Weekly Wildcards: Gameweek Fourteen

Every week The Hype Train analyses the best wildcard options for your Fantasy Premier League teams. Historically weekly dream team’s comprise of mostly wildcard players whose selection falls under 5% of overall players, to which there is no doubt that their influence cannot be ignored. With such an abundance of points coming from the FPL’s hidden gems The Hype Train selects one player from each match in the upcoming gameweek to decide who could be the differential for your teams.

LAST WEEKS PERFORMANCE (GW 13)

Four out of ten successes is considered a decent haul, not the best, but getting there in terms of predictability. Adam Lallana stole an assist from Nathaniel Clyne to show his first signs of promise in Klopp’s team, Gerard Deulofeu made another impressive start with an assist in Everton’s game, Stekelenburg kept another clean sheet, and Nicolas Otamendi continued his amazing start to life at the Etihad. Glenn Murray not appearing for Bournemouth was a let-down, resulting in a nine man team, and West Brom not being to hold it together were the major disappointments in an otherwise fruitful week.

Gameweek Twelve Average Points: 55pts Gameweek Twelve Wildcard Points: 41pts

Nathan Ake: 1pt

Asmir Begovic: 6pts

Brendan Galloway: 6pts

Danny Simpson: 10pts

Virgil Van Dijk: 2pts

Joshua King: 7pts

Joel Campbell: 1pt

Jordan Ibe: 1pt

Dele Alli: 5pts

Wilfried Zaha: 2pts

TEAM OF THE WEEK WILDCARDS

Surprises are no longer a part of the wildcards, expect everything in the dream team…familiar faces, unknowns, random inclusions, and just plain ridiculousness. There was six wildcards and five non-wildcards in this week’s dream team, the trusted faces included Coutinho, Ayew, Barkley, Kane, and Lukaku who are considered staples so far. Seven teams formed the eleven, with two Liverpool, Sunderland, Everton, and Leicester players making up the bulk of the team after excellent performances. Coutinho helped his fellow team-mate and countryman Firmino destroy Manchester City, and Simpson helped out Ulloa in Newcastle’s defeat to Leicester, and Barkley and Lukaku formed a lethal partnership once again, and in defence it was Billy Jones helping out his goalkeeper.

The points and inclusions went hand in hand this week; players in the dream team were actively helping others also make the cut as seen in these four cases. As the season develops expect more of this as patterns start to form, treat some games like dominoes…once one goes they all fall in motion such as Coutinho and Firmino illustrated this week. The biggest noteworthy mention is that the defence and goalkeeper were all wildcards, a worrying sign that the Premier League’s inconsistency shows no means to slow down any time soon.

Wildcards: Pantilimon, Pieters, Jones, Simpson, Firmino, Ulloa (6)

Non Wildcards: Coutinho, Ayew, Barkley, Kane, Lukaku (5)

Points achieved by Wildcards: 69pts

Points achieved by Non-Wildcards: 60pts

THIS WEEKS WILDCARDS

For Gameweek Thirteen we are once again selecting ten wildcards, one for each game. Same rules apply: the players we choose must not be selected by more than five percent of the games players. We start in order of the games listed on the official Fantasy Premier League site.

The wildcard options selection percentage is accurate as of Tuesday 24/11/2015.

TROY DEENEY, ASTON VILLA VS WATFORD

Player Name: Troy Deeney

Club: Watford

Position: Forward

Price: £5.1mil

Ownership: 2.2%

Of the three promoted teams is has been Watford who have been the most surprising, new manager, new squad just about, and also this was the first time they have returned to the Premier League since 2006. Everything would otherwise say the Hornets would struggle but that is the last thing they have done, they have thrived and pushed teams, bolstered their defence and also exhibited a great attacking line too. At h the forefront of this is their captain and one of last year’s best players in the Championship Troy Deeney. The captain has registered an impressive six points in his last three appearances and with three appetising fixtures on the horizon he wouldn’t need to be rotated. On penalties and also good at his feet it might be time to start considering Deeney as a cheap third striker once again.

Last Three

11 – WHU (H) – 2pts

12 – LEI (A) – 8pts

13 – MUN (H) – 6pts

Next Three

14 – AVL (A) – 28th November, 15:00pm

15 – NOR (H) – 5th December, 15:00pm

16 – SUN (A) – 12th December, 15:00pm

MATT RITCHIE, BOURNEMOUTH VS EVERTON

Player Name: Matt Ritchie

Club: Bournemouth

Position: Midfielder

Price: £5.6mil

Ownership: 1.4%

Picking up a valuable point against Swansea will give a boost to Eddie Howe’s men who look to beat the drop and make it until the big money arrives next season. One man that has played a big part of their season so far is Matt Ritchie who has been playing either right or left of midfield. Tasked with martialling the flanks he provided an assist for one of the Cherrie’s goals against Everton which shows that Howe is looking to his established names to make more of an impact in matches. Wanting to now give it a good fight the Cherries will be looking to their home fixtures to obtain many of their survival points, and players like Ritchie will have to play their part to do this. Ritchie is both playmaker and goal scorer, and set piece taker, so there is value in having the Scotsman against Everton. Bournemouth will have to be wary due to Everton’s goal scoring prowess, but if they continue their improvement they can hurt the Toffees.

