Now a stone lighter after shedding his golf course weight, Carlos Tevez has once again emerged as a key player for Manchester City and Fantasy managers alike. The Argentine, who spent much of last season in exile after a spat with manager Roberto Mancini, was the star of last Sunday’s Community Shield victory over Chelsea, scoring a superb effort and overshadowing his compatriot, Sergio Aguero. But can he continue that form and keep the more expensive Aguero out of our Fantasy lineups?

One of the biggest attractions is the price difference between the pair, particularly in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, where Aguero has been priced at 11.5m in compared to Tevez’s 9m price tag. However, the difference in the Sky game is less marked with Tevez priced at 9.4m compared to Aguero’s 9.9m.

Another attraction is the post Community Shield comments from Roberto Mancini about Tevez being “a very important player” for City. With the side’s penalty taking, maverick striker Mario Balotelli still lacking match fitness and Edin Dzeko still out of favour as a starting striker, starts seem assured for Tevez for Man City’s opening games at least. But with Balotelli likely to be used sparingly during August, Aguero is set to retain penalty taking duties, arguably adding further weight to his hefty price tag.

Mark says…
I’ve been hesitant to consider Tevez over Aguero, for the simple reason that it seems inevitable that Roberto Mancini will look to give Mario Balotelli pitch time. My other concern is Mancini’s formation. The 3-4-1-2 looks to be a winning formula right now but the City boss is already indicating that he’ll abandon it once the real business gets underway. Even if it remains, I’m not sure how he builds both David Silva and Samir Nasri into his lineup, whilst keeping two strikers. I’m pretty sure they’ll be times when he’ll push Silva or Toure forward and abandon the idea of a pairing up front. For me, Aguero looks the most secure, regardless of the tactical scenario.

In the short-term, however, I have to admit I’m enormously tempted by the slimline Tevez. His goal and performance on Sunday was a clear indication of form and confidence and it seems nailed on that he’ll line up against Southampton. There’s every chance he could again steal the thunder from Aguero in that game and that 2.5 FPL difference can be invested to some effect elsewhere in our lineups. Will I be 100% that Tevez will take the field in a few Gameweek’s time? That’s the issue. For me, Aguero is a fire and forget option, by going with Tevez, it’s a question of cashing in on the short-term benefits and managing your way out of the situation later. After Sunday’s showing and the noise from the City camp, I might just be willing to take that on.

Andy says…
When I look at comparing two figures like Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero there is one thing that is always at the forefront of my mind – the Fantasy captaincy. The armband is the biggest duty for Fantasy Managers on any given Gameweek and, if I think I’m going to be spreading it about the Etihad stadium with regularity, I’ll make sure to pick the player that I think is not only most consistent and most likely to start games. That man, for me, without a shadow of a doubt, is Sergio Aguero.

However, in the first couple of months of the new season I really don’t see too many of Roberto Mancini’s men pushing the issue when it comes to captaincy. Given that inference I have to hark to the other dominant factor: price. While I think Aguero is more assured of pitch time, it doesn’t even begin to make up for the extra 2.5 in your pocket by opting for Tevez. As a player I prefer Aguero – exponentially so – but for the first couple of months of the season I’ll be managing with my head and leaving my heart at the door. Tevez will be in my team.

Paul Says…
It’s impossible to say over the long-term but, right now, he certainly looks to be. Tevez’s attitude has been praised by both Roberto Mancini and David Platt and the City boss has already stated he expects him to be an important player in the season to come – a sure sign of how he plans to utilise him. Aguero’s phenomenal debut season was, in part, helped by a number of factors –Tevez’s determination to force a move away from the Etihad and subsequent strop in the Allianz Arena, Mario Balotelli’s indiscipline and Edin Dzeko’s loss of form all meant that last year’s summer signing was too crucial to be left out at any point. Now that Tevez is 100% both physically and mentally, Mancini may well feel he can afford to slightly restrict Aguero’s game time when Mario Balotelli is fully-fit.

Personally, I feel that Tevez and Aguero could be handed roughly the same number of starts, with one or the other dropping out for Balotelli on occasion, while Edin Dzeko is mostly reduced to the role of impact sub. Bearing in mind this was a player who was priced at 12.0 at the start of last season, I reckon Tevez looks exceptional value at the moment for 9.0 and that 2.5 saving over Aguero has certainly won me over for just now.