Weekly Wildcards: Gameweek Seventeen
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 16)
Another week another chaotic week in the Premier League, Jose Mourinho has been sacked, Klopp salutes the Kop after a draw, Louis Van Gaal’s Army is halted, and emergent teams stake a claim to Premier League success. In terms of wildcards it was another goldmine of opportunity all over the FPL landscape, and of last week’s picks four out of ten would have produced the goods. Wilfried Bony scored against his old club in consecutive matches to help sink the Swans, Pape Souare did the shutout on Southampton, Geoff Cameron kept a clean sheet (however picked up an injury in the process) to secure points, and Bournemouth’s Junior Stanislas continued his tremendous form after he scored directly from a corner. The biggest omission was from ‘King’ Deeney who had a quiet week in Watford’s well fought win over Sunderland, but he’ll be back, and knowing Liverpool’s erratic form he is still good for his value. Lots of points offer for FPL players looking for something different.
Nathan Redmond: 2pts Pape Souare: 6pts Wilfried Bony: 5pts Troy Deeney: 2pts Geoff Cameron: 6pts Junior Stanislas: 7pts The Ox: 1pt James Milner: 2pts Dele Alli: 2pts Kurt Zouma: 1pt
Gameweek 16 Average Points: 51pts Gameweek 16 Wildcard Points: 34pts
TEAM OF THE WEEK WILDCARDS
Another week and another successful haul for players in the wildcard bracket, seven of the eleven are classed in the unpopular category of players. We saw two central midfielders make an impression for Liverpool and Arsenal in the form of Jordan Henderson and Aaron Ramsey, joining them in midfield is Joshua King who helped to sink the team he used to play for in order to guarantee success for Bournemouth. The two midfielders joining them of the five this week were Riyad Mahrez who has a permanent place in team of the week, and also Crystal Palace’s Yohan Cabaye who is enjoying a return to the Premier League. It is bizarre to think PSG couldn’t use the Frenchman’s talents.
The forward line only had to picks this week, one was the in-form Romelu Lukaku who is rubbing salt in the wounds of Chelsea’s transfer committee, and the other was substitute Mitrovic for Newcastle who had a hand in both goals scored against high flying Spurs. Newcastle’s return to form has people turning their heads and asking ‘what if’, and with Aston Villa coming up there is more room for optimism.
The leaves defence, and all three defenders were wildcards coming into the gameweek. No ‘top four’ club achieved any big clean sheet success bar Arsenal, but it is a strange season when you are relying on a promoted club, and two others who struggled defensively last season for points in your back-line. Stoke are still yet to concede with Shawcross back in the team, and with Crystal Palace visiting them this weekend it could be their toughest test yet this season. Speaking of Stoke it is the emerging Jack Butland who makes another glittering appearance in the dream team after saying ‘no’ to West Ham, again, and again, and again.
Wildcards: Nyom, Ward, Wollscheid, Henderson, Ramsey, King, Mitrovic
Non-Wildcards: Butland, Mahrez, Cabaye, Lukaku
Points by wildcards: 73pts
Points by non-wildcards: 44pts
THIS WEEKS WILDCARDS
For Gameweek Seventeen 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 Wednesday 16/12/2015.
