WEEKLY WILDCARDS 2016/17: FPL Gameweek 25
Every week The Hype Train analyses the best wildcard options for your Fantasy Premier League teams. Historically weekly FPL Dream Team’s comprise of mostly wildcard players whose selection falls with a low selection % 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 Premier League match in the upcoming Gameweek to decide who could be the differential that sets your team apart. All aboard.
Weekly Wildcards: 2015/16 Season Review
The pursuit of Fantasy Premier League glory never hinges on the success of key 'essential' players, instead finding a differential with very little player ownership can help drive your team up mini-leagues and the global points ladders. The Hype Train invested a great deal of time last season trying to unearth the FPL gems that lay just beneath the surface of our thinking, and we have taken the journey to review our efforts from the 2015/16 season. We're reviewing what worked, what didn't, the teams and players to rely on, and those to avoid. All aboard as we review a season of Weekly Wildcard picks.
To read the full Wildcard Season review, click here, or on cover stars Troy Deeney and Gylfi Sigurdsson below.
DIFFERENTIALS: WHAT IS A WILDCARD PLAYER?
The rules for the 2015/16 season were easy enough to follow. The only rule was that a player had be to selected by less than 5% of the FPL's populace. With 2016/17's price changes, and player selection trends, we have been forced to revise our rules on what constitutes a differential. After testing the waters with selection, there are just not enough differentials with the 2015/16 classification in each position, so we have introduced position specific rules regarding what is and isn't a wildcard/differential player in the FPL that we believe is representative to the game this season.
We have set new boundaries for selection, and these rules listed below will be running throughout the 2016/17 FPL season.
Goalkeepers
- Any shot stopper outside of the top 5 selected. A differential Goalkeeper is now considered outside of the top bracket due to the overwhelming ownership selection % of the top 5 GKs for any one Gameweek.
- A GK's ownership must not exceed 10%
Defenders
- Due to the pricing structure, a differential Defender is the uncommon picks for any one side. There is one or two overwhelming options for most teams in the FPL that consume ownership percentage.
- We cannot pick the top 2 selected Defenders, unless they fall below 7% ownership. We can only pick the second most selected for the same reasoning. This ensures 2 wildcard options are available for all teams.
Midfielders
- Any Midfielder under 8% ownership is classified as a differential.
- Our percentage criteria of 8% is due to a greater wealth of premium midfielders. There is a monopoly of top midfielders for most Premier League clubs, leaving only a handful of Midfielders that provide differential options on a weekly basis.
Forwards
- We cannot pick the most highly selected Forwards in the FPL, most of which are over 10% player ownership. The exception is if the top selected Forward from any club falls below 9%.
- Our percentage criteria of 9% is high because there is already a monopoly of Forwards, and anything outside of that is considered to be a differential.
DIFFERENTIALS: GAMEWEEK PERFORMANCE (GW24)
Our scoring procedure is exactly the same as the FPL's, and each week a good barometer of success is whether or not our weekly selections outscore the average points for a Gameweek. Each week the results vary due to rotation, and unpredictable scorelines, which applies more so to differential players. We have an invested interest each and every week at finding the different players to make a difference, especially since it is easy to say Aguero or Kane will get on the score sheet.
See below for how our wildcard selections got on this past Gameweek.
Gameweek 24 Average Points: 51pts Gameweek 24 Wildcard Points: 29pts
DIFFERENTIALS: SEASON PERFORMANCE
To help track our progress throughout the 2016/17 season, below you can check how our wildcard selections have done by week to week in the Fantasy Premier League.
