It is crazy to think that we are heading into the sixth week of the Premier League season and so much has happened already. Without further ado, here are my tips for your teams ahead of this weekends round of fixtures.
BUY
Sergio Aguero – Forward, Manchester City, 13.0
After a few weeks on the fantasy sidelines, Aguero is finally back in the fold! He had the most fantasy points among forwards before his suspension and now will be joining a Manchester City attack that has scored six goals in their two matches without him. This week they face Swansea City who are definitely struggling, conceding almost two goals per match and allowing the most shots inside the box in the Premier League.
Kevin Mirallas – Midfielder, Everton, 6.6
Mirallas is the surprising answer to “which Everton midfielder has the most points this season?” He has finally locked down a starting spot for himself and his very low ownership rate (4.6%) makes him a very interesting differential play in what is currently a top five attack in the Premier League. The matchup against Bournemouth is a very kind one as they currently sit bottom five in attack and defence.
Roberto Pereyra – Midfielder, Watford, 6.0
Sure I could finally admit to being wrong on Capoue, but if I did he’d go off the boil just so I could be wrong about that. Instead let’s focus on his brilliant creative teammate! Pereyra has a goal or assist in every match he’s played since joining Watford and is below 1% owned. Oh, fun bonus fact, Watford will not face a top ten attack in their next five matches.
Robert Snodgrass – Midfielder, Hull, 5.7
Owning set-piece takers is always wise and Snodgrass has been excellent thus far for Hull. He is averaging 2.6 shots and 4.6 crosses per game which, paired with his three goals, makes him look a very interesting fantasy option going forward. Further helping his cause is the fact that Hull will only come up against one top ten defence in their next five matches.
Daryl Janmaat – Defender, Watford, 5.0
The Dutchman was a fantastic fantasy option for most of his time with Newcastle, and he’s already off to a quick start with an assist against Manchester United. The sledding should get much easier for Watford as they face no top ten attacks in their next five matches. He is currently recovering from a shoulder injury so make sure he’s available for selection before bringing him in.
SELL
Kelechi Iheanacho – Forward, Manchester City, 7.1
“Nacho” was terrific in this Manchester City attack during Aguero’s suspension and is undoubtedly clinical with more goals (10) than Premier League starts (9). When Aguero misses game times Iheanacho is a must start, but for now it’s time to put him back on the shelf.
Eden Hazard – Midfielder, Chelsea, 10.0
Hazard failed a lot of owners who used him as an Aguero surrogate and that frustration is evident when you see that he has seen his price drop three times since MW5. It’s possible I’ll get immediately burned by this call, but I couldn’t afford another week without production from a player priced at 10+.
Jamie Vardy – Forward, Leicester City, 9.9
I have a lot of concerns about Vardy and, unfortunately, a lot is far too many at this price point. There’s chance of regression, Champions League rotation, and losing minutes and/or starts to Islam Slimani who already scored twice in his Premier League debut. Souring me even more is Leicester’s upcoming fixtures in which they face five consecutive top ten defences.
Harry Kane – Forward, Tottenham Hotspur, 10.9
Unfortunately he will be out for an indeterminate amount of time, thought to be over six weeks, with ankle ligament damage. If you own Kane it shouldn’t be too difficult to swap him in for Aguero.
Scott Dann – Defender, Crystal Palace, 5.5
I have a lot of love for Scott Dann, but a lot of negativity is conspiring to hurt Dann’s fantasy value. He hasn’t kept a clean sheet in four straight matches, and faces three of the top ten attacks in the next five matches.