PEDRO, CHELSEA VS SUNDERLAND
Name: Pedro
Club: Chelsea
Position: Midfielder Price: £8.9mil Ownership: 2.3%
Such irony that the first game of the weekend involves Chelsea following the departure of Jose Mourinho, and Sunderland are their test in gameweek seventeen. With the betrayed manager now departed Chelsea are officially a wildcard team, you will not know when they will pick up points, but with the Black Cats and then Watford both at home in two following gameweeks you can want to believe that Chelsea should achieve something in the next two gameweeks. The Spaniard formerly of Barcelona picked up points against Leicester last week and with an injury to Hazard is set to feature from the first whistle in both these encounters. Massively talented, and of high pedigree, the price may be off-putting considering the clubs form at the moment which is the only downside but on paper it looks a solid move for the short term. Last Three 14 – TOT (A) – 3pts
15 – BOU (H) – 1pt
16 – LEI (A) – 5pts Next Three
17 – SUN (H) – 19th December, 15:00pm
18 – WAT (H) – 26th December, 15:00pm
19 – MUN (A) – 28th December, 17:30pm
GERARD DEULOFEU, EVERTON VS LEICESTER
Name: Gerard Deulofeu
Club: Everton
Position: Midfielder Price: £6.4mil Ownership: 3.9%
Discussion at The Hype Train around Everton doesn’t revolve around Romelu Lukaku; it concerns how important Gerard Deulofeu is to their squad. In their draw against Norwich the Toffees lost all attacking impetus, they just didn’t look like scoring once the Spaniard was off the field. In an FPL sense Deulofeu is also the most unlucky person for not being accredited with assists, twice this season two have been wiped off the board and in other games the same circumstances for an assist arise and they are given (Danny Simpson vs Newcastle for example). Deulofeu is their best attacking player and makes things work, and his understanding with Lukaku is excellent. Currently the cheap Merseyside Ozil he is the only obvious option from this fixture, there will be goals in this fixture and should Lukaku continue his run then expect Deulofeu to be involved somehow (just cross your fingers Gareth Barry doesn’t get in the way!). Last Three 14 – BOU (A) – 5pts
15 – CRY (H) – 2pts
16 – NOR (A) – 5pts Next Three
17 – LEI (H) – 19th December, 15:00pm
18 – NEW (A) – 26th December, 17:30pm
19 – STK (H) – 28th December, 15:00pm
MAROUANE FELLAINI, MANCHESTER UNITED VS NORWICH
Name: Marouane Fellaini
Club: Manchester United
Position: Midfielder Price: £6.2mil Ownership: 0.2%
Every Manchester United fan must be wondering what is happening to their beloved club, and also what was £250mil spent on. After losing out to Bournemouth everything is questioning the philosophy of General Van Gaal. One player that always seems to benefit from long balls and also poaching a lucky goal is the bushy Belgian Fellaini who by trade is an attacking midfielder and not a holding player. His job is to make life difficult for opponents in their own box and head or tap in loose balls into the box. Few attacking options were on display here, but if the Red Devils were lucky to get anything from this game then the afro-man is usually sniffing around the points. For all we know this could be a dud draw or an explosive encounter so either way there is something to gain. Last Three 14 – LEI (A) – 0pts
15 – WHU (H) – 3pts
16 – BOU (A) – 9pts Next Three
17 – NOR (H) – 19th December, 15:00pm
18 – STK (A) – 26th December, 12:45pm
19 – CHE (H) – 28th December, 17:30pm
PAULO GAZZANIGA, SOUTHAMPTON VS SPURS
Name: Paulo Gazzaniga
Club: Southampton
Position: Goalkeeper Price: £4.5mil Ownership: 0.0%
This is the most out there pick this week, and a total random. Spurs were halted by Newcastle last gameweek and this should knock some of their air out of their tires, leaving a wounded Southampton the chance to climb out of the hole they are sinking into towards mid-table mediocrity. With injuries to their key goalkeeper Stekelenburg the manager gave Argentine Paulo Gazzaniga a chance and despite the loss to Crystal Palace made an impression to keep out the threat of Yannick Bolasie. Tougher tests arrive but this wildcard picked up by a wholesome zero percent of players could surprise a few people, especially because Kane hasn’t scored in three consecutive games. Last Three 14 – MCI (A) – 0pts
