Having rolled out the Scout Picks yesterday evening, itβs time to turn our attentions to those overlooked alternatives. As always, we cast an eye over three players with minimal ownership for your perusal ahead of the fast-approaching Gameweek deadline:
Jozy Altidore
Thereβs nothing quite like warming up for a competitive debut for your new club by hammering home a hat-trick three days beforehand. Altidore proved pivotal in the USAβs 4-3 win over Bosnia on Wednesday β not only did he score three times, the new Sunderland striker also provided the assist for his nationβs other goal and looks in lethal form as Fulham make their way to the Stadium of Light.
With Steven Fletcher still struggling to overcome an ankle injury, Altidore is set to lead the line for the Black Cats this afternoon, with Stephane Sessegnon tucking in behind in a 4-4-1-1. His manager Paolo Di Canio has backed the forward big time and yesterday tipped the 23-year-old to score β15 or moreβ goals in his debut season on Wearside.
Arriving on the back of a season in Holland which saw him produce 31 goals and seven assists in 39 league and cup matches, Altidore has been reasonably priced across the Fantasy games. Coming in at 7.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), with an ownership of less than 2%, heβs a real under the radar option who also has games against Southampton and Palace in the first three fixtures before the schedule takes a turn for the worse.
Andreas Weimann
With seven goals in five pre-season appearances, itβs understandable that Christian Benteke has hogged the Fantasy limelight ahead of Villaβs double Gameweek. Thanks to the big Belgianβs exploits, however, the rest of Paul Lambertβs troops have remained firmly in the shadows, allows the likes of Weimann to quietly, yet efficiently, produce the goods.
Fielded on the right of Villaβs 4-3-3 formation, Weimann has registered two goals and two assists over the midlandersβ final four friendlies β granted, thatβs not quite Benteke territory but itβs indicative of his consistent displays under Lambert. Despite a security of starts and price of just 6.0 in FPL, Weimann has persuaded just 2% of managers to take a punt ahead of his pair of fixtures β if he can replicate the form that saw him net against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and United (twice) last time out, he may prove a canny acquisition.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
Gareth Baleβs foot injury brings a former Fantasy favourite back into contention as Tottenham pay visit to Palace on Sunday afternoon. The Icelandic international struggled in his first season at the Lane and has, admittedly, yet to nail down a regular role under Andre Villas-Boas but, fielded in βthe holeβ behind Roberto Soldado in last weekendβs home draw against Espanyol, Sigurdsson was handed the full 90 minutes; perhaps an indication of his managerβs new-found faith.
As heβs previously shown during his time at Swansea, Sigurdsson is more than capable of producing on the domestic stage and Baleβs absence (and potential departure) may finally afford him a platform to vindicate Villas-Boasβ decision to splash the cash last summer. Coming in at just 7.0 in FPL, and with an ownership of just over 1%, he has a superb set of fixtures on the horizon to take advantage of β while snapping him up doesnβt come without risk, the potential pay-off could be worth the punt.
