Each week when Shotsontarget publish their stats for MatchCenter, I'll pick the match's "best players" and highlight their most outstanding stats to decide whether they will make the Watchlist.
Two metrics are used here, the first being Key Passes (a pass that creates a shooting chance) and Shots on Target in the Box. Players that stand out on either stat will be called Creators and Shooters respectively, while players who have both are coined All-Rounders.
Watchlist Guidelines:
Players that go on the Watchlist are Tier 1 all rounders, and some of the top 3/4 Tier 2 All-Rounders. Tier 1 All-Rounders are the most important, pinpointing potential "Gems" for the coming weeks.
The Tier 1 All-Rounders are "Gems" that will be worth PICKING UP if the maintain their stats (and tactical positioning) for 2-3 weeks in a row, and will certainly be the ones that are "worth a punt".
The Tier 2 All Rounders are also potential gems, but they are more of the "shining lights" in a weak team performance and are more likely to be picked up when their team hits form.
If there is no value there then I'll look through some top Shooters and top Creators. I'll also do a quick note on how these top Shooters' and Creators' chances are created in their respective systems, and make a quick verdict on whether to include them in the Watchlist or not.
I'll probably make a "Second Tier" Watchlist as well to accommodate players that are "coming into form", perhaps due to a new system or a new-found confidence.
Finally, I'll have a "Wishlist" for personal reasons: These are Tier 1 Watchlist players that I don't have that I wish to have, which is something I'll use for my upcoming transfer-in decisions.
Here we go. Watchlist last week (GW18):
Wishlist: Snodgrass, Tevez
Watchlist 1: Rooney, Gerrard, Benteke
Watchlist 2: Bale, Pienaar, Downing, Glen Johnson, Walker, Young
Player
|
Price
|
Minutes
|
Key
Passes
|
Shots
|
Shots
in Box
|
Shots
on Target
|
Assists
|
Goals
|
Everton 2 Wigan 1
|
||||||||
Anichebe
|
4.3
|
70
|
1
|
5
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
Osman
|
6.3
|
95
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
Kone
|
6.5
|
95
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Maloney
|
4.8
|
95
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Sunderland 1 Man City 0
|
||||||||
Sessegnon
|
7.4
|
95
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Silva
|
9.4
|
95
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Aguero
|
11.0
|
95
|
3
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
Y Toure
|
8.1
|
95
|
3
|
7
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
Aston Villa 0 Tottenham 4
|
||||||||
Bale
|
9.7
|
94
|
4
|
7
|
3
|
5
|
0
|
3
|
Walker
|
6.1
|
94
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Adebayor
|
9.0
|
80
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Defoe
|
8.4
|
94
|
0
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
Norwich 0 Chelsea 1
|
||||||||
Snodgrass
|
6.1
|
94
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Mata
|
9.6
|
92
|
2
|
6
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
Luiz
|
6.6
|
94
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Man United 4 Newcastle 3
|
||||||||
Player
|
Price
|
Minutes
|
K.Pass
|
Shots
|
S.i.Box
|
Target
|
Assists
|
Goals
|
Chicharito
|
6.9
|
93
|
0
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
RVP
|
13.9
|
99
|
0
|
6
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
Marveaux
|
4.2
|
99
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Ba
|
8.3
|
72
|
0
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
Stoke 3 Liverpool 1
|
||||||||
Walters
|
6.4
|
95
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
Gerrard
|
9.3
|
95
|
0
|
5
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
Suarez
|
10.2
|
94
|
3
|
7
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Downing
|
5.7
|
95
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Reading 0 Swansea 0
|
||||||||
Dyer
(Nat)
|
5.3
|
95
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Ki
|
6.0
|
95
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
QPR 1 West Brom 2
|
||||||||
M’Bia
|
4.9
|
96
|
2
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
Taarabt
|
5.7
|
96
|
8
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Cisse
|
5.9
|
96
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Morrison
|
6.2
|
86
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Lukaku
|
6.4
|
76
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
Fulham 1 Southampton 1
|
||||||||
Berbatov
|
7.1
|
96
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
Lambert
|
6.1
|
96
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
Top Shooters:
Defoe, Chicharito, RVP, Berbatov, Lukaku, Gerrard, Ba
Well, shooters are shooters. Some have been rewarded, and some have not. For this week however, the majority of our top shooters have had decent returns. I'll get to them if there aren't many all-rounders this week.