15 – AVL (H) – 0pts
16 – CRY (A) – 3pts Next Three
17 – TOT (H) – 19th December, 15:00pm
18 – ARS (H) – 26th December, 19:45pm
19 – WHU (A) – 28th December, 17:30pm
MARKO ARNAUTOVIC, STOKE VS CRYSTAL PALACE
Name: Marko Arnautovic
Club: Stoke City
Position: Midfielder Price: £6.1mil Ownership: 3.9%
Stoke are going from strength to strength in the last few months after starting slowly, and one key player to their strategy has been the Austrian midfielder Marko Arnautovic who is essentially playing in the advanced attacking role alongside Bojan, meaning there is always potential for goals. Marko is a big home player at the Britannia Stadium, his last big haul coming against Manchester City in a well-deserved win. Up next is the awkward Crystal Palace who can go toe to toe with Stoke for strength players, which is why defensive outlets haven’t been chosen because there is no guarantee either team will keep a clean sheet. Attacking returns may be the real option here and if they repeat the kind of performance they produced against the former champions then Arnautovic is a viable option for a transfer this gameweek. Last Three 14 – SUN (A) – 2pts
15 – MCI (H) – 16pts
16 – WHU (A) – 3pts Next Three
17 – CRY (H) – 19th December, 15:00pm
18 – MUN (H) – 26th December, 12:45pm
19 – EVE (A) – 28th December, 15:00pm
CRAIG DAWSON, WEST BROM VS BOURNEMOUTH
Name: Craig Dawson
Club: West Brom
Position: Defender Price: £5.1mil Ownership: 4.9%
This match feels like a trap for all the wrong reasons, notably that West Brom showed real conviction against a battling Liverpool in gameweek sixteen, it may have been a score draw but some of their defending was superb to deny Liverpool so many times. Craig Dawson has been a pivotal cog in the defensive unit in West Brom’s squad; he is also a proven goal scorer and chance maker since playing at right-back under Tony Pulis. Bournemouth have been flying high in the last few games, but if you look at teams recently who flew too close to the sun they had their wings burnt…Liverpool, Manchester United, and Spurs to name just a few. Everyone expects Bournemouth to give it a go and score, but there is always a plot twist and in front of them this week is a visit to one of the most stubborn defences in the league. West Brom are keeping clean sheets against teams not in the upper echelon so there are warning signs that this may be disappointing for the Cherries. West Brom’s next three games aren’t the most difficult on paper so he could be a great option that won’t be rotated over the Christmas period. Last Three 14 – WHU (A) – 2pts
15 – TOT (H) – 2pts
16 – LIV (A) – 7pts Next Three
17 – BOU (H) – 19th December, 15:00pm
18 – SWA (A) – 26th December, 15:00pm
19 – NEW (H) – 28th December, 15:00pm
DARYL JANMAAT, NEWCASTLE VS ASTON VILLA
Name: Daryl Janmaat
Club: Newcastle
Position: Defender Price: £4.9mil Ownership: 2.6%
The sky must be purple when Newcastle players have become legitimate options for any FPL player, but this is probably the most crucial six point of the season until Chelsea face Villa later in the year. Newcastle can effectively put a nail in the Villains relegation coffin this weekend should they beat them. Newcastle are a contender for the drop and they should be making mincemeat out of their opposition based on their two big wins against Spurs and Liverpool in recent weeks. Newcastle can make life unbearable for the rest of the season for Aston Villa. One man that plans on speeding down the right flank is none other than the Dutchman Daryl Janmaat who is more attacker than defender. In some games he is the only player to show up, then he realises he has to sprint the pitch to go back to defence. He is what Glen Johnson was to Liverpool a few seasons ago, defensively liability, but with great attacking potential. No other real option is apparent in this game and Janmaat is doing all the hard work down the right. With two games coming up the Toon can continue their momentum and seize the day and exact revenge on a team who got them relegated many seasons ago. Last Three 14 – CRY (A) – 3pts
15 – LIV (H) – 6pts
16 – TOT (A) – 2pts Next Three
17 – AVL (H) – 19th December, 17:30pm
18 – EVE (H) – 26th December, 17:30pm
19 – WBA (A) – 28th December, 15:00pm
JORDAN HENDERSON, WATFORD VS LIVERPOOL
Name: Jordan Henderson
Club: Liverpool
