Fantasy football: Five questions answered ahead of GW22 including whether to bring in Coutinho
- Sean Fisher
- 14 January 2022
Newcastle and Aston Villa have already added to their squad this January, but are the new arrivals going to hit the ground running, or is an in-form Jarrod Bowen the way forward?
It seems a lifetime since we last made changes to our fantasy teams, with the FA Cup and League Cup ties wedged between the latest Premier League's fixtures.
Elsewhere, both Newcastle United and Aston Villa have made early moves in the January transfer window, the former bringing in both Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, while Steven Gerrard has added Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne to his ranks.
Can Jarrod Bowen keep on hammering home?
West Ham's winger stole the headlines again this week during his double gameweek against Crystal Palace and Norwich, registering an assist in his first fixture before adding a brace against the Canaries on Wednesday night.
It takes his season total up to 115 points and makes him the second-highest scoring midfielder, with only Mohamed Salah's 177 topping him.
That's not even mentioning his further contributions in other competitions after he scored late on against Leeds United in the FA Cup.
With Salah absent at the African Cup of Nations, Bowen has filled the void quite nicely for those who own him.
For those who don't, it'll be extremely tempting to bring him in, so the question is whether he can keep up his form, or if he's simply experiencing a purple patch.
Well, with Leeds, Manchester United and Watford up next, there's certainly no harm in bringing him in, especially priced at just £6.7million.
Will Armando Broja keep striking for the Saints?
Southampton's young gun scored again this week against Brentford, earning him a nifty eight points.
It marked his fifth goal of the season for the Saints, taking his season's total points up to 60.
That's more than Callum Wilson, Ivan Toney, Raul Jiminez and Harry Kane have scored this season, so at £5.3million, why is he still only owned by 6.3% of managers?
Southampton's fixtures look bleak in the coming weeks, with a trip to Wolves being followed by clashes with Manchester City and Tottenham.
Following their tricky run, it does get easier for Ralph Hasenhuttl's side, though, with Everton, Norwich, Aston Villa and Watford on the horizon.
That's the time when you should be looking towards Broja, not this week. So as hard as it may be, my advice is to resist the urge to bring him in.
Can Coutinho reward early investors?
The major transfer news this week has been Villa's signing of former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.
Before departing for Barcelona in 2018, Coutinho was a major part of Liverpool's attack, and was adding goals to his game.
In the 14 matches he played in his last Premier League season, the Brazilian star produced seven goals and seven assists.
If he is able to replicate that at Aston Villa under Gerrard, then the 29-year-old will be quickly finding his way into fantasy teams.
But, after struggling to perform in Spain, his ability has been cast into doubt, making it a gamble to bring him in straight away.
On top of that, Villa face Manchester United this week, a mirror match-up of their midweek fixture when the Red Devils came out on top.
Having signed so recently for the Villans, it's not guaranteed he'll start in Saturday's clash.
So, while the £7m-rated midfielder is an enticing option, it's best to wait for now and see Gerrard's plans for his new man, and then look to invest in him before Villa face Everton and Leeds next week.
How you can take advantage of the double gameweeks
With the Premier League still struggling to catch up with Covid-19 postponements, there are eight teams facing two games this week.
It's an opportunity that shouldn't be missed, with Bowen's 21 points last week exemplifying how effective it can be to benefit from the fixture scheduling.
Firstly, Tottenham, Chelsea, Leicester City, Watford, Manchester United, Burnley, Brighton and Brentford all have two games this week, making their players great choices for Gameweek 22.
But, with a free transfer or two up our sleeves, we can cherry pick players that face two favourable fixtures, hopefully maximising how many points we'll pick up.
That alone makes him a worthwhile transfer target, but add in games against Burnley and Tottenham, and suddenly he looks like a potential captain pick this week.
Elsewhere, Emmanuel Dennis (£6.1million) and Josh King (£5.8million) look like great options up top, with Watford facing Newcastle and Burnle in back-to-back relegation dogfights.
Are either of Newcastle's new arrivals worth a look?
The former has been given a £5million price tag, while Wood remains at the £6.7million mark.
In short, yes. Newcastle will be buoyed by their recent activity in the market, and with more arrivals expected imminently, there's a real feel-good factor around St James' Park.
Considering Newcastle have the second-worst defence in the league behind Norwich, investing in Trippier seems foolish. However, with more defenders set to come through the door, their resilience will improve.
Meanwhile, with Callum Wilson out, Newcastle will immediately look to Wood as their focal point up top, and with the supply coming in from Allan Saint-Maximin and Trippier, he could hit the ground running.
