Fantasy Premier League Bargain Buys 2019/20
I was glad to see that Scorum are running an EPL Fantasy League again this year. I entered last year but never really got into updating my squad on a weekly basis, lost ground on the leaders and then lost interest. This year things will be different!
Suffragette City (my team name) will be aiming to at least put a competitive score on the board and I've enjoyed looking through the lists of players and trying to put together a 15 that can do me proud. As with every year, there are the expensive players who are constantly high points scorers and everyone needs at least a couple of these guys in their squad to compete. The problem is of course that everyone else has these players as well and so for much of the season it becomes a zero-sum game. The real skill lies in trying to identify the season's bargain buys and getting them into your squad as soon as possible.
Below are my tips for players you might want to consider
Goalkeepers
Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham), £5million
Picking a pair of goalkeepers is always a challenge. Do you go with 1 high price signing at one of the top clubs that is likely to be your mainstay for the season or 2 average price players that you can rotate in and out?
Arguably Lukasz Fabianski could fit either model and allow you to save money for the expensive attacking players you've got your eye on. He was the 5th highest scorer in goalkeeping stakes last year and made more saves than any other keeper in the 2018/19 season. At the very least, he is going to be a consistent starter and is unlikely therefore to decrease in value.
Tim Krul (Norwich) 4.5million
The experienced Krul will be returning to the Premier League after a couple of seasons in the 2nd flight. He was one of only 4 goalkeepers to play every minute of every game in the championship last year finishing with the 7th best save % in the league. Norwich play a fairly open game so expect him to be busy now that they are back in the big time. He's not likely to be your number 1 man but at that price, he may make a decent addition to the bench.
Defenders
Max Aarons (Norwich) £4.5million
Anyone who regularly watches the Championship will know that this kid is destined for big things. At the age of 19, his attacking runs from right-back lead to 6 assists last year and were pivotal in Norwich's promotion to the Premier League. The big boys including the likes of Manchester United and Spurs have already been sniffing around but Aarons recently put pen to paper on a new contract with the Canaries to ensure that at the very least they will be able to command top $ for him in transfer windows to come.
Fabian Schar (Newcastle) £5million
Was a revelation at centre-back last season and part of one the leagues meanest defences. At the other end he also notched a goal just over once every 5 games. If he'd have had the playing time of the likes of Laporte or David Luis then he would comfortably have outscored them in the 2018/19 season. The big question is can he and the Newcastle defence survive the loss of Rafa Benetiz? There are also talks that he may be garnering interest from a few other clubs in Europe so worth watching how that develops if you do include him!
Midfielders
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City) 9.5million
Ok so £9.5million isn't exactly cheap but when you consider De Bruyne's record prior to the injury that wrecked most of last season you would expect to have been paying another couple of million for a player of his rare talents. If you can cut costs elsewhere then De Bruyne's reduced price may mean that you are able to get him + a couple of the big names trading at £11million+ into your side and assuming that he comes good after that injury then that will mean points a plenty!
James Maddison (Leicester) £7million
I think there will be a few of the bigger clubs in England who will genuinely feel that they've missed out on signing a real talent from the lower leagues in James Maddison. During his debut season, he created more than 100 chances for his teammates while also notching 7 goals himself. Following the appointment of Brendon Rogers later in the season, Leicester seemed to go to another level in their attacking play and there is no reason to suspect that Maddison won't be able to equal or better his performances from last year.
Jack Grealish (Aston Villa) £6million
It's 6 years since a teenage Grealish made his Premier League debut and we've not seen him grace the top flight since 2016. During that time he has steadily become the player that many hoped he would be and it was his inspirational performances as captain that lead Villa on a 10 match winning streak and back to the promised land of the Premiership. Villa will no doubt be building their side around their star man and he will need to deliver on the big occasions once again if they are to survive to see a 2nd season.
Forwards
Danny Ings (Southampton) £6million
An absolute snip IF he can stay fit! Ings is perfectly capable of hitting double figures this year and is playing in a Southampton side that looks to have refound some confidence and swagger in their play following the appointment of Ralph Hasenhüttl. It could be a good season for the Saints and their main striker if he can stay off the physio's table.
Chris Wood (Burnley) £6.5million
Wood is a real handful up front and seems perfectly suited to Burnley's style of play under Sean Dyche. He might not be the most aesthetically pleasing footballer around but if you get the ball into the box from wide positions he will score and he has shown as much in the last 2 Premier League seasons by finding the back of the net 10 times each year - that's the kind of consistency you want in your squad!
Which players do you think might be undervalued in this season's fantasy league?
As well as the Scorum League, I am also in open leagues run by these users and would encourage you to join in the fun
@lawlees - join code: g5i593
@blanchy - join code: 0lvhqd
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