Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 4 | Don't fall for the fire sale

BySiddhant Lazar, SportsCafe Editor

08/29/2019

Gameweek 4 inches closer but for FPL managers, it started on Monday with them making a thousand decisions before the deadline. Last week was a terrible one for managers with 44 points being the average points, but FPL is a marathon, which means no harsh decisions, and no dropping Harry Kane.

The Must-keeps

Virgil Van Dijk

Sitting pretty at number 14 on the list of Fantasy players dropped is not a place for Virgil Van Dijk to be. That is even if you take into consideration that Liverpool are yet to keep a clean sheet in their three-game Premier League winning run. The Dutchman has been nothing if not impeccable - proved by winning the UEFA player of the year - with other players struggling to keep up. That, in turn, has led to a few goals conceded; even then it’s not a crazy amount.

Three goals in three games isn't that bad and it does not warrant nearly 110,000 managers dropping him. Only Andy Robertson and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have been dropped more and given Liverpool’s run of fixtures, it really shouldn’t be the case. The Reds go on to play Burnley, Newcastle United, Sheffield United and Leicester City, with Chelsea right in the middle.

Out of those five, three all but guarantee clean sheets, with Leicester City and Chelsea their only main trouble, but even that depends on their form coming into the game.

Harry Kane

Dropping Harry Kane before a North London derby? Probably the worst decision a fantasy manager can make especially given his record against Arsenal. The record is 9 goals in 9 Premier League games, which means that every time the two sides meet Kane has scored and that is an absurd record for any player against a single club.

But then again this is Arsenal we’re talking, with Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba and Sergio Aguero all reaching a similar figure against the Gunners. It’s an impressive tally, but Harry Kane on his own has tried to give Tottenham some muscle in this fixture, doing it successfully on a few occasions. But that's not the only reason why FPL managers are mad to drop him.

His fixtures after the North London derby is a decent run, with Spurs facing Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Southampton, Brighton and Watford before their third top six games of the season. It’s a pretty impressive run and one that takes place after August, which means that any drought he once had is as good as over.

The Maybes

Kevin De Bruyne

Yet to score this season, the mercurial Manchester City star is back and fully fit, which means that this is his season. It’s his season to prove to the world that he’s amongst the best playmakers in the world, which is a question that shouldn’t really be floating about. But given that he is yet to score, it’s understandable why people are dropping him, but given Manchester City’s fixtures, not so much.

They play Brighton, Norwich City, Watford, Everton, Wolves, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Southampton before their next game against a big six side. It’s a stunning run and one that any other side would simply kill to have, which means stock up on sky blue assets. Not to mention that at 9.7m, he’s cheaper than Sterling, Salah and Mane.

And only two million more expensive than Son Heung-Min and only three million more expensive than Arsenal star Nicolas Pepe.

Sadio Mane

Given the 11.5m price tag that Mane does have on his head, two-goal contributions are simply not enough for a player who finished with the Golden Boot last season. However, does dropping him make any sense? No, it doesn’t, especially given the fixtures that Liverpool do have going forward, which makes him a rather impressive asset.

With Burnley, Newcastle, Chelsea, Sheffield United, and Leicester City coming up as the main opponents, it is not the worst fixture list in the world, and it has bewildered a few to see nearly a 100,000 managers drop the Liverpool man. Keep him, let him wreak a little more damage on sides, which is something he can only do once he hits full form.

That's something that Mane will take time to reach but with time, he will hurt teams because he proved one thing last season, that Mohamed Salah is not the only superstar at the club.

The Questionables

Marcus Rashford

Another understandable choice to be dropped given Manchester United’s inconsistent form this season, but if there is one man super-glued to the team-sheet, it’s Rashford. He has managed 19 points so far, although a large portion of that did come in Gameweek 1, with him blanking in Gameweek 3 after a penalty miss.

For those who captained them last week, it’s an understandable overreaction but take into account the fact that injuries have plagued Manchester United. Antony Martial will miss their next game, Alexis Sanchez is in Italy alongside Romelu Lukaku and that leaves only one man. Well two, if you count the young Daniel James but he risks walking away with a yellow card after every single game.

It leaves us with just Marcus Rashford and with a decent run of fixtures, look before you leap.

Lucas Digne

Everton simply cannot keep clean sheets at the moment. First, they concede two completely avoidable goals against Aston Villa, and then Lincoln City nets two more against them. While the second brace was in the EFL/Carabao cup, with Digne on the field alongside Djibril Sidibe, Mason Holegate and Michael Keane, it’s still no excuse to concede a goal within one minute.

However, who stepped up with a free-kick within 30 yards? Lucas Digne, and it was a brilliantly taken set-piece by the Frenchman. He stepped up and fired it well past Grant Smith in the Lincoln City goal to level the score. His and Everton’s defending so far has a lot of room to improve, but given the way they did start the season, fans will be hoping they find their way back, not to mention, Richarlison and Digne have found their way back.

Either way, just like with Marcus Rashford, Lucas Digne is a man that one must consider keeping even if he is a little too reckless because when he strikes, he strikes fear into the heart of any team in the world.