Moving Up - Game week 14

I’m back again this week after a short break. Once again, I bring you the three differential attacking punts to consider  for the forthcoming Gameweek.  They all have great potential to score well this week and will hopefully be able to catapult you up the overall rankings. All Fantasy Premier League ownership and price figures were accurate as of December 1.

Danny Ings

Burnley - FWD - 5.7m - 1.4% Ownership

Danny Ings has finally found his feet in the premier league and has been excellent of late. The England U21 international was the Championship’s player of the year last season(22 goals last season!), and has seemed to have fulfilled the expectations many had of him. The forward has gone relatively unnoticed by the FFS and FPL community in general but the Englishman has scored 4 goals in the last 5 games for Burnley and has been one of the most threatening forwards in the last few weeks. Ings has had several impressive stats over the last 4 game weeks - you can check these out at FantasyFootballScout.co.uk or Allthingsfpl.com for FREE!The Claret forward has finally found his stride in the premier league and looks a top option for this week's clash against Newcastle at home.

Kevin Mirallas

Everton - MID - 7.2m - 2.2% Ownership

A certain belgian has come back from injury with a bang for Everton - he’s scored 2 goals and picked up an assist in the last 3 games he’s played since his return. That’s it, you’ve guessed it - Kevin Mirallas! The midfielder was a popular midfield pick early in the season when he scored 2 consecutive goals, his injury cut him off our fantasy radars and now he’s back. The former Olympiacos forward scored a fantastic goal against Tottenham this week and has been in excellent form after recovering from a hamstring injury. This week Everton face a dire Hull side who have conceded 7 goals in the last 4 games, they’ve been very poor of late and their defensive form is perfect for the speedy Mirallas to exploit. Kev Mirallas will be buoyed by his manager’s confidence in him - Martinez believing Mirallas is the “unique” player that will boost them to a top 4 finish - and will try to continue his goalscoring run in the opportune fixture against Hull at Goodison Park.

Radamel Falcao

Manchester United - FWD - 10.5m - 2.2% Ownership

Radamel Falcao finishes the list and is my man united attacking pick for their game against Stoke. I have opted for the Colombian over the in-form Rooney and Robin Van Persie after taking a look at his stats. The former Atletico Madrid forward had some impressive numbers in game week 13 - those that compared very favourably to Van Persie's and Rooney's. You can check them out at FantasyFootballScout.co.uk or Allthingsfpl.com  for FREE! With Di Maria picking up an injury against Hull, he looks set to be reinstated to the starting line up against Stoke at Old Trafford. In game week 12, he very promising as an attacking punt up front, and an excellent alternative to the popular Rooney.

Moving Up - Game week 12

Back again with a duo for game week 12. Excuse the scrappy nature of the article - been really busy this week! 

This will be an weekly article that entails the top differentials for the week. Specific game week punts to move you up the ranks, if you’re willing to take the jump. Here's my set of punts for Game week 12

Jonathan Walters - STK - Mid - 5.2m

Jonathan Walters cemented himself as one of the FPL Infamous with his antics last season. In a single match, the Stoke forward/midfielder managed to score twice(!) - unfortunately, both times he put the ball into his own net. To top the worst performance off his life, Walters managed to blaze a penalty over the bar in the same match against Chelsea. A moment that will definitely be cherished by the many LOL@-ers on Fantasy Football Advice sites, and one to forget for all Walters owners last year, the Ireland international has been shunned as an FPL prospect since then. 

Although, it now seems that Walters is reestablishing himself as an FPL option the last few weeks. In the past 4 game weeks, Walters has scored twice and picked up an assist along the way, also earning 2 bonus points in total for those performances. He’s been in pretty good form and over the last few weeks he’s earned a spot on the right of Stoke’s attacking midfield. Walters has also some decent stats that you can check out at FantasyFootballScout or for FREE at AllThingsFPL

This week, Stoke face a leaky Burnley defence at the Brittania. Burnley have now conceded 19 goals this season, the 3rd highest in the league. Given Walters form and the excellent fixture, this game week is a terrific opportunity for him to repay his owners who make up 0.2% of the total FPL players. 

Samuel Eto’o - EVE - FWD - 5.6m 

Samuel Eto’o regained a spot in Everton’s starting 11 in game week 1, and repaid Martinez’s faith with a fantastic performance against Burnley - the Cameroon international nothced twice and picked up 3 bonus points. Since then, Eto’o has seemingly cemented a spot in their starting 11. Fielded up front instead of Lukaku, or behind/to the wide of Lukaku if Martinez chooses to play the Belgian too - it looks like Eto’o is fairly nailed on for the short run. Over the last 4 weeks, Eto’o has had the most shots on target(9) amongst the Everton bunch. With a price tag of 5.6m the Cameroonian looks very enticing to replace an injured Sakho or a sour-fixture-Berahino. 

In game week 12, Everton face West ham at home. It might not be that easy a fixture, but West ham haven’t exactly been the tightest, showing they can concede goals - especially away from home. The Hammers have conceded more goals away than at Upton Park this season, and their latest away game ended in a 2-2 draw with them conceding 2 goals to Stoke. This week they face a fantastic Everton attack which has scored the 4th highest number of goals this season(20) and if I had to call it I’d say this match is going to be a goal fest. That said, the home fixture looks like a great opportunity for Eto’o to rack up the points and I definitely recommend him as a punt for this week and the coming games. 

Moving Up - Gameweek 11

Hey lads, back after a short break. Got a little caught up in things and didn't have time to post, but I'm back with my regular(irregular really) Moving Up article for game week 11!

