Who to bring in this week
Christian Benteke – £7.9m
Crystal Palace are yet to score in the Premier League this season with Benteke managing just a single shot on target in the first two matches. This should be the weekend the striker turns it around though, as Palace host fellow slow starters Swansea.
The Swans were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester United last week and have looked lightweight at the back ever since they sold former captain Ashley Williams to Everton back in August 2016. They conceded 70 goals last season – the second highest total in the division – with Benteke getting on the scoresheet in Palace’s end-to-end 5-4 defeat at the Liberty Stadium in November. The Belgian will be eager to open his account for the new campaign and is an affordable option at £7.9 million.
Danilo – £5.5m
With Kyle Walker suspended for Manchester City following his red card against Everton, Danilo is set to come into the starting line-up for the trip to Bournemouth. The summer signing from Real Madrid loves to get forward and brought a smart save from Jordan Pickford in Monday’s draw at the Etihad.
With Danilo keen to stake a claim for a regular starting spot, and Bournemouth pointless so far, the £5.5 million defender could be a shrewd addition for this gameweek.
Sadio Mane – £9.5m
This is hardly a left-field option when it comes to strengthening your FPL team, but 75% of players still haven’t selected Mane – why!? The Liverpool forward has started the season in brilliant form, scoring twice so far in the Premier League – including last week’s winner against Crystal Palace – and helping the Reds beat Hoffenheim to reach the Champions League group stage.
What’s more, Mane has an impressive record against Arsenal. In the six times he’s played against them in the league for Liverpool and Southampton, the 25-year-old has been on the losing side only once, tasting victory on four occasions. He scored in both home and away matches last season as Jurgen Klopp’s side did the double over the Gunners and will be ready to take advantage of any slip-ups in Arsenal’s back three when they visit Anfield on Sunday.
And who to ship out
Jermain Defoe – £7.9m
Defoe predicted that he’d score a hat-trick in Bournemouth’s EFL Cup tie during the week after being frustrated by his bench role in the first two games of the season. The striker failed to find the net against Birmingham though, and his performance didn’t exactly prove that he should be starting against Man City.
With an FPL value of £7.9 million, you would expect him to be playing, but he could find himself left out again on Saturday against a City side who are hot favourites to compound Bournemouth’s difficult start.
Sead Kolasinac – £6.0m
Following his promising debut in Arsenal’s Community Shield victory over Chelsea, nearly 13% of FPL players picked Kolasinac in their squads for the new season. The Bosnian has picked up only seven points so far, however, putting him 33rd in the overall defender rankings.
Arsenal have looked shaky with their new back three formation, conceding three times against Leicester on the opening day and losing 1-0 at Stoke last weekend. Given the pace and urgency of Liverpool’s attacking trio, you might want to avoid having any Arsenal defenders on Sunday afternoon.
Harry Kane – £12.5m
We’re basing this one mainly on the science of superstition, with Kane yet to score in August for the third season running. That stat, coupled with Tottenham’s recent struggles at Wembley, suggests that £12.5 million of FPL budget might be better invested elsewhere.
In reality, Spurs should beat Burnley comfortably on Sunday with Kane helping himself to a hat-trick. But the Clarets have proven themselves to be stubborn opposition and only suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat in this fixture last season with Kane failing to get on the scoresheet. It could be another long afternoon for the striker and Spurs at Wembley this weekend.
