Weekly Wildcards: Gameweek Fifteen
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 14)
This might just be the first week in fourteen that all of the team that was fielded in the wildcard picks was starting, and also the first week where nobody registered zero or one point. Anything over the standard appearance point’s threshold is considered a success, and from gameweek fourteen six of the ten wildcards would have made you contented with your team selection. Lanzini and Firmino got three points which is modest, but not bad, and that is much more than what a lot of midfielders promise when there are a lack of clean sheet opportunities currently in the Premier League.
The best picks were that of Sunderland’s van Aanholt who registered fifteen points, one of the highest wildcard points returns registered, and Troy Deeney who helped Watford continue their impressive start. Connor Wickham also impressed with two assists in the rout of Newcastle, so fully expect the ex-Black Cat to get a good run out of fixtures after linking up with the midfield.
Gameweek Fourteen Average Points: 51pts Gameweek Fourteen Wildcard Points: 55pts
Troy Deeney: 11pts Matt Ritchie: 2pts Connor Wickham: 8pts Shane Long: 7pts Patrick Van Aanholt: 15pts Danny Drinkwater: 2pts Heung-Min Son: 2pts Manuel Lanzini: 3pts Roberto Firmino: 3pts Wes Hoolahan: 2pts
TEAM OF THE WEEK WILDCARDS
No surprise to see eight players with low representation comprise the dream team, only three familiar faces to teams made the cut with De Bruyne showing why Chelsea shouldn’t have sold him, Ighalo continuing his stellar form, and Ross Barkley having another amazing haul. An Everton and City midfielder have their places locked down in the dream team so it will be no guesses as to who may occupy the dream team next week.
In terms of wildcards there are some great options out there, Sunderland’s defence in particular are where the points are for defensive units. Three of their players once again show their faces and after being dropped to near extinction it is Costal Pantilimon who exacts his FPL revenge by becoming the top keeper in two consecutive weeks. The Hype Train always knew he was going to have another good year, and going by these signs he is now a linchpin for the Black Cats survival hopes. Troy Deeney is now destined to become wildcard heritage, the Watford duo now occupy the two strikers slots in the dream team and it is refreshing seeing a pairing do so well as many teams now opt for only one striker. Whilst Ighalo is the trusted source of points out of the two expect stock in Deeney to remain low and his price also just as low, so he may be a wise option considering he is on penalties for the Hornets and after three solid returns in as many weeks he could become an important cog in the FPL. Aside from this the Crystal Palace midfield that destroyed Newcastle make appearances, Bolasie in particular showing why inconsistency can hurt his representation, he was never a wildcard but performances of no worth led him down that path, what is worse is that FPL managers may not want to take him out for moments like the one he had at the weekend. Rounding up the wildcards is Stanislas who took Everton’s party from leaving town with two dramatic goals, and Alberto Moreno for Liverpool shined as Klopp’s men climbed to sixth in the table after a nervy win over Swansea.
Wildcards: Pantilimon, van Aanholt, Yedlin, Moreno, Bolasie, Stanislas, McArthur, Deeney (8)
Non Wildcards: De Bruyne, Ighalo, Barkley (3)
Points achieved by Wildcards: 97pts
Points achieved by Non-Wildcards: 41pts
THIS WEEKS WILDCARDS
For Gameweek Fifteen 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 01/12/2015.
NICOLAS OTAMENDI, STOKE VS MANCHESTER CITY
Player Name: Nicolas Otamendi
Club: Manchester City
Position: Defender
Price: £6.5mil
Ownership: 1.2%
Otamendi has been one of the most selected wildcards, and for good reason. He is an elite player selected by few people, his price is stable, and his points are too. The Argentine plays in a top four team, which should have a great chance of remaining that way. It is also very difficult to get any other Manchester City player into the wildcards except this man. The Stoke attack hasn’t been that potent and you would expect that Manchester City will make it difficult for the Potters to play, especially if Otamendi is playing. Not much else really needs to be said about this pick as you know what you are getting with Otamendi at this point.
Last Three
11 – AVL (A) – 8pts
12 – LIV (H) – 0pts
13 – SOU (H) – 2pts
Next Three
14 – STK (A) – 5th December, 12:45pm
15 – SWA (H) – 12th December, 15:00pm
16 – ARS (A) – 21st December, 20:00pm
COSTAL PANTILIMON, ARSENAL VS SUNDERLAND
Player Name: Costal Pantilimon
Club: Sunderland
Position: Goalkeeper
Price: £4.8mil
Ownership: 0.8%
Costal Pantilimon exacted hurtful FPL revenge on all those who took him out of their teams, he transformed into the wildcard extraordinaire, picking up twenty one points in his last three performances. The warning signs were on when he registered his trademark three points against Southampton, since then the giant Romanian had laughed in the faces of the Stoke and Crystal Palace attacks. At this stage it doesn’t matter who the goalkeeper goes up against, and in gameweek fifteen it is a severely depleted Arsenal who may struggle goals without the majority of their key men. Last season Sunderland drew at the Emirates to retain their Premier League status, so don’t be surprised to see another gritty defensive display from the Black Cats and the heroics of Pantilimon. Costal’s revenge on the FPL community may very well continue.