Note: Stats courtesy of AllthingsFPL. A brilliant site with fantastic members' articles, and a members area that has some nice stats for you to play around with. Best part is that it's all for FREE! Link's below and go check it out :)
Link: http://allthingsfpl.com/

This will be an weekly article that entails the top differentials for the week. Specific game week punts to move you up the ranks, if you’re willing to take the jump. Here's my set of punts for Game week 11: 


Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie didn’t start the season off with a bang, like most expected he would under Louis van Gaal. Instead, the Dutchman only managed to find the back of the net two times in his first five games and has only added another to his tally since then. A disappointing outcome for Fantasy managers who decided to invest in the 12.4 million man, prior to gameweek one. But, worry not! In the past couple of weeks we’ve seen glimpses of the RvP of old, and it seems the forward is starting to hit his stride this season. Scoring a crucial last minute equaliser against Chelsea in gameweek nine – with confidence a high and with a kind fixture schedule in the next few, owners could be set for a rise up the ranks, thanks to the player owned by a meagre 2% of managers. That is, of course, provided I can inspire you to make the pick with the rest of this article!

This week, Manchester United face a Crystal Palace side that are still wincing from their 2-1 loss at home to Sunderland. Palace have conceded the most goals from big chances allowed away from home this season (7) while van Persie has had the most big chances from the United ranks at Old Trafford (4), admittedly wasting them so far – three big chances missed – but with his pedigree this is surely a blip rather than a trend. With a fortune of world class players in the United side to create chances for him, the Dutch maestro will surely profit from the creativity of the likes of Angel di Maria and the returning Wayne Rooney. To back this up on paper, United have averaged 2.5 big chances created in their last two home games, which includes hosting Chelsea, up from a paltry season average of 1.6 along with RvP himself sitting third in the shots inside the box standings with 12 in the last four gameweeks – behind only Aguero and Pelle – despite facing Chelsea, Everton and Manchester City in this period. To add to his prospects this week, Crystal Palace’s crucial defensive midfielder, Mile Jedinak, is suspended for the game at Old Trafford. With the Australian midfielder being a key cog in their midfield, Palace relying greatly upon him for his defensive reliability, his absence could be a big problem for Palace this weekend and one that Manchester United will surely exploit with RvP at the spearhead of their attacks.

United’s next four involve three home games against Crystal Palace, Hull City, and Stoke as pointed out in this weeks edition of the Favourables on AllthingsFPL.com . Admittedly, one of the four being against Arsenal away, but Arsenal have been far from solid at the back this season and the fixture shouldn’t be too difficult to find goals in. The Red Devils have one of the best runs of fixtures in the next four and if the once flying Dutchman can regain the fantastic form he’s shown in past seasons, he could be a very interesting option for fantasy managers willing to pay the premium for him up front.

Enner Valencia

West Ham have been in blistering attacking form this season, scoring the 4th highest number of goals this term (19), and much of that has to be attributed to their fantastic work in the transfer market with the signings of Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho. The two forwards have scored a combined total of 10 goals this season, an astounding 52% of their team’s goals. This is even more impressive considering the pair’s first start came in gameweek four! Although, Sakho’s six consecutive goals thrust him into the Fantasy limelight, whilst Enner Valencia’s slightly higher price tag ensured Fantasy managers always opted for his strike partner over him, with the forward remaining at an incredibly low ownership of 1.5%. Now here’s why you should give the Ecuador international some love instead.

Interestingly enough, despite the difference in goals this season, the pair have had fairly similar underlying statistics. Enner is the more creative player with seven key passes to five, and the forward has also been involved in more goal attempts(31 to Sakho’s 28). So surely it’s only a matter of time before Valencia’s goals catch up especially considering the Ecuadorian has managed 22 goal attempts in the last six gameweeks – fourth best in the Premier League. With Sakho due back from injury in gameweek 11, the forward might have lost some of the momentum he had in his fantastic run earlier in the season. It also usually takes a player some time to adjust coming back from injury, with that, more responsibility could be shifted onto Enner’s shoulders (Let’s hope that doesn’t injure them like Sakho) and the forward could be expected to become their main attacking outlet in terms of goals. He’s already shown he’s more than capable of doing so after scoring a fantastic diving header last gameweek, in Sakho’s absence. This should continue in the coming weeks and a favourable run of fixtures can only help his case. West Ham face AVL, NEW, wba, SWA, and sun in the next six, with all their defences being far from solid apart from West Brom, Valencia is one of the best options for a 3rd forward.

West Ham face a struggling Aston Villa side at home this weekend, and it would be shrewd to invest in a West Ham attack facing the side that has conceded the joint most goals(15) in the past six gameweeks. Conversely, West Ham have scored the joint highest number of goals in the same time frame (13), and this looks like a prime opportunity for Enner Valencia to turn heads his way. The Villains have also conceded the the most amount of big chances per game (2.5), and with West Ham’s own Fabregas – Stewart Downing. Hold on…What?! Did I just compare Stewart Downing to Cesc Fabregas?! Oh yes I did, Downing matches Fabregas for Key Passes in the last six gameweeks with a highly impressive 15 key passes, and is only three key passes behind Fabregas for the whole season, the former Liverpool man has been simply sublime this season. So with a creator like that behind him to create all those big chances, I’m confident the 6.9 million priced forward will put them in the back of the net against a leaky Villa side.

Moving Up

This will be an weekly article that entails the top differentials for the week. Specific game week punts to move you up the ranks, if you’re willing to take the jump. Here's my set of punts for Game week 8: 

Papiss Cisse - Newcastle - FWD

Cisse was ruled out for several months after undergoing surgery for an injury he sustained last season against Swansea. Upon recovery, the forward made his first appearance of the season in game week 4 and is currently Newcastle’s top goalscorer & FPL point scorer, this is very impressive considering he has only been involved in the last 3 matches, playing a combined total of 162 minutes out of a possible 270 minutes. Since his return, the forward has netted four times, picking up 6 bonus points along the way. The Senegal international has already doubled his goals total from last season, where he scored a meagre 2 goals in 24 appearances. It now seems Cisse has rediscovered the excellent form he showed in his first 2 seasons at Newcastle, with 4 goals in his last 3 games. This is the highest number of goals scored by anyone in the league over the last 3 weeks, an incredible feat considering his lack of pitch time in this period. He seems to be the perfect solution to Newcastle’s woes this season, with now a proper forward to lead the line and finish the scores of chances their creating this season - The Magpies have created the 5th highest number of chances this season, 3 ahead of Manchester United and just 4 behind Arsenal. 

This week, Cisse faces a leaky Leicester defence at St. James’ Park. Leicester have conceded 13 goals so far this season, and have performed a lot better at home, with dire performances when playing away from the King Power Stadium. The Foxes have conceded the most Goal attempts in the league away from home, and are 2nd for goal attempts conceded in the box. Their porous defence has also conceded the most chances on travels away from home, all pointing towards their lack of defensive resolve this season and particularly in away games. This looks bright for Cisse’s prospects, with a pervious defence and excellent form on his side. I believe the Newcastle forward is one of the top options for a punt this game week.

Saido Mane - Southampton - MID

Saido Mane came so close to finishing a glaring opportunity created by Bertrand last week, and was inches away from getting his first goal for the Saints. Since his arrival in gameweek 6, the speedy winger has looked quite the player, and has been very direct in his play. He has looked quite the goal threat and looks like a great pacey outlet for Tadic’s creativity. The Senegal International has already picked up an assist in his first two games and has a fantastic goalscoring record albeit being in the A.Bundesliga, he scored 23 goals and managed 18 assists in 50 games for Red Bull Salzburg last season. With him looking like he’s capable of jostling with the big boys in the premier league, Saido Mane could prove to be an excellent differential and punt if he can recreate anything close to his past goalscoring record. This week, Saido Mane faces Sunderland at home, and Southampton will be looking to continue their remarkable streak and if they are to do so, Mane will definitely be one of their main men in attack. 

Santi Cazorla - Arsenal - MID

Arsenal’s no. 10, Mesut Ozil sustained an injury last week against Chelsea that has ruled him out for a few months. So who will replace the former Real Madrid star? Step up Santi Cazorla. The Spaniard who flourished int he no. 10 role for Arsenal prior to Ozil’s arrival has now been presented the opportunity to do his thing once again. The former Malaga man managed a remarkable 12 goals and 13 assists in his debut season, but was knocked out of the first team set up when Ozil arrived. Owners will be hopeful that he can recreate the fantastic form he once had in his first season. Cazorla has been impressive coming off the bench for Arsenal this season, managing an assist and recording quite a number of impressive stats in terms of shots in the box and chances created. The Arsenal man now looks like a great option with a more assured spot in the starting line up.

With two new excellent attacking additions to the Arsenal squad in Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez, Cazorla now has better outlets for his bursting creativity, and also players around him who can create chances for him to have a pop at goal. I believe a Santi Cazorla in the No. 10 role he loves so much, is a top FPL option for this game week for their home fixture against Hull, and also for the coming weeks for their favourable run of fixtures.

Budget Alternatives

With many looking to free up cash to afford premium options that are cropping up, I’ve decided to write an article on same-team budget alternatives. These alternatives are not necessarily better prospects than their premium counterparts, but they definitely provide excellent value for their difference in price

Raheem Sterling & Jordan Henderson

Team: Liverpool

Points Difference: 6 ( 40 - RS, and 34 - JH )

Price difference: 3.9m ( 8.9m - RS, and 6.0m - JH ) 

Ownership Difference: 40.5% (53% - RS, and 12.5% - JH )

Both Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson have performed very well so far this season, presenting them as viable FPL options. Although, Sterling has attracted far more owners than Henderson with Sterling sitting on a colossal ownership of 53%, while his national and club teammate has a significantly lower ownership of 12.5%. With a vast difference in their popularity, Henderson remains very much a differential and a possible under-the-radar alternative to Sterling. 

Henderson has scored 1 goal and managed 3 assists this season, along with 5 bonus points. His younger counterpart has scored on 3 different occasions so far and has picked up 2 assists along the way with 6 bonus points. As pointed out above, as it stands, the difference in their points totals is a meagre 6 points, this is not very significant in my eyes. On the other hand, a vast difference between the two options is their price. Jordan Henderson is much more dearly priced with a price tag 3.9m cheaper than that of Sterling. With such a massive difference in price and a current points output that isn’t far behind Sterling, could Henderson provide a solution to those on a tight budget? I believe he could, 

I expect Sterling to outscore him but I think that Henderson provides excellent value and has been a lot more attacking this season. ( Rodgers has also said that he aims to develop Henderson into a Ramsey-esqe player this season, with him getting forward a lot more ) Henderson has only created 3 chances less than Sterling, and with him showing that he can produce FPL points at a level that almost matches his more expensive team mate, Henderson could very well be an excellent way for one to free up cash in order to afford other big names that are popular at the moment like Aguero and Baines. I think he is one of the top budget alternatives in the game and is definitely being overlooked by many. 

David Silva & James Milner

Team: Manchester City 

Points Difference: 8 ( 28 - DS, 20 - JM )

Price Difference: 3.8m ( 9.1m - DS, 5.3m - JM )

Ownership Difference: 10.8% ( 11.6% - DS, 0.8% - JM )

Nasri’s long-term injury gave James Milner a spot in City’s starting 11, and the englishman has returned Pellegrini’s faith with fantastic performances in each of the last 4 games he’s started. Milner has racked up 19 points in his last 4 games, whilst Silva has only managed 15 in the same amount of time, a fairer comparison considering Milner didn’t start the first 3 games. Even without Milner starting the first 3, and only playing a part in 1, the Englishman is only 8 points behind the silk passer that is David Silva, a fairly insignificant difference even before considering the difference in minutes played.

To reinforce the impressive FPL performances from Milner, his underlying stats are excellent. In City’s last game against Aston Villa, Milner created 8 chances, the highest of the game week and 5 more than the popular David Silva. Since the Englishman’s reinstatement to the starting 11, he has created 2 more chances than Silva. This shows just how much value Milner provides, being able to surpass the Spaniard for creativity & assist potential whilst maintaining a respectable goal threat. He would also be an excellent differential at 0.8% ownership. At a price that’s 3.8m cheaper than Silva, I think Milner presents himself as a fantastic budget alternative to the favoured Silva. 

Tadic & Mane

Team: Southampton

Points Difference: 19 ( 25 - DT, 6 - SM )

Price Difference: 0.6m ( 7.5m - DT, 6.9m - SM )

Ownership Difference: 2.8% ( 2.9% - DT, 0.1% - SM )

Both Dusan Tadic and Saido Mane are new Saints’ recruits this season. Mane arriving a lot later due to work permit issues, and has only been involved in the last 2 Gameweeks. Over the past 2 Gameweeks, the Senegalese international has matched Tadic’s points total for 0.6m less, an amount that could be very valuable to those on a tight budget that just need that 0.1 or 0.2m more for a certain Baines or Aguero. Showing that Mane is more than capable of keeping up pace with his premium priced counterpart.

Saido Mane was very unlucky not to get his name on the sheet against Spurs, coming very close to finishing a glaring opportunity created by Bertrand. He seems to be quite the goal threat and has so far looked a better option for goals than his Serbian teammate. His record is also quite astonishing albeit being in the A.Bundesliga with 23 goals and 18 assists in 50 games for Red Bull Salzburg last season. He’s also managed to perform quite impressively in the Premier league as well with his stats looking very good over the past 2 game weeks. Despite having less minutes than Tadic, Mane has managed to come across more big chances, and has had the same number of touches in the penalty area. Interestingly enough, Mane has also created two more chances than his more expensive teammate since his arrival. 

This could be great for those on a tight budget, with Mane seemingly more than capable of keeping pace with or even surpassing Tadic as an FPL prospect, and looks like a fantastic punt and budget alternative at 0.1% ownership and 0.6m less. 

Moving Up

This will be an weekly article that entails the top differentials for the week. Specific game week punts to move you up the ranks, if you’re willing to take the jump. Here's my set of punts for Game week 7: 

Jamie Vardy 

Leicester City - FWD - 5.0m - 1.8% Ownership

Fixture: BUR

Jamie Vardy came back from injury with a tremendous performance in his first premier league start for Leicester City. The Leicester forward scored a goal and managed 4 assists in his first start of the season. He picked up a whopping 21 points in Game week 5, after claiming all 3 bonus points against Manchester United. The Englishman has gone under the radar since his GW5 haul, with Ulloa attracting more suitors than him. Vardy’s ownership has remained very low at 1.8%, with Ulloa’s soaring to 19.7% with the most transfers in this week. Vardy seems to be a very creative forward, the forward has created 7 chances in the past 2 weeks, this is the highest amongst forwards and 2nd highest for all positions. He also possesses great goal threat along with his creativity, with him keeping up pace with Ulloa for Shots on target, and maintaining a decent amount of touches in the penalty area. 

This week Leicester face a Burnley side that are still wincing from their 4-0 loss to West Brom. The game will be played at the King Power Stadium, and Leicester have been fantastic at home, having scored 8 goals in 3 games on home ground this season. A home fixture against a side that has just conceded 4 goals in their last away game looks an opportune one for a Leicester forward, and any of them are great picks for game week 7. With Vardy’s ownership remaining so low and Ulloa’s doing the complete opposite, I’ve decided to go for Leicester’s No. 9 who remains a fantastic differential and one who looks to be an excellent alternative to the popular argentinian. I back Vardy to shine alongside Ulloa this game week if not outscore him. He looks like a top option for a punt this week.

Abel Hernandez 

Hull City - FWD - 6.9m - 0.3% Ownership

Fixture: CPL

Abel Hernandez has scored twice in his first 3 games for Hull City. The forward has only managed 206 minutes out of a possible 270 in those 3 games, so 2 goals in that time is a very impressive record. The Uruguay international had a great record at his previous club with 14 goals and 3 assists in 28 appearances in his last season there, whilst also impressing on the international stage with 8 goals in 15 matches for his national side. Hernandez clearly has the ability to score goals and has shown early signs that he’s capable of doing just that in the Premier league for Hull City this season. He is owned by a meagre 0.3% of FPL managers and looks like a nice differential for those willing to take a punt on him. 

Crystal Palace roll up to the KC Stadium this weekend, a whole different side to the Palace team we saw last season. This new Palace side have scored 10 times this season, but have conceded just as many this season. Since Tony Pulis’ departure, Crystal Palace have been anything but solid at the back, especially away from home where they have let in 7 of those 10 goals conceded. This makes Abel Hernandez an excellent prospect this week with the forward in fine form coupled with an opportunistic fixture to score once again for his new club. Hernandez also seems to have been handed spot kick duties, with him stepping up and scoring from the spot against City last weekend. He looks like another great punt for this week, with form, fixture and spot kick duties on his side. 

Diafra Sakho 

West Ham - FWD - 5.5m - 0.7% Ownership

Fixture: QPR

The Senegalese international is looking like an astute signing by West Ham, with 3 goals in his first 3 starts. The forward has provided consistent returns since he was awarded his first start in game week 4, and looks like a bargain at a price of 5.5m. In a new look West Ham side that have notched 10 times already this season, Sakho looks a fantastic short-term punt with them facing QPR and bur in their next two games. 

In game week 7, Sakho faces an incredibly porous QPR defence at Boleyn Ground. The R’s defence have conceded 14 goals so far this season, the 2nd highest in the league. They are also 3rd for Goal Attempts in the Box Conceded, which bodes well for Sakho who is tied 4th for Shots inside the box in the past 3 Game weeks. He is even with Aguero and only one behind Diego Costa. Game week 7 looks like a golden opportunity for Sakho to award his new owners this week and to continue his 3 week goal streak. An in-form forward, in an attacking side, against a hopeless QPR defence at home? Sakho looks like a top punt for this week. 

Hot Cakes and Stale Bakes

This is a segment on the top transfers in and out of the round, in other words, the hottest cakes and the stalest bakes of the game week! I will be taking a look at the top 2 from each end, and evaluating their prospects. This will go along with potential replacements for the unfortunate lads on the stale end.