Last Three

11 – SOU (A) – 2pts

12 – NEW (H) – 2pts

13 – SWA (A) – 4pts

Next Three

14 – EVE (H) – 28th November, 15:00pm

15 – CHE (A) – 5th December, 17:30pm

16 – MUN (H) – 12th December, 17:30pm

CONNOR WICKHAM, CRYSTAL PALACE VS NEWCASTLE

Player Name: Connor Wickham

Club: Crystal Palace

Position: Forward

Price: £5.5

Ownership: 0.3%

After a brief search of google there are some calling this fixture the ‘Pardew Derby’, let that sink in for a second because unlike the Pulis Derby this match is much more emotional than you’d think. Pardew is up against the club whose fans wanted him to leave so desperately, and then discovered that they needed him more than ever before they were saved from relegation by the skin of their teeth. Pardew will relish beating Newcastle, but so will his latest acquisition Connor Wickham who knows what it feels like beating Newcastle in the many Tyne-Wear derbies that the Toon had lost in the last three years. Crystal Palace have a point to prove by beating one of the weakest squads in the league, and add the motivation of the home parties to add more nails to the Toon coffin then you have the table set for an intriguing fixture. Wickham is back in the starting team and could be the difference that helps to once again unwind a sloppy Toon defence.

Last Three

11 – MUN (H) – 0pts

12 – LIV (A) – 1pt

13 – SUN (H) – 2pts

Next Three

14 – NEW (H) – 28th November, 15:00pm

15 – EVE (A) – 7th December, 20:00pm

16 – SOU (H) – 12TH December, 15:00pm

SHANE LONG, MANCHESTER CITY VS SOUTHAMPTON

Player Name: Shane Long

Club: Southampton

Position: Forward

Price: £5.7mil

Ownership: 0.4%

With a suspension to Pelle hurting the Saints it isn’t all doom and gloom as they have Shane Long back from injury and able to step into the middle for Southampton, and after watching Liverpool rout the Citizens last gameweek the Saints will feel confident of picking up points if they work hard enough. Long is great at running through and past defenders which is what hurt City against Liverpool so much, so it could be a much more potent Saints attack than hoping for hold up play from Pelle. City have not looked comfortable at home because they like to attack for the greater majority of time, so having Long on the break is a big advantage for Southampton. Long has a chance to prove himself once again up top for Ronald Koeman and raise even further question marks about Pelle for when he returns next week.

Last Three

11 – BOU (H) – 0pts

12 – SUN (A) – 0pts

13 – STK (H) – 2pts

Next Three

14 – MCI (A) – 28th November, 15:00pm

15 – AVL (H) – 5th December, 15:00pm

16 – CRY (A) – 12th December, 15:00pm

PATRICK VAN AANHOLT, SUNDERLAND VS STOKE

Player Name: Patrick Van Aanholt

Club: Sunderland

Position: Defender

Price: £4.6mil

Ownership: 0.3%

A gritty victory against Crystal Palace is exactly what Big Sam needed to help boost the Black Cats fight for survival this year. Defensively they didn’t do much wrong against the Eagles, they kept the likes of Puncheon and Bolasie tame all game which is impressive considering the eye for goals that Palace have. This time round however is an in-form Stoke City who has also been defensively inclined themselves in recent weeks. Fielding five at the back was crucial to their success as it allows the full-backs to get further forward and join in with the attack more fluidly. Van Aanholt has been reintroduced back into the side and after keeping a clean sheet the full-back sets eyes on doing exactly the same again. Stoke will be a tough test but in the next three games they have two promising home games for clean sheet potential with a trip to Arsenal sandwiched between them. For both attacking and defensive returns the Dutchman is a solid pick for this week.

Last Three

11 – EVE (A) – 2pts

12 – SOU (H) – 0pts

13 – CRY (A) – 6pts

Next Three

14 – STK (H) – 28th November, 15:00pm

15 – ARS (A) – 5th December, 15:00pm

16 – WAT (H) – 12th December, 15:00pm

DANNY DRINKWATER, LEICESTER VS MANCHESTER UNITED

Player Name: Danny Drinkwater

Club: Manchester United

Position: Midfielder

Price: £4.5mil

Ownership: 1.5%

Last season this fixture was game of the season, and Danny Drinkwater was in the heart of midfield for it. One year later he is still in the starting team after consistently producing solid performances in the middle of the Foxes setup. Originally Ander Herrera was the pick for this fixture, but his injury got escalated which meant another option had to be picked. No defender is worth the pick in this fixture based on last season’s fixture, and there are no attackers of who are wildcards that left Drinkwater as the only real option to include. His inclusion isn’t the worst, he is chipping in with assists and if follows the path of the last time these teams faced at Leicester’s ground then points could come from anywhere.