Last Three
11 – SOU (H) – 3pts
12 – CRY (A) – 10pts
13 – STK (H) – 8pts
Next Three
14 – ARS (A) – 5th December, 15:00pm
15 – WAT (H) – 12th December, 15:00pm
16 – CHE (A) – 19th December, 15:00pm
MAURO ZARATE, MANCHESTER UNITED VS WEST HAM
Player Name: Mauro Zarate
Club: West Ham
Position: Forward
Price: £5.3mil
Ownership: 0.8%
‘Trap’ is a word that the FPL community uses to describe a situation in which you think something is concrete, but in truth the concrete hasn’t set and you’re sinking in it. West Ham are that trap away from home, and after beating some of the best teams on their home soil it may very be the turn of Manchester United to feel this kind of defeat to a resilient Hammers under Slavan Bilic. Manchester United’s attack is without question lacking any firepower; the Louis Van Gaal Army is struggling to pack punches. West Ham could make another bit of history in what is a good season so far for them, and playing in the central attacking position is Mauro Zarate who scored in the game against West Brom to add to his tally for the season. When he moved to West Ham he had the reputation as being a scoring machine at Velez, so there is the opportunity that fortunate comes knocking again for the Hammers away from home.
Last Three
11 – EVE (H) – 0pts
12 – TOT (A) – 1pt
13 – WBA (H) – 9pts
Next Three
14 – MUN (A) – 5th December, 15:00pm
15 – STK (H) – 12th December, 15:00pm
16 – SWA (A) – 20th December, 16:00pm
RYAN BERTRAND, SOUTHAMPTON VS ASTON VILLA
Player Name: Ryan Bertrand
Club: Southampton
Position: Defender
Price: £5.3mil
Ownership: 2.0%
The match against Liverpool on Wednesday started so well for Southampton, Bertrand assisted Sadio Mane for the opening goal, quality converting quality. Then disaster for Southampton as they let Liverpool slip through six times to leave them speechless. Nobody currently favours the Saint's defence after three consecutive losses, but keen FPL managers will be looking at this as a potential trap because Southampton are now looking to improve their game, and no doubt that will be back from the back. Bertrand showed quality against Liverpool and he could offer returns again in gameweek fifteen.
Fortunately for Southampton they have the perfect opportunity to make amends on their loss to Liverpool in the Capital One Cup as bottom of the table Aston Villa are visiting St Mary's. The Saint's record against the Villains is good and this should be a comfortable game for Koeman's side looking to bounce back from humiliation in midweek.
Last Three
11 – SUN (A) – 8pts
12 – STK (H) – 2pts
13 – MCI (A) – 1pt
Next Three
14 – (H) – 5th December, 15:00pm
15 – (A) – 12th December, 15:00pm
16 – (H) – 19th December, 15:00pm
EDER, SWANSEA VS LEICESTER
Player Name: Eder
Club: Swansea
Position: Forward
Price: £5.0mil
Ownership: 0.1%
In a desperate attempt to shake things up among a patchy run of form Garry Monk has dropped Gomis and put in Eder, a player so similar in style that it makes you question why they dropped Gomis in the first place. Ironically Eder is the top Portuguese striker who was playing second fiddle to a striker not in the France team, nothing makes sense at Swansea. Nobody knows when they are going to win, or when they are going to get their next points. This isn’t a hateful review of the Swans, they are just struggling at the moment and need something to change, and they have the opportunity to do that against high flying Leicester. The Foxes struggle against set-pieces, and Eder is the perfect recipient of what could be points for Swansea. The tall forward could get his first in a Swans shirt, nobody would expect it, so you have to consider the impossible for this selection.
Last Three
11 – NOR (A) – 1pt
12 – BOU (H) – 2pts
13 – LIV (A) – 2pts
Next Three
14 – LEI (H) – 5TH December, 15:00pm
15 – MCI (A) – 12th December, 15:00pm
16 – WHU (H) – 20th December, 16:00pm
TROY DEENEY, WATFORD VS NORWICH
Player Name: Troy Deeney
Club: Watford
Position: Forward
Price: £5.1mil
Ownership: 2.7%
The Hornet's captain has been on some serious form in the last month, and Troy Deeney is fast approaching become the cheap alternative striker after picking up (X) points in his last three appearances. As mentioned already Ighalo is keeping him as a wildcard which is great because his price will stay relatively low and unaffected, so picking him up for a good price will always be an option. Watford have found a way to play in their iconic leader around Ighalo who has been stealing the show, which is encouraging signs that Watford are playing to score goals and not defend which is always a great selling point for investing in a striker. Unlike West Brom who seeks to defend, Watford is out to win matches, and at their disposal are two goal scorers who show no intent of letting up any time soon.