Hot Cakes

Graziano Pelle - 69,501 transfers in - Southampton - FWD - 7.8m

Topping the transfers in for the week is Graziano Pelle. He’s been transferred in 69,501 times this round, after showing consistent form with 4 goals and 1 assist in his last 4 games - producing attacking returns in each of his last games. The forward is top for Shots in the box this season, even ahead of the popular Diego Costa. He also has a number of other impressive stats that can be accessed with a membership here: www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk or here for free! : www.allthingsfpl.com . This shows just how well the Italian has settled into his new side, with him looking like Southampton’s main man for goals. The Saints’ new signing has been involved in almost half of his team’s goals this season, and is clearly key to their attack.

Southampton have a great run of fixtures in the next 6. They face Sunderland, Stoke and Leicester at home in the next 6, with favourable away fixtures against Hull and Aston Villa.

Pelle looks a fantastic option for the foreseeable future with fixtures on his side along with great form. 

A top transfer option this week.

Leonard Ulloa - 63,141 transfers in - Leicester City - FWD - 5.9m

Coming in at 2nd for transfers in this round is Leonard Ulloa with 63,141 managers drafting him in so far this week. The Argentinian is still the 2nd highest scoring forward so far this season, with 38 points, and ahead of the popular Graziano Pelle in 3rd. Ulloa has had a terrific start in the premier league with 5 goals in his first 6 appearances for the Foxes. In fact, 5 goals from just 6 shots on target this season. Considering some of these goals have come against Everton, Arsenal and Manchester United, this is very impressive.

The record Foxes’ signing also has a kind run of fixtures to produce the goods, with cpl, BUR, new, swa, WBA in his next 6. With weaker opposition to come in the next couple of weeks, Ulloa has a fantastic opportunity to replicate the form he has shown against stronger opposition. Ulloa is a great option for the 3rd forward slot in your team. He’s still at a budget price and look like bargain for 5.7m. If you’re looking for a cheap forward to allow some more cash to be invested elsewhere, then Ulloa is your man.

Highly recommended for the 3rd forward slot if on a budget. 

Stale Bakes

Wayne Rooney - 181,438 transfers out - Status: Suspended ( Expected 3 match ban )

Rooney was sent off this week, against West ham, a straight red which means a 3 match ban. This has prompted 81,014 managers to transfer him out this week, and Rooney sits on top of the transferred out players of the round. With a 3 match ban it is absolutely essential to get the Manchester United forward out, thankfully this has happened alongside, once again, multiple appearances of new FWD options. 

With a 3 match ban, and an imminent price drop or two, Rooney would be one of your top priorities, and will need to be taken care of.

Replacements:

Graziano Pelle - Southampton - FWD - 7.8m

The Italian is in fantastic form and has very favourable fixtures. He is the best replacement for Rooney in my eyes.

See above for more information, he’s a hot cake!

Danny Welbeck - Arsenal - FWD - 7.2m

Danny Welbeck has become an exciting FPL prospect upon his transfer to Arsenal. The Englishman is now Arsenal’s main forward with Giroud injured and Sanogo proving incapable of filling his shoes. The former Manchester United forward has picked up a goal an assist in his first 3 games for Arsenal and has looked very promising with him being the only man up front to finish all the chances Arsenal’s star-studded midfield creates, and an Arsenal forward for 7.2m is a bargain. Arsenal’s fixtures take an upturn after Game week 7, with HUL,sun,BUR,swa and wba in his next 6. (Home games in upper-case letters) Welbeck’s prospects look good as a Rooney replacement and would provide excellent Arsenal “cover” for their great run of fixtures. 

He is one of the best replacements for the suspended Rooney.

Sergio Aguero - Manchester City - FWD -12.1m

Sergio “Kun” Aguero has already notched 4 times this season, and that has been in 348 minutes out of a possible 540. The City forward has been clinical in front of goal this season when given the opportunity.Aguero is an upgrade from Rooney, but is definitely worth the investment with the Argentinian being one of the top scorers last season even with decreased minutes due to injury, he definitely has the ability to score big for your FPL team. The City forward has had a number of prominent stats this season, in particular his shots inside the box which are very impressive given his minutes. (These can be viewed at members areas in the sites mentioned above for Pelle).Like the 2 above, City also have a very run in the coming weeks with games against Aston Villa,West ham, QPR, Swansea, and a leaky Man United side in the next 6. They’re kind fixtures extend beyond the next 6 so Aguero can be kept even past that if you factor fixtures greatly into your FPL picks. 

Once again, he’s one of the best replacements for Rooney if you can afford the upgrade. He has the record, the form, the fixtures and is one of the world's best strikers, he's already been scoring single goals this season, it won't be long before he starts putting more of them into the net/game.

 Aaron Ramsey - 147,799 transfers out - Status: Injured ( Ruled out for Game week 7 )

The Welshman features in this segment for the 2nd time running, with masses of managers giving him the boot this week. He picked up an injury against Tottenham this weekend and has been ruled out for the game week 7 game against Chelsea. That’s enough for 50, 542 managers to shift him out this week, with many more transfers out to come. 

Getting Ramsey out looks like a priority transfer with 9.0m worth of value lying on your bench not looking like such a good idea. Other than his injury, and an imminent fall in price, there is the dip in form to warrant a transfer out. The 13/14 season dream team man hasn’t really performed this season, with his output dropping in the last few games. These reasons compounded form a strong case to look for a replacement for Ramsey, with the appearance of several new midfield options helping the cause. I recommended that you dropped him last week, and if you haven’t done so already, I suggest you do so this week.

Replacements: 

Dusan Tadic - Southampton - MID - 7.5m

Tadic has impressed in the Premier League this season with fantastic performances for Southampton, he has only managed 3 assists in his first 6 games but has had fantastic underlying stats so far. The Serbian has looked Southampton’s  main creator this season, and at times has been playing further forward than Pelle this season. He has some excellent creativity and goal threat stats which once again can be viewed in members areas of sites mentioned above. In particular, his chances created and shots inside the box are most impressive. The new Southampton signing looks like he is in for big returns soon with him close to scoring 2 goals in his last game and constantly looking a threat the past few weeks yet coming away with minimal FPL points. It is in my opinion, that it's not long before he does. Fixtures are also on his side with very favourable fixtures in the next 6. They face Sunderland, Stoke and Leicester at home in the next 6, with opportunistic away fixtures against Hull and Aston Villa.

