Filler

A very brief Football Circus this week, mainly to keep you up to date with our Fantasy Football and avail of any last minute tips for your own team…

Football Circus Roundup

Christian Benteke joined Crystal from Liverpool this week, although nobody seