The Bargain Hunter - Week 35

I used to LOVE double gameweeks.

That was then, and this....just stinks.

The story of my fantasy season for 2014/2015 has featured two distinct bullet points: 1) double gameweeks have burned me like no other season has before and 2) I just cannot seem to follow my own advice.

Of the four featured picks I presented in Week 34, two of them were Alberto Moreno and Dame N'Doye. One put up 40 points single-handedly and the other....never set foot on the pitch.

I put forth my fantasy XI that included only one of those two names. Care to take a wild stab as to who?

Yeah. Feeling rather jinxed at the moment. My XI will probably do well enough to keep pace or even gain a bit of ground on those near me in the rankings who did not select N'Doye, but for anyone around me who DID take the Hull striker - I am now a blip in your rearview mirror and time is running out for me to do anything about it.

The odd thing is, in previous seasons, I am pretty sure I would have selected N'Doye and when QPR played their double a few weeks back, I am positive I would never have shunned Charlie Austin in that spot in season's past. I had a reputation for stacking up double gameweek players back in the day, regardless of form or fixtures. I remember tripling up on Birmingham City in FPL a few years back when they were terrible. I captained Nikola Zigic for crying out loud. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why my strategy changed this season.

Lucky for me, another week looms, and we still have a Leicester v Chelsea matchup to play this evening before Week 34 even ends, so there is truly no time left to stew about missing out on N'Doye's 40 points. I do have Didier Drogba and Jamie Vardy left to play (hopefully the latter is fit enough to feature), so perhaps when all is said and done, my failure to not select N'Doye won't leave me feeling like "N'DUH". Here's hoping that if you took my advice on him and Moreno, you can live with an average of 20 points each. That's my way of sweeping the Moreno call under the rug.

It has been a difficult selection process for Week 35, especially in the back, but as you will see, I am going all in on the current budget prices of several Manchester United players. I have weighed the risks, but as I will explain below, I think they are worth the potential reward. Let's take a look then:

Follow the RotoWorld_PL team on Twitter: Galin | Jeremy | Neal | Nik | Steve | Ben | Rob | Aaron

Goalkeeper

David De Gea (Manchester United) Admittedly, I have broken the Bargain Hunter rules right out of the chute this week. I hope you can forgive the fact that De Gea's 7.01m price is a whopping .01m more than where I typically draw the budget line at the position. However, this is his lowest price of the season to my recollection, so he has to be included. It is not so much United's matchup, although it isn't a bad one home to West Brom, it is more the dearth of options at the position this week who cost less than De Gea. When you go down the line, just about every other keeper who is at home this week is more expensive. Heck, Steve Harper, who cost the minimum 1m before Week 34 has now gone up over 10m in price. Incredible. If I were to rank all the keepers this week, the top six plays outside of De Gea make up six of the seven most expensive keepers on the market. So why not opt for one of the very best? I expect United to win, they have only lost at Old Trafford once since Opening Day. He's five points off of first place for points earned by keepers in Yahoo this season. Do I really need to sell you on this? Go get him. The other option I have included is strictly for those who must include a very cheap keeper, but expect to get what you pay for there.

Other Option for Goalkeeper

Kelvin Davis (2.06m, away to Sunderland)

Defender

Luke Shaw (Manchester United) Honestly, I wasn't buying into the hype of Shaw as much as most people were during his stint with Southampton last season. I was shocked at the transfer fee he commanded for the Red Devils to scoop him up. Still, I must not be as knowledegable as the brass at Old Trafford. I would hope they know more than I do, otherwise I wouldn't mind having another zero or two added to my salary. Let me be clear here, Shaw is one of the riskier plays I have recommended in this column. He is certainly not nailed on at left back. With the current landscape of defensive personnel and having an instinct telling me that LVG wants to give the kid a run in the side before the season ends, I am willing to bet that Shaw will be there again this weekend when United host the Baggies, with Daley Blind occupying a defensive midfield role. West Brom were kept out on their own pitch by Liverpool last time out and I like United's chances of a clean sheet here. Shaw runs at an affordable 5.24m. Let me reiterate: this selection is just as much about the lack of plays in Bargain territory this week as it is about Shaw's chances of a nice haul. The dependable starters who are in the price range all have terrible matchups. mostly away from home and against clubs who aren't struggling for goals. If you do not have a viable defender on your bench to step in should Shaw not feature, then you may want to go Wollscheid or Pieters below.

Other Options for Defense

Phillip Wollscheid (2.49m, away Swansea City) Erik Pieters (6.97m, away to Swansea City)

Follow the RotoWorld_PL team on Twitter: Galin | Jeremy | Neal | Nik | Steve | Ben | Rob | Aaron

Midfielder

Nathan Dyer (Swansea City) One player is good enough to throw off my attempt at an all-Man U edition of The Bargain Hunter and his name is Nathan Dyer. Dyer has enjoyed some very productive stretches with Swansea City since their promotion a few years back, but he never seems to earn any respect in fantasy circles despite putting up numbers that deserve it. Though he had fallen out of favor as a starter for the bulk of this season, I still think he has some magic left in the tank. With Wayne Routledge done for the campaign with an ankle problem, Dyer looks poised to make the XI for the run in. Last week, he put up a solid nine points despite the lack of a goal or an assist, and with the Swans at home this weekend to the Potters, I anticipate he can either match or surpass that haul. He costs a very reasonable 6.23m. With Nelson Oliveira adding a spark at striker and Gylfi Sigurdsson hitting form, there is every reason to think the Swans' attack will be effective, and a multi-goal game is certainly possible. The atmosphere is ripe for Dyer to grab a piece of the pie.

Other Options for Midfield

Kevin Nolan (5.67m, home to Burnleyl) Jack Rodwell (5.42m, home to Southampton)

Forward

Robin Van Persie (Manchester United) ALERT - RISKY PLAY

There. I have done my due diligence and given the readers a clear warning of my pick here. Like Luke Shaw, I cannot in good faith claim any sort of safety with this pick. Think of my picks as an investment portfolio. You put your money in different baskets - some are very safe investments but have limited returns while others may be a risky stock on a startup company that can go completely boom or bust. The idea of the portfolio is to limit risk but to not ignore it entirely, because if you hit on one, it can be more lucrative than all those "safe" investments combined. Get my drift? van Persie has been sidelined for a very long time and typically we see players eased in gradually. Well, he made the bench and came on for a cameo this past weekend, his first appearance in over two months, and last night, playing for the U-21's, he bagged a brace. Assuming he doesn't have a setback in training between now and Saturday, my belief is that LVG will name his fellow Dutchman to the XI. He goes for 7.42m currently in the Yahoo game. Again, this pick is not for the faint of heart. If you want a budget option that is a virtual certainty to start and is coming off a nice game, go for Oliveira below.

Other Option for Forward

Nelson Oliveira (4.89m, home to Stoke City)

Follow the RotoWorld_PL team on Twitter: Galin | Jeremy | Neal | Nik | Steve | Ben | Rob | Aaron