Is Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge dancing back into your Fantasy Team?

Oct 1

#FPL Gameweek 8 Preview

You can also listen to Craig, Tom and Ash on their Fantasy Football Podcast – The Gaffer Tapes

DEFENDER: Scott Dann, Crystal Palace

If you were smart enough to pick Virgil Van Dijk when I told you to then you will currently be basking in the glory of him finding the net for the first time in the Premiership. You’re welcome. (Ed. Craig was brought in primarily for his humble nature.) Aside from my knowledge of Scottish football, what I can also do is point out the blindingly obvious. Manchester City are conceding goals. Like, lots of goals. Bacary Sagna was great value at 5.0m for City’s first four games and Gomez (Liv) & Targett (Sou) also represented great value for starting player in the opening weeks. However, it’s important to know when to jump ship on a once good thing (take heed Liverpool board) and find pastures new. Looking at GW8 it is hard to predict any clean sheet so I have looked at this weeks fixture plus the following two and I think there’s merit in plumping for a Palace defender to have in your squad. With that in mind, I’ve gone for Scott Dann as a Selhurst Park mainstay. He can be used sparingly in your starting line up or prove a very useful sub on your bench. Well done Scott. And well done us.

“PICK ME”

MIDFIELDER: Nathan Redmond, Norwich

If I was to ask you the top 3 English scorers in the Premiership this season you would rattle off Wilson & Vardy no problem. In at 3 though is the lesser praised Nathan Redmond at Norwich. Now, any FPL player worth their salt has already had him at least once this season but Norwich have Leicester (H), Newcastle (A) & West Brom (H) in their next 3 games and I would be very surprised if he doesn’t bag an assist or a goal in a couple of them. In pursuit of the next Mahrez (the name of a reality show in his native homeland – possibly) is something we are all a part of and I think Redmond will be a useful addition to any squad while we wait and see if messrs Lamela, Mata & Sigurdsson were having a rare good week or have finally started their season/career (delete as appropriate).

Ed: I would watch that show in fairness

Natham_Redmond,_Norwich_City_(15390016528)

FORWARD: Diafra Sakho, West Ham

Everyone loves themes. My 30^th birthday party had one. The dance in Back To The Future had one and FPL has one. Bet against the North East. With Callum Wilson out for 6 months (Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery) then there’s a goal shaped space in a lot of people’s squad. Sakho at West Ham is more than capable of finding the net and with West Ham currently employing the estranged father tactic (turning up every other weekend) then I think he looks like he is worth a goal or two. Throw in the fact they are playing Sunderland and I think they could be one nil up before John O’Shea even realises he looks like a thin Peter Kay.

OUTSIDER: Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool

It’s a bit odd to call this guy an outsider. When fit, Daniel Sturridge is one of the first names on Roy Hodgson’s team sheet, and that’s huge considering the double ‘r’ in his name. It’s just a case of if not when in terms of whether he will be fit to play. He has 6 goals against Everton across his club career and proved in GW 6 how deadly he can be even at limited fitness. Rodgers has been open in the press that Sturridge won’t feature in the Europa League and you have to presume that Sturridge will start in the Merseyside Derby. I’m not convinced Liverpool will win or even get a draw but I wouldn’t rule out a Sturridge goal and if you want to replace Aguero for a week or two then at 3.3% picked he could gain you some serious ground before he inevitably limps out of the game for a few more weeks.

CAPTAIN: Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City

For all the talk of City’s decline, I am still choosing on of them as captain this week. Whilst they aren’t the defensive force they were in the opening weeks, they are still a dam sight better than Newcastle. I am not fooled by the Geordies turning up at home to Chelsea and still think they will get battered on the road. That doesn’t mean I am putting blind faith in Kun Aguero though. I will be giving the armband to KDB. There’s a real vacancy for a three letter acronym to tear up the league since RVP left and Kevin De Bruyne has been very impressive in front of goal in his City career so far. His initial price tag raised a few eyebrows (6.3% picked) but his performances have raised a few smiles. In fact if you’re that way inclined he might have raised a few other things if he didn’t look so ridiculously young. Anyway, I digress. KDB to continue his rich vein of form and put Newcastle back in their place in the relegation zone. You didn’t hear it here first.

(Ed: Words escape me…)

by @CraigHazell

Craig Hazell is a television professional, writer and Heart of Midlothian fan who makes up one third of the popular FPL podcast The Gaffer Tapes. As a student, Craig won the BBC Sports Broadcaster and Comedy Broadcaster of the year, before going onto to be a regular on the London open mic comedy circuit. He now writes about anything from TV & Movies, to food and of course football, providing he can shoehorn a 90s pop culture reference into just about anything.