The first Sky Sports Fantasy Overhaul period is nearly at an end as Premier League football returns on Saturday.
We’ve already looked at the best goalkeepers and defenders available, so now it’s time to finish off by looking at some more attacking options.
As previously mentioned, even though getting some big name defenders is definitely a viable play this season, the midfielders and strikers are where you will still get most of your points.
And more often than not, this is where you’ll be looking for those all-important captains which are integral to the Sky Sports Fantasy game.
MIDFIELDERS
With the emergence of the all-action defenders, the mantle for best value players in the game is up for grabs. The midfielders have traditionally been top of the list due to their increased chances of picking up passing, tackle and shooting bonuses along with goals and assists. With the man of the match award, this can result in huge hauls if you get the right midfielder at the right time.
This season the midfield bracket seems to be a little more sparse. Whether that’s because of the rush to get premium strikers or the swing to defenders is yet to be seen.
However, here are a few midfield options for your Overhaul teams.
EXPENSIVE (£10m+)
Eden Hazard (£11.8m)
Eden Hazard looks back to his best. Offensive returns in all of his matches so far, Man of the match in both of his starts, and an increased chance of passing bonus. The Belgian has always been a firm favourite in the Sky Sports Fantasy game due to his attractive displays. Enjoying his football under Sarri, Hazard is Chelsea’s biggest goal threat and with some great upcoming fixtures, including playing numerous times on Sunday due to the Europa League, he will be a popular captain choice going forward. No one player is a must have, but Hazard is arguably close for this Overhaul selection.
Sadio Mané (£11m)
Eclipsing last season’s stand out player, Mané has started 2018/19 on fire. Four goals in as many games have led many to believe he could be a viable alternative to Salah this season. That still remains to be seen but an argument for both players could equally be made. Those four Mané goals have come from just six shots on target, which does suggest there could be a regression soon. There are also a few hard games for Liverpool over the coming weeks which may stop people picking up Mané, but it would be a brave man to go without Liverpool offensive cover at all.
Wilfried Zaha (£10.2m)
Zaha has returned to training following the injury that kept him out of the game against Southampton. Like they often do, Crystal Palace looked rather toothless without him and he is certainly the talisman for the London club. Like Hazard with his direct and flair-filled football, Zaha attracts man of the match awards for games when Palace win or even draw. Right now he has a lovely short-term run of games, including a potential captaincy single game day. Putting Zaha in your team is never a bad idea but now might be the perfect time, with fixtures falling his way.
MID PRICE (£8.5 – £10m)
Jorginho (£9.1m)
The “pass-master” arrived at Chelsea pre-season with rumoured interest from other big clubs. Breaking the record for most passes in a Premier League game it’s easy to see his appeal for Sky Sports Fantasy. It is a shame that he’ll play second-fiddle to Hazard on penalties, but his Sky Sports Fantasy value comes from success at Tier 2 passing bonus. Those additional points come at the equivalent of an assist a game, or between 10 to 15 goals per season so it may be a no-brainer to include him in our teams. If he can start picking up tackle bonus and add the odd goal and assist he will be a gem.
Lucas Moura (£9m)
Spurs and the Premier League’s player of the month, Lucas Moura has been involved in four goals so far, including a brace at Old Trafford in Gameweek 3. He was easily man of the match in that game and after a slow start to his Spurs career last season, he has started this campaign on fire. There’s always talk of rotation with Spurs attackers but frankly, that’s the case for a lot of the division’s top six teams. It would be hard for Moura not to play in the current form he’s in and after the Liverpool game the Spurs fixtures brighten up no end.
Richarlison (£8.6m)
Still on suspension for one more match, Richarlison is still a great pick for our Overhaul teams. He started his Everton career with two goals on his debut and another on his home bow, meriting man of the match awards on both occasions. Similar to other talismanic players, he’s very quickly become a firm favourite at Goodison Park and being back under Marco Silva, where he’s played his best football. He looks destined for a big season. A nice brace and assist for Brazil over the international break only adds to his appeal.