Best Wildcard Week: GW21 - 65pts, 6 player returns
Worst Wildcard Week: GW10 - 24pts, 2 player returns
Average Points: 44 (1), 57 (2), 42 (3), 43 (4), 48 (5), 45 (6), 42 (7), 39 (8), 42 (9), 58 (10), 52 (11), 40 (12), 46 (13), 50 (14), 46 (15), 48 (16), 47 (17), 54 (18), 45 (19), 49 (20), 56 (21), 46 (22), 35 (23), 51 (24) = 1,135pts
Wildcard Points: 25 (1), 25 (2), 26 (3), 57 (4), 37 (5), 32 (6), 46 (7), 36 (8), 35 (9), 24 (10), 39 (11), 57 (12), 42 (13), 55 (14), 45 (15), 41 (16), 42 (17), 44 (18), 50 (19), 63 (20), 65 (21), 46 (22), 39 (23), 29 (24) = 1,000pts
Best Gamweek Wildcard Player(s)
GW1: Lukasz Fabianski (Burnley vs. Swansea) - 8pts
GW2: Michel Vorm (Spurs vs. Crystal Palace) - 7pts
GW3: John Terry (Chelsea vs. Burnley) - 6pts
GW4: Romelu Lukaku (Sunderland vs. Everton) - 17pts
GW5: Manuel Lanzini (West Brom vs. West Ham) - 7pts
GW6: Hueng-Min Son (Middlesbrough vs. Spurs) - 15pts
GW7: Troy Deeney (Watford vs. Bournemouth) - 9pts
GW8: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Arsenal vs. Swansea) - 9pts
Callum Wilson (Bournemouth vs. Hull) - 9pts
GW9: Winston Reid (West Ham vs. Sunderland) - 14pts
GW10: Claudio Bravo (West Brom vs. Man City) - 6pts
Yannick Bolasie (Everton vs. West Ham) - 6pts
GW11: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea vs. Everton) - 13pts
GW12: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. West Ham) - 13pts
GW13: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea vs. Crystal Palace) - 10pts
GW14: Christian Eriksen (Spurs vs. Swansea) - 18pts
GW15: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea vs. Sunderland) - 13pts
GW16: Divock Origi (Middlesbrough vs. Liverpool) - 11pts
GW17: Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland vs. Watford) - 15pts
GW18: Andy Carroll (Swansea vs. West Ham) - 8pts
Troy Deeney (Watford vs. Crystal Palace) - 8pts
GW19: Andre Gray (Burnley vs Sunderland) - 17pts
GW20: Leighton Baines (Everton vs. Southampton) - 15pts
Dele Alli (Spurs vs. Chelsea) - 15pts
Olivier Giroud (Bournemouth vs. Arsenal) - 15pts
GW21: Marcos Alonso (Leicester vs. Chelsea) - 21pts
GW22: Andy Carroll (Middlesbrough vs. West Ham) - 13pts
GW23: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea vs. Southampton) - 13pts
GW24: Troy Deeney (Watford vs. Burnley) - 7pts
Gameweek Wildcard History
GW1: 25 points, 2 player returns
Fabianski (8), Townsend (2), Deulofeu (3), Friend (2), Tadic (2), Nolito (1), Callum Wilson (2), Lovren (0), Diego Costa (5)
GW2: 25 points, 1 player return
Targett (1), Kolarov (2), Lallana (2), Llorente (2), Vorm (7), Deeney (1), Rondon (2), Cazorla (3), Defoe (2), Kouyate (3)
GW3: 26 points, 2 player returns
Janssen (2), Terry (6), C. Benteke (2), Lukaku (2), Huth (4), Fonte (2), Holding (2), Abel Hernandez (2), Stuani (2), Otamendi (2)
GW4: 57 points, 5 player returns
Nolito (2), Mustafi (2), C. Wilson (6), Heaton (2), G. Ramirez (0), Bony (2), Antonio (13), Wijnaldum (5), Sigurdsson (8), Lukaku (17)
GW5: 37 points, 5 player returns
Oscar (2), Monreal (2), Huth (6), Bravo (6), Lanzini (7), Stekelenburg (-1), Rooney (1), Benteke (2), Tadic (6), Lloris (6)
GW6: 32 points, 2 player returns
