We are now into the final leg of our club-by-club rundown into who bagged the goals and notched up the assists during the first Fantasy Football half term report of the season. Which players are worth following for the rest of the season? Which of the big names have failed to set the league alight this term?
As the 2016/17 Premier League season reached the halfway point, Spurs had shaken off the hangover from last year’s failed title attempt, Watford were sliding towards Slaven Bilic’s injury ravaged Hammers and West Brom were sitting pretty in mid table under Tony Pulis.
As you know, on Sportito, the Point per games (PPG) is the key metric to analyze the player performances, and in our previous article, fantasy football guide, you can read more about how points are calculated, providing specific tips for this fantasy football game.
Tottenham
Star Player: Dele Alli
Dele Alli is showing no signs of slowing his march towards footballing greatness. After plundering 10 goals during his debut season, the former MK Dons man matched that total after just 19 appearances this time around. The two goals he scored in the 2-0 defeat of league leaders Chelsea also meant that he reached 20 Premier League goals in 88 games fewer than Frank Lampard, who went on to score 177 and sits fourth on the list of all-time scorers. During the first half of the season, Alli recorded a Sportito point per games score of 9.62.
Biggest disappointment: Moussa Sissoko
In late November, Mauricio Pochettino suggested that club-record signing Moussa Sissoko was ‘falling short of expectations’ at White Hart Lane. In fact, the £30 million man, who was the subject of a transfer tug-of-war between Spurs and Everton in the summer, was only selected to start in six of the first 20 league matches. He was withdrawn early in five of those six games and was still to score after 569 minutes of action. Sissoko did at least contribute two assists during the first half of the season for a Sportito point per games score of 2.77.
Watford
Star Player: Etienne Capoue
Anyone with any interest in Fantasy Football will know that Etienne Capoue was an absolute bargain during the opening weeks of the season. After playing as a holding midfielder for most of his time in this country, Capoue was moved into a number ten role as part of manager Walter Mazzarri’s revised 3-5-2 formation. Having scored a single goal in the previous three seasons, he scored four in the first five matches of this campaign. The seven-times capped France international played in all 20 matches, scoring five goals in 1,752 minutes for a Sportito point per games score of 5.89.
Biggest disappointment: Odion Ighalo
The Nigerian international might be in the top ten Watford performers on Sportito, but he has seriously underperformed in comparison to last season. Ighalo was linked with a £25 million move to Arsenal last January after striking up a lethal partnership with Troy Deeney on the Hornets return to the Premier League. He racked up 16 goals last season at an average of one every 196 minutes. This time around, he has contributed just a single goal at a frequency of 1,289 minutes across 17 matches. Ighalo is said to be interesting West Brom in this transfer window, despite a modest Sportito point per games score of 2.90.
West Brom
Star Player: Matthew Phillips
Matthew Phillips has beaten off competition from several top performers for West Brom during the first half of the season, to top the Sportito charts on 149.38. Most notably Gareth McAuley, who came close with four goals and three clean sheets for a total of 145. The Scottish international is thriving in his second season at the Hawthorns, contributing directly to 12 goals in 19 appearances. Despite being substituted nine times, Phillips had racked up four goals and eight assists at the halfway point, for a point per games score of 7.86.
Biggest disappointment: Saido Berahino
After years of speculation, Saido Berahino has finally left the Hawthorns to join Stoke City in a five-year-deal worth a reported £12 million. Since scoring 14 times at a goal frequency of 208 minutes in the 2014/15 season, the former England Under-21 international struggled for form and fitness under Tony Pulis. The 23-year-old made just four appearances for the Baggies during the first half of the season, failing to score a goal or record an assist in 245 minutes for a Sportito point per games score of 1.29.
West Ham
Star Player: Michail Antonio
The former Nottingham Forest winger capped a dream start to the 2016/17 campaign by getting a call up to the England squad last September. He is still to earn his first cap, but on the evidence of the first 20 matches of this season, it won’t be too far away. In his second year with the Hammers, Antonio matched his eight-goal total from 2015/16 after just 17 appearances. His impressive Sportito point per games score of 8.10 was reduced slightly by his failure to record an assist during that period, and a run of three consecutive yellow cards in matches 10, 11 and 12.
Biggest disappointment: Andre Ayew
It would be easy to highlight the Dimitri Payet saga at this stage, but given the Frenchman still recorded two goals and six assists in 18 appearances, our attention turns to club-record signing Andre Ayew. A star performer with Swansea City in his debut Premier League campaign, with 12 goals and five assists, Ayew struggled for form and fitness at the London Stadium during the first half of the season, before leaving for the AFCON in early January. He has played 501 minutes over 12 matches, recording just a single goal for a Sportito point per games score of 2.46.
The post Fantasy football half term reports: Tottenham, Watford, West Brom & West Ham appeared first on Sportito Fantasy Sports Blog, Strategy, Picks, Tips and Advice.
