So the first gameweek has been concluded, ending the long wait for the Fantasy Premier League managers. After the initial warm up, the managers must have had a better understanding of the teams, which would help them from the next gameweeks. There are some points that we would like to highlight upon moving into the second gameweek.
The large Chelsea squad
We can safely bet that the most disappointed people after the end of the first gameweek are undoubtedly the managers who counted on Chelsea’s double gameweek and included Mata and Lukaku in their team. Although, we cannot blame them for their choice and must say that these two players had immense potential, Chelsea’s huge squad had prevented them from getting the full gametime on both occasions. With such a huge team, rotation is bound to happen in the Chelsea ranks, especially after the impressive performances of Schrulle and De Bruyne. Mata’s gametime looks limited, at least for now (he might be subbed around the 60th minute reducing the chances of getting big points). With both Ba and Torres under-performing Mourinho might opt for Lukaku this time around, so its a little tricky when it comes to selecting a Chelsea player.
The newcomers
Some of the newcomers most definitely impressed in the first week and are worth a thought. Roberto Soldado scored for the Spurs, albeit from a penalty spot, and looked to be at the right place at the right time. He also scored twice during Spurs’ midweek Europa League game and looks set for big things. With Tottenham getting stronger by the day, it is fair to assume that he would have plenty of opportunities to score in the coming weeks. Wilfried Bony came off the bench against United and scored one impressive goal. At £8m, he looks a steal. Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored one against a strong Everton side and with a £7m price tag, coupled with an impressive fixture, is certainly a valuable player.
Van Persie’s heroics and the Chamakh trump card
Last week in this column I mentioned my scepticism for Van Persie’s price tag. But the flying Dutch has justified the £14m price of his to the last penny by scoring two brilliant goals to provide his side with a win. It may be difficult to arrange the funds and include him in your team now, but this man is surely going to fetch the points, no matter how hard the fixture maybe.
So if you are going for Van Persie who has a £14m price tag, you will have to complement on your other players. For eg: if you have Van Persie and Benteke who both are in red hot form right now (and comes to a whopping £23 million together), why don’t you use a third option to me a cheaper one and concentrate on your midfield.
We suggest former Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh as a viable option. Chamakh, who has moved to Crystal Palace. Ian Holloway suggest the Moroccan will be an integral part of his team. Nicolas Anelka was widely used as the third striker by the FPL managers, but the striker’s future is in doubts after he walked out on West Brom’s training yesterday as his brother has passed away and with a few dailies reporting that he might even consider hanging his boots. So take a gamble, pick him and probably use him when Palace play smaller teams and go for a 4-4-2 formation and use one extra midfielder when Palace faces a strong team.