Ahead of the Scout teamโs visit to the Sky studio, we roll out our usual Friday afternoon update. As always, we assess the Man of the Match (MoTM) awards, bonus point beneficiaries and current market trends. We also look ahead to the forthcoming fixtures, offering our preferred captain setup, with one eye on Gameweek 20.
Gameweek 18 Man of the Match Awards
Listed below is a match-by-match breakdown of the players who won the plaudits from the Sky Sports reporters last time out, earning five additional points for the Man-of-the-Match award.
| Fixture | MoTM |
| Man City vs Arsenal | Fernandinho |
| Cardiff vs West Brom | Craig Noone |
| Chelsea vs Crystal Palace | Eden Hazard |
| Everton vs Fulham | Steven Pienaar |
| Newcastle vs Southampton | Jay Rodriguez |
| West Ham vs Sunderland | Lee Cattermole |
| Hull vs Stoke | Ryan Shawcross |
| Aston Villa vs Man United | Danny Welbeck |
| Norwich vs Swansea | Nathan Redmond |
| Tottenham vs Liverpool | Jordan Henderson |
Midfielders came out on top once again, with seven awards out of a possible ten โforwards earned two and one went to a defender. Jay Rodriguez and Nathan Redmond notched their third awards of the season so far and continue to offer budget alternatives. Aside from Eden Hazard, who has just over 14% ownership, all the other star performers sit in less than 4% of teams and will have had little effect on our overall ranking.
Curtis Davies is the front runner in MoTM awards with six to his name, whilst Hazard is now hot on his heels with five.
Gameweek 18 Bonus Points
Four goalkeepers managed to achieve five saves or more. David De Gea, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Hugo Lloris and Julian Speroni were the top shot stoppers โ the Hammers keeper was the best performer of the week with a total of six saves and a clean sheet, whilst Simon Mignolet is still top of the bonus points stats overall, picking up an extra ten points so far.
In defence, a total of six players gathered bonus, five for tackles and one for passes completed โ full-back Cesar Azpilicueta was closest to achieving both, falling just four completed passes short of the required 60. Crystal Palace full-back Joel Ward is still riding high at the top of the bonus table with an additional 18 points.
In midfield, 19 players earned bonus points – 14 for tackling and seven for passes. Centre-midfielders Jose Canas and Ross Barkley were the two to gather both – Barkley rather fortuitously as he managed exactly four tackles and 60 completed passes, the minimum required. Aaron Ramsey still sits head and shoulders above the competition with 28 additional bonus points earned.
A reminder that Fantasy Football Scout Members can access all the data regarding bonus points using player stats and clicking the Sky Sports tab.
The Transfer Trends
Top Transfers Out
| Name | Team | Value | % of Managers |
| Aguero | Man City | 9.8 | 18.85% |
| Van Persie | Man Utd | 10 | 5.17% |
| Paulinho | Tottenham | 6.6 | 4.79% |
| Gerrard | Liverpool | 8.1 | 3.94% |
| Giroud | Arsenal | 8.5 | 2.91% |
Our top five this week again find themselves either injured or suspended as Fantasy managers go looking for starters over the festive period. Olivier Giroud is the only name that appears to be on the end of a tactical switch โ his form has slipped somewhat in recent week having not scored in the Premier league since November 23.
Top Transfers In
| Name | Team | Value | % of Managers |
| Rooney | Man Utd | 9.6 | 11.85% |
| Suarez | Liverpool | 9.9 | 9.29% |
| Coleman | Everton | 6.5 | 5.02% |
| Negredo | Man City | 8.6 | 4.76% |
| Lukaku | Everton | 8.6 | 3.57% |
The impact of Sergio Agueroโs injury is clear to see as Fantasy managers scramble for a worthy replacement, Wayne Rooney looks to be the favorite of the masses with just over 11% drafting him in โ worryingly rumors of an injury have surfaced leaving his owners sweating on the team sheet news for this week. Alvaro Negredo and Romelu Lukaku offer alternative options and come in at a slightly more budget friendly 8.6m.
Gameweek 19 Proposed Captain Strategy
Looking ahead to the captaincy choices for Gameweek 19 we have a multitude of options due to the double Gameweek. Indeed, there is even the opportunity for four captains if you can spare the transfers.
Our Strategy:
Luis Suarez (Cardiff at Home) โ Wayne Rooney (Hull Away)
Or (using transfers)
Luis Suarez (Cardiff at Home) โ Romelu Lukaku (Swansea Away) โ Theo Walcott (Arsenal at Home) โ Wayne Rooney (Hull Away)
For Saturday December 21, Luis Suarez is the clear favorite off the back of his 21 point haul at Tottenham. Other options include Wayne Rooney and Alvaro Negredo, with Danny Welbeck a United alternative if Rooney is laid up with a groin problem.
After Saturdayโs games the options seem endless. Two possible tactics are highlighted above but it really depends on how many transfers you want to make in order to maximize your potential captain points. The most important point to remember is to make sure you end the Gameweek with your skipper on either a United or City player, as both these teams have favourable fixtures in Gameweek 20.
The Fantasy Football Scout League
Our own Fantasy Football Scout League is on top of the Private League rankings. With a ยฃ1,000 prize to the winner, you’d be mad not to get involved. To join, visit Sky Sports Fantasy Football and key in League Name: FFScout, League Code: 8000112.
The Fantasy Football Club
This Friday, you can catch the The Fantasy Football Club show at 18:30 on Sky Sports One HD. Fenners and Merse will be discussing the previous weekโs Fantasy Football events, chatting to the scorer of the first ever Premier League goal Brian Deane and asking Jordan Henderson for his #One2Eleven. On a side note a few of the Scout team will be in the studio including our leader Mark, so keep your eyes peeled for a glimpse of the men behind the machine.
