It’s (almost) December and you’re likely on the hunt for a bargain. Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Our Fantasy Football scout report this week is all about value. Nevermind signing Diego Costa or Sergio Aguero or Alexis Sanchez, most of you have, or should have, at least one of these point machines already. This weekend it’s all about Burnley.
Three players to sign:
1. Kieran Trippier
Fixture: Burnley V Aston Villa
Price: £4.8m
Selected by:1.3%
It may seem odd to sign a defender, with just one assist this season, playing in a team who are certain to be in a relegation battle, but hear us out. Kieran Trippier is an ever-present in an improving team, represents excellent value and has the virtue of being selected by just over one per cent of Fantasy Football managers. Burnley have won their last two games and seem to be, like Trippier, getting to grips with the Premier League. Their next three games, starting with Newcastle at home on Saturday, could be crucial to their hopes of staying in the division. The promoted club will, however, be quietly confident of picking up points.
Trippier was an assist machine in the Championship last season, setting up 12 goals as Burnley defied expectations to finish second. The 24-year old has had to cut back on his attacking exploits but is still a formidable crosser of the ball and an excellent outlet for Burnley striker Danny Ings. You could do a lot worse than include the former Manchester City youth player in your side, for the next few games at least.
2. Danny Ings
Fixture: Burnley V Aston Villa
Price: £5.7m
Selected by: 0.8%
No, before you ask, we haven’t lost our minds here at SportsJOE, Danny Ings looks like a great a shout for this weekend’s game. The Burnley striker has scored three goals in nine appearances so far this season, a highly respectful return for a rookie Premier League striker. And, like his teammate Trippier, has the added caveat of being cheap and in very few Fantasy Football teams. Ings was one of the stars of Burnley’s promotion campaign last season, scoring 20 goals in 40 appearances. The striker is highly unlikely to repeat those feats this season, but his record of one in three makes him great value for money, particularly against a weak Aston Villa defence. The club have winnable games coming up and Ings is their main goalscoring threat. Definitely worth a punt.
3. Jefferson Montero
Fixture: Swansea V Crystal Palace
Price: £5.7m
Selected by: 0.3%
The Ecuadorian midfielder is another player who may seem like a strange move but, again, hear us out. Montero is, like Ings and Trippier, selected by very few Fantasy Football managers but represents good value for money. He also looks to have secured a starting place in Swansea’s lineup ahead of three winnable games for the Welsh side, starting at home to Crystal Palace tomorrow. Montero also provided two assists in each of his last two appearances at the Liberty Stadium. An seemingly improving player and decent value for money.
Three players to sell:
1. Eric Dier
Fixture: Tottenham Hotspur V Everton
Price: £5.0m
Selected by: 17.4%
Eric Dier had an incredible start to the season, scoring in each of the opening two games as part of a defence that kept two clean sheets. The young defender received 29 points in his first two games. He has earned just five points since then. That’s five points in 10 games. Dier has looked very shaky at right-full and is likely to be dropped when Spurs’ find a more viable option in the position.To the almost one in five of you Fantasy Football managers who still have Dier in your team, ditch him, right now. Go ahead, we’ll wait.
2. Raheem Sterling
Fixture: Liverpool V Stoke City
Price: £8.4m
Selected by: 35.6%
Just as Liverpool lack the fluidity and spark of last season, Raheem Sterling has appeared somewhat jaded in recent games. The 19-year old has played a lot of football this year, and his claim that he was too tired to play in a recent England international may not be as ridiculous as it first sounded. Sterling is likely to feature in Liverpool’s crucial upcoming set of fixtures, remains a wonderful attacking talent and could potentially spark into life. However, at such a high price, and with so many people still with him in their teams, ditching Sterling looks like a calculated gamble.
3. Vincent Kompany
Fixture: Southampton V Manchester City
Price:£6.4m
Selected by:11.4%
Vincent Kompany may be one of the world’s best defenders, a great captain, humanitarian and all-round exceptional human being, but your Fantasy Football money would be better off spent elsewhere. The Belgian has been part of just three City clean sheets this season. This is not entirely Kompany’s fault, as the City defence is not always afforded protection from midfield and Joe Hart often allows seemingly savable shots past him. While the captain’s defensive partners, Eliaquim Mangala and Martín Demichelis, have a tendency to go rogue. Kompany is a great player, but any one of his defensive opponents on Saturday would represent better value for money.
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