Last Three

11 – WBA (A) – 5pts

12 – WAT (H) – 2pts

13 – NEW (A) – 3pts

Next Three

14 – MUN (H) – 28TH November 17:30pm

15 – SWA (A) – 5th December, 15:00pm

16 – CHE (H) – 14th December, 20:00

HEUNG-MIN SON, SPURS VS CHELSEA

Player Name: Heuing-Min Son

Club: Spurs

Position: Forward

Price: £7.8mil

Ownership: 0.3%

Tottenham Hotspurs have displayed some terrific form in the last four weeks, they have Harry Kane back to his scoring ways, they apparently can now defend, they are working harder than ever, and now they welcome back a team that they destroyed last year at White Hart Lane. Chelsea have recently won a match but do not let that trap you into believing they have improved, they scrapped against Norwich to win and in this fixture they will have to work much, much harder to just draw. Chelsea are still not out of the woods and there may be more heartache for the Blues as they look to keep out Kane and the returning Son out of goal. Son recently returned from injury and has been lively and influential in both Premier and Europa League fixtures in the last week, even grabbing an assist when he was on the pitch against West Ham. Due to the injuries currently holding Spurs back, and the suspension to Alli, Son will have a place in the starting squad and look to help inflict a second consecutive loss to Chelsea at the Lane. Spurs beat Manchester City convincingly early in the year at home, so they look to keep up their good record against last year’s top four at home.

Last Three

11 – AVL (H) – 0pts

12 – ARS (A) – 1pt

13 – WHU (H) – 5pts

Next Three

14 – (H) – 29th November, 12:00pm

15 – (A) – 5th December, 15:00pm

16 – (H) – 13th December, 16:00pm

MANUEL LANZINI, WEST HAM VS WEST BROM

Player Name: Manuel Lanzini

Club: West Ham

Position: Midfielder

Price: £5.4mil

Ownership: 1.8%

In the absence of Dimitri Payet a lot of creativity now rests on the shoulders of the Argentine Manuel Lanzini who has shined so far for the Hammers. Eighteen points from his last three games is a great haul from a player still new to the Premier League and in the next three he could add to that figure with two home games against West Brom and Stoke with Manchester United sandwiched between at home. Lazini’s confidence is high and Slavan Bilic will be looking at tweaking his system to get the best out of Lanzini now they are without their star man. Despite being second best to Spurs it was Lanzini was a spark for West Ham and with an easier challenge it could be lucky number three for the young attacking midfielder.

Last Three

11 – WAT (A) – 1pt

12 – EVE (H) – 10pts

13 – TOT (A) – 7pts

Next Three

14 – WBA (H) – 29th November, 14:05pm

15 – MUN (A) – 5TH December, 15:00pm

16 – STK (H) – 12th December, 15:00pm

ROBERTO FIRMINO, LIVERPOOL VS SWANSEA

Player Name: Roberto Firmino

Club: Liverpool

Position: Midfielder

Price: £8.0mil

Ownership: 1.2%

The Brazilian connection to Firmino looks as if it is about to explode for Liverpool, the trickery and guile of Firmino and Coutinho was a wonderful display against Manchester City when Liverpool routed the two-time champions on their home turf. Firmino in particular was the playmaker for Coutinho, playing his Brazilian countryman into space, against City he assisted two goals and scored one of his own which was set up by Coutinho. Against Swansea we fully expect to see a familiar setup, the two of them pulling apart Swansea. Christian Benteke will most likely be involved either from the start of the bench but it shouldn’t matter as Firmino should have his place in the squad on lock down. The Red’s opponents are Swansea of whom they have a very good record against and have scored a lot of goals in the past, last year in this fixture Liverpool scored four goals and with Klopp now on two straight wins against City in the league, and Bordeaux in the Europa League it could be time for a third against a declining Swans squad. Klopp wants better results at home and that might happen starting this weekend.

Last Three

11 – CHE (A) – 5pts

12 – CRY (H) – 1pts

13 – MCI (A) – 15pts

Next Three

14 – SWA (H) – 29th November, 16:15pm

15 – NEW (A) – 6th December, 16:00pm

16 – WBA (H) – 13th December, 16:00pm

WES HOOLAHAN, NORWICH VS ARSENAL

Player Name: Wes Hoolahan

Club: Norwich

Position: Midfielder

Price: £5.0mil

Ownership: 3.8%

Making another appearance in the wildcards is the Irishman Hoolahan whose Norwich welcomes Arsenal this gameweek. Stricken by injuries, especially to that of Francis Coquelin, it could be a long afternoon for the Gunners who were bested by West Brom last week. Hoolahan is Norwich’s main playmaker and the Canaries will be looking to him to get the ball into the feet of the striker and hurt their defence. Hoolahan has been hit and miss so far but if there was a better chance to steal points in the bid to survive the drop then there is no better opportunity.

Last Three

11 – MCI (A) – 0pts

12 – SWA (H) – 3pts

13 – CHE (A) – 1pts

Next Three

14 – ARS (H) – 29th November, 16:15pm

15 – WAT (A) – 5th December, 15:00pm

16 – EVE (H) – 12th December, 12:45pm

For all GW 13 build up, check out the Weekly Hype page now.

All aboard.