The Burning Question – Who is the Rooney Replacement?

With Wayne Rooney suspended and Aaron Ramsey sidelined due to a hamstring injury, the fall-out across the Fantasy games has resulted in significant sales over the last few days. As Fantasy managers assess their options in midfield and up front, we turn to our contributors and roll out a couple of Burning Questions to deal with our current dilemmas.

First up, we address the situation surrounding United’s new skipper. Despite being moved into a more withdrawn role, Rooney remained amongst the most popular strikers across the Fantasy games and still posed an attacking threat for Louis van Gaal’s side, but after earning a red card and subsequent three-match ban for a cynical challenge on West Ham’s Stewart Downing, his ownership is in free-fall.

Now set to sit on the sidelines until the Gameweek 10 Manchester derby, we ask the Burning Question – Who is the Rooney Replacement?

Mark says…
Wayne Rooney’s right to claim a spot in my squad was already under scrutiny once it became clear that he’d be deployed behind a front pairing of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao. When he scored after four minutes of Saturday’s match, my concerns were immediately calmed and, in all honesty, he showed enough in the first half of that match to reassure me that he’s still going to be a major factor for United and a key Fantasy asset. Having said that, the goals and assists at United are inevitably going to be shared out amongst a cast of talent and I always had my eye on either City’s strikers or the blossoming Graziano Pelle. The suspension made up my mind and, coupled with Aaron Ramsey’s injury, brought my Wildcard into play. Subsequently, funds aren’t an issue and I’m going straight for Sergio Aguero.

City’s schedule and Manuel Pellegrini’s emphasis on attack and killing teams off with sheer goal power convinces me that I need a City player. While I’m a huge fan of David Silva, I’m not yet convinced he can keep pace with the strikers. Out of those, Aguero is undoubtedly the most secure and productive. Yes, there are concerns on his fitness and durability but, given his meagre 10% ownership and therefore his ability to propel me up the ranks if he explodes, I’m going to take that risk.

That will be too rich for some and too much of a gamble – and understandably so. In which case, Pelle has to be the target. His underlying stats indicate we’ve a heavy-hitter on our hands, valued in the mid-price bracket. The only caveat is that Southampton are currently enjoying an extraordinary run of opponents and that their schedule will stiffen. In the short-term, however, I can’t see past the Italian – I’m going to settle on my high-roller gamble on Aguero but I’m well aware that Pelle could make me regret that decision.

Tom Fenley says…
Diego Costa is the only obvious forward to have so far this season, so it’s the other two spots in our teams that will be seeing much rotation. These two places currently only have a limited number of candidates, foremost amongst them Sergio Aguero, Graziano Pelle and Danny Welbeck. On Saturday I transferred Rooney out and bought in Pelle but it will depend on your squad – Pelle was the straightforward option for me, on top form, with better short term fixtures than Welbeck, and Edin Dzeko is hanging on in my team, ruling Aguero out for the time being.

The long-term question becomes whether you go for Aguero or not. Some City cover looks sensible, and although Dzeko won’t return the 13 points he scored against Hull every week, it would have taken a hit to get Aguero in for him. The issue with the Argentine is always the same – his fitness and tendency to get injured. With an important Champions League clash in midweek, I thought I could take the risk and wait to bring him in. However, if it’s possible for you to bring Aguero in for Rooney with no points deduction then I would be strongly considering it as he is clearly an excellent option. I’m also keeping an eye on the form of David Silva, who could become the City option that provides the best value.

The Rooney decision comes down to Aguero and a mid-priced striker, or two of the latter. At the moment, having Welbeck and Pelle would allow me to upgrade Sigurdsson to Silva, for example, and perhaps also include Leighton Baines at the back – a tempting prospect. The best like-for-like Rooney replacement is Aguero but the other option is to improve the squad as a whole – a route that could provide more value than investing so heavily in a second big-hitter up front.

In the past I would have gone down the Aguero route, but due to how my squad has developed I’ve had to go for two mid-hitters, at least for now, and hang on to the hope that Aguero doesn’t score too highly.

Jonty says…
In terms of goal attempts and shots in the box there are three standout candidates to replace Wayne Rooney. Chelsea’s Diego Costa should be in your side already, but if for some reason his eight goals in six matches have passed you by, he needs to be at the top of any list of replacements. For most, though, Costa will already be a fixture of your side and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Southampton’s Graziano Pelle are the next two to consider. Pelle already has four goals and an assist and frees up more than 2.0 in funds to invest elsewhere. Plus, Southampton’s forthcoming fixtures are superb, with Sunderland and Stoke visiting St Mary’s after this weekend’s trip to Tottenham. Aguero also has four goals, which is remarkable considering he has only had four starts. If his hamstrings last the week, he is surely guaranteed to reward those who drafted him in.

D1sable says…
This really depends on how much you’re looking to spend. Aside from Diego Costa, no one player in the heavy-hitting bracket has really stood out so far, and with substantially cheaper forwards currently performing just as well, I think there is a good argument to save some cash in this area for now and spread the wealth elsewhere.