Top Creators:
Downing, Walker
Walker and Downing resurface, while last week's Anita and Brunt almost disappear into anonymity. Almost. I'm having them here this week because a)Defender's only real attacking upsides are their assist potential and b) cut price midfielders must have SOME allure...
The elite options
All of the elite options exploded in terms of stats today. Aguero, Gerrard, Suarez, RVP, Bale, Mata, Silva all had good days, but the gods were just smiling on United and Chelsea really. Hazard and Tevez were the only ones who missed out really, but given their reps for not having 90 minutes you can't blame them.
The Emerging Defenders
More inflated scores. There's just something about deep defenses that creates this inconsistency among attacking fullbacks. Perhaps a study needs to be done on that. Until then, I won't be doing any recommendations on fullbacks. Walker still remains a very, very good option.
Top All Rounders:
Tier 1: Taarabt, Suarez, Mata, Bale, Aguero, Y Toure
Tier 2: Walters, Marveaux, Adebayor, Silva
To be Given Verdict:
All-Rounders: Taarabt, Bale, Aguero, Y Toure, Marveaux, Adebayor
Shooters/Creators: Downing, Berbatov, Lukaku, Gerrard
Taarabt
OK for 5.5, the stats that Taarabt generates are staggering usually, but with my midfield 5 already having Michu Bale and Mata, the last 2 spots are a competition between DGW candidate Kevin Nolan and another budget pick. Might pick him up in the future, but at the moment players such as Puncheon, Snodgrass, and even Matty Taylor are all better considerations. The impending return of Fellaini also just is too big of an issue to consider. Post Wildcard is a good time to reconsider him. Watchlist 2
Bale
Well I am an advocate of picking players up as they start to turn up. Need I say more? Wishlist
Aguero
The elite forwards current face real threats from being dropped for 2 reasons: 1) Mid price forwards such as Berbatov and Benteke are either coming into form or have really good fixtures and 2) the money (10-12 mil) can be spent on 9-9.5 mil rated midfielders that provide much more value at the moment.
I would like to point out 2 observations from Aguero's passing patterns as well. 1)They're few and far between, and they're short. It seems that Aguero is only making passes when he's involved in City's patient buildup play, and 2) he seems to be the "long ball" option and just lays off the ball to his teammates when holding the ball up front for long enough.
So as for the verdict, I would recommend playing Aguero against high-line defenses (possession based teams maybe) but his premium over the likes of Tevez and Suarez is just way, way too much. Not on Watchlist
Y Toure
What was interesting about this is was that Yaya Toure, for once in a long while, had an initial position as an attacking midfielder behind the 2 strikers. 92 passes and 7 attempts at goal later, he's still shaping up to be more of an assister rather than a scorer. His shots are mostly outside the box, and while this strategy primarily worked for Mancini when his direct dribbling was needed more than Silva's movement late in the game last season, this season City's predictability has let them down, and most of Yaya's shots were either blocked or off target (from pressure I presume). City need a new plan. And FAST. Not On Watchlist
Gerrard
Steven Gerrard is also turning into someone of the Yaya Toure mould, where his passes are central, box-to-box areas and mostly direct, while attempting shots from outside the box. I am aware that this is Stoke they're playing, and as a result Liverpool only managed to have 3 shots of their 21 attempts saved by Bego, which indicates a very, very successful block rate by Stoke and consequently not much created by shooters.