CHEAP (under £8.5m)
Jean Michael Seri (£7.2m)
Another pass master, Seri arrived at Fulham from Nice after averaging over 80 passes per game. Whether this can continue remains to be seen, but the Cottagers have taken to the Premier League well and have kept the passing game. With passing tier 2 bonus in two games and tackles tier 2 in one, Seri is the cheap asset we’ve all longed for. Adding an assist to a wonder goal he’s picked up all the main types of points a midfielder could do. At a price that no one can moan at, I expect Seri to be one of the most popular players post-Overhaul and it’s clear to see why.
Nampalys Mendy (£5.3m)
About as cheap a midfielder as you can find. Mendy has played the last three games for Leicester and after being Puel’s captain in France he’s looking like he has eventually made it into the first XI. He hasn’t registered any real high scores of late but Mendy’s main appeal is his price. At £5.3m what he enables elsewhere is immense, but looking closer into his stats it isn’t all he could give. Two tackles and over 50 passes against Liverpool give hope for both sets of bonus, although tackling is probably the most likely.
Ryan Fraser (£8.3m)
Fraser has started the season very brightly for Bournemouth. A goal, assist and man of the match so far probably undersells his contribution and he looks like the best way into the Cherries midfield. He is a major doubt for the next Gameweek having picked up an injury with the Scottish national team but his long-term prospects still look good. Fraser has a single match day against Crystal Palace in two weeks time which is worth looking at…
FORWARDS
Strikers are where we are expecting to see most of our points rain in. Not only that, they are the default go-to options for captains and the most exciting to own as often they have the greatest ceiling for points. No one forgets the huge Aguero hauls, Kane’s five at Leicester or when Salah hit four against Watford last season.
Whether you captained them or not they were season-defining moments. Making sure you have the right strikers at the right time is a key part of the Sky game and although you can’t have everyone, planning your own rotation is often key to covering potential hauls.
EXPENSIVE (£12-£13m)
Harry Kane (£13m)
Kane has not looked like he’s at his best so far in 2018/19. With nearly 150 games in just over two years, many say Kane needs a rest. However, this should not make us discount him from a fantasy perspective as what we do know is that Kane can score goals and often lots in one game. As his back-to-back hat-tricks last season showed, not owning him can prove costly very quickly. Now with squad places and money limited he may not be top of people’s lists at present, but with easily the best run of games after the Liverpool game this week (he scored three against them last season) he may just reward those that stick with him.
Mo Salah (£12.9m)
Last season’s player of the year and top scorer Salah has divided opinion at the start of this season. Two goals and two assists is still a fair haul and he’s only blanked in one game where he did uncharacteristically miss a simple chance. There is nothing to suggest that Salah won’t be the Fantasy star he was last season and whilst retaining his huge ownership any hauls will be very detrimental if you don’t own him. A tough upcoming run may turn a few away, but he scored goals against most of the big teams last season and I would not be surprised if Salah is the top scorer in the game again this season. That’s the kind of player you need in your Overhaul squad.
Sergio Aguero (£12.8m)
Aguero has already hit one hat-trick this season and has looked in pretty hot form. With a nice rest during the international break and Pep Guardiola even plumping for two strikes on occasion, his game-time looks more secure than it has done for years and no one needs telling twice about Aguero’s quality in the box. Potentially the player with the highest point ceiling, playing for the team with arguably the highest goal potential in the league, it is a match made in heaven. With some awesome upcoming games including many where captaincy will be a no-brainer, it seems risky to go without Aguero.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£12.5m)
Aubameyang was a pre-season favourite after slotting right into the Premier League and Arsenal after a January transfer window arrival. This season has started pretty slowly for his owners though, with only the single goal to show for his efforts. That goal, however, was in his last game, a well-taken finish that may just be the kick start he needs to get his season rolling. Looking like immune to rotation, and with a lovely set of games upcoming, including a single game day against Leicester, many may be hoping that Aubameyang regains his form just in time. At 12.5m he’s quite pricey but as a player that catches the eye, he definitely has a haul in him at some point.
MID-PRICE (£10-£12m)
Alexandre Lacazette (£11.4m)
Lacazette has started the season on the bench predominantly. Finally earning a start in the final game versus Cardiff he rewarded Emery and any owners with a goal, assist and man of the match display. Even with his appearances from the bench showing he should be starting the games it will be very hard for Emery to now not retain Lacazette in his starting XI. Still rumoured to be on penalties and an obvious goal threat at over £1m cheaper than his team-mate Aubameyang, he could be the best way into that Arsenal attack. Add in the defensive frailties that Arsenal are currently showing it looks like they’ll be winning games by scoring more goals than their opposition and if he starts, Lacazette will surely contribute.
Jamie Vardy (£11.5m)
Recently completing a three-game suspension Vardy should now be refreshed and ready for a kind run of fixtures, including Bournemouth, Huddersfield, Newcastle and Everton in the next four weeks. Everyone knows what Vardy can do as his record-breaking scoring streak showed a few seasons back. On penalties, the main man at Leicester, and a fair price mean although looked at as a differential, Vardy could propel you up those rankings.
Marko Arnautovic (£10.1m)
Arnautovic is without a doubt the main goal threat at West Ham show by the fact that he’s still managed to score two goals in a fairly sticky start. The games continue to be tough for the Hammers with Chelsea, Man United and Spurs in the next five, but there is also a Friday night fixture against Brighton where it would be handy to own the Austrian. Arnautovic has shown he can be fixture-proof and could be a sneaky pick-up for a few games at least. His price will also allow an easy transfer to any premium defender or decent midfielder.
Callum Wilson (£9.7m)
Even Josh King has had to play second fiddle to Callum Wilson so far this season with the young Englishman outperforming him in almost every area. A great solo goal at West Ham was the highlight of his two goals and three assists and Wilson definitely does have hat-trick potential being one of only 10 current players that have bagged more than one. (Feel free to tweet me if you want to guess the others). Another team with a kind fixture run and a sole captaincy day coming up against Crystal Palace, Wilson could be both a good short or mid-term pick.
Glenn Murray (£9.6m)
Glenn Murray is still spearheading the Brighton attack when many thought he would have long retired. As Mark Hughes recently put it, he is part of a dying breed of strikers who have got cleverer the more they’ve played. A back to goal striker who also has a share of the penalty kick duties at Brighton as Pascal Groß is often off the pitch, Murray has already got three goals to his name this season. All of those have come at home which may be a slight concern, but with two potential captain days in the next four weeks, he could be a gamble worth taking.
CHEAP (under £10m)
Aleksandar Mitrovic (£9.1m)
Mitrovic has scored the most goals in English football since the turn of the year. He obviously loves playing for Fulham and they get the best out of the Serbian forward. With four Premier League goals already, a game away at Manchester City may not be that appealing but with Watford, Everton and Cardiff in three of the four after that and the other being a leaky Arsenal, I don’t think the goals will stop for Mitrovic. An attractive price and, like others, an easy exit if required to a premium defender, the Fulham frontman may be the third striker we’re looking for.
Danny Ings (£7.7m)
As mentioned in the pre-season articles, Danny Ings could be the bargain of the season. At 7.7m which is scandalous for a striker, he’s a starting forward who’s already bagged two goals this season. A tasty home game against Brighton in which he should be considered for captaincy is unfortunately followed by a game against Liverpool which he is ineligible for. Past that though, the ex-Burnley striker does appear to have settled quickly at St Mary’s and you probably can’t look past him for cheap goals.
Luciano Vietto (£7.3m)
Vietto is even cheaper than Ings and looks like the cheapest eligible striker in the game. Two assists already this season, both in the game against Burnley may have rewarded him with a slot in the Fulham first XI. No shots on target is worrying but if he’s going to keep supplying balls to Mitrovic and getting assists it may not matter. Not much is known about him but being on Atletico Madrid’s books they must have seen something so even if he’s too risky to pick from the off he’s one to keep an eye on certainly.
Like the goalkeepers and defenders, we discussed all this and much more in the latest Sky Fantasy Football Podcast which can be found here and this week starred FFS’s own Joe and former champion Dan Cox.
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