GW6 FPL REVIEW FROM @FANTASYGAFFER

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Rooney’s red, Berahino’s brace, Ramsey’s reliable re-aggravation – certainly stretching that last bit of alliteration to the breaking point. The FPL weekend was rife with story lines, talking points and poor FPL returns. We’ll touch on all of those stories and a few more as GW7 delivered a paucity 0f Premier League upsets but a plethora of FPL upsets including a second consecutive gameweek without a Cesc Fabregas assist.

-116077. -30241. -86561. Those are Aaron Ramsey’s net transfers for the three gameweeks leading up to GW7. And still the Welsh maestro was owned in 35% of FPL sides heading into Saturday’s action. Another hamstring injury – or perhaps a recurrence of the same hamstring injury – has ruled him out for an indeterminate period. He almost certainly will not face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 5 October and
will be in a race for fitness coming out of the international break. UPDATE: Aaron Ramsey may be out up to six weeks. Prior to Monday’s announcement, Arsene Wenger’s had given little insight into Ramsey’s
prognosis, instead stating in the post-match presser that he can’t understand the injury in light of Ramsey’s midweek rest. It certainly appears as though this latest niggle will bother the attacking
midfielder for the foreseeable future. After playing 77′ in GW5, he managed just 45′ in GW6. Unfortunately for FPL managers, there is no clear outlook – Wenger said “I don’t know how long [he’ll] be out” – and Ramsey will undoubtedly require careful management in the short-term.

For the Fantasy Premier League draft outlook please click the link. Compounding the problem is the lack of a like-for-like swap within Arsenal’s midfield. Alexis Sanchez has seen his minutes cut of late, playing 28′ in GW7 after missing out in GW6. Santi Carzorla has also
failed to crack the starting XI – playing 90′ only twice and failing to play more than 45′ in three of six. Perhaps the best internal option is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The explosive winger earned his first full 90′ of the campaign and rewarded his manager with an equalizer, his first goal of the season.

Compounding the problem is the lack of a like-for-like swap within Arsenal’s midfield. Alexis Sanchez has seen his minutes cut of late, playing 28′ in GW7 after missing out in GW6. Santi Carzorla has also failed to crack the starting XI – playing 90′ only twice and failing to play more than 45′ in three of six. Perhaps the best internal option is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The explosive winger earned his first full 90′ of the campaign and rewarded his manager with an equalizer, his first goal of the season.

Ramsey’s injury is not the only issue facing FPL managers ahead of GW7. While a transfer out for Ramsey would be welcome, FPL managers first must deal with the suspension of Wayne Rooney. The Manchester United captain earned his red card. It’s not often those words are written, but the frustration on Roo’s face was evident in the moments before he lashed his right boot into Stewart Downing’s midsection. The duo was touching distance from referee Lee Mason and the official did not hesitate in showing the Red Devil’s forward the door. Rooney’s petulance ruined an otherwise fine FPL outing and he will be sidelined for the coming three EPL fixtures – essentially ruling him out for the month of October. You can read the EPL Fantasy draft impact of Rooney’s red card here. The situation up front is a bit more clear for van Gaal than is the midfield for Wenger. Van Persie and Falcao will continue in their roles, with Juan Mata the likeliest to replace Roo. We like Mata as the best solutation to the Ramsey problem. He is £8.7m and 9.1% owned – both fair given past returns and present playing time – but a 200 point campaign on his resume as recently as 2012/13. Add to that United’s schedule while Rooney sits in the stands: Everton (H), WBA (a) and Chelsea (H). Not the best set of fixtures, but fixtures where van Gaal must starting his best XI and certainly Mata numbers amoung those.

The Leonardo Ulloa pick may not have paid off this weekend, but with five goals in the opening six fixtures and a home match against Burnley in GW7, it is unquestioned that Ulloa will be transferred-in in droves. Already 17.7% owned, the 28-year-old is making his mark on the top flight and will be bought by many of the 29.3% of FPL owners who still pencil in Rooney. The Foxes have a decent run during Rooney’s three-match ban, with the Burnley match followed by trips to Newcastle and Swansea. The Magpies are 0-2-1 with seven allowed at home this term and Ulloa will lead the line again in GW7 and 8. Of course, Ulloa is not the only forward who will see an uptick in ownership this week.

Following a brace in the curtain-raiser, Saido Berahino saw a massive influx of new ownership with +119706 net transfers. New owners began to flee a sinking ship almost immediately, as the Baggies’ hitman floundered following his exploits in GW1. Five long weeks of no goals, no assists and no bonus points followed. Despite recording 88′ in GW2 and then 90′ in three on the trot, there was always a “2” at the end of the day. This is not just a Berahino problem, West Brom scored only one goal in those four matches, but he is the player who feels it most acutely. Perhaps unsurprising is that Berahino is WBA’s highest scorer in the Official game, where his 33 points pace Graham Dorrans (25) and Craig Dawson (27). He remains a quality third forward, but for managers looking to replace Rooney, he should be pushed well down the list.

Quick Notes: Andre Wisdom (£4.1m, 12.2%) – who is the 12th most-owned defender in FPL Official – is unable to play in GW7 under the terms of his loan. This is likely a blessing in disguise as Liverpool are likely to score enough to make him a liability. The fixture with his parent club is followed by a home match with Manchester United – so this is as good a time as any to cut ties with the 21-year-old defender.

It’s now three FPL outings of 2pts or less for Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling. In the matches where he has scored, the 19-year-old has gone for 13, 7 and 10 points – in the other three he has combined for 5pts. Sterling remains owned in nearly 50% of FPL leagues (49.6%) and for the price (£8.8m) there are few better. But there is also almost no chance to distance yourself from the pack. EPL Fantasy draft review of the Merseyside derby. Spurs Nacer Chadli is £6.2m and 7.5% owned while having amassed 36 points to Sterling’s 35. While we expect the Reds’ midfielder to finish the year ahead of the Spurs’ man, this is a reminder that a) Sterling is vastly over-owned and b) Chadli is worth a spot on your roster.

Finally, Graziano Pelle is exceptional. Already owned in 11.6% of FPL sides, his £7.8m pricetage should not be a stumbling block for those replacing Rooney and his upcoming schedule (Spurs, Sunderland, Stoke) provides fertile ground to build on his record. He is a Fantasy EPL star – and he is the man who scored this goal.

To read Fantasy Premier League draft stats and analysis, please visit the Togga Blog where you can find the sister post to the one you’ve just read. You can follow the author @FantasyGaffer on Twitter.

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For those that do not know FantasyYIRMA is an independent blog ran by just myself (Ryan) and Mark and has stayed in this format for more than 2 years now. I run the twitter account and handle site admin and Mark provides content in the form of previews and features.

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