We close on Gameweek 15 with our usual three-part summary, assessing a maverick talent delivering unerring consistency, the ailing champions revived to prompt a rethink and the brutal approach to stalling heavy-hitters.
The Player
Wilfried Zaha is a player often admired and therefore pimped on these pages – he’s factored in our Spot the Differential article on five occasions in just over year.
However, never has the winger rewarded that faith with the kind of form he’s currently displaying.
I regret not fighting harder for his Scout Picks inclusion ahead of his 16-point haul but, given his consistency this season, it appears we will have other opportunities.
Always capable of impressing in bursts, this new version of Zaha has produced two goals and seven assists in the last seven Gameweeks. That’s an astonishing rate of return for a mid-price asset and an output that puts the likes of Kevin De Bruyne to shame by comparison.
It’s difficult to pinpoint what is behind such an improvement.
Zaha is receiving the same number of passes as last season, attempting the same number of dribbles; he’s even creating chances at almost the same rate.
However, with Christian Benteke installed, Crystal Palace clearly boast a proven goal threat to convert Zaha’s service.
Equally, the winger has markedly upped his game when it comes to converting his own chances. His shot accuracy has improved from 28% last season to 42% this term, rewarding him with three goals already.
It remains to be seen if Zaha can maintain such a run.
The Gameweek 16 reunion with former club Manchester United provides a fascinating litmus test; encounters with Chelsea and Arsenal will surely prove equally challenging.
In addition, given that he is now eligible to represent Ivory Coast, there’s a chance that Zaha could now be departing for the African Cup of Nations in January, potentially missing multiple matches from Gameweek 21 onwards.
This all tempers our enthusiasm, along with the fact that it’s difficult to accept that Zaha has suddenly flicked a switch to deliver on our expectations.
The Team
Leicester City are the masters of the unexpected.
Such spectacular servants to Fantasy Football managers last season, they have withered to almost nothing this term, with their key assets seemingly overpriced and underperforming.
But Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Manchester City tore up that script.
With Jamie Vardy rolling back to last season’s form to fire his first ever Premier League hat-trick, the Foxes put up a display that mirrored their staggering title-winning campaign.
Despite this, and a favourable schedule that provides a platform for further success, we have little choice but to remain sceptical.
Now priced among the true heavy-hitters, Vardy and Riyad Mahrez will need to produce sizeable tallies on a regular basis to warrant our investment.
Vardy’s Gameweek 15 haul was the first double-figure haul served by the pair.
Nevertheless, with templates forming for the festive spell, the two mainstays of our 2015/16 campaign can provide tempting sideshows, as we again brace ourselves for Claudio Ranieri’s charges to take us by surprise.
The Talking Point
While Diego Costa ticks on relentlessly, we seem to be forced to re-examine our attacking assets elsewhere on an almost weekly basis.
Midfield heavy-hitters continue to court concern, with Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino entering the red zone and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, once again, causing us to fidget.
Delivering an eighth blank of the season, a third in four Gameweeks, Hazard’s failings are certainly amplified by Costa’s consistency.
Although his underlying numbers warrant monitoring, the fixture list and Chelsea’s form suggest that Hazard has the opportunity to revive his fortunes and calm fears.
Firmino is certainly a more critical case.
Part of 17.8% of squads, he has stalled badly in recent weeks, seemingly limited by Philippe Coutinho’s absence and a shift to the left flank.
Again the underlying statistics are somewhat alarming and while Liverpool have the fixtures and form for the Brazilian to re-ignite, already FPL managers have executed an exit plan. Firmino is second only to the injured Charlie Austin for sales heading into tomorrow’s deadline – clear indication of the merciless approach we’ve been forced to adopt this season.
Alexis Sanchez has provided one telling example of how the hasty removal of a heavy-hitter can damage us. Firmino is perhaps not capable of mirroring Sanchez’s London Stadium haul but he can still provide a punishing points tally.
Whether he can deliver at Middlesbrough or Everton remains to be seen.
In this most ruthless season, returns would appear necessary rather than desirable if Firmino is to remain in our squads heading into 2017.
7 years, 6 months ago1FT / 2.3 ITB
Firmino >
A. Eriksen / Alli
B. Haz
C. Someone else?
Already have Costa & Kane, btw.