Huth (-1), Bolasie (2), Matip (2), Hueng-Min Son (15), Chadli (1), Mandanda (1), Kolarov (1), Walcott (8), Lanzini (1), Deeney (2)
GW7: 46 points, 5 player returns
Christian Benteke (5), Karius (2), David Luiz (6), van Aanholt (7), Deeney (9), Downing (2), Rashford (2), Austin (2), Dele Alli (8), Iwobi (3)
GW8: 36 points, 4 player returns
Slimani (1), Sigurdsson (9), Callum Wilson (9), Nolito (6), Arnautovic (5), Danny Rose (0), Christian Benteke (-1), Deeney (2), Forster (2), Milner (3)
GW9: 35 points, 2 player returns
Dele Alli (2), Mustafi (5), Stekelenburg (1), Joe Allen (2), Huth (2), Sigurdsson (2), Reid (14), Matip (2), Austin (2), Moses (3)
GW10: 24 points, 2 player returns
Monreal (0), Smalling (0), Adama Traore (3), Alli (2), Deeney (2), Bravo (6), Christian Benteke (2), Bolasie (6), Redmond (2), Pieters (1)
GW11: 39 points, 3 player returns
Wilshere (2), Keane (1), Gundogan (3), Bony (2), Alonso (13), Kane (8), Fonte (1), Matip (2), Sigurdsson (5), Zieler (2)
GW12: 57 points, 6 player returns
Monreal (2), Zaha (6), Coleman (9), Karius (6), Martins Indi (2), van Aanholt (10), Musa (1), Kane (13), Alonso (6), Vokes (2)
GW13: 42 points, 5 player returns
Yaya Toure (2), Phillips (5), Simpson (4), Matip (6), Sigurdsson (10), Alonso (2), Deeney (2), Mustafi (1), Mata (2), Soares (8)
GW14: 55 points, 5 player returns
Pedro (1), Zaha (2), Eriksen (18), Glen Johnson (7), Anichebe (2), Phillips (9), Lanzini (2), Origi (6), Coleman (2), Valdes (6)
GW15: 45 points, 5 player returns
Deeney (2), Monreal (2), Ake (1), Benteke (6), Sigurdsson (13), David Silva (5), Alonso (6), Rose (1), Bertrand (0), Origi (9)
GW16: 41 points, 5 player returns
Slimani (1), Gabriel (1), Origi (11), Alonso (7), Randolph (8), Zaha (2), Iheanacho (0), Lloris (8), Arnautovic (-2), Phillips (5)
GW17: 42 points, 4 player returns
Alonso (6), Llorente (2), Glen Johnson (0), van Aanholt (15), Cresswell (7), Phillips (2), Boufal (1), Oxlade-Chamberlain (1), Lloris (2), Mignolet (6)
GW18: 44 points, 5 player returns
Deeney (8), Monreal (1), Andre Gray (7), Alonso (6), Slimani (2), Phil Jones (2), Carroll (8), David Silva (6), Mignolet (2), Jay Rodriguez (2)
GW19: 50 points, 5 player returns
Mirallas (6), Gray (17), Alonso (3), Ayew (2), Jones (0), Forster (1), Ake (8), Milner (3), Lloris (2), Giroud (8)
GW20: 63 points, 5 player returns
Valdes (0), Baines (15), David Silva (0), Klavan (1), Brunt (8), Carroll (1), Giroud (15), Townsend (1), Pieters (7), Alli (15)
GW21: 65 points, 6 player returns
Vertonghen (6), Gray (2), Stanislas (7), Grant (2), Sigurdsson (2), Deeney (1), Carroll (5), Alonso (21), Barkley (9), Milner (10)
GW22: 46 points, 5 player returns
Mignolet (1), Stanislas (2), Barkley (3), Carroll (13), Arnautovic (2), Dawson (6), Wimmer (0), Yoshida (6), Mustafi (7), David Luiz (6)
GW23: 39 points, 2 player returns
Ozil (2), Stanislas (2), Gray (2), Brunt (2), Lloris (0), Sigurdsson (13), Milner (4), De Bruyne (8), Phil Jones (1), Coleman (5)
GW24: 29 points, 3 player returns
David Luiz (2), van Aanholt (0), Tom Davies (1), Milner (1), Jack Stephens (1), Deeney (7), Chadli (6), Ben Davies (6), Sane (2), Schmeichel (3).
