The week in Fantasy Premier League: Heaton the hero, defenders as midfielders, and the game’s most unlikely differential
There are matches that can define an entire Fantasy Premier League season, and we certainly saw one last week.
Sure, Harry Kane scored a hat-trick, but then points from his Tottenham teammates and other big-name players dampened its impact.
It was 8.4% selected , making a mockery of injury rumours with two goals in an eye-watering 21-point return, who changed everything.
Scores of 90 or even 100+ saw his owners rocket up the rankings, leaving rivals in their wake.
Today was in golf terms a "moving day"; a chance for FPL teams to right 3-4 gws of wrongss in one go.I didn't take the chance, hope you did!
— FPL Stag (@FPLStag) January 14, 2017
Soon the FPL community was neatly divided between those who owned the Spaniard ...
Alonso!!! You absolute GOD!!! #fpl
— Az (@fplblackbox_az) January 14, 2017
… and those who didn’t
Have a guess who took out Marcos Alonso and Kane this week 😭💔 #FPL
— S2 (@StuartBadKnee) January 14, 2017
Ode to Tom Heaton
Before we go any further, it’s high time we pay tribute to a real FPL hero this season - the one and only .
A little message for you #FPL bosses out there from @BurnleyOfficial's Fantasy star, @TomHeatonGK... pic.twitter.com/WIipJ9bbSS
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 13, 2017
Last week’s 10-point haul against Southampton put him just a point behind top-scoring keeper - who costs a whole £1m more.
His 88 saves this season has helped produce a massive 16 bonus points - more than any FPL defender.
Non-owners have been cursing his name - and you can’t pay a player a higher compliment than that!
Heaton kills my rank week after week after week.
— GadFly* 🔻 (@FPL_Fly) January 14, 2017
Burnley’s home form has been impressive (if they only played at Turf Moor, they’d be third in the table right now), with Heaton keeping four clean sheets at home, compared to one away.
The fact that the Clarets now face six away fixtures in the next eight has caused some concern, but if you look at Heaton’s scoring, he hasn’t relied on that home form for returns as much as you might think. His average points at home is 4.8 per game, compared to 4.6 away.
Even with Burnley’s away form as poor as it is, trips to the likes of Watford, Hull and Swansea could hardly be more favourable.
The rise and fall (and rise?) of Sergio Aguero
Pssst - I have a great differential tip for you! He’s got pretty low ownership and has proven potential for explosive returns. There’s just one tiny catch - he costs £12.8m.
The post-Everton gloom encircling Man City has put , for years the very epitome of an “essential” FPL player, in some very unfamiliar territory indeed.
SCOUT: Frustration for the 1,200 #FPL managers who made Aguero Triple Captain. He’s scored just 1 goal in his last 4 matches after #EVEMCI pic.twitter.com/wyRZrFoVQA
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 15, 2017
Don't let that 21.8% ownership fool you - when the 'ghost ship' teams are removed, that plunges to 13.1%.
Before his suspension, Aguero was one of the top-three captain choices in every single Gameweek he was available to play in (yes, I checked).
The fact that he was captained by a mere 9.2% of managers last week is some fall from grace. To put that in perspective, he was captained by 9.6% of teams in GW 15.
But before we start writing his FPL obituary, the fact that he is still owned by almost a quarter (22.4%) of the current top 1,000 teams should give us pause for thought.
Could it be a mistake to dismiss a player of such pedigree outright, especially in a season as erratic as this one? Remember what happened when he was sold en masse before he faced West Brom in GW 10?
He hasn’t become a bad player overnight, but then neither did Hazard and Costa when they ruined many a loyal FPL manager’s season last year.
Faithful owners will be looking to Man City's GW23 trip to West Ham and particularly the visit of an abject Swansea side just four days later.
Costa being dropped ideal opportunity to get Aguero back in before this great run of fixtures from GW23 onwards #fpl #kun pic.twitter.com/C6bB5TzJgL
— FPL guide (@StatsFPL) January 13, 2017
If the Argentine fails to return points - big points - by then, even his appeal as the most expensive differential in FPL history will surely be over.
