The Bargain Hunter - Week 30
Slim pickings.
That is what the fantasy landscape is offering right now in terms of budget options.
Slim Pickens.
The famous cowboy actor whose role in Dr. Strangelove draws comparisons to how my picks turned out last week - a guy riding on the head of a nuclear bomb.
Last week was rotten folks. I wont mince words here. The very least I want to offer readers is a player they can feel confident will at least make the XI. I thought Kurt Zouma was destined to start against Southampton and he didn't. It's as if Jose Mourinho knew I was backing the defender and decided to get all Mourinho-ey on me.
Perhaps you were fortunate enough, like me, to have a viable bench option sub in for Zouma if you invested in him. My current squad is filled with budget defenders at this point: Ryan Bertrand (3.99m) and Aaron Cresswell (1m) have been there since Week 1, Jores Okore (1.7m) not long after that and Matthew Upson (1m) who I picked up maybe a month or so ago. I started Zouma, but even if he did start, he would have been hard pressed to outscore Okore (18 pts) or Upson (14 pts). So by making the wrong call, I was rewarded with the points of a player I never intended to use.
Otherwise, it wasn't a complete disaster last week, but it wasn't exactly memorable either. Seven points for Julian Speroni, five for Moussa Sissoko and only two for Andrej Kramaric.
I was hoping the fantasy gods would make this weeks' picks stand out like a burning bush so that I could rebound with ease but the hard truth is, at this stage of the season, budget options are harder to find. Perhaps more will come to light between now and the deadline as injury news pops up and creates an opportunity for a budget player or two to start, but for now, the pickings remain slim.
Basically, there are plenty of budget options among the likes of Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland. However, the form of these three clubs is so bad, and their matchups this week are so unkind, I have avoided them altogether with the exception of one defender that cannot help but put up points. Another area I have my sights on is Spurs this week. They were beaten handily by Manchester United last weekend and it resulted in several significant price drops. With a fixture back at White Hart Lane and hosting basement-dwelling Leicester, one has to think Mauricio Pochettino will right the ship and Tottenham will deliver many productive performances.
That is the hope anyway.
We are at Week 30 folks! It is crunch time. I've given these picks extra-careful consideration this week in an effort to improve my reputation. After all, a Bargain Hunter is only as good as his last hunt. :
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Goalkeeper
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) Why not begin the picks with the player who put up the worst score of the week last week? Lloris was slapped with a nightmare -11 score against the Red Devils. Surely, you weren't buying him last week, but perhaps you are willing to overlook it and appreciate his price drop ahead of a home match against last place Leicester City. If you want proof of how the budget options are drying up in the Yahoo game, look no further than the keeper position. Normally, I suggest keepers who cost less that Lloris' current 6.29m price, but upon inspection there are only two or three active keepers that cost below 5.5m this week, so to suggest one at 6.29m seems reasonable. Personally, I stashed Brad Guzan before his price rose. Had I not though, based on their current prices, I would much rather pay a bit extra for Lloris or roughly the same below for Adrian.
Other Option for Goalkeeper
Adrian (5.49m, home to Sunderland)
Defender
Ryan Taylor (Newcastle United) Proof that no matter how bad a club is doing, there is almost always at least one player who is putting up fantasy numbers. If you are a loyal follower of the column, you know I have been blowing my Alpine horn like a Ricola commercial, urging people to go out and pick him up. It is all about the dead ball with this guy. He is a free kick guru and even when he only plays a fraction of a game, he is capable of racking up a crooked number with ease. Between him and Darryl Janmaat, you have two defenders who put up some of the best attacking scores on a per-match basis in the entire league. Perhaps that points to why their defense is so shaky. Two fullbacks who are not known for their defending, along with a patchwork center of defense equals shipping goals at an alarming rate. Do not let that or the matchup against Arsenal sway you though. For me, Taylor is a premium pick regardless of fixture for as long as he is pegged to start and his price is south of 8m. He is going for 6.19m now. This may be your last chance to get him at a value.
Other Options for Defense
Marc Wilson (5.91m, home to Crystal Palace) Vincent Kompany (6.57m, home to West Brom)
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Midfielder
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) I had thought about opting for Nacer Chadi in this spot, further backing Spurs to turn things around and do well against Leicester, but with further contemplation, I realized that picking him may not be so safe. Pochettino may look to shake his XI after last week's result and Chadli may be one to give way. Instead, I push my next option up to the featured choice in Matic. The superb defensive midfielder had a dreadful -7 score last week, dropping his fantasy price nearly a full 3m. As it stands, he offers more value than any other fantasy player with the exception of Robert Green in terms of points-per-pound. After the Zouma call last week, I would be remiss to suggest that Matic is safe to start, but looking at his track record for the season, Mourinho has used him as much as any of his front six options and he has been that way going into last season when returned to Stamford Bridge. You are not looking for goals or assists here, should that come, go buy a lottery ticket. Instead, you want those workhorse stats to pile up: winning tackles, winning fouls, blocking shots and intercepting passes. With Hull City on tap, Matic should clean up. If he can avoid a yellow card or a slew of fouls committed, he is a safe bet to far exceed what one would expect from a 4.44m priced midfielder. All I ask is that Zouma doesn't start in Matic's place in midfield - expect a meltdown next Wednesday if that happens.
Other Options for Midfield
Wayne Routledge (6.15m, away to Aston Villa) Charles N'Zogbia (4.42m, home to Swansea)
Forward
Diafra Sakho (West Ham United) Sakho is yet another option that week that has benefited from a price drop in order to be eligible for Bargain Hunter status. After a tough fixture at the Emirates last week, I expect the Hammers to rebound at home against sputtering Sunderland. Needless to say the Black Cats are in disarray. With a managerial change this week, there is always a chance that the players get motivated enough to up their game. Even if they improve however, I do not see them shutting West Ham down. Sakho isn't in great form at the moment, but that is why you are paying a lower cost than usual. What is a positive sign is that he is playing a full 90 minutes lately, three straight weeks to be exact. The last time he played a full 90 for that stretch was earlier in the season when he played 90 for four straight weeks, and he scored in ALL of them. This leads me to believe that he is the type of striker that needs to stay of the pitch to get the most out of him. We have seen his tekkers when he is in form so we know he can do damage in the PL, it is just a matter of getting on another roll. If you are looking for a punt at this position this week, you can trot out Sakho for 8.87m. I am not super-excited about it, I think this is a week where you must pay the premium at this position, but if you are holding players for value and need a cheaper option here, go Sakho.
Other Option for Forward
Bafetimbi Gomis (6.24m, away to Aston Villa)
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