Is Bernardo Silva better value than Salah? Five fantasy questions answered ahead of GW 16
- Sean Fisher
- 9 December 2021
With five goals in his last five appearances, is Bernardo Silva a must-have in fantasy? Or is he just as prone to being benched by Guardiola?
Meanwhile, Liverpool and Manchester City kept up their title charge with wins over Wolves and Watford respectively, and it's heated up a debate regarding Bernardo Silva and Mohamed Salah.
Elsewhere, Ralf Rangnick got off to a winning start at Old Trafford with a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace and Patrick Bamford returned from injury to steal a point for Leeds United against Brentford.
Is Bernardo Silva better value than Salah?
His spectacular form has brought home a resounding 152 points this season, essentially making him a must-have for fantasy managers.
The 27-year-old scored two goals in City's 3-1 win over Watford last week, taking his goal tally up to seven for the season, and five in his last five games.
It's seen his total points earned rise to 84, making him the second highest scoring midfielder. So the question is - should we be investing in him this week?
In short, absolutely. With City mounting another strong title challenge this season, we should all be looking at how we can best benefit from their form.
The only negative is that Pep Guardiola frequently rotates his side. However, Silva is less impacted than you might think.
In fact, since their opening-day loss to Spurs, Silva has featured in every game and has rarely been hooked by Guardiola.
Whether or not he's more valuable than Salah comes down to whether he can remain consistent. But for now he's certainly better value, so you should be looking to fit him in this week at all costs.
Can Ben Davies become a crucial asset under Conte?
Those who played fantasy football during Antonio Conte's time at Chelsea will know that his system is very beneficial for the wing-backs.
The 28-year-old defender brought in a remarkable 15 points this week after registering two assists and a clean sheet against Norwich. And at just £4.4million he is worth considering.
Without knowing who those players are, it's hard to judge whether Spurs are even in a position to play their fixture against Brighton this week.
However, if it's announced that Spurs are okay to play, and that Davies is fit, he's certainly worth keeping an eye on as a transfer target.
Have Manchester United defenders become worth considering?
When Ralf Rangnick was announced as the new interim manager of Manchester United, news of his high-pressing style made United's forwards an enticing option.
That still may be the case, but perhaps their game against Crystal Palace last week showed that their defence may also be worth keeping an eye on.
Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Red Devils struggled at the back - they have conceded 24 goals this season, making them the sixth-worst defence.
But against Palace, they looked far more organised under Rangnick, and his choice of full-backs is worthy of our attention.
With Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka both struggling for form and consistency, Alex Telles (£5million) and Diogo Dalot (£4.4million) have featured in their last two games.
Are West Ham silencing their critics?
After starting the season superbly, many expected West Ham to tail off in view of their European responsibilities and relatively small squad.
But, their recent 3-2 win over Chelsea proved that they're here to stay, and that they're serious top-four contenders.
So, as David Moyes' Hammers continue their push for Champions League qualification, we take a look at which assets are good value in fantasy football.
Michail Antonio has been a popular addition to teams this season, but after only scoring 14 points in his last six games, there's perhaps better value to be found at the top end of the pitch.
In particular Jarrod Bowen has impressed, scoring three goals and assisting a further four - taking his season total up to 71 points.
For just £6.5million, the 24-year-old is a great option for a team looking for a consistent midfielder. He's featured in every game for the Hammers this season, and with Burnley, Arsenal and Norwich up next, there's plenty of potential for points.
If you're lacking the funds for Bowen, then Manuel Lanzini is another in-form midfielder, having scored two goals in his last three games.
Is Patrick Bamford the answer up front?
With Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane all failing to justify their enormous price tags, fantasy managers have been forced to look elsewhere for their forwards in order to make space for premium midfielders - and by that we mean Salah.
Jamie Vardy, Dennis and Antonio make up the top three highest scoring strikers in fantasy this season, but Patrick Bamford's return from injury might make him a contender.
After missing nine games, the 28-year-old Bamford came off the bench to steal a last-gasp equaliser against Brentford, so could Leeds' star striker be worth considering?
It's an unforgiving run of fixtures, and Leeds are still struggling with other injuries, even if Bamford is back.