The Everton resurgence
It wasn’t so long ago that three defeats on the trot made Everton a no-go area for fantasy managers. Now, all of a sudden, every player in the team is being touted as an option!
Prospects like and , along with outright trolls like and are seeing their ownership rise.
Pump or dump? The truth, as in so many areas of this most fickle of FPL seasons, lies somewhere in between.
None of the above players offer enough consistency in terms of starts and/or returns right now to elevate them above ‘punt’ status - but there’s plenty of appeal in the Everton defence.
Since goalkeeper replaced fit-again , the Toffees have kept three clean sheets in four, including that confidence-boosting drubbing of Man City. With new signing Morgan Schneiderlin set for patrol duty in front of the back three, expect that trend to continue.
Everton's next 5 fixtures:
— Everton Blue Army (@EvertonBlueArmy) January 15, 2017
Crystal Palace (A)
Stoke City (A)
Bournemouth (H)
Middlesbrough (A)
Sunderland (H)
Winnable games, blues? pic.twitter.com/lTX7CjNsfQ
There’s something for everyone too. Consistency of starts makes a reliable, if somewhat dull, choice. could be outstanding value, if he can keep his place.
For me, the outstanding choice here is , who I talked about on my guest appearance on the Irish Examiner Football Show recently.
Just be warned - he’s carrying a niggle…
Leighton Baines "is struggling" with a slight rib injury. Koeman says "he should be okay for the weekend." #EFC
— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) January 19, 2017
Elsewhere, it’s getting hard to ignore . As long as this recent scoring run isn’t just a prelude to becoming his villainous ‘Blankaku’ alter-ego again, he’s a great pick.
Defenders are the new midfielders
Everton defenders aren’t the only ones catching the eye of fantasy managers of late.
The poverty of clean sheets early in the season had us dismissing them as indulgent expenses, but top FPL managers appear to be adapting their mindset as the season changes.
FPL squads are now spending over a quarter (25.5%) of the budget on defenders - just over £5m per player on average.
The fashion for wing-backs in teams like Chelsea, Tottenham, Everton, West Ham, Middlesbrough and Watford has turned fringe centre-backs into first-team starters, and provided FPL managers with attacking defenders who are basically playing as wingers.
The promise of consistent clean sheets and impressive attacking returns from the aforementioned , as well as Spurs pair and have made them FPL gold.
5 - Kyle Walker has provided more assists in the Premier League this season than any other defender. Roam.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 17, 2017
If you’re not too bothered about clean sheets and are just looking to amaze your friends with a cheap, unlikely goalscorer, tops the table for attempts on target for a defender in the last six gameweeks - maybe one might find the net soon.
For those who prefer a good bread-and-butter defender, look no further than boring Boro, who have kept three clean sheets in the last five. With three bonus points in the last two matches, is a solid pick here.
Ben Gibson and Calum Chambers has to be the most underrated defensive partnership in the league so far.
— S. (@s_afcsport0304) January 19, 2017
QUICK TIP
Keep an eye on the situation in the League and FA cups. Some teams will be facing blank gameweeks soon, so avoid having three outfield players from these teams in your squad.
If the bookies' favourites (the Top 6 plus Leicester & Boro) all reach the FA Cup Quarter Finals, we'll get 7 Blanks in Gameweek 28.
— Ben Crellin (@BenCrellin) January 18, 2017
BUY
The cautious shift to 3-5-2 continues, and has been a popular choice for the early adopters.
SCOUT: Stanislas on pens in the absence of Callum Wilson - 4 goals & 6 assists in 10 GW starts now - 89,156 brought him in ahead of #HULBOU pic.twitter.com/SBuYY5r8lE
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) January 14, 2017
His tendency to get subbed off is a concern, but five shots on target in the last three Gameweeks puts him alongside and - and home ties against Watford and Palace will hold little fear for The Cherries.
TRY
A favourite at the start of the season, it may be time to welcome back into the fold.
Just 3.1% owned, he’s fired four shots since GW 19 - just one less than Alonso. He’s a little under-the-radar after missing out on the clean sheet points against Leicester by just three minutes. Ouch.
GOODBYE
It breaks my heart, but with just one productive gameweek in the last six, and a tough run of fixtures ahead, there’s just not much to recommend anymore.
