Our weekly assessment of the goings-on in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game is rolled out this afternoon. As always, we take a look at the top five in the Scout League and analyse the hectic transfer activity, as Fantasy managers start piling up on double Gameweek options ahead of Saturday morning’s deadline:
We’ve a new entry at the top of the Scout League as world number one and last week’s Podcast participant Julian Zipparo makes his debut. Julian – who has been top of the Members league for some time now – produced 40 points in the Gameweek gone by, thanks mainly to Rickie Lambert, Michu, Glen Johnson and Leighton Baines, with captain Luis Suarez failing to produce. Julian is now up to 2,070 points overall and currently has five players with a double Gameweek 33 in his squad, though has already made a transfer.
Sitting in second spot is Kelvin Travers, after also picking up 40 points last weekend. He, too, had Lambert, Michu and Baines to thank, while Michael Turner chipped in with a goal in Norwich’s draw against Swansea. Captain choice Juan Mata failed to deliver, though, as Kelvin moved to 2,061 points, second in the overall rankings. He also has five double Gameweek players in his squad and has made one trade so far.
Sanjeev Karki in a non-mover in third spot – bizarrely, he also collected 40 points in Gameweek 32. Michu, Loic Remy, David Luiz and Jose Enrique were his main protagonists, though Moussa Sissoko failed with the armband at home to Fulham. Sanjeev is up to fourth overall on 2,046 points – he currently holds three double Gameweek players but has also made a transfer.
MP moves up to fourth in the Scout League courtesy of a 48 point haul. Johnson, Luiz, Michu, Lambert and Christian Benteke were his chief protagonists as the weight of the armband proved too much for Eden Hazard. MP is up to fifth overall on 2,041 but crucially, he has activated his wildcard ahead of the double Gameweek.
Finally, Paul O Gorman slips to fifth after a score of 33 points. Baines, Michu and Lambert were the ones to produce as Suarez stumbled with the armband at home to West Ham. Paul is seventh overall on 2,039 points and has four players with a double Gameweek 33, though has already made a transfer.
With our featured five all in the overall top seven, Fantasy Football Scout have tightened our grip at the top of the best leagues. We are 13.4 points ahead of our nearest challenger, the FFS Members league, where Julian Zipparo and MP are joined by Evs, Dan Jones and Jimmy Smith in the top five.
For contributors, Chris Atkinson remains at the summit in spite of a 27 point return last time out – he sits in 760th spot overall on 1,925 points.
Market Trends
No surprise to learn the main transfer targets are double Gameweek options ahead of Saturday morning’s deadline. Back from a two-game suspension, Marouane Fellaini leads the way – over 89,000 have snapped up the Everton midfielder, while Santi Cazorla is next in line with over 66,000 new owners. Midfields continue to be restructured, with Gervinho (33,000) the third most popular option while Kevin Nolan and Steven Pienaar have both earned 11,000 transfers in – the same number as Juan Mata, despite Chelsea playing just the once.
Up top, Dimitar Berbatov is head and shoulders above any other forward; five goals in his last five have seen around 39,000 acquire Fulham’s in-form Bulgarian. Olivier Giroud (18,000) and Robin Van Persie (14,000) have proven popular, though Wayne Rooney has been snapped up by just over 9,000 Fantasy managers – less than the likes of single Gameweek players such as Christian Benteke, Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez.
At the back, Leighton Baines has persuaded over 23,000 to invest, while 21,000+ have been lured in by Bacary Sagna’s cut-price appeal. United’s David De Gea has been acquired by over 18,000, while Joey O’Brien (15,000) is just ahead of Phil Jagielka, Nacho Monreal, Rafael and Patrice Evra, who have all been snapped up by around 13,000 managers apiece.
For transfers out, Gareth Bale has shed over 108,000 owners in light of his recent ankle injury, while Michu’s blank Gameweek means he’s next in line; 40,000+ have moved on the Spaniard. Moussa Sissoko has also proven unpopular, with 21,000 getting rid of the Newcastle man ahead of a home game with Sunderland and while Aaron Lennon’s 18,000+ transfers out are understandable due to injury and a blank, Theo Walcott has been sold on by a similar amount ahead of Arsenal’s double. With Arsene Wenger revealing he is “90%” available for the weekend, this could be a costly mistake if he’s back in the fold.
With a blank Gameweek this time round, Romelu Lukaku has earned more transfers out than any frontman – 22,000 have moved the West Brom man on. Luis Suarez is surprisingly next in line, with 20,000+ owners shipping out the Liverpool forward ahead of a trip to basement-dwellers Reading. Demba Ba and Daniel Sturridge have also shed plenty owners due to concerns over game time, though the decision to transfer out Rickie Lambert by 13,000+ seems a strange one, given his form and fixtures to follow.
At the back, Per Mertesacker’s one-match ban has persuaded almost 32,000 managers to get rid, though the German will surely return for Arsenal’s second match of the double in order to combat the aerial threat of Marouane Fellaini. A blank for Swansea has seen 19,000 sell off Ben Davies, while the injured Ashley Cole and Stoke pair Asmir Begovic and Ryan Shawcross have also proven particularly unpopular, with the Potters set to host United this weekend on the back of one clean sheet in 14 matches.
