After missing a week, the Fantasy Preview is back with a bang to share my tips on who is hot to pick up and who is should be dropped. TEB takes no responsibility for loss of points should any of these suggestions are used!
13
Buy: Sergio Aguero – Forward, Manchester City, 13.1
While Aguero may miss one or two weeks, he is still the best striker in the Premier League. I am starting to have doubts in his price to performance ratio, but the last time I did he scored five goals! If he does get the start he has the pace to get by a stout, but slow Stoke City defence.
10
Buy: Eden Hazard – Midfielder, Chelsea, 10.9
With his price below 11.0 and Chelsea starting to turn things around now is the time to buy back into the Chelsea talisman. While the players around him have struggled, Hazard still sits second among active players in chances created (39) and fourth in successful take ons. Chelsea’s next three matches are all against bottom ten defenses (Bournemouth, Leicester City, Sunderland) so the odds are good for Hazard to get back on the score sheet.
Sell: Diego Costa – Forward, Chelsea, 10.8
As funny as the bib-throwing was, it probably did not put him back in Jose Mourinho’s good graces. Even if he does get the start, there is no evidence that Costa will perform well as he sits just twenty-first in shots on target (9) among strikers and has only scored on three of his twenty-three total shots this season. The cost of 10.8 is just too expensive for a striker who is out of form and is not even locked on for a starting spot.
9
Buy: David Silva – Midfielder, Manchester City, 9.9
The Spaniard started for Manchester City on Tuesday and looked to already be in terrific form. He should be in line to get the start on Saturday and despite only starting five matches is still tied for third in assists (6). While it is largely unwise to chase assists, Silva notches them at a rate of about one in two matches in his time at Manchester City so it is less like chasing and more like getting.
Sell: N/A
8
Buy: Christian Eriksen – Midfielder, Tottenham Hotspur, 8.4
Eriksen sits top ten in both assists (6) and chances created (34) despite getting off to a slow start due to injury and Harry Kane’s early struggles. November was a tough spell for Tottenham as they faced three London rivals, but now they are schedule lightens significantly as they will face just three top ten attacks before February.
Sell: Santi Cazorla – Midfielder, Arsenal, 8.0
It looks as though he may be on the shelf for a while, but even if he was not Cazorla has been disappointing from a fantasy perspective. He has finished with more than three points just 3three times and has yet to score more than eight. With how solid their defense has been, Cazorla is not even a top five fantasy option at his own club so why should he make top five in your midfield?
7
Buy: Ross Barkley – Midfielder, Everton, 7.2
I will start off by admitting I am not much of a Barkley fan. That having been said, he has been excellent amassing thirty-two points in just the last two weeks alone! While both of those performances were against bottom five defenses, Everton’s upcoming schedule is still favourable with Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Leicester City, Newcastle United, and Stoke City to play.
Sell: Gylfi Sigurdsson – Midfielder, Swansea City, 7.1
I waited this long, assuming that he would turn it back around at some point, but he looks a shadow of his former self. He is tied for fourth in assists … at Swansea City with just one and is creating chances at less than half the rate he was last season. I am not sure what it will take for him to turn things around, but there is no point in rostering him until he does.
6
Buy: Yannick Bolasie – Midfielder, Crystal Palace, 6.1
Bolasie looked great against Newcastle United in MW14 with two or more goals, shots on target, chances created, successful crosses, and take ons! He seems to be growing into the season and with Wickham drawing more of the defensive pressure, he will likely have more space and time to create and take better chances. Palace do have three consecutive tough matchups (Everton, Southampton, and Stoke City) but, given his form, you can still start Bolasie with confidence.
Sell: Yohan Cabaye – Midfielder, Crystal Palace, 6.7
In contrast to Bolasie, Cabaye’s fantasy relevance has steadily decreased this season. He now has five straight two point games, and ten games at two points or lower on the season which is unfortunately not enough to warrant his 6.7 pricetag. He may score the odd penalty, but short of that is not ownable for me at the moment.
5
Buy: Manuel Lanzini – Midfielder, West Ham United, 5.1
Lanzini has done an excellent job at West Ham United of late averaging six points a match since Dimitri Payet’s untimely injury. The upcoming fixtures are not particularly kind (Manchester United at the weekend) but getting him at 5.1 will look a steal come January.
Sit: Craig Dawson, West Bromwich Albion, 5.1
While I like Dawson and the Albion defense as a whole, I do not see him being able to keep a clean sheet against a very good Tottenham attack this week. I would not recommend selling him as West Brom have an excellent chance at clean sheets in match weeks seventeen through to twenty.
4
Buy: Christian Fuchs – Defender, Leicester City, 4.7
He has notched eleven points since the last time I told you to sign him, and his price has somehow stayed the same since! Leicester have a bunch of tough matchups coming up, but Fuchs is the perfect fourth defender who you can stash now and sit during tougher matchups.
Sell: Jack Butland – Goalkeeper, Stoke City, 4.8
Butland currently sits first in points among keepers, but he will face six straight top ten attacking sides from now until the New Year. I am switching to Courtois who will likely be back at the weekend, has good matchups, and is an absolute steal at 5.2.
TEB Fantasy Football League Table after MW14 (top 25 from 257)
| # | Team | Manager | GW | TOT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1 | fifty-fifty | Ramchandra Ram | 70 | 823 |
|
2 | Cabaye-Bye-Bye | Matthew Freeman | 54 | 795 |
|
3 | E Pluribus Anus | Rory Jackson | 69 | 794 |
|
4 | Money Cabaye Success | Matt Jones | 75 | 793 |
 |
5 | Chelsea Dagger | David Gilbert | 75 | 775 |
|
6 | khabarmantra | Asif Naim | 66 | 768 |
|
7 | Best Weston | Asher Weston | 72 | 765 |
 |
8 | Oxted Eagles | Julian Chenery | 48 | 760 |
|
9 | Reds in my Bed | Graham Matthews | 71 | 760 |
|
10 | Fortress Selhurst | Shane Sayed | 65 | 758 |
|
11 | Chamakh My Bitch Up | Ryan Grant | 59 | 756 |
|
12 | npl XI | david champion | 73 | 753 |
|
13 | Enduring Eagles | Simon King | 52 | 752 |
|
14 | Crystal Phallus FC | Simon Dixon | 60 | 752 |
|
15 | Dynamo Dan Dan | Daniel Bright | 55 | 751 |
|
16 | Irish eagles | tony quinn | 65 | 750 |
|
17 | Tea and Busquets | Lewis Carter | 50 | 748 |
|
18 | Cabaye’ my lover.. | Greg Ross | 72 | 748 |
|
19 | SexDrugs&CarltonCole | Chris Hopkins | 76 | 745 |
|
20 | Eglwysbach FC | Joe Roberts | 65 | 742 |
|
21 | The Eagle has landed | gary ward | 54 | 741 |
|
22 | Hung like a Bony | Andrew Tunstell | 82 | 740 |
|
23 | crystanbul | Edmund Brack | 57 | 740 |
|
24 | HXB | Joe Lipski | 50 | 738 |
|
25 | Mané Kurian FC | James Kearney | 75 | 736 |
