Five-time top 1k finisher Tom Freeman hosts our weekly Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Q&A, answering your burning questions.
Q: Is Igor Thiago (£8.0m) still a viable option for his price?
Via Dutchy FPL
A: It was one of those days for Igor Thiago against Tottenham Hotspur last week.
He struck the post from the penalty spot, poked a near-post attempt wide and headed against the crossbar, although to be fair, that opportunity was offside anyway.
Still, I’d stay patient with him.
Leeds United will be a tough test in Gameweek 2, but a home encounter with Sunderland follows.
After that, it’s Bournemouth and Chelsea.
However, as one of the best counter-attack teams in the division, I think Brentford attackers have the potential to deliver even in more difficult fixtures.
Thiago, who was rested for the first hour, also netted in the midweek EFL Cup thrashing of Birmingham City, so I would definitely hold for the next few matches, even at £8.0m.
Q: Is it already time to offload our toothless Manchester United options for Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City or even Tottenham Hotspur assets?
Via PartyTime
A: The Gameweek 2 fixture for Manchester United makes it very hard to sell Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) and co.
While they were really poor at Hull City last week, there was a reason why we started with these players in our initial squads, which included the home match with fellow new boys Ipswich Town.
In fact, I still think Fernandes is the best captaincy pick for Gameweek 2.
Crucially, United are back on home turf, where the Portuguese playmaker supplied eight double-digit hauls in 17 matches last season, blanking only three times.
Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) meanwhile could easily have scored twice at Hull.
With Leif Davis (£4.0m) pushing forward, Sunderland got most of their joy down his side of the pitch last week, which provides encouragement for Mbeumo owners.
Above: Ipswich’s shots conceded map (shots on target in green) v Sunderland in Gameweek 1
Therefore, I think you should keep your Man Utd players one more week, then reassess ahead of the potentially tricky fixture away at Everton.
Q: What is your take on Cole Palmer (£9.5m) v Morgan Rogers (£7.5m)?
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A: Certainly from an attacking perspective, I thought Chelsea’s performance against Fulham earlier this week was really impressive.
Thriving centrally in a 3-4-2-1, both Cole Palmer (£9.5m) and Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) got on the scoresheet, with Palmer also supplying an assist.
Between them they recorded eight shots and eight chances created:
I need to see more, but my initial instinct is that Palmer will be worth the extra outlay, particularly with the freedom to roam under Xabi Alonso.
“He [Alonso] just said I’d have more freedom to drift about the pitch. Just like you saw [against Fulham] with the goal I scored. Last season, I wouldn’t have even made that run because it’s not a ‘safe zone’. But he’s saying move across that zone, drop into play, come get on the ball, create and just do what you do.” – Cole Palmer, via Sky Sports
Rogers created more chances than any other player in Gameweek 1, with all five coming from open play.
His ability to arrive in the box at the right time will lead to further goals, too, I just think Palmer will have the edge, given his importance to the team and multiple routes to points, including penalties of course.
Q: Play Mamadou Sangare (£5.5m) or Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£6.0m) in Gameweek 2?
Q: Bench one of Harry Maguire (£5.0m), Jack Hinshelwood (£6.0m) or Nico O’Reilly (£6.5m)?
Via Overtinker and JBG
A: Leeds United v Brentford is a really hard match to judge this week.
Since early December, Elland Road has become a bit of a fortress for Leeds, with only three defeats in 13 Premier League matches. Two of those losses were against Arsenal and Manchester City.
But Brentford have made a flying start to the new season, with nine goals scored against Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City in the EFL Cup.
I think this is the type of match in which Sangare could bank defensive contribution (DefCon) points, given that many duels are likely to be contested in the middle of the park. However, if he’s subbed off around the 75-minute mark again, that naturally becomes a bit more difficult. I personally think attacking returns are less likely for him this week.
As for Calvert-Lewin, Brentford usually defend their penalty box well, whether from set-pieces or open-play crosses. However, I always find it difficult to bench a penalty taker on home turf.
I’d subsequently start Calvert-Lewin over Sangare this week, although it is admittedly close.
For the second question, I think I’d bench Jack Hinshelwood, especially with Thursday’s Conference League play-off second leg finely poised.
Benching O’Reilly doesn’t feel right to me. Even if he’s shifted to left-back, he’ll still push forward into advanced areas.
Hinshelwood v Maguire is admittedly closer, but I’d still favour the latter on home turf.
Q: Kindly rank these players in order of priority – Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m), Jack Hinshelwood, Marcus Tavernier (£6.0m) and Pascal Gross (£5.5m).
Via PartyTime
A: I own Iliman Ndiaye, but given the recent links to Manchester City, there is sufficient uncertainty to swerve him for now.
If Ndiaye moves to City, he could go straight into the starting XI, especially with Jeremy Doku (£7.5m) injured.
It’s unlikely he will become a better Fantasy asset, with reduced minutes and no penalties, although I wouldn’t rush to sell him either.
From the others, I’d put the Brighton midfielders slightly ahead of Tavernier, just because I prefer the next few fixtures.
Hinshelwood’s ability to crash the box carries appeal, but I still wouldn’t be surprised if Gross outscores him, given his multiple routes to points.
Last week, seven goals were scored from non-penalty set-piece situations, which is a timely reminder of the importance of free-kick/corner takers in FPL.
Gross is also in the mix to take penalties at Brighton, so I’d opt for him, especially as he’s cheaper.
