It’s another short week, and a mini double gameweek at that, so we’ll keep the intro brief this week. Make sure to check out all our Rotoworld content over the next 24 hours before the deadline.
Of my recent picks, John Fleck and Jack Grealish each recorded a goal and three bonus points while Adama Traoré (two assists) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (goal) each earned two bonus points for their outstanding performances over the weekend. Joe Gomez also recorded another clean sheet, which makes five out of the last five for Liverpool.
Without further delay, here are the bargain hits and misses ahead of Gameweek 24. I’m welcoming all suggestions and debates on Twitter (@gastelumEPL)— I would love to include your thoughts here in this column next week and throughout the season. If you don’t want your name mentioned, just let me know; otherwise, I’ll be sure to give your Twitter handle a shout-out.
All of the stats used in this column come straight from the good folks at Fantasy Premier League on a weekly basis. Our friends at FPL.com take the data from a thousand private leagues, all of which consist of eight teams, in order to minimize the impact of data from public leagues where autopick drafting is more prevalent.
Of course, it’s just a sample size, so it’s not hard and fast; but it should give us a good idea of the tendencies of FPL Draft leagues and managers. Remember, the waivers deadline is a full 24 hours before the first game of the week, and the lowest-placed team in your league gets the first pick.
One-week Pick (OWP) - When a regular is suspended for a match, ineligible to face his parent club as a loanee, or his fill-in looks to deputize for only a week while the regular nurses a minor injury, this is where to find some replacements. They should only be looked at when you really need help at a position that week alone, and not looked at as long term plays. Best for salary cap leagues with unlimited transactions, not so much for draft leagues.
Short-term Pick (STP) - When a regular faces a multi-game suspension, an injury layoff lasting 2-5 weeks, international commitment, etc., this is where you look for players that can offer more beyond one week but do have a limited shelf life in most cases. Worth using a waiver claim or spending a bit more of your free agent budget (FAAB) than the One Week Buys. Can be useful in salary-cap format as long as you are comfortable with possibly needing to transfer them out in a few weeks.
Long-term Pick (LTP) - When a regular is either facing a month or more out or has lost his spot seemingly to someone better, these are the players that emerge as potential long-term investments and are therefore the most valuable of the group and worth paying up. Great for any format, but especially valuable in draft leagues with limited waiver claims.
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BARGAINS:
GK – Pepe Reina (Aston Villa)
With Tom Heaton out for the season due to a knee injury, Aston Villa moved immediately for a veteran keeper in Pepe Reina, who arrives on loan from AC Milan. The Villains wasted no time by starting the former Liverpool keeper in a 1-1 draw with Brighton over the weekend, signaling that Reina will be the club’s top choice in goal for the remainder of the season. That’s a good sign for FPL Draft managers now that we have another proven option to choose from in goal, especially for those who rotate keepers depending on the fixture list.
With upcoming games against Watford, Bournemouth, Southampton and Sheffield United, among others, in the next month, Reina looks to be a good platoon option for the short-term future. Despite only being available on the waiver wire for the last week, even before his first start, he’s already taken in four percent of our latest sample of FPL Draft leagues, a figure that will likely double by the next gameweek. While Reina isn’t a star pick that will be fought over, he provides a steady presence and another option at a position that is always so difficult to find new blood. For now, you can keep an eye on the Spaniard, but as a backup keeper in FPL Draft you can’t ask for much more in terms of credentials.
DEF – Craig Cathcart (Watford)
Every week I seem to rave about the work that Nigel Pearson has done at Watford, but every week I find the job he has done to be more impressive. Against Spurs this weekend, Watford hung on for a draw but were unlucky not to come away with three points in a match that saw last week’s forward pick in Troy Deeney miss a penalty. However, the Hornets did manage to secure their fifth clean sheet in their last eight Premier League games to continue their six-match unbeaten run in league play, which has also seen Ben Foster rise to the top of the FPL charts for goalkeepers.
A major part of that success comes down to their defensive leader: center-back Craig Cathcart. Now in his sixth full season in the top flight, Cathcart has been a model of reliability, missing only two games this season while playing a key role in each of the club’s eight clean sheets this season. Yet despite the recent success, Catchart is only taken in 12 percent of FPL Draft leagues. And with the club’s upcoming fixtures against Aston Villa, Everton and Brighton, there could very well be more clean sheet points on the table for Nigel Pearson’s defense.
DEF – Mason Holgate (Everton)
When I saw the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti at Everton, I thought Mason Holgate’s starting run in defense might be over, so I held off on recommending him. But Ancelotti has seemed to embrace Holgate’s versatility as a defender, employing him as part of his three-at-the-back setup that has worked well for the Toffees so far. Everton have recorded three clean sheets in their last six games while also going unbeaten at home in their last four matches, taking 10 out of their last 12 points at Goodison Park while conceding only one goal.
With home matches against Newcastle and Crystal Palace sandwiching a trip to Watford in the next three games, this can only spell good things for this much-improved Everton side. In his last six games, Holgate has recorded 30 FPL points thanks to three clean sheets and an assist and three bonus points for his role in this weekend’s 1-1 draw with West Ham. The Barnsley academy product is taken in about a quarter of FPL Draft leagues, but I would try to make a move for him soon based off the club’s upcoming fixtures more than a surge in his popularity among FPL managers. A consistent defender on a quality side who throws in an assist every so often is a great asset to have for the short-term.
MID – Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool)
I wish I was writing this post because Gini Wijnaldum has started to return to that 11-goal, six-assist form he had back in his debut Premier League season with Newcastle in 2015/16, but this is more a pick out of circumstance than form. That’s because Liverpool have a double gameweek this week with trips to Wolves and West Ham, so really this is more of a one-week pick than anything. With just two goals on the season, Wijnaldum looks like he has accepted more of a central role; however, with the double gameweek, I think Wijnaldum represents a low-risk, high-reward option as a OWP.
Against Manchester United, Wijnaldum had a goal called off for being offside, but looked much more active in the club’s attack and still accrues clean sheet points with five straight clean sheets. The Dutch international is also one of the few Liverpool starters available on the waiver wire in less than 50 percent of FPL Draft leagues with his ownership sitting around 43 percent. I think that Wijnaldum represents a great chance for a differential in the coming week with two games, especially as the last midfielder in your team. At the very least there should be four points on the table with the hope for more in clean sheets and a goal or two.