Position: Midfielder Price: £6.5mil Ownership: 4.2%
Return of the Captain for Liverpool last week; please excuse the terrible Star Wars pun. Not because it is lame because despite being the player of the week tied with Mahrez the truth is that Henderson is lucky, very lucky. During the game the Liverpool fan in the team was screaming every time he touched the ball, the England international’s ball retention was terrible, opening up all sorts of problem for the Reds. He scored a good goal, granted, and um, made the faint pass to Origi for his goal, but apart from that you could tell that he was shaking off the rust from being away for a few months. That said, there should be a more composed figure stepping out against Watford, the return jitters should be gone, and with three teams Liverpool can be competitive against coming up the Liverpool captain will be a great addition to any FPL squad because he is also on set-piece and penalty duty. Liverpool are favourites to win this tie and providing that Henderson only needs one real chance to score he will, as evident in the West Brom game. Last Three 14 – SWA (H) – 1pt
15 – NEW (A) – 0pts
16 – WBA (H) – 13pts Next Three
17 – WAT (A) – 20th December, 13:30pm
18 – LEI (H) – 26th December, 15:00pm
19 – SUN (A) – 30th December, 19:45pm
MAURO ZARATE, SWANSEA VS WEST HAM
Name: Mauro Zarate
Club: West Ham
Position: Forward Price: £5.3mil Ownership: 0.9%
A caretaker manager in place, and a defeat to Manchester City, things are looking worrying for the Swans. Slavan Bilic is smiling though, his away-train rolls up to Swansea looking to inflict further damage to the wings of a team that were solid last season. There were positives to take from Swansea’s loss to Manchester City in that they were easily the better team but unfortunate to win the game, but you could easily agree that if you are the better team and still lose then your teams losing mentality is still very much real. Swansea go up against a team who obtained four points from them last season, Andy Carrol dented them both times and even scored with his feet. One of our own in The Hype Train team captained Carrol in both these endeavours and he was a very happy man both times. This time around Mauro Zarate will be leading the line and he has been so consistent for the Hammers this term, he may been unlucky against Manchester United not to score the winner but he goes against a team that is so unlucky in their fortunes that something might just pull off for the Argentine in this gameweek. Mauro Zarate is the only striker in the wildcards this week and should the Hammers form continue against a wandering Swans then it may be the only one worth picking. Last Three 14 – WBA (H) – 9pts
15 – MUN (A) – 2pts
16 – STK (H) – 2pts Next Three
17 – SWA (A) – 20th December, 16:00pm
18 – AVL (A) – 26th December, 15:00pm
19 – SOU (H) – 28th December, 17:30pm
AARON RAMSEY, ARSENAL VS MANCHESTER CITY
Name: Aaron Ramsey
Club: Arsenal
Position: Midfielder Price: £8.1mil Ownership: £4.1%
Arsenal is currently looking likely to mount a title challenge, and should they do so with the injuries they have would be a great testament to the chaos currently swarming the Premier League. One player to step up since key injuries is the Welshman Ramsey who has scored big in the last two weeks, first against Sunderland, and then Aston Villa. Ramsey is getting in all the right places to score goals, supporting Giroud and Ozil in the process. Manchester City is looking vulnerable at the moment so this could be a game that they snatch from their title rivals. Since moving into his preferred central midfielder position he is looking much more comfortable and like the old Ramsey…remember? The Ramsey from 2013/14 who was never a wildcard from the first week, after The Hype Train compared him to the Adam Lallana equivalent, a player who was once un-droppable, is starting to show what we have been missing in the last two years. Arsenal’s run should always be favourable so he won’t be dropped from FPL managers or even Arsene Wenger, he is one to watch for the Christmas period. Last Three 14 – NOR (A) – 2pts
15 – SUN (H) – 13pts
16 – AVL (A) – 11pts Next Three
17 – MCI (H) – 21st December, 20:00pm
18 – SOU (A) – 26th December, 19:45pm
19 – BOU (H) – 28th December, 17:30pm
For all GW 15 build up, check out the Weekly Hype page now.
All aboard.