WILDCARDS: HALL OF FAME
To honour the exceptional diamonds in the rough, below is a a Hall of Fame highlighting last season's top performing wildcards, as well as the best individual points returners from this season.
2015/16: Top 5 Wildcards 1 - Troy Deeney (WAT) (P15) (77pts) 2 - Christian Fuchs (LEI) (P10) (48pts) 3 - Gylfi Sigurdsson (SWA) (P6) (43pts) 4 - Nicolas Otamendi (MCI) (P9) (39pts) 5 - Daniel Sturridge (LIV) (P5) (38pts)
FPL Wildcards: Our Best Individual Wildcard Points Returns
1 - Marcos Alonso (Chelsea): 21pts (GW21)
2 - Christian Eriksen (Spurs): 18pts (GW14)
3 - Romelu Lukaku (Everton): 17pts (GW4)
3 - Andre Gray (Burnley): 17pts (GW19)
5 - Hueng-Min Son (Spurs): 15pts (GW6)
5 - Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland): 15pts (GW17)
5 - Leighton Baines (Everton) - 15pts (GW20)
5 - Dele Alli (Spurs) - 15pts (GW20)
5 - Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) - 15pts (GW20)
10 - Winston Reid (West Ham): 14pts (GW8)
11 - Michail Antonio (West Ham): 13pts (GW4)
11 - Harry Kane (Spurs): 13pts (GW12)
11 - Marcos Alonso (Chelsea): 13pts (GW11)
11 - Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea): 13pts (GW15)
11 - Andy Carroll (West Ham): 13pts (GW22)
11 - Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea): 13pts (GW23)
17 - Divock Origi (Liverpool): 11pts (GW16)
18 - Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland): 10pts (GW12)
18 - Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea): 10pts (GW13)
18 - James Milner (Liverpool): 10pts (GW21)
FPL DREAM TEAM ANALYSIS: GAMEWEEK 24
Wildcards: Mannone, Kone, Ranocchia, Mkhitaryan, Obiang, King, Barkley, Jesus
Non Wildcards: Valencia, Lukaku, Defoe
Points achieved by Wildcards: 99pts
Points achieved by Non-Wildcards: 45pts
GAMEWEEK WILDCARD DIFFERENTIALS
For each FPL Gameweek we select a wildcard player from each game.
We do not select a back-up player for the differentials we bank on – that’s the whole point, being a wildcard.
The selection percentage and player price is accurate with the posting of the article.
Our rundowns of player selections are representative of the Premier League’s TV fixture list.
Gameweek 25 Wildcard Picks
This week we are featuring five of our Wildcard picks as well as the Captaincy contender to close the article. Below we've run down the first five of our Gameweek 25 differential picks, so soak in the basic before we provide reasoning for the next five.
Liverpool vs. Spurs
Georginio Wijnaldum (7.5 million, 1.3% ownership)
Why Gini?: Wijnaldum has scored in big home games against Chelsea and Man City this season. Could make it a third with heroics against Spurs. Liverpool have a good record against Spurs and will probably help Chelsea in the title race even further.
Burnley vs. Chelsea
David Luiz (6.2 million, 4.9% ownership)
Why Sideshow?: Chelsea defenders Alonso, Cahill and Azplicueta, are all unavailable for differential selection due to their higher ownership, leaving David Luiz as the automatic selection. On any given week Chelsea are capable of a clean sheet. Reliability at its finest.
Swansea vs. Leicester
Fernando Llorente (6.2 million, 4.6% ownership)
Why The Lion King?: El Rey León faces a Leicester side still in decline in the league. The Spanish forward plays in both GW26 and GW28 and could be a great option for the shortened Gameweek's. An option for the now and the near future.