The key here is in the crosses. While Stoke do look intimidating in the air, Liverpool actually attempted 21 crosses, and 8 of them came through. 3 of them being key passes. Is this intentional by Stoke, or is it a weakness? Perhaps I should do a little more digging, but at the moment Steven Gerrard is almost certainly not as FPL-worthy as the elites of Mata and Bale. Watchlist 2 it is. I can only afford 2 elite mids. Watchlist 2
Downing
While his tactical positioning and pass patterns remained consistent, his threat in terms of shooting waned a little, but 4 key passes and only 1 from crosses indicates that Downing is doing something right. I can't expect much more out of 5.7 really, but I'll keep him on the watchlist for now. It's just unfortunate that Liverpool's fixtures are not getting any better. Watchlist 2
Marveaux
Now for 4.2, the allure is instantly recognisable. Marveaux hasn't exactly been flying, but for FPL managers adopting a 3-striker strategy for January, Marveaux is definitely the best player below 4.5 at the moment. Not for me (becuase of my midfield 5 set in stone already), but anyone out there who's read this can certainly pick him up as a 5th mid choice. Not on Watchlist
Adebayor
Hyper-inflated scores usually reveal players with hyper-inflated stats. Some have solid foundations like Defoe and Bale, and some good stats from games like these are just because "the whole team did well". Adebayor's 3 attempts on goal were more through the aerial route, but I don't see Ade benefiting from those anytime soon in the future. the key pass stat isn't bad either, but we'll have to examine him for the coming weeks to see whether he'll deliver against deeper opposition such as Reading. Not on Watchlist
Berbatov
A lot of FPL managers are speaking of Berba being back in the mix due to fixtures easing up and Bryan Ruiz's impending return to the side. for 7.1-7.5, he's merely a punt at the moment and based on his stats (40 passes, mostly played from deep) signifies that Berba's really involved in Fulham's buildup play at the moment.
For a team playing at home to Southampton to only generate 9 attempts on target is a relatively worrying sign for me. Fulham are at the turning point at the moment, but I'm still not sure whether down or up. Wouldn't go near them at the moment. Not on Watchlist
Lukaku
To cap off a relatively quiet week, Romelu Lukaku stands out for West Brom in their win against QPR. for 6.5, there really isn't much out there to match him in terms of value, but with Benteke and Carlton Cole in the mix, Lukaku is merely an expensive differential at the moment. Not on Watchlist
Conclusion:
Wishlist: Snodgrass, Bale
Watchlist 1:
Watchlist 2: Taarabt, Downing, Gerrard
Watchlist Changes: Complete overhaul of the watchlist really. Despite United's win at Newcastle and Liverpool's loss at Stoke, I'm keeping the Liverpool assets on the monitor just in case one of my elite/budget investments turn sour for the long term.
I've brought Bale in already, but I sincerely feel that Snodgrass is worth picking up. Not for a hit though.
Defoe, Chicharito, RVP, Berbatov, Lukaku, Gerrard, Ba
Well, shooters are shooters. Some have been rewarded, and some have not. For this week however, the majority of our top shooters have had decent returns. I'll get to them if there aren't many all-rounders this week.
Top Creators:
Downing, Walker
Walker and Downing resurface, while last week's Anita and Brunt almost disappear into anonymity. Almost. I'm having them here this week because a)Defender's only real attacking upsides are their assist potential and b) cut price midfielders must have SOME allure...
The elite options
All of the elite options exploded in terms of stats today. Aguero, Gerrard, Suarez, RVP, Bale, Mata, Silva all had good days, but the gods were just smiling on United and Chelsea really. Hazard and Tevez were the only ones who missed out really, but given their reps for not having 90 minutes you can't blame them.
The Emerging Defenders
More inflated scores. There's just something about deep defenses that creates this inconsistency among attacking fullbacks. Perhaps a study needs to be done on that. Until then, I won't be doing any recommendations on fullbacks. Walker still remains a very, very good option.
Top All Rounders:
Tier 1: Taarabt, Suarez, Mata, Bale, Aguero, Y Toure
Tier 2: Walters, Marveaux, Adebayor, Silva
To be Given Verdict:
All-Rounders: Taarabt, Bale, Aguero, Y Toure, Marveaux, Adebayor
Shooters/Creators: Downing, Berbatov, Lukaku, Gerrard
Taarabt
OK for 5.5, the stats that Taarabt generates are staggering usually, but with my midfield 5 already having Michu Bale and Mata, the last 2 spots are a competition between DGW candidate Kevin Nolan and another budget pick. Might pick him up in the future, but at the moment players such as Puncheon, Snodgrass, and even Matty Taylor are all better considerations. The impending return of Fellaini also just is too big of an issue to consider. Post Wildcard is a good time to reconsider him. Watchlist 2
Bale
Well I am an advocate of picking players up as they start to turn up. Need I say more? Wishlist
Aguero
The elite forwards current face real threats from being dropped for 2 reasons: 1) Mid price forwards such as Berbatov and Benteke are either coming into form or have really good fixtures and 2) the money (10-12 mil) can be spent on 9-9.5 mil rated midfielders that provide much more value at the moment.