A top option as a Ramsey replacement, one who can potentially be just as good as this season’s premium options. Also, a nice differential at a low ownership of 2.5%.

Angel Di Maria - Manchester United - MID - 9.9m 

The Argentinian has dazzled upon his arrival to Manchester, with 2 goals and 2 assists in his first 4 games for Man United. The former Real Madrid man has been vital to United’s attacking form this season, and has constantly driven the team forward with his devastating runs from box to box. Manchester United have been excellent going forward as well, scoring an impressive 9 goals in their last three games. Di Maria looks like Manchester United’s best attacking option this season, with him being the side’s chief creator and also a major part of their goal threat.

Another great option to replace Ramsey if you have the cash in the bank to afford the premium price. Although, with Tadic offering a cheaper and more fixture friendly alternative, it might be best to look for the Serbian for value, but the Argentinian definitely has the class and ability to punish a decision like this...it all depends on your budget and the balance of your team.

David Silva - Manchester City - MID - 9m

Silva has shown his potential so far this season with 1 goal and 2 assists so far. 2 of those assists coming in his last game. The spaniard had the 4th highest number of assists last season despite being injured for a portion of it. Silva has been criticised as an FPL option for his lack of goal threat, but he makes up for it with consistent assists. His consistency and high assist potential make up for his lack of goal threat, but he has shown that he does have goals in him having already notched once this season. City also have a very run in the coming weeks with games against Aston Villa,West ham, QPR, Swansea, and a leaky Man United side in the next 6, with more favourable fixtures beyond the 6. 

With fixtures and a form that’s building, David Silva looks like another top replacement for Ramsey, and one that is being overlooked by many.  

GameWeek 6 Forecast

The Heavy Hitters 

Costa - Aston Villa at home

Chelsea’s new man up front has had a terrific start to his Chelsea career, having scored 7 goals in his first 5 games, the Brazilian is in hot samba/flamenco form. With a proper forward now to finish the chances their star-studded midfield creates, Chelsea have been an absolute beast going forward this season. They have crushed pretty much every team they’ve come up against so far and have won by a 2 goal margin in every PL game so far, with the exception of their last match against City, away. The new Chelsea side have already scored 16 times this season. 

This week, Chelsea face Aston Villa at home. Villa looked good earlier in the season, but finally fell prey to Arsenal as they lost 3-0 at home last weekend. Chelsea who have looked much better than Arsenal, will now have to try to do the same at Stamford Bridge. Shouldn’t be too tough a job for Chelsea, with an average of 3 goals a game at home this season. Although their leaky defence might just give Villa a chance if they put on a stellar performance to overthrow the Blue giants. But, this doesn’t matter to Costa! All that matters to the burly BrazPaniard’s FPL owners, is the goals he scores. This looks very likely with Villa conceding big to top teams, and Chelsea being right at the top at the mo in terms of pretty much everything other than clean sheets.  

The top FPL forward so far is a MUST HAVE for this week, and non-owners will likely be punished once again. He’s the go to man for the armband in game week 6.

Di Maria - West ham at home

The Argentinian has dazzled upon his arrival to Manchester, with 2 goals and 2 assists in his first 3 games for Man United. The former Real Madrid man has been vital to United’s attacking form this season, and has constantly driven the team forward with his devastating runs from box to box. Manchester United have been excellent going forward as well, scoring an impressive 7 goals in their last two games. 

In game week 6, Man United face West ham at Old Trafford. West Ham have looked good this season, but they’ve already conceded 8 goals this season, the 5th highest number in the league. With Man United having scored 5 goals in their 2 home fixtures this season, and with them in fantastic attacking form, it’s likely that they put a few past West ham and this game turns into a goal fest. 

It seems almost vital to have an attacking Man United player in your FPL team with their incredible attack this season, and as highlighted in my “ Hot Cakes and Stale Bakes” article, people are scrabbling to get Di Maria into their teams this week, with him being the 2nd most transferred in player of the week. It might be a good idea to have at least 1 red devil in your team this week, and the man in form, Angel Di Maria, would be my pick.

Another top option for this week, and a great captaincy alternative to Diego Costa if you don’t own him.

Best Bets at the Back 

Southampton - QPR at home.

Southampton have been defensively sound so far this season with 3 clean sheets out of 5.
On the other hand, QPR have been absolutely abysmal, especially away from home, having scored a grand total of 0 goals away from home and conceded 8 away from Loftus Road.

An ideal fixture for a clean sheet for the Saints. 

West Brom - Burnley at home

West Brom have kept a respectable 2 clean sheets so far this season, with both of them being unexpected and coming in tough games. Both were away against Southampton and Tottenham. The clean sheet against Tottenham coming just last week. They’ve looked pretty solid at the back with their new signings, and they’ll be looking to keep a 3rd against Burnley at The Hawthorns this weekend. Burnley have only scored once this season, and that single goal was at home. 

West brom’s Game week 6 fixture looks like a prime opportunity for them to keep a clean sheet.

Good luck for the game week! 

Moving Up

This will be an weekly article that entails the top differentials for the week. Specific game week punts to move you up the ranks, if you’re willing to take the jump. Here's my punts for Game week 6. 

Stewart Downing - 2.4% Ownership

MID - 5.3m - West Ham

Fixture: mun

Form: 1 goal and 2 assists in the last 5 games

Downing has been quietly ticking away the past couple of weeks. He’s already managed 3 assists and 1 goal this season, and his ownership is still incredibly low at 2.4%. His assist potential is immense and he’s already created an impressive 16 chances this season, 2nd highest in the league so far. That’s only two behind Cesc Fabregas. This looks set to continue with a relatively kind fixture list of mun, QPR and bur as his next 3.