Stoke vs. Crystal Palace
Peter Crouch (4.9 million, 6.0% ownership)
Why Robot?: Stoke are reliable at home, and Palace are just terrible based on current form. They're making a bad habit of trying to win, and Stoke should pick them off.
Sunderland vs. Southampton
Manolo Gabbiadini (£6.5 million, 0.5% ownership)
Why Gabi?: A goal on his debut was a great start and now Southampton travel to lowly Sunderland on the back of a 4-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Two in a row for the Italian?
ARSENAL VS. HULL
Player: Andrea Ranocchia (Hull)
Position: Defender
Player Price: £4.5 million
Player Selection %: 0.5 million
It's been all hysterics and crisis over at Arsenal football club in recent weeks. Gary Neville took a massive pop at Arsenal's fan base, and in particular Arsenal Fan TV, after the clubs 3-1 defeat at Chelsea. It's been a weak of impassioned fans and pundits digging their teeth in a situation which has ultimately ended Arsenal's season. All spawned on the pitch, with a litany of disheartening performances in the Premier League, capped with defeats to London rivals Watford and Chelsea over the last twk Gameweek's. In the FPL points are drying up and Arsenal don't feature in Gameweek 26 due to playing Southampton, who of course, will be in the League Cup final against Man United.
Can it get worst for a tempered Arsenal support? Yes, almost definitely. The old adage that every game in the Premier League is difficult is true, with Hull carrying some major punch into this Gameweek 25 fixture.
On the other side of the fence, a foreign manager Marco Silva, who has recently managed Olympiacos in the Greek League, and signed some Serie A might in Andrea Ranocchia, are starting to see the benefits of mean Italian style defending that has fared both the Greeks and Italians well in the 2K age.
Hull have just kept clean sheets against Man United and Arsenal, so why can't the door be shut again against an Arsenal side impatient, and seemingly incapable, of success in the Premier League. An injury to Michael Dawson has opened the door for an Inter Milan centre half who has quickly accustomed to England's top flight.
Marco Silva's Premier League Record
GW21: Hull 3-1 Bournemouth
GW22: Chelsea 2-0 Hull
GW23: Man United 0-0 Hull
GW24: Hull 2-0 Liverpool
MAN UNITED VS. WATFORD
Player: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Man United)
Position: Midfielder
Player Price: £8.8 million
Player Selection %: 2.9%
The Armenian midfielder has found regular starts and play time hard to come by in his debut season, but showed the world of his qualities as the main figure in Leicester's 3-0 mauling by Man United at the King Power for FPL Gameweek 24. For the short term there is no beter differential midfielder than Mkhitaryan, and against a Watofrd side who have gone two games without losing, it is a harder times to play the Hornets in the league. Previously beating Man United during Gameweek 4, United hadn't begun ticking like they are now. It's been a tight ship since the half way mark for United, and that sticks with FPL players. United are big favourites for the tie, and if you've got one man to light up the show and provide more returns whilst on fom, Myki's the man.
Mkhitaryan might not serve a purpose for the upcoming Gameweek 26 and Gameweek 28, with United likely to have both weekends off in a Fantasy sense, but he's one to keep an eye on in the future as Double Gameweek's begin to take shape. United will face Man City in their midweek game, most likely for Double Gameweek 34.
Henrikh's FPL Returns
GW15 (Spurs, home): 7 points (1 goal)
GW18 (Sunderland, home): 6 points (1 goal)
GW24 (Leicester, away): 14 points (1 goal, 1 assist, 3 bonus points)
MIDDLESBROUGH VS. EVERTON
Player: Joel Robles (Everton)
Position: Goalkeeper
Player Price: £4.7 million
Player Selection %: 0.8%
Can't afford Leighton Baines? Can't catch up with Coleman's rising price? Don't want to entrust a £5.0 million plus defender like Williams or Funes Mori in your team? Scared that Holgate will get rotated like crazy as Everton shift from a three at the back to a standard four? Perhaps then Joel Robles is your answer. Since taking over the reigns of Stekelenburg in goal for the Toffees the Spanish shot stopper has managed 4 clean sheets and value in a team of Everton players on the rise. At home the blue side of the Mersey river know what their red half doesn't - the art of defending. Everton are becoming an organised united, much like Koeman's Southampton sides of the past and it could very well be the case that they become essential options for the remainder of the season. Robles won't get you points every week, but he's a good FPL option to consider should you need to switch out or mix up your Goalkeeping situation.