I would like to point out 2 observations from Aguero's passing patterns as well. 1)They're few and far between, and they're short. It seems that Aguero is only making passes when he's involved in City's patient buildup play, and 2) he seems to be the "long ball" option and just lays off the ball to his teammates when holding the ball up front for long enough.
So as for the verdict, I would recommend playing Aguero against high-line defenses (possession based teams maybe) but his premium over the likes of Tevez and Suarez is just way, way too much. Not on Watchlist
Y Toure
What was interesting about this is was that Yaya Toure, for once in a long while, had an initial position as an attacking midfielder behind the 2 strikers. 92 passes and 7 attempts at goal later, he's still shaping up to be more of an assister rather than a scorer. His shots are mostly outside the box, and while this strategy primarily worked for Mancini when his direct dribbling was needed more than Silva's movement late in the game last season, this season City's predictability has let them down, and most of Yaya's shots were either blocked or off target (from pressure I presume). City need a new plan. And FAST. Not On Watchlist
Gerrard
Steven Gerrard is also turning into someone of the Yaya Toure mould, where his passes are central, box-to-box areas and mostly direct, while attempting shots from outside the box. I am aware that this is Stoke they're playing, and as a result Liverpool only managed to have 3 shots of their 21 attempts saved by Bego, which indicates a very, very successful block rate by Stoke and consequently not much created by shooters.
The key here is in the crosses. While Stoke do look intimidating in the air, Liverpool actually attempted 21 crosses, and 8 of them came through. 3 of them being key passes. Is this intentional by Stoke, or is it a weakness? Perhaps I should do a little more digging, but at the moment Steven Gerrard is almost certainly not as FPL-worthy as the elites of Mata and Bale. Watchlist 2 it is. I can only afford 2 elite mids. Watchlist 2
Downing
While his tactical positioning and pass patterns remained consistent, his threat in terms of shooting waned a little, but 4 key passes and only 1 from crosses indicates that Downing is doing something right. I can't expect much more out of 5.7 really, but I'll keep him on the watchlist for now. It's just unfortunate that Liverpool's fixtures are not getting any better. Watchlist 2
Marveaux
Now for 4.2, the allure is instantly recognisable. Marveaux hasn't exactly been flying, but for FPL managers adopting a 3-striker strategy for January, Marveaux is definitely the best player below 4.5 at the moment. Not for me (becuase of my midfield 5 set in stone already), but anyone out there who's read this can certainly pick him up as a 5th mid choice. Not on Watchlist
Adebayor
Hyper-inflated scores usually reveal players with hyper-inflated stats. Some have solid foundations like Defoe and Bale, and some good stats from games like these are just because "the whole team did well". Adebayor's 3 attempts on goal were more through the aerial route, but I don't see Ade benefiting from those anytime soon in the future. the key pass stat isn't bad either, but we'll have to examine him for the coming weeks to see whether he'll deliver against deeper opposition such as Reading. Not on Watchlist
Berbatov
A lot of FPL managers are speaking of Berba being back in the mix due to fixtures easing up and Bryan Ruiz's impending return to the side. for 7.1-7.5, he's merely a punt at the moment and based on his stats (40 passes, mostly played from deep) signifies that Berba's really involved in Fulham's buildup play at the moment.
For a team playing at home to Southampton to only generate 9 attempts on target is a relatively worrying sign for me. Fulham are at the turning point at the moment, but I'm still not sure whether down or up. Wouldn't go near them at the moment. Not on Watchlist
Lukaku
To cap off a relatively quiet week, Romelu Lukaku stands out for West Brom in their win against QPR. for 6.5, there really isn't much out there to match him in terms of value, but with Benteke and Carlton Cole in the mix, Lukaku is merely an expensive differential at the moment. Not on Watchlist
Conclusion:
Wishlist: Snodgrass, Bale
Watchlist 1:
Watchlist 2: Taarabt, Downing, Gerrard
Watchlist Changes: Complete overhaul of the watchlist really. Despite United's win at Newcastle and Liverpool's loss at Stoke, I'm keeping the Liverpool assets on the monitor just in case one of my elite/budget investments turn sour for the long term.
I've brought Bale in already, but I sincerely feel that Snodgrass is worth picking up. Not for a hit though.
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