West ham are also in terrific form having beaten Liverpool, 3-1 last week. They have also scored 9 goals so far this season, which is the 4th highest for teams at the moment. Downing has been an integral part of this new look West ham side, and has arguably been their best player this season. Coming off the back of 2 consecutive assists, Downing will be looking to add to his impressive assists tally this season, and also put a few in the back of the net along the way. The England international has already scored a goal this season. 

This week, Downing faces Manchester United at Old Trafford, it might seem like a daunting fixture, but in FPL terms it’s fantastic for Downing’s FPL potential. Manchester United have been anything but solid at the back, they have already conceded 6 goals this season, and conceded 3 to Leicester City just last week. Now with Blackett suspended, and an injury to Evans, their defence can only get worse. Despite like what it might seem, this is a opportune fixture for West ham to score goals, and for Downing to get his owners some FPL points.

Jason Puncheon - 3.4% Ownership

MID - 5.9m - Crystal Palace

Fixture: LEI

Form: 1 goal and 1 assist in the last  5 games

The DGW hero of GW 34 last season hasn’t got much attention this season so far. Puncheon has already scored 1 goal and picked up an assist in the first 5 games. Part of a new look Crystal Palace side, Puncheon looks like one of the biggest attacking threats in the side. Palace were written off after Tony Pulis’ departure, but Neil Warnock’s arrival has given Palace a new look, one that’s got Palace scoring many more goals than they did last season. Crystal Palace have already scored 8 goals this season, a very different style of football from the way they played last season. This looks good for the Palace midfielder’s owners, with his chances of scoring goals looking much better this season.

Coming off a high in game week 5 after beating Everton at Goodison Park, Palace will want to keep this good form going and come away with another win this week. In game week 6, Palace face another team in hot form, Leicester City. The match will be played at Selhurst Park and will be a clash of 2 unexpected in-form teams. So far this season, both teams have looked a lot better putting the ball in their opponent’s nets than keeping it out of theirs. Much like above with Lukaku, this should be a fine opportunity for Puncheon to get his name on the scoresheet. A home fixture against a leaky Leicester side has his owners and prospective owners grinning, or at least that’s what I hope you will be doing after this game week, if you pick him!

Romelu Lukaku - 9.9% Ownership 

FWD - 9m - Everton

Fixture: liv

Form: 2 goals in the last 2 games 

Everton’s 13/14 season star loanee has had a decent start after a permanent move to club. Playing up front for the Toffees, Lukaku has already netted twice this season. Contributing to the significant number of goals Everton have scored this season, 2nd highest amongst EPL clubs and only 2 goals behind Chelsea. 

This game week, the big Belgian will play in his first Merseyside Derby as a full Everton player. On the blue side of the heated rivalry, Lukaku will be looking to lead his side to a victory by putting their chances in the back of the net, as he did twice in the same fixture last season.-season, many thought that  Liverpool will tighten up at teh back with Suarez’s departure, and this idea was helped by the signing of Dejan Lovren from Southampton. Although, this has hardly been the case with Liverpool looking very shaky at the back and have already conceded 7 goals this season. There tends to be lots of goals in this fixture, and it’s one Red and Blue fans look forward to every season. With both teams’ defences leaking goals this season, and their attacks looking menacing, it is more likely than not that this fixture becomes a goal fest. It looks like a prime fixture for Lukaku to grab his FPL owners some points.

Everton will be looking to continue their fantastic attacking form this week, and Lukaku will be key in doing so against Liverpool. I can see a big haul for the former Chelsea man in Game week 6, one to match the one he got last season in this fixture.

Hot Cakes and Stale Bakes

This is a segment on the top transfers in and out of the round, in other words, the hottest cakes and the stalest bakes of the game week! I will be taking a look at the top 2 from each end, and evaluating their prospects. This will go along with potential replacements for the unfortunate lads on the stale end. 

Hot Cakes

Leonard Ulloa - 187,322 transfers in - 5.7m - Leicester City - FWD

Topping the transfers in for this round at the moment is Leonard Ulloa, with 179644 managers drafting him in so far this week. The Argentinian is the 2nd highest scoring forward so far this season, with 36 points, a full 8 points ahead of Graziano Pelle in 3rd. Coming off the back of a brace in his last game, Ulloa is in fantastic form with 5 goals in his first 5 appearances for the Foxes. In fact, 5 goals from just 6 shots on target this season. Considering some of these goals have come against Everton, Arsenal and Manchester United, it’s been a fantastic start for Ulloa in the Premier League. 

The record Foxes’ signing also has a kind run of fixtures to produce the goods, with cpl, BUR, new, swa, WBA in his next 6. With Leicester showing that they’re more than capable of scoring goals against anyone, I’d say that Ulloa is a great option for the 3rd forward slot in your team. He’s still at a budget price and look like bargain for 5.7m. If you’re looking for a cheap forward to allow some more cash to be invested elsewhere, then Ulloa is your man.

He’s a top transfer option for this week.

Angel Di Maria - 142,157 transfers in - 9.8m - Manchester United - MID 

Coming in at 2nd for transfers this round is Angel Di Maria. The second Argentinian on the list is Man United star, Di Maria. Another man in fantastic form with 2 goals and an assist in his last two games. The record United signing also has set piece duty, with him taking a share of United’s free kicks and corners. Manchester United are looking very threatening going forward, and Di Maria being a key man for his side, he looks like a great FPL option for the coming weeks. 

Manchester United have a decent run with WHM, wba, and CPL in the next 6. Although, they do have three testing fixtures amongst them in EVE, CHE and mci. Not the best fixture schedule and United are yet to be tested by stronger opposition but I reckon he’s a great option for the coming weeks, and I believe United will be scoring goals by the bucket load, with ADM being involved in most of them.

Another great transfer option for this week, especially for those considering replacing Ramsey. 

