One of the fastest growing fantasy games is the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) - a season-long version of fantasy soccer for the English Premier League (EPL). With almost six million players this year, the FPL game is becoming a fixture for soccer enthusiasts across the globe.
Here at RotoBaller, we will try to give you the best analysis possible so that you can beat your friends and take on the rest of the world by managing your team in the fantasy version of the beautiful game.
Here is the team analysis and lineup picks for fantasy drafts heading into Gameweek 27. At the end of the day, remember to make the decision you feel is best for the team. Good luck, and enjoy!
The Ones To Buy This Week - Fantasy Premier League
Federico Fernandez - D, Swansea (Price: 4.4M)
After scoring a goal last week, the Swansea defender has vaulted up the transfers in column and moved up to almost 3% ownership for the season. Playing as part of the back line of a team that is unbeaten in eight games, Fernandez has performed admirably and consistently plays the full ninety minutes. If you are in need of some extra cash in order to buy new players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Lucas Moura, you could swap out one of your defenders for the Argentine center back and save some cash to reinvest with a double transfer or in later weeks.
James Ward-Prowse - M, Southampton (Price: 5.1M)
With three goals and two assists in his last four games, James Ward-Prowse has played fantastically over the last few weeks. With Southampton still in the relegation battle, Ward-Prowse will have to be relied on heavily in order for the team to have any chance of success. Look for Ward-Prowse to most likely regress back to his mean performance standards. However, the midfielder has the potential to continue his run of good form, and with a price tag just over 5 million, you will be hard-pressed to find a better option for that value at the position.
Keep Your Eye On Him
Christian Benteke - F, Crystal Palace (7.6M)
In an unexpected turn of events, Christian Benteke has had four assists in his last five games (to go along with one goal). After scoring double-digit goals in three of his last four seasons, the Belgian striker has found it difficult to find the back of the net on a consistent basis this season, scoring only two goals through Gameweek 26. Nevertheless, Crystal Palace have been playing well as of late and should continue to fight to get out of the relegation zone battle. This means it will be likely that Benteke will be called on to score a few more goals until the end of the season, making him one to target should he start turning those assists and solid performances into goals. With motivations to make the World Cup roster for Belgium this summer, the center forward looks to be a good buy for the coming weeks.
Offload Him Now
Heung-Min Son - M, Tottenham (8.1M)
With eight goals and five assists so far this season, the Korean winger has been electric for the London outfit. Son looks to be on pace to match his tally of fourteen goals for the previous season, making him a good bet to return value on his hefty price tag. However, with the addition of Lucas Moura to the team, the expectation is the duo will rotate for the third attacking midfield spot along with Erik Lamela to partner with Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen. This means that playing time will be hard to come by, even for a footballer as talented as Son. For his price, there are better options at the position with an easier path to consistent playing time and more opportunities to garner fantasy points for the rest of the season.
Potential Replacements: Anthony Martial (8.1M), Aaron Ramsey (7M)
RotoBaller Weekly XI
Team (Prices Over 100M):
GK: Nick Pope (4.7M)
DF: Ben Davies (5.5M), Alfie Mawson (5M), Aaron Cresswell (5.1M), Zanka (4.5M)
MF: Raheem Sterling (9M), Dele Alli (8.9M), Paul Pogba (8M),
FW: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (10.5M), Chicharito (6.7M), Jamie Vardy (8.6M)
Analysis:
With a 4-3-3 formation this time out, the team looks solid in the front half of the pitch while having upside plays along the defensive line. Look for an electric performance from each of the forwards this week, and one match winning talisman in the midfield between Sterling, Alli, and Pogba. Once again, keep Nick Pope in your lineups - the surprise goalkeeper of the season has been on fine form this season and doesn't seem to be close to stopping.
That's all for this week - good luck!