Taking form into account and looking ahead at fixtures over the next six to seven Gameweeks, I think there are a couple of stand-out value options in Graziano Pelle and Danny Welbeck. If you’re looking to spend a little more, though, I think Romelu Lukaku has the schedule (mun, AVL, bur, SWA, sun WHM) to perform in the coming weeks, although the Everton striker is notoriously inconsistent and his points are hard to predict, which is hardly ideal in Fantasy terms.

If you’re hell-bent on bringing in a big-hitter for Rooney and you have some spare cash then surely the marquee signing is Sergio Aguero. The fixtures look good and, let’s be honest, the guy scores in the majority of matches in which he features – it’s just whether you trust the Argentine to stay fit long enough to justify his acquisition.

Applebonkers says…
I think you have to at least browse Gameweek 8’s fixtures here, where teams like Arsenal and Everton see their fixtures flip for the better. If you fancy a midfield or defensive upgrade from those sides then now is a great time to shop for cheaper Rooney replacements to fund them. Maybe you’re eyeing up Baines, in which case Lidl currently sells nice Sakhos whilst Aldi are doing a penalty takers for 5.5-and-under deal on Berahino and Nugent. If you’re contemplating a big-hitting Arsenal midfielder, then you can find Ulloa in Iceland, Enner Valencia in Asda, Pelle and Dzeko in Tesco and Lukaku in Sainsbury’s. All look well priced.

If you’re happy with the rest of your team then two expensive options in Waitrose stand out (it would be four but I think I spotted ‘best before end 2013’ printed on Van Persie and Falcao). Sergio Aguero and the returning Daniel Sturridge both have excellent CVs but neither is perfect. Aguero’s muscles are facing a busy schedule which includes five away matches in the next eight. Whilst Sturridge’s fixtures are superb, I have a nagging fear that Mario Balotelli is the kryptonite of strike partners – Aguero only managed three Premier League goals with the Italian on the pitch, for example. I’m currently fighting that fear – if successful, it’s Sturridge. If not, I’ll go for Aguero. With both I’d keep hold of the receipt though!

Spencer says…
Going into Gameweek 6, my front three consisted of Costa, Pelle, and Rooney. I’ve replaced Rooney with Liverpool’s Mario Balotelli – perhaps a bit left-field, but the Merseyside club’s fixtures are still looking good (WBA, qpr, HUL, new), and with the Italian firing shots off with increased frequency, I think it’s a punt worth taking. Also, Sturridge returning soon can only increase his points potential. Alternatively, Danny Welbeck was on my radar as Arsenal have a good run of fixtures after the Chelsea match and he appears to have settled into the team well.

Ryan says….
Costa will be in most teams right now and in all likelihood your other striker is probably someone from the mid-priced range. I think it is particularly important to consider the balance of your forward line when scoping for a Rooney replacement.

Team balance is important when it comes to jumping on the next big thing. If Costa was your only big-hitter and your other two strikers were in the mid-priced range it would be seriously difficult to bring in a big hitter if they suddenly hit form and became a ‘must have’. Major surgery would be required to find the 5.0 or so you’d need to upgrade your mid-priced asset to the likes of Sturridge or Aguero. This would likely require multiple points hits, putting you on the back foot. For this reason I believe the best player to bring in would be a big-hitter with proven ability and a kind run of fixtures.

Who, then, is the best Rooney replacement? Sturridge is currently unfit so that immediately rules him out as a viable option, though even if he were to suddenly return to fitness, it would be a risk with Liverpool’s current woes in front of goal. I would also rule out Van Persie and Falcao due to tough upcoming fixtures and the fact you could end up picking the wrong one. Both are competing with each other for goals, though Van Persie seems to have the edge at the moment.

With City’s upcoming fixtures, Aguero stands out as the best pick – last season he scored 17 goals in 23 appearances with a strike rate of a goal every 93 minutes; the highest in the league. He also had a chance every 18.4 minutes last season – a higher rate than any regular starter apart from Luis Suarez. Aguero has the pedigree, the form and the fixtures to continue producing. With Dzeko and Jovetic competing for the other striker spot, Aguero is the main goalscorer at City and the perfect Rooney replacement.

7shadesofsmoke says….
As the red mist descended on Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, across the city, dressed in the sky blue of his rivals, sat the perfect on-paper replacement (with hamstrings on ice). City’s star turn, Sergio Aguero, has the form, fixtures and pedigree to make him not just an able replacement for Rooney, but an upgrade to a sleeker, more advanced model. Of course, the sport edition carries greater risk of a blow out – but then, a returning Daniel Sturridge and almost omnipresent Diego Costa come packaged with the same hazard warning. Aguero trumps the popular premium options for minutes per chance (19.4) and minutes per touch in the box (10) this season, while his finishing has never been in question. For those looking for more of a punt, Mario Balotelli’s astonishing 15.8 minutes per chance and great fixtures could mark him a fine differential if he manages to lace his shooting boots.