Stale Bakes

Steven Naismith - 113299 transfers out - 5.5m - Everton - FWD

The most popular option of the last few weeks is now being quickly ushered out of owners’ teams. The cause of this? That would be him losing his spot in the starting lineup this week, with Eto starting in his place. This could be set to continue with Everton’s hectic schedule in the coming weeks : Cup game, liv, Europa game, mun, AVL, Europa game, bur, Cup game, SWA, Europa game. That’s 5 non-EPL games amongst their 11 fixtures. With Martinez loving the rotation policy, Naismith could be set for a few more bench roles in the future. This is a problem for FPL managers with the said No.1 FPL rule being “always pick a player who’s nailed on to start”. With Everton having other alternatives up front in Eto and now Kone along with many other budget and mid priced forward options cropping up, it might be best to dump the Scotsman for one of them. 

Replacements:

Danny Welbeck - 

Currently at 7.2m and one a goal and assist for Arsenal, the revitalised English national looks a great mid-priced option replacement for Naismith. A nailed on forward playing for a top 4 side for 7.2m looks irresistible. An excellent choice of replacement for Naismith. 

Graziano Pelle - 

Another mid-priced replacement for Naismith, is Southampton forward, Graziano Pelle. He is Southampton’s main man up front, and has already notched 3 goals this season. The Italian has outstanding stats with the most shots inside the box of any forward, and has an impressive amount of touches in the penalty box. The Saints also have a very kind fixture schedule in the next 6. 

Leonard Ulloa - See above, he’s a hot cake!

Ramsey - 51,895 transfers out - 9.0m - Arsenal - MID

The 13/14 FPL season DreamTeam man now has masses of managers giving him the boot. The Welshman has only failed to produce in his last game, and yet thousands of owners are shifting him. With FPL managers split on wether to keep Ramsey or to sell him, it’s tough to say exactly what one should do with him. There are also worries that the Welshman’s points might be taken away by the new Arsenal forward, Danny Welbeck. This might just be true with Arsenal’s main men going forward looking like Alexis Sanchez and Danny “Dat Guy” Welbeck at the moment. 

Replacements:

Angel Di Maria - 

Many are being lured away by a hot cake, Di Maria, who is similarly priced and is currently in hot form. This looks like a smart transfer in my eyes with Manchester United having better fixtures in the short term, and Di Maria in better form. Personally, I dropped Ramsey for ADM last week (for a hit), and that worked out a treat. I’d suggest you do the same this week. Di Maria is a class act and now has an improved role at United, with set pieces also in his locker, I’d be willing to bet that he outscores Ramsey in the next 4. See hot cake section on Di Maria for more info. 

Our XI : Game week 5 Round up

Not the best of game weeks for the team, with 2 clean sheets and 2 bonus points on the bench in Clyne and Forster. Along with a captaincy choice which wasn't the best, it was a below-par performance from the team after a superb 91 point scoring GW the last time out. The team was only created in game week 2, so it does not have the best of overall ranks at the moment, but that will improve as the season goes by. Currently sitting on a Game week 2 rank of 30,810. 

The Issues and Transfer Ponderings

1. Chester no longer an assured starter

Chester is no longer nailed on in the Hull starting XI and is becoming a problem as he hasn't started the last 2 game weeks. He will need to be shifted this GW or sometime soon for another 4.5m option (Chambers, N. Taylor) or Baines. 

2. Rooney's got a new role, and it's not good news for his FPL owners.

He has a new role for Manchester United at the tip of a midfield diamond, this is a position that is deeper than his previous position and it looks like he's less likely to score goals in this new role, with him coming away with a single assist in a game where his team scored 3 goals. Looks like it's best for owners to give him the boot and look for a replacement in one of the many budget and mid-priced options that are cropping up. I will most likely replace him with one of the in-form budget options, Welbeck or Ulloa, or decide to go for a premium option in Aguero. If I go with the Argentinian though, I'll have to downgrade someone else as there's only 0.3 in the bank. It's more likely that he makes way for Welbeck/Ulloa this week.

3. Ramsey's output is falling and his fixtures aren't fantastic. 

Ramsey's output seems to be falling with 2 average performances in his last two games. A very premature and "knee-jerky" assessment, but with better options in the same price bracket popping up, it might be best to let go of the Welshman for someone else in-form. Managers are rushing to get him out and his price has already fallen by 0.1m this week. I have not yet decided what I plan to do with him, to keep him or shift him for someone like Di Maria who is currently on form along with the team he plays in. The question is, is it worth the transfer, or even hit with the other more pressing issues?

4. Mirallas given a rest.

Mirallas was benched this week after being heavily involved mid-week. This problem has passed, and he should start next GW in an exciting Merseyside derby. I also expect him to start in most if not all of the coming weeks(short term: 4-6 GWs), and don't really believe this is a big issue. But, it is one to keep an eye on. 

Welcome to the block

And so this is the beginning of a little FPL blog (that I hope to update regularly) starting with a first sentence that's grammatically incorrect. I can only hope that improves from now on, but please excuse some of the the little errors that might pop up! It's my first time attempting anything like this, so hope it turns out great!

 Here’s a short run down on what I plan to write about :

• The Classic

A weekly guide to the upcoming Game Week, with tips on the best fixtures, GW prospects, Captaincy tips and just general  Fantasy Premier League advice.

• Moving Up

An article each week that entails the top differentials for the week. Specific game week punts to move you up the ranks, if you’re willing to take the jump.

• Our Own XI

I have a team set up for the blog ( Only started in GW 2 ). I will be posting weekly updates on it, and the transfers I make for it each week. The problems I face should be and hopefully will be similar to some of the issues you will have to deal with, and that will hopefully aid you in your transfer decisions. You are more than welcome to comment with suggestions on what I should do with it.

• The Rest?

This’ll be my first go at an FPL blog, so that’s about all I’ll be doing for now. Will update this area if I decide to add anything new.  Potentially, a regular article on the best 3 options for a 3/4 week period based on fixtures and form

I plan to improve the blog with new ideas and features as we go along, so just starting off small. Opinions and suggestions on what I should do with the site are more than welcome. Also, have I mentioned that it's my first time doing this sort of thing? So don't be too harsh! ;)

I hope you find this blog helpful! :)