Fantasy Football: Who to buy, sell and captain for gameweek 4
With the dreaded October international break looming, there is perhaps more to think about than normal when selecting your Fantasy Football team this week.
If you've got a couple of free transfers in the bank it may be worth utilising them now if you plan to use your wildcard over the break. Unless you've made a solid start, however, then it's business as usual.
In this week's edition of Fantasy Football gossip, we assess who to sell, who to buy and who you should captain for this weekend's action. But first, an update on our free-to-enter private league.
The WhoScored Invitational
It's generally all change at this stage of the season as far as the league standings are concerned but hats off to Solomon Appiagyei, who retained first place last time out. He returned 55 points last weekend to stay two points clear of the chasing pack but will be forced into at least one change this weekend with Son Heung-Min facing a losing battle to prove his fitness in time for the trip to Old Traffordon Sunday. Whether he sticks or twists will be crucial to his chances of heading into the international break as league leader.
David Worthington, meanwhile, wasn't as fortunate as he dropped from third to fourth last weekend. Francisco Moaless Woo, Rakshit Sinha and Augustin Sory have all gatecrashed the top 5, while Muhammed Yahya Hariadi was the big mover in the top-10 after returning 74 points. Remember, if you haven't entered yet it is not too late. Get involved now with a chance to win great prizes at the end of the season.
Player to Buy - Ferran Torres (Manchester City) - £6.9M
After being eased into the swing of things at Manchester City, summer signing Ferran Torres could be set for a run in the side now that both Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero are sidelined and not expected back right away after the international break.
Torres won't replace the aforementioned duo up front but there will be a space free on the wing now that Raheem Sterling will play centrally in their absence. Riyad Mahrez is expected to take up one position on the wing, with Torres battling with the likes of Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden for the other.
The Spain international will hope to get the nod after an outstanding display in their 3-0 win away to Burnley in the Carabao Cup in midweek. Torres scored his first goal for City in the victory to earn a WhoScored rating of 8.98 and place in our Carabao Cup Team of the Round.
City have made an indifferent start to the season but you can at least guarantee goals from Pep Guardiola's side and at the cost of just £6.9M on Premier League Fantasy Football he is a super cheap option all things considered.
Player to Sell - Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) - 4.5M
Any players from West Ham should by now be binned with fixtures against Leicester, Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool to come in their next four, but seeing as barely of their backline are selected then you appear to already know that.
Instead, our focus turns to the 13.5% of teams that have selected Keinan Davis as their throwaway option up front. The Aston Villa youngster is the ninth-most selected forward on Premier League fantasy football, picked more than Richarlisona and Anthony Martial, and is clearly a squad filler, freeing up money in the budget to be spent elsewhere.
That is absoutely fine. At the cost of 4.5M, you have already accepted he will return few points this season. Points will be even harder to come by for Davis when you consider Villa's next five games are Liverpool, Leicester, Leeds, Southampton and Arsenal.
However, there is now a new option out there at the same price in the shape of Rhian Brewster. Ineligible to play this weekend, but he could prove a tactical signing with an eye on his price increasing as more players cotton to to his availability.
The 20-year-old will go down as Sheffield United's club-record signing once the last few details are completed and will naturally be considered first-choice at Bramall Lane. 4.5M for a first-choice Premier League striker is remarkable, particularly one with Brewster's potential.
Who to captain - Raul Jimenez (Wolves) vs Fulham
Our one free transfer this weekend was typically used on swapping Mohamed Salah for his Liverpool team-mate Sadio Mane just prior to Liverpool announcing the Senegal international had tested positive for COVID-19.
We were leaning on Mane's formidable goalrecord against Villa to bag us big points this weekend and he was our original captain pick but forced into a change we are placing our faith in Wolves' Raul Jimenez.
Nuno's side haven't made the best start to the season but in Fulham they have the ideal opposition to get on form. The Cottagers already look like dead certs for relegation, shipping at least three goals in four of their six matches in all competitions.
Despite Wolves' indifferent form, Jimenez still has two goals in three Premier League appearances this season and is the obvious option to cash-in against Fulham's poor defence. Scott Parker's side still haven't managed to land a new centre-back and are there for the taking on Sunday.
