Fantasy football: Should you make room for January movers Diaz, Alli and Van de Beek?

Whether it was 6ft 6in burly strikers, silky midfield maestros or skillful wingers, the January transfer window delivered.

As fans, we're all raring to see the Premier League's latest stars take to the pitch, but as fantasy football managers, the selection headache for the upcoming gameweek has never been more acute.

It's hard enough selecting your transfers at the best of times, never mind when there are a dozen new signings to pore over.

Luis Diaz

One of - if not the biggest - signing this month. Liverpool's £37million acquisition of Porto winger Luis Diaz is a signal of their title intentions this season.

Diaz has also shown his creative side, registering five assists on top of his remarkable scoring record.

Diaz' goal contributions alone would be worth 85 fantasy points, and with appearances/clean sheets on top, that would easily rank him in the top three highest-scoring midfielders this season.

It's a risky way of looking at things considering we don't yet know how Diaz will settle in England, or how often he'll start.

But one thing for sure is that the Colombia international knows where the goal is, and at £8million, he could rival or replace Diogo Jota (£8.4m) in many fantasy teams.

Donny van de Beek

The Dutchman's dream £35million move to Manchester United in 2020 turned into something of a nightmare.

Van de Beek only started consecutive games once during his time at Old Trafford and it's been a mystery as to why he's been excluded so often.

Now at Everton, we may finally be able to see whether Van de Beek is cut out to perform in England, and that's an exciting prospect for Toffees supporters and fantasy football fanatics alike.

Sure, he's only managed one goal and two assists in the Premier League, but with Everton likely to build around him in midfield, he can start to ramp up those numbers.

Dele Alli

At his best, Alli managed 18 goals and seven assists in the 2016/17 season. If he rediscovers that form, he'll immediately become a fantasy must-have.

But, having not played for so long and struggling for form, the likelihood is that Alli will be a slow starter at Everton.

His price sits at £6.2million currently, but my recommendation is to wait and see the impact he has on the side before making your move - or not.

Bruno Guimaraes

The man to lead Newcastle to safety? After splashing £40million on him, Eddie Howe will sure hope so.

I'm expecting Bruno Guimaraes to be a star in the heart of Newcastle's midfield, but he isn't the style of player that suits fantasy football.

By that I mean he's a more defensive-minded midfielder, and while he's able to pull the strings from the centre-circle, don't expect Newcastle's new star to be popping up with too many goals.

Christian Eriksen

After suffering a very public cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, Eriksen is back in football and back in the Premier League.

The former Spurs man scored 51 goals and assisted a further 62 during his last stint in the division, so it's hardly surprising that many are considering bringing him in as a Brentford player.

A quick glance at Brentford's fixtures should be enough to put you off the 29-year-old, though. With Manchester City up next followed by Crystal Palace and Arsenal, Eriksen will struggle to make an immediate impact.

In a way, that's great for fantasy managers. We can use the next few weeks to step back and see how he settles in at Brentford before making a decision on his transfer. For now though, it's a no.

Rodrigo Bentacur

Spurs' new midfield man is an exciting addition to Antonio Conte's outfit but, similar to Guimaraes, he's not cut out for fantasy football glory.

Two Serie A goals in 133 appearances tells you all you need to know about his ability in front of goal. He's much more likely to get a red card than score.

Wout Weghorst

Seems almost made for Burnley. The 6ft 6in striker won't have any issues adapting to Sean Dyche's direct style of play, so expect the Dutchman to contribute goals in the second half of the season.

The 29-year-old spent three-and-a-half years at Wolfsburg, scoring 59 goals in 118 appearances - an impressive rate of exactly 0.5 per game.

Of course, he may find it slightly harder in a team destined for relegation, but Burnley's saving grace is their games in hand.

If the Clarets can piece together a run of results then they'll give themselves every chance of surviving.

Plus, games in hand equals double gameweeks - a lot of them. That adds to Weghorst's attraction, and he's shaping up to be quite the differential pick.

His price of £6.5million certainly makes him an appealing transfer target.

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