket, there are plenty of options with decent attacking potential. Southampton’s Adam Lallana and Wigan’s Jean Beausejour are both 4.9, QPR’s talismanic Moroccan Adel Taarabt comes in at 5.2, while Charles N’Zogbia could make a mockery of his 5.7 valuation if Villa can produce the goods under new boss Paul Lambert. Joe Allen (5.8) and James McClean (5.9) are another couple of eye-catching options under the 6.0 mark.
As we move up the price ranges, Steven Pienaar is a standout selection at 6.0. If he can cement his permanent move to Everton this summer, the South African looks loaded with potential in the Sky Sports game – he earned 5 Sky Sports Man of the Match awards from just 14 appearances for David Moyes’ side last term; the same number as Gareth Bale mustered in 36 matches for Spurs. Marouane Fellaini, at 6.1, and Mikel Arteta (6.2) are further examples of players who should prosper under the new bonus ruling, while Hatem Ben Arfa’s cost of 6.2 could be kind if he maintains his role on the right in Newcastle’s 4-3-3.
Victor Moses’ 6.9 price tag looks more than reasonable, given his suitability to the Sky Sports game last time round – the Wigan winger earned 9 Man of the Match awards, more than any other player bar Robin Van Persie. Spurs new boy Gylfi Sigurdsson looks superb value at just 7.3, bearing in mind he returned 102 points from just 17 appearances in 2011/12, while a couple of Premier League newcomers, Shinji Kagawa and Eden Hazard, have been priced at 7.6 and 7.7 in light of their moves to United and Chelsea respectively.
Antonio Valencia (7.9) looks better value than either Nani or Ashley Young, who are priced at 8.7 and 8.3 respectively for United, while Rafael Van der Vaart comes in at 8.0, a full 0.8 less than Gareth Bale in the Tottenham ranks. It’s perhaps unsurprising to see David Silva (9.0) and Juan Mata (8.9) as the most valuable midfielders, with the City man, in particular, likely to benefit from the 60+ passes on a more regular basis. Newcastle’s Yohan Cabaye and City’s Yaya Toure are another couple of players who should see their tally boosted by the bonus introduction and are resultantly priced at 8.5 and 8.1 respectively, just behind last season’s top scoring midfield Clint Dempsey, at 8.6.
The Forwards
Up front, the cut-price options are relatively slim. Fulham new boys Hugo Rodallega and Mladen Petric come in at 6.7 and 6.8 respectively; decent value, given that the Cottagers scored 36 times at home last term, just three less than Arsenal and Spurs – if either can nail down a regular role for Martin Jol’s side, they could be worth a punt. Southampton’s Rickie Lambert comes in at 6.8 and has spot-kick duties under his belt, while 6.9 priced Shaun Maloney offered hints of potential towards the tail end of last season tucked in behind a lone forward at Wigan.
Reading new boy Pavel Pogrebnyak will set you back 7.2 and will be hoping to replicate the form that harvested six goals from 12 appearances at Fulham from last January onwards, while Djibril Cisse bagged six goals in eight appearances for QPR; at 7.5, he’s one to watch, as is the similarly priced Franco Di Santo at Wigan.
Both Nikica Jelavic and Darren Bent look enticing prospects with a value of 8.1 apiece in the Sky Sports game – the Everton man’s instant impact on Merseyside will surely pick up plenty suitors, while Bent will be hoping to put a disappointing season behind him, with injury afflicting the latter part of his 2011/12 campaign. Moving further up the price bracket, Arsenal’s new signing Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud come in at 8.5 and 8.7 respectively, though their appeal will obviously be determined by whether Robin Van Persie chooses to stay at the Emirates.
Emmanuel Adebayor’s price tag of 8.5 seems kind, bearing in mind he was fifth overall points scorer in last season’s Sky Sports game – with his future now looking settled at the Lane, the Togo international is definitely one to consider: though both Peter Crouch and Grant Holt have been slapped with steep valuations; costing 8.8 and 8.7 respectively, they finished the previous campaign almost 40 points behind Adebayor in the rankings.
The top three are as expected, really. It’s no surprise to see Van Persie (10.0), Sergio Aguero (9.9) and Wayne Rooney ( 9.8) dominate the pricing, though the latter may benefit from the 60+ passes rule more than most forwards. Perhaps this is why Luis Suarez comes in at 9.6, then, with the Uruguayan likely to see plenty possession under Brendan Rodgers. Fernando Torres and Carlos Tevez, at 9.5 and 9.4 respectively, look overpriced after their performances last time round, with both coming in at a higher cost than Newcastle’s scoring sensation Papiss Cisse (9.3).
The Sky Sports Scout League
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Fantasy Football Scout also has an official Sky Sports Fantasy Football League with a prize of a Samsung Blu Ray home cinema system worth up to £600 on offer.
Register your Sky Sports team and then join our “FFScout” league – the Pin is 8004519.
