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! :)