Harry Kane emphatically breaks more records and the hearts of those Fantasy managers who risked turning their back on his talents ahead of an impending blank.
The Spurs striker made it back-to-back hat-tricks from a blisteringly productive festive schedule so far. In doing so, he shattered Alan Shearer’s Premier League record for goals in a calendar year.
Those Fantasy managers who showed patience and held on to Kane will be overjoyed, but now have another difficult decision ahead of them.
They will face a dilemma with a second consecutive 17-point to sweeten the pill, but two hat-tricks in the space of three days cannot shift the fact that Kane now has a blank to come.
More than 131,000 managers had brought him in for the 5-2 win over Southampton regardless of that blank, with 1,161,712 making him the most-captained player of Gameweek 20.
They are now part of a 41.2% Fantasy Premier League (FPL) ownership that must decide whether to stick or twist on the forward.
Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata is an obvious replacement for Gameweek 21, and he made his case with a first goal since Gameweek 15. To add to the Spaniard’s appeal, the Blues entertain Stoke City next and the Potters, already without Kurt Zouma, saw their skipper Ryan Shawcross limp off today.
But the downside of selling Kane involves cost – in both price and transfers expended.
His value is on the move. It rose to 12.9 ahead of Boxing Day and could increase again before Gameweek 21 with a number of managers either oblivious to, or simply not caring about, his blank.
Some 33,000 have already transferred him in for his non-existent Gameweek 21, so should his price rise again, those selling him could lose profit as well as the two transfers the transaction will cost – assuming, that is, that they bring Kane back for fixtures with Swansea City and West Ham. That is surely a given.
Ignoring Kane for that upcoming pair of attractive fixtures seems untenable. He will be the most-captained for Gameweek 22 and, those with the Triple Captain chip in hand will surely consider putting it in play on the back of Kane’s confidence and devastating form.
Spurs Midfield stake their claim
Kane isn’t the only member of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad who warrants consideration ahead of the double-header.
Son Heung-min is building a convincing case.
The midfielder started his sixth straight match against Southampton and produced a goal, two assists and a bonus point for a second double-digit haul of that run.
In fact, Son has managed four goals and as many assists from those six matches and although he’s currently the fourth most bought player despite the blank Gameweek 21, he’s still only owned by 3.9%.
Previously far more popular, Dele Alli (11.5%) is also enjoying a min-revival.
He followed up his brace of assists at Burnley with two more, and a goal, against the Saints, with two bonus points pushing his Gameweek tally to a season’s best 15.
Son’s 8.0 price and his considerably more consistent recent form will ensure that the South Korean is favoured, with Alli reduced to an unlikely Gameweek 22 differential.
The same will probably apply to Christian Erisken. The Dane’s assist was dwarfed by other performances, but marked a fifth return in six Gameweeks.
Elsewhere, it remains difficult to justify investment in the Spurs defence.
Pochettino’s rotation policy concerning his wing-backs is now confusing everyone but him, with Serge Aurier (0.5%) handed a second straight start – and his third in four matches – as Kieran Trippier (5.8%) joined Ben Davies on the bench.
With the points potential of Spurs’ wing-backs now difficult to predict, the side’s lack of defensive stability – they’ve kept just two clean sheets since Gameweek 12 – further dampens the appeal of recruitment for the forthcoming double.