Last Three
11 – LEI (A) – 8pts
12 – MUN (H) – 6pts
13 – AVL (A) – 11pts
Next Three
14 – NOR (H) – 5TH December, 15:00pm
15 – SUN (A) – 12th December, 15:00pm
16 – LIV (H) – 20th December, 13:30pm
DANNY ROSE, WEST BROM VS SPURS
Player Name: Danny Rose
Club: Spurs
Position: Defender
Price: £5.2mil
Ownership: 1.9%
At the beginning of the season The Hype Train slated the Spurs defence, but now they have laughed in the faces of all the pundits. At one point a public apology will be made, mostly because we didn’t expect from them…but that is why we are so surprised. We expected nothing and were delivered plates of golden defence points. Danny Rose is also a highly praised attacking unit who likes nabbing a goal for himself, so he has the best chances of getting some points no matter what. Spurs are compact and pressing teams, Pochettino has made Spurs difficult to beat and their thirteen match unbeaten streak is down to the defensive prowess of the seatbelt warriors. West Brom aren’t themselves at the moment, they are doing well, but they are leaking goals and on the occasion not scoring, so the chips are in place for another Spurs success that will include Rose.
Last Three
11 – ARS (A) – 7pts
12 – WHU (H) – 2pts
13 – CHE (H) – 5pts
Next Three
14 – WBA (A) – 5TH December, 15:00pm
15 – NEW (H) – 13th December, 16:00pm
16 – SOU (A) – 19th December, 15:00pm
CESC FABREGAS, CHELSEA VS BOURNEMOUTH
Player Name: Cesc Fabregas
Club: Chelsea
Position: Midfielder
Price: £8.4mil
Ownership: 4.9%
Chelsea has had a disastrous start to the season, and one player that The Hype Train saw hit the wildcards the second Ozil started in form was Cesc Fabregas. The Chelsea playmaker has been patchy this season, but in the last two fixtures Chelsea has started to pick up results against Norwich and Tottenham with twelve points. The best thing for Chelsea options in the FPL is that they have a very favourable run in the Christmas run-in, with their next two home games against Bournemouth and Sunderland. Cesc was influential in the home win over Norwich and the Blues will look to see more of the same from their Spaniard to influence games. This could be a great beginning to kick start their late season.
Last Three
11 – STK (A) – 1pt
12 – NOR (H) – 9pts
13 – TOT (A) – 3pts
Next Three
14 – BOU (H) – 5th December, 17:30pm
15 – LEI (A) – 14th December, 20:00pm
16 – SUN (H) – 19th December, 15:00pm
ALBERTO MORENO, NEWCASTLE VS LIVERPOOL
Player Name: Alberto Moreno
Club: Liverpool
Position: Defender
Price: £4.9%
Ownership: 4.8%
After silencing the Saint's fans with chants of 'Adam Lallana, he's winning six-one' the travelling Liverpool wrecking ball arrives at the home of one of the leakiest defences in the Premier League in Newcastle United. Alberto Moreno had set up the most debated Divock Origi goal on Wednesday, hitting a low drive from a corner past Stekelenburg, only for the Belgian forward to get the most faint and final touch. Moreno was a constant presence down the left channel and has enjoyed a long run-out in Klopp's new look Liverpool side, and after picking up the three bonus against Swansea he become a great alternative with Liverpool's upcoming run of fixtures.
In Newcastle's current state, and Liverpool's goal scoring form away from home there is both the chance that the Spaniard could keep a clean sheet and get among the goals in this nervy encounter for the Toon who host one of the most deadly teams in the division.
Last Three
11 – CRY (H) – 1pts
12 – MCI (A) – 2pts
13 – SWA (H) – 9pts
Next Three
14 – (A) – 6th December, 16:00pm
15 – (H) – 13th December, 16:00pm
16 – (A) – 20th December, 13:30pm
If Moreno doesn't tickle your fancy away at Newcastle, perhaps another wildcard option will...
YANNICK BOLASIE, EVERTON VS CRYSTAL PALACE
Player Name: Yannick Bolasie
Club: Crystal Palace
Position: Midfielder
Price: £6.1mil
Ownership: 4.7%
If there is one thing that gets Alan Pardew’s tongue wagging is the thought of taking Yannick Bolasie to Merseyside. A few gameweeks ago Bolasie scored the first goal for the Eagles in their customary win over Liverpool, and last year he scored the winner in this very fixture against Everton. Playing as a striker and registered as a midfielder is his biggest selling point, against Newcastle he was paired with Connor Wickham who struck up a good partnership to tear apart the Toon, so expect more ruthless attacking against Everton. Goals are guaranteed in this game and with stock high in Bolasie it might be another barnstorming week for the tricky attacker from Congo.
Last Three
11 – LIV (A) – 7pts
12 – SUN (H) – 2pts
13 – NEW (H) – 15pts
Next Three
14 – EVE (A) – 7TH December, 20:00pm
15 – SOU (H) – 12th December, 15:00pm
16 – STK (A) – 19th December, 15:00pm
For all GW 15 build up, check out the Weekly Hype page now.
All aboard.
