Gameweek 10 provides an interesting set of fixtures with the top guns handed easy fixtures while the clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City expected to be the highlight of the weekend.
Here are the Hard Tackle’s Fantasy Premier League tips for the weekend:
Given his steep asking rate, Aguero seems to be a lost cause
For a number of seasons now, Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero (£13.0m) has been the go-to option for most Fantasy Premier League managers. In fact, since his debut in England’s top flight, he has consistently repaid the faith of his manager on the field and also in fantasy terms.
However, this season, under new boss Pep Guardiola, Aguero seems to be somewhat of a lost cause. Probably the Argentine is not the forward that the former Barcelona boss revers – which is seeing to a decline in his FPL performances.
Due to his torrid performances, he has been the second-most transferred-out striker in the current gameweek and it may be time to get rid of him before his value begins to plummet.
Investing heavily in midfield could reap high benefits
In the last three weeks, midfielders have accounted for the most bonus points scored and the most double figures tallied. This is a clear indication that investing large sums of budget on strikers could do no good for a manager.
In fact, goalkeepers have won the same number of bonus points as strikers between gameweeks 7 and 9. This could see FPL managers sway away from the notion of captaining forwards and decide to rope in high-value midfielders such as Alexis Sanchez (£11.3m), Kevin de Bruyne (£10.7m) or Eden Hazard (£9.8m).
Nemanja Matic provides fascinating value at £5m
Nemanja Matic (£5.0m) was a vital cog in Jose Mourinho’s machine at Chelsea when the Blues won the league title in 2014/15. He was arguably the best midfielder in the league, and earned plaudits for his incredible tackling and intercepting skills. But he was never a good buy for FPL managers.
Fast forward two seasons, and the Serbian could be a value-for-money addition in most FPL squads. Under new manager Antonio Conte, Matic has seen himself involved in more attacks than he usually has been in, which has seen him tally four assists – just one fewer than the leading assist-getter Kevin de Bruyne. Also, with Chelsea keeping three consecutive clean sheets, Matic may be in the run for an additional point.
Roping in Coutinho may prove to be good business
At £8.4m, Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho is the third-highest points getter in the midfielders category and the highest scorer for his club. With four goals and three assists to his name, the Brazilian magician finds himself in 38 percent FPL squads.
Also, given Liverpool’s highly favourable fixture list, hopping in on the Coutinho bandwagon could prove to be an efficient transfer. He may also be worth taking a four point hit, because his form his certain to eclipse the loss within the next few weeks.
Heaton makes case for a second goalkeeper or a cheap number one
Tom Heaton (£4.6m) will return to his former side Manchester United this weekend. While very few expect the English keeper to maintain a shutout, it may not be the worst decision to bring him into your FPL side.
Given Manchester United’s attacking prowess, Heaton is likely to be kept a busy man on Saturday and will get an additional point for every three saves he makes. He also has made the most saves in the league this season which has seen him top the points tally for goalkeepers. Rather than shelling out over 5.5m on a keeper, Heaton may well a better and more cost-efficient alternative.
Holebas, Redmond acquisitions could work both ways
Pragmatic FPL managers often see themselves pondering whether or not to bring in a star performer from a mid-table club. The general notion is to pick a player from a team that performs consistently, but given the nature of England’s top tier, nothing can be guaranteed.
Jason Holebas (£4.7m) and Nathon Redmond (£6.4m) have both been heavily transferred in this weekend, but it may not be a certainty that the two are likely to perform.
The former is the more favourable bet as he has been bought by over 58000 managers this gameweek, but his form has been a tad erratic for one to consider him as a guaranteed scorer. Holebas has provided returns of over 2 points on just four occasions this season, and it could be a gamble most FPL managers would likely avoid taking.
Redmond, on the other hand, has scored in his last two games and has kept clean sheets in the three games prior to that. He is one of the in-form midfielders in FPL, and while most managers could be inclined to bring him into their teams, games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton in the next four weeks will make awful reading for Southampton.
Our Team of the Week: Grant; Koscielny, Clyne, Clichy (Zuniga); Sanchez, Son, Milner Coutinho; Lukaku, Costa, Deeney.
Points earned last week: 60