Drop the Flop – Gameweek 27

Our second instalment in a new series of articles shines the spotlight on two premium-priced players who would probably chuckle at the notion of being called ‘Flops’. Nonetheless, the Fantasy world is remorseless, and once you fall by the wayside as these two have, there can be no mercy shown by managers longing for those green arrows:

Mesut Ozil

Brought in by Arsenal on transfer deadline day for £42.5m, Ozil was introduced to Fantasy Premier League (FPL) at a similarly premium price of 10.0, making him the most expensive midfielder in the game. Expectations were, hence, almost unreasonably high. Nonetheless, after just seven Gameweeks, and a price increase to 10.8, it seemed that our initial hopes were justified and that the German could provide a genuinely consistent source of points throughout the season. Quickly proving why he acquired the nickname ‘King of the Assist’ during his time in Spain, Ozil’s first 12 games saw him tee up team-mates eight times, with four goals over that time further delighting his owners.

However, since Arsenal’s 6-3 drubbing at the Etihad back in Gameweek 16, things have slowly turned sour for Ozil and his owners. A shoulder injury picked up in late December saw the German miss two fixtures and, since his return, the Gunners’ record signing has produced a number of lacklustre displays which have subsequently served up no more than a meagre assist. Now down to just 9.7, a price tag still hardly justified for a player with attacking returns in only one of his last eight games, and with pundits queuing up to shoot down his performances after every match, it looks like it’s finally time to stop convincing yourself that Ozil’s class will shine through and wave “Auf Wiedersehen” to this Flop.

The good news is that Ozil’s premium price tag affords managers a wealth of options in looking for a replacement. Amongst the FPL midfield options, only Yaya Toure, Eden Hazard and Manchester United new boy Juan Mata are more expensive than the former Real Madrid man, although managers may naturally recoil from the idea of investing so much budget in any of United’s assets right now, whilst also turn their nose up at upgrading to such ‘safe’, template options as Toure or Hazard. Certainly, Toure’s upcoming back-to-back blanks diminish his short-term appeal.

The 8.0 priced Adam Lallana may now appear to be a bandwagon long since missed, but with fine fixtures ahead (whm, LIV, cry, NOR) the league’s most in-form midfielder is undoubtedly a competent and secure alternative to Ozil. On the other hand, for those uncomfortable with the thought of ridding themselves of Arsenal coverage, downgrading to Ozil’s midfield team-mate Santi Cazorla would seem to be the most sensible option, if you can stomach the Gunners’ blank Gameweek 29. The little Spaniard has picked up more than double the amount of points accrued by Ozil over the past five Gameweeks, and available for a similar price of 9.6 but with just a 3.7% ownership, Cazorla looks a decent differential as the Gunners go in search of their first league title for ten years.

Wayne Rooney

It would be fair to say that for the first half of the season Rooney emerged from the shadow of his strike partner Robin Van Persie to establish himself as the number one Fantasy option in United’s ranks. Nine goals and 11 assists in the opening 18 Gameweeks saw the 28-year-old deny his team’s faltering form to confirm himself as a consistent source of points, and with six double figure hauls amassed in that period, Rooney proved to be a dependable captaincy option for those resisting the temptation of a certain Uruguayan.

Plagued by injury throughout January, however, Rooney’s stock went into rapid free-fall. His return for United’s Gameweek 23 fixture with Cardiff looked promising, but with a meagre six points accrued in the four games since then, those who chose to draft the England man back into their sides have been left rueing the decision. With United continuing to stutter, and Rooney suffering from his versatility as David Moyes tries to accommodate him, Van Persie and Mata in the Red Devils’ line-up, it would seem that Rooney’s time as a viable fantasy option is up.

The main concern for the 11.2-priced Rooney’s owners will naturally be how valuable our frontline slots have become this season, with so many forwards offering outstanding value for significantly less outlay. Daniel Sturridge is, of course, one such contender. Having scored in every game since his comeback from injury in Gameweek 21, the Liverpool frontman has begun to outshine his team-mate Luis Suarez in recent weeks, and with fixtures against Swansea and Southampton to come next – at a time where Rooney has a blank Gameweek 28 – it’s hard to see past the 10.1-priced Sturridge as the perfect replacement.

The imminent return of Sergio Aguero will also have Fantasy managers on alert. Those holding Rooney might fancy an upgrade to the big-hitting Argentine, who – like Sturridge – still sits above Rooney in the FPL forward rankings, despite missing more than double the number of games as the United forward throughout the campaign thus far. Once City’s back-to-back blanks in Gameweek 28 and 29 are over, Aguero will surely be one to consider, given that his side will have three doubles from Gameweek 30 onwards – whilst it’s accepted he won’t play every minute of those matches, Aguero, in comparison to other frontline options, has shown he needs little time to deliver.

There are plenty of cheaper alternatives to mull over, too. Emmanuel Adebayor has recently climbed our Watchlist as he continues his renaissance under Tim Sherwood, whilst, like the Togo international, Southampton duo Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez have a fixture in Gameweek 28 and 29 and are both showing strong form.

However, for those in search of some real differential value in the attempt to shake up mini-leagues, it’s worth monitoring Romelu Lukaku’s recovery from an ankle injury. If the Everton forward remains on the sidelines, his Toffees team-mate Lacina Traore could be one to mull over – the Ivorian needed just four minutes to notch on his debut against Swansea in the FA Cup last weekend and, at 7.5, with some stand-out fixtures to follow, could prove to be the canniest of calls.