Ah, the post Gameweek 1 blues. You signed the newest hot prospect to arrive from La Liga and he flattered to deceive, your captain struggled to get a shot on goal while those who were in your team “right up to last Friday night, I swear” before you took them out, went and scored a flurry of points.
There’s only one reaction that will save your team right now, and it’s to chill out.
Lest we forget, Gameweek 1 is just like any ordinary Gameweek; it is not a precedent. If Diego Costa scored in three consecutive games mid-season and then blanked for one game, would you sell him? No, you wouldn’t, because that would be ridiculous and a big middle finger to the laws of probability.
However, if he failed to bag returns in two consecutive games, would you then sell? Well, you’d certainly have more of a case considering you would then possess double the amount of data to at least feel comfortable in making a logical decision.
This is why banking your first free transfer of the season is a sensible tactic. Unless you own players that need to be shipped out due to a lack of game time, avoiding making a transfer in the wake of Gameweek 1 allows us to avoid rash purchases of ‘one week wonders,’ while also providing double ammunition to make a move for the players who, after two weeks, have shown themselves to definitely be the early-season form players.
Many of us plumped for the likes of Theo Walcott, Raheem Sterling and Eden Hazard in our teams heading into the first week. Other than Swansea’s Ki, who has emerged as an injury doubt, those three players now lead the ‘Transfers Out’ column for midfielders this week.
This, quite frankly, is baffling.
Almost 50,000 managers (in each case) have simply parked their pre-season plans. They’ve conceded they were wrong all along; that the gods of football have conspired against their teams to ensure that three of the most-hyped midfielders coming into the season would all be doomed to fail.
Swapping Theo Walcott for Riyad Mahrez is trendier than Dublin’s rooftop bars during a heatwave, it seems. But maybe they’re all right? Maybe our parents lied to us and Marc Albrighton was better than Raheem Sterling all along?
Whatever the reality is, I’ll wait to see Albrighton smash Sterling’s total again this week, before I make that move. Bandwagoner, I know.
Leicester City's Marc Albrighton celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal during the Barclays Premier League match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester. Picture by: Paul Harding / PA Wire/Press Association Images
Gameweek 2
You need to keep an eye on three things:
1. The deadline is 6.45pm tonight. Yes, Friday!
2. West Ham
3. Swansea
Swansea are at home to Newcastle, West Ham are at home to Leicester. Both teams scored twice last weekend and both of their opponents conceded twice last weekend.
There’s goals to be had here, with four main targets worth consideration.
In midfield, West Ham’s Dimitri Payet at 7.5 looks set to record some big numbers. His assist at the Emirates last week was just desserts for an excellent showing and his numbers could soar in front of the home fans this week.
For Swansea, Andre Ayew is 0.5 cheaper and had an even better Gameweek 1, notching a goal at the Bridge to rack up a haul of 10 points.
However, Bafetimbi Gomis could prove to be the best route into the Swansea attack. He’s the same price as Ayew, but a forward – a position which appears to be short on heavy-hitters for the time being. His penalty duties make him a tantalising prospect, too.
If you can’t quite afford Gomis, Diafra Sakho over at Upton Park is valued at 6.5 and could just be the man to turn home a Payet cross this week. Sakho was a constant menace at Arsenal last week and has slipped nicely under the radar after failing to record any fantasy returns. You would expect more chances to fall his way this time to provide the perfect platform for him to open his account.
Out of those four, Gomis leads the way. He’s real captain material this week.
Liverpool’s tie at home to Bournemouth on Monday should also provide fantasy managers with something to sit up and take notice of.
While it’s still unclear where Liverpool’s attacking points will come from this season, Christian Benteke (8.5) is someone worth serious consideration for the captain’s armband if he’s in your team. Meanwhile, Joe Gomez (4.6) has already risen in price, such is the interest in the defender.
On a final note, for those looking off the beaten path, keep an eye on Miguel Layun (4.5) of Watford and Swansea’s Jefferson Montero (6.0). Neither player has reached 1% ownership yet but both posed considerable attacking threat last weekend.
Layun, in particular, could prove to be a real gem. He’s classified as a defender but playing as an attacking midfielder. It may all be too good to be true, though, as his current position in the starting 11 is far from stable. We’ll keep dreaming, though.
You can hear Eoin Sheahan every week on Team 33 give his opinions on the world of Fantasy Football
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