WITH THE START of the new Premier League season just days away, time is running out for people across the country to get their Fantasy football squads sorted for the year ahead.
One of the most difficult things about Fantasy Premier League is trying to predict where the best bargains will come from. With just £100m to work with, we can’t just load up our teams with stars like Hazard, Aguero, Sanchez or Costa.
For those of you struggling to fill out your teams, here are six bargains that can help you free up some funds and outsmart your mates.
Callum Wilson (Bournemouth – £5.5m)
A good back-up or third striker can make all the difference in Fantasy Premier League. Can you pick out the next Harry Kane, Charlie Austin or Danny Ings? There are a few options this year but it is Callum Wilson that stands out for me.
The 23-year-old netted 20 times last year as he fired the Cherries into the Premier League and he will be hoping to replicate those kind of performances on the big stage this season. He’s priced at a lowly £5.5m.
If you’re looking for other gems from the promoted teams, Wilson’s teammate Matt Ritchie is another player who could be about to make a big impression. He scored 15 goals from midfield last year and contributed 17 assists. He fired 151 shots at goal in total and has become known as a long range specialist.
Jonjo Shelvey (Swansea – £5.5m)
Finding the right balance in midfield can be tricky, with a lot of the top midfielders being slapped with lofty price tags. With nine goals and thirteen assists in his last two seasons, Jonjo Shelvey looks a steal at £5.5m.
It is worth remembering that Shelvey is still only 23-years-old and is likely to further improve this season. Swansea proved themselves to be a quality outfit last year and another relatively cheap option in midfield could be Ki Sung-yueng. The South Korean scored eight goals last season and accumulated 17 bonus points. It also helped that Gary Monk’s team kept eleven clean sheets as well.
Sadio Mane (Southampton – £8m)
Sadio Mane is a proven Fantasy Premier League performer and even though he is listed as a midfielder, he spent the majority of last season playing just behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation. He managed 137 points from just 30 matches in his debut season, scoring 10 goals, three assists and rattling off the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history.
Another thing in Mane’s favour is Southampton’s first five fixtures — Newcastle, Watford and West Brom away and home matches with Everton and Norwich.
If you’re looking for even cheaper options in midfield, the likes of Jordan Henderson, Dusan Tadic and Nacir Chadli at £7m offer good value this year.
Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool – £5.5m)
Nathaniel Clyne was one of the league’s best defenders last season. Ahead of Euro 2016, the right-back will be looking to make a big impact at his new club and stake claim to an England place.
Last year, 13 cleans sheets and two goals saw him emerge as one of the Fantasy Premier League’s top scoring defenders. With, arguably, better players around him this season, Clyne could do even better and represent good value for money.
His replacement at Southampton could also be an astute signing. At 23, Cedric already has international and Champions League experience. He is another attacking-minded defender and is likely to bag a few assists throughout the year. He’s also only £5m, so a cheaper option than the popular Jose Fonte, and will be part of last season’s second best defence in the league.
Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace – £6.5m)
Yohan Cabaye is bound to be a popular choice this year. Having made over 80 appearances for Newcastle United, Cabaye already has an abundance of Premier League experience.
Alan Pardew knows all about Cabaye and he’s guaranteed to be one of the first names on the Palace team sheet. Palace have some exciting attacking players this year, Bolasie, Gayle and Bamford to name a few, and Cabaye’s creative ability should see plenty of goals and assists. At just £6.5m, there are few better bargains than Cabaye.
It is also worth mentioning Georginio Wijnaldum, Newcastle’s big signing of the summer. At £7m, the 24-year-old scored 14 goals for PSV last season playing along side Memphis Depay, whom he pipped to the Dutch Player of the Season award. He also made three assists.
Memphis Depay (Manchester United – £8.5m)
People may argue that £8.5m is not a bargain but compared to the likes of Hazard, Sterling, Sanchez and other players of the same ilk, Depay could prove a great signing if you grab him at this price.
Manchester United look like a more solid unit heading into this season, and will be hoping to improve on their low tally of 62 goals last season. The man they’ve brought in to help achieve this found the net 22 times for PSV. But it’s not just the goals, Depay added five assists and showed off his skills as a dead-ball specialist on numerous occasions.
He could be a canny investment at £8.5m.
Who else do you think could be a bargain buy?