With two benchings and a missed penalty in Manchester City’s last pair of fixtures, some Fantasy managers are considering the unthinkable when it comes to Sergio Aguero’s place in their squads.
Our hot topics reveal just how low the Manchester City striker’s stock has plummeted as other players, particularly those among Arsenal’s ranks, start to look more reliable picks.
Our community articles examine Bournemouth’s latest moneyball prospect and there are further midfield gems being unearthed in our Members table round up.
Finally, we see who is going into Gameweek 9 on a high with a look at the latest leaders in our community leagues.
The Community Articles
Junior Stanislas’ strong recent form, of 36 Fantasy Premier League points over his last three games, has prompted Spreadsheet to delve deep into his statistics. His research offers an invaluable insight as to whether he will be a flash in the pan or the real deal.
Despite his strong recent form Bournemouth supporters are not optimistic their side will do well when Spurs visit this weekend, according to Bolivian Seaman‘s latest What the Fans Are Saying article.
For those looking for better Gameweek 9 prospects YMA has been down to the bookies for inspiration for where to place the armband. There was further analysis of captaincy options when Spreadsheet dropped by later in the week to check up on how the Magnificent Seven Theory is helping pick the best player for double points.
Don’t forget, if you’ve got some analysis, scout reports or features brewing, be sure to visit our community section to submit your article.
The Hottest Topics
This week’s most transferred in player, Theo Walcott, has already seen his price rise twice since a Gameweek 8 brace. Given his stellar form we asked for your thoughts on whether the winger offers enough Arsenal coverage on his own or should be paired up with team-mate, Alexis Sanchez.
Walcott’s exceptional form is tempting some to swerve Sanchez and instead consider Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne as their premium-priced midfielder. During the week ESpanYOLO weighed up the pros and cons of investing in either the Chilean or Belgian stars.
At the other end of the price spectrum sits Joe Allen, who has made a mockery of his 4.9 price tag with 35 FPL points in his last three league outings. Given this recent run, it is not surprising to see the Stoke City midfielder take his place behind Walcott as the week’s second most popular transfer.
But many in the community are urging caution.
Internal error pondered whether he’ll end up like Etienne Capoue, who is failing to sustain early-season goal scoring feats from a central midfield berth.
Those swapping out Capoue for the Stoke man who are expecting a far better Fantasy prospect will be mistaken, declared Gangdu Laowai earlier this week. Parm is another to pour scorn on the viability of Allen as a long term Fantasy asset, with this excellent analysis on his prospects.
Among those drafting in Allen are Fantasy managers opting for a 3-5-2 formation to accommodate the array of midfield talent on offer this season. Albrightondknight believes that, so far, this strategy is trumping the more popular 3-4-3 formation.
Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson and Southampton’s Charlie Austin are certainly putting forward a good counter argument to those opting for 3-5-2. The forward pair have four goals between them over the last two Gameweeks, making them ideal third striker options. Bob dropped by midweek to assess which of these cheap forwards we should be considering.
In Gameweek 8 both Austin and Wilson outscored popular captaincy pick Sergio Aguero by some distance. Given he has failed to score in three of his six and has been benched in both of Manchester City’s last matches, we asked whether it was time to cut back on the times we hand him the armband.
Ruth_NZ added further rain to the Aguero parade with his look back at Pep Guardiola’s rocky relationships with strikers over the years.
Could Aguero soon join the likes of Zlatan Ibrahomovic and head for the exit door as a Fantasy asset? We took a look at how your teams would line up if you decided to sever ties with the Manchester City forward.
Our Rough with the Smooth round up of your Gameweek 8 highs and lows showed just how many were let down by the Argentine, with his penalty miss costing those that captained him dearly.
For some, a rough Gameweek or season can end in even more humiliation, with Fantasy leagues starting to add tough penalties for those holding the wooden spoon. In our discussion on forfeits Krul Runnings revealed the extravagant lengths his league has gone to so that last place comes with a hefty price to pay.
The Members Tables
With £10 free credit with FanDuel to those entering our latest Cup competition, I’ve created this handy table looking at the players who excel in this daily and weekly Fantasy format.
Joe Allen’s recent goal scoring feats have led Baines on Toast to construct a table specifically looking for similar midfielders, who are able to combine defensive responsibilities with attacking threat.
If you’re a member and are yet to get to grips with the custom statistics tables, you can view this movie for an explanation of how they work. Also, remember to tag them so that people can find the tables with ease.
The Community Tournaments
Jarvish dropped by to bring us news of a tasty new competition for the community to take part in.
In Red Lightning’s Top 10K Any Season mini-league Sahil Sud retains the lead and sits 355th in the overall rankings.
Another to stay top is Facer, who has a 27-point lead over Applebonkers at the summit of the FFScout Moderators and Contributors League.
Finally, Jaffalicious posted this update on the current leaders in the FFS UEFA Champions League contest.
If you are running a community tournament and would like the latest scores included in future Community Round Ups please email me a brief summary of the current leaders and a link to your league, spreadsheet or head to head competition, at jonty@fantasyfootballscout.co.uk.
