With the Fantasy Premier League community given an airing in yesterday’s article, we now turn to the Sky Sports game – Granville’s current favourite Fantasy pursuit. The Mancunian closed on my lead in the Scout League but both of us are looking up at the very top, where we herald another new leader – one we predicted just seven days ago.
The Scout League
We discussed the rise of Pascal Evans in last week’s article and, a week later, our prophecy has come true. The manager currently sitting on second in the live Fantasy Football Scout Hall of Fame and fifth in the Career table, has climbed to the summit of our Sky Sports league. Pascal sits on 1488 points, with a four point advantage on Simon Davies “Nags Head Rovers” in second. Paul McAnulty’s “Housewives Favourites” sit in third on 1481 points.
Pascal is ranked fifth in the overall table, some 91 points behind the leader, however, having picked up momemtum in recent weeks, we wouldn’t bet against him closing that gap to set up a close finish in the race for the 25k prize. Pascal has been here and done it before.
With seven managers in the overall top twenty, the Scout League remains on top of the private league rankings, still some 13 points ahead of our nearest rival.
In terms of the contributor standings, I’m still leading the way in 411 spot, 75th in the Scout League, but I’m now just a single point ahead of Granville, who closed with a strong score last week, thanks to an inspired Moussa Sissoko transfer.
A reminder that if you’re playing the Sky Sports game and have yet to join our league, you can sign up to the FFScout League with this Pin: 8004519. We have a home cinema system, worth £600, available to the winner.
Market Forces
Luis Suarez has been the most popular signing in the Sky Sports game this week: the Uruguayan has featured in over 25% of the transfers in over the past seven days, continuing his steady climb in ownership. That’s perhaps a surprise with Daniel Sturridge emerging as a force in the Liverpool frontline, although, clearly, Suarez is much fancied for the impending home matches with West Brom this Monday and Swansea a week on Sunday.
Liverpool and Swansea are, of course, the only sides to play in that particular Gameweek so fetching their assets prior to that fixture makes good sense, with Suarez likely to be a popular choice for the armband. He still sits at the very top of the value rankings for forwards in the game – offering 18.5 points per million over the season so far – Robert Snodgrass (17.9) and Rickie Lambert (17.7) trail him in second and third.
Goalkeepers continue to dominate the market trends with lots of activity surrounding the trio of Joe Hart, Asmir Begovic and Simon Mignolet. It appears that many Fantasy managers are constantly looking to change their stopper, with clean sheets the only method of scoring on offer. Hart has enjoyed the most traffic this week, acquired in over 22% of the total transfers made. Begovic and Mignolet have been fetched as part of 19% of transfers, although the Stoke keeper again suffered a loss of ownership, with more managers choosing to transfer him out over the week following his recent run of poor form.
Petr Cech was the player to suffer the most sales, however. The Chelsea keeper was an injury doubt earlier in the week having broken a finger and was shipped out as part of 27% of the transfers made this week. Cech is available for Chelsea’s meeting with Wigan this weekend, however.
Robin Van Persie, off the back of two consecutive blanks, also suffered losses this week- 23% of the transfers made saw the Dutchman cast aside, with Suarez the player most likely to profit from the switch. Jermain Defoe’s injury also saw him sold on by many of his remaining owners, while Eden Hazard still earned losses, with 19% of the transfers made this week seeing the Belgian making way. Hazard makes a return to the Chelsea fold following suspension this weekend.
The Fantasy Football Club – Tonight 10pm
John Barnes shuffles into the Fantasy Football Club dressing room to join the squad for the rest of the season. I just wonder if we’re get a chance to see “that” goal from Rio in 1984? Barnes joins Fenners and Merse at 10pm tonight on Sky Sports one, a show that also features Alex McLeish dishing out his all-time XI based on players that he’s managed. I somehow doubt that any Forest players made it: let’s be honest, he barely had time to learn their names.
