WEEK 2 REVIEW
Everything came back to the norm in Week 2. On Saturday, seven of the eight winners kept clean sheets, and there were no ties. We actually had to wait until Monday to witness the only tied game of the round. Manchester United repeated their opening match performance in what was a near-identical scenario against Swansea. It was obvious from the first 15 minutes that although Swansea’s players were motivated, United was the better team. The fact they scored right before half-time helped them a lot in getting the desired result. Anthony Martial showed to be electric off the bench once again, scoring and assisting in the little time spent on the field. Elsewhere, West Brom battled its way to another 1-0 victory, Watford defeated Burnley on the road in a bit of surprising outcome, while Southampton almost gambled away a 2-0 lead versus a 10-man West Ham United. Chicharito buried home two rebounds, but a 93rd-minute penalty saved The Saints. My gut feeling didn’t deceive me, though. Manolo Gabbiadini did score. Liverpool and Leicester won, although not as comfortably as anticipated, while Arsenal proved all the doubters right by losing to their Achilles’ heel (Stoke City). New arrival Jesé, who arrived midweek, was the hero. As was Huddersfield’s Aaron Mooy, whose well struck effort helped see off Newcastle United. Chelsea displayed the resilience that brought them the title last season, by defeating Tottenham on the road when nobody gave them a chance. Spaniard Marcos Alonso showed exactly why he’s so valuable in fantasy, scoring from a free kick and then notching the game-winner. Finally, we had another Wayne Rooney moment on Monday, when Everton took the lead in Manchester. The Citizens struggled to come back until the 82nd minute, when substitute Raheem Sterling pounced on a deflected ball and launched it in the lower left corner. The spoils were shared in another unconvincing performance by Pep’s supposed title contenders.
At the end of Week 2, we are left with only three undefeated teams – Manchester United, WBA and Huddersfield. Who saw that coming?
Week 2 highest fantasy scorers
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Stoke), Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Jonas Lössl (Huddersfield), Heurelho Gomes (Watford)
Defenders: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Leicester), Eric Bailly (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Riyad Mahrez (Leicester), Richarlison (Watford), Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United), Jesé (Stoke)
Forwards: Chicharito (West Ham), Wayne Rooney (Everton), Shinji Okazaki (Leicester), Charlie Austin and Manolo Gabbiadini (Southampton), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
Midweek transfer news
[the_ad id=”384″]With the transfer deadline a week away, rumors and player movements are starting to heat up. We saw Jesé Rodriguez arrive to Stoke (from PSG) and have an immediate impact, demonstrating that, in fantasy sports, it’s always good to stay on top of things. So, what are some of the confirmed transfers up to now?
– Burnley have signed New Zealand striker Chris Wood. This might seem like a negligible transfer on paper, but do take notice. Wood was New Zealand’s best player during the Confederations Cup held in Russia this summer and was Leeds United’s № 9. He’s very similar to Sam Vokes and is built to play in England.
– Tottenham have spent big to bring in the Colombian 20-year-old center back from Ajax – Davinson Sanchez. Although they are set with Vertonghen and Aiderweireld for now, he’s one to watch for the future (including this campaign).
– West Ham are trying to strengthen the middle by acquiring Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho. The defensive midfielder was connected to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United not too long time ago. He should have a place in the starting lineup sooner rather than later.
– Southampton decided to buy an insurance policy for Virgil van Dijk by adding Wesley Hoedt to their defensive corps. The young Dutchman didn’t find success in Lazio, but he’s a promising talent who will do well whether he plays next to his compatriot or somebody else. I like his fantasy prospects playing for a Southampton team with an unstable, mistake-prone defense at the moment.
– Another player who should become fantasy relevant right away is Jose Izquierdo. One of Club Brugge’s most influential players, the speedy 25-year-old left winger will bring a much-needed spark to Brighton’s compact, but rather monotonous lineup.
– Swansea signed one of the few remaining Premier League level Hull players – versatile midfielder Sam Clucas. They are trying to make an effort to survive this season; however, it’s going to be an uphill battle after losing Gylfi Sigurdsson to Everton.
– Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back. He has re-signed with Manchester United, putting pen to paper on another one-year deal. Still recovering from injury, it’s unknown when he’ll be back to full strength. That makes predicting his fantasy value a rather tricky.
WEEK 3 PREVIEW
Bournemouth vs. Manchester City
– The Cherries have had a rough start to the season and will look to rebound by spoiling City’s day. Jermain Defoe’s fitness issues have kept him on the bench. I look for him to start and possibly find the net in what might be a high-scoring affair. Guardiola is still experimenting with a 3-5-2 formation, with Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling most negatively affected by it. I would say it should be a good day overall for City’s attackers. Kyle Walker will miss this game after the red card versus Everton, with Danilo being his likely replacement in the starting lineup.
Crystal Palace vs. Swansea
– After a disappointing first week, De Boer’s Eagles surprised with a much better effort against Liverpool. They will look to build on that versus an underwhelming Swansea side. A player who caught my eye was 21-year-old Sullay Kaikai. Much like Newcastle’s Atsu, he creates disorder in the opposition defense with the ball at his feet. He’s a player to watch as the season progresses. Players I would choose for fantasy purposes from Palace would be van Aanholt and Hennessey. Meanwhile, Jordan Ayew was Swansea’s best player against United, while Roque Mesa and Tammy Abraham worked hard and showed why they are the players to own from this team.
Huddersfield vs. Southampton
– Can The Terriers keep going? Next up is Southampton. The Saints are definitely the better team overall, but at the moment this contest is a toss up. Huddersfield are very sound defensively and will make life hard for Gabbiadini, Tadic and Redmond. Mario Lemina started in place of James Ward-Prowse last week, so that’s something to pay attention to. As for Huddersfield, Mooy and Mounié remain the main threats.
Newcastle vs. West Ham
– Two squads that are off to terrible starts face off in this intriguing matchup. Arnautovic will miss the game because of the red card he received, and Michail Antonio should start again after coming back from injury last week. He’s a player I like in this game, along with Javier Hernandez.
Watford vs. Brighton
– This should be an easy win for Marco Silva’s men, but don’t be surprised if Brighton manages to score first. Richarlison proved to be the sleeper pick I predicted in my previous article, and will remain as such until more fantasy owners add him. Troy Deeney might be back in the starting lineup. It’s all about who the coach prefers up front and which formation he chooses. Week 1 it was Stefano Okaka; Week 2 it was Andre Gray.
Manchester United vs. Leicester
– This is more of a test for The Foxes than for Manchester after Leicester’s Week 1 collapse in London. I still predict a win for United, and another abundant round for those who own their players.
Chelsea vs. Everton
– Well, Everton have been as good as advertised, and Rooney’s presence really seems to lift the team spirit. They’ll be dangerous throughout the campaign, but for this game in particular, I prefer to have Chelsea’s players. It could very well be a clean sheet for Courtois. Bakayoko showcased his fighting spirit against The Spurs, and I’m convinced Morata will score.
West Bromwich vs. Stoke
– Two stout defenses go up against each other in this one. Strangely enough, these types of contests tend to end up with both teams scoring. Logically, I’d say definitely start defenders from both teams. However, since fantasy logic doesn’t work on the field of play, take my previous sentence with a dose of hesitance. Jesé looked excellent in his debut, and if I had to choose one offensive player to own, it would be him.
Liverpool vs. Arsenal
– The Reds are on a high after dismantling Hoffenheim and qualifying for the Champions League group stage, while Arsenal are on a low after their defeat from Stoke. In my book, it’s pretty obvious who wins this one, even if Alexis Sanchez starts (and I believe he will). Andy Robertson was better than Moreno at left back for Liverpool and is a sneaky player to own. Firmino has been their best player thus far, but I really like Sadio Mané for this game. I wouldn’t be “ambushed” if Wijnaldum puts his name on the score sheet as well.
Tottenham vs. Burnley
– Tottenham is a huge favorite here. 4-0 is the result that revolves around my head. Start as many players from this squad as possible, especially midfielders. Other than Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen are the ones who could profit the most.