Everton, like West Brom, are in the conversation regarding both GW26 and GW28, so perhaps if you need to save some pennies, Robles is the way to go. Starting with a visit to Boro, the northern side are struggling for goals which is all the optimism you need to have when considering him as a legitimate option.
Robles's Premier League Clean Sheets
GW10: West Ham (h) - 7 points
GW18: Leicester (a) - 12 points
GW20: Southampton (h) - 7 points
GW21: Man City (h) - 8 points
GW22: Crystal Palace (a) - 6 points
WEST HAM VS. WEST BROM
Player: Nacer Chadli (West Brom)
Position: Midfielder
Player Price: £6.0 million
Player Selection %: 1.3%
West Brom have the luxury of being one of the six teams in the conversation within the FPL of who is playing during both Gameweek 26 and Gameweek 28. Knocked out of the FA Cup and not affected by the League Cup final, The Baggies entertain Crystal Palace and Bournemouth after a visit to West Ham, a fixture earlier in the season which saw Nacer Chadli score 2 and assist 2 in a memorable 21 point Gameweek for GW5. West Ham are often hit hard by particular players, and Chadli's name is amongst the conversation in this regard.
Working his way back from an injury, the form of Pulis's side has kept Chadli as some what of a fringe player in recent weeks, but has been starting games as of late, and this can only improve as the season comes to an end. He's also an alternative to Matt Phillips who has been firing blanks as of late. Chadli's got the added luxury of being on penalty kicks, but of course that means West Brom picking one up.
We're not exactly what to expect with this fixture as West Ham are in a good vain of form when they want to be, but at least we know the Baggies will be hard to beat. Chadli might just be the match winner again as Slaven attempts to bounce back from his last home match, a resounding 4-0 defeat against Manchester City.
Chadli's Recent FPL Returns
GW22, Sunderland (h): 6 points (1 assist)
GW23, Middlesbrough (a): 1 point (58 minutes played)
GW24, Stoke (h): 6 points (1 assist)
CAPTAINCY HYPE: THE WILDCARD PICK
Player: Gabriel Jesus (MCI)
Position: Forward
Player Price: £9.2 million
Player Selection %: 7.6%
If we were to ask you in August that a South American forward playing his trade at Man City had just scored 3 goals and claimed an assist in his last two matches, and is an FPL darling, you'd have bit our hands off that the answer to the question was Sergio Aguero. For years now it's been Aguero this, and Aguero that, to the point that his infactuation by Fantasy Premier League became blinding. In our Team of the Season article last year, he was placed in the Team of the Year ahead of Romelu Lukaku. Lukaku had a fine seasons in an average Everton squad, whereas Aguero had a few big performances near the end of the season. Now if we'd ask you this time who gets the nod of approval, it'd be Lukaku.
Aguero's fall from grace has finally been cemented with the arrival of Gabriel Jesus, the City forward who has scored 3 goals and bagged an assist in his last two matches. Taking over the Mantle of Aguero, albeit on a temporary basis, Jesus is starting in the summit of an attacking Man City unite that's scored 8 goals in their last 3 Premier League outings.
Ahead of Gameweek 25 Gabriel Jesus was a popular pick amongst the FPL community in regards to being a captaincy option, and he is the perfect wildcard pick due to his ownership percentage that puts him in prime real estate in our Weekly Wildcard differentials article. Jesus is the standout pick for the weekend ahead, and faces a Bournemouth side that recently just leaked six goals away at Everton, which is a perfect platform for Jesus to improve on his double digit returns in consecutive Gameweek's.
2016/17 Wildcard Captaincy Successes
GW1: Nathan Redmond (Southampton vs. Watford) - 10pts
GW12: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. West Ham) - 13pts
GW13: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea vs. Crystal Palace) - 10pts
GW15: Divock Origi (Liverpool vs. West Ham) - 9pts
GW16: Marcos Alonso (Sunderland vs. Chelsea) - 7pts
GW17: Marcos Alonso (Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea) - 6pts
GW18: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea vs. Bournemouth) - 6pts
GW19: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea vs. Stoke) - 3pts
GW20: Olivier Giroud (Bournemouth vs. Arsenal) - 15pts
Jesus's FPL Returns
GW22 (Spurs, home): 1 point (9 minutes played as a sub in a 2-2 draw, scored a goal that was ruled as offside)
GW23 (West Ham, away): 11 points (1 goal, 1 assist, and 3 bonus points in a 4-0 victory)
GW24 (Swansea, home): 13 points (2 goals and 3 bonus points in a 2-1 victory)
Man City's Next 5 Fixtures
GW25: Bournemouth (away)
GW26: NOT PLAYING
GW27: Sunderland (away)
GW28: Stoke (home) - Potentially rearranged due to FA Cup 6th round commitments.
GW29: Liverpool (home)
There is a grave warning to be had with Gabriel Jesus's inclusion in the FPL over the short to medium term. He's been a fantastic inclusion to have, but with a strong possibility that he'll be missing both Gameweek 26 and 28, FPL managers are poised with a headache. Jesus's price range is similar to that of Romelu Lukaku at Everton and should perhaps be the option to pick in the time that Jesus isn't playing. As a differential option, Jesus's selection hovers around the 8% margin and is a perfect chance for those daring enough to pull rank in their Fantasy leagues.
Jesus has uprooted Aguero and the way things are going, he's going to retain that position. Pep likes a forward player in the build of a Roberto Firmino, essentially a utility attacker that can strafe from side to side and cause a problem with high intensity chasing and hurrying. Aguero is slightly different in his approach and is more a positional forward, who makes quick and decisive runs, possessing a wide finishing array which makes him deadly from any position. What's seen Aguero fall to the wasteside in recent weeks is a fresh impetus on young forwards such as Jesus, Sterling, and Sane, essentially off the leash, supported by Silva and De Bruyne. What Aguero is lacking in the Man City formula is the tenacity that Jesus is providing. We're not saying it's better, it's just different.
A player such as Aguero will not remain on the bench for the rest of the season, that's a given, but even with Aguero playing, Jesus could be joining him in the attack on the left forward slot, so there appears to be a minimal chance that Pep will take away his Brazilian star when he's red hot. We're just wary of the disclaimer that follows Man City around for FPL players... Do not trust them, City will eventually let you known when you most need them. They're the kings of rotation and frustration, which puts their Fantasy stock at a much lower level than that of an Arsenal or a Chelsea, who have predictable lineups each and every week.
Notes on Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus has scored 3 goals, made 1 assist, and has 25 points, with 6 bonus points.
Jesus's price in the FPL started at £9.0 million and now now risen to £9.2 million
Jesus has picked up double digit returns from both his starts in the FPL. Additionally, Jesus has picked up maximum bonus points from both his starts.
Jesus had 16,017 FPL players for GW23, and a greatly improved 207,777 players who had their the plunge with the Bazilian for GW24.
Want to know more about The Hype Train?
The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015 specialising in the Fantasy Premier League (#FPL), providing beautiful graphics and weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb ranking tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review movies, television, live music, festivals, and any relevant topic in the public eye.
You can follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, or visit our website at www.thehypetrain.co.uk
For all FPL Gameweek build up, check out the Weekly Hype page now.
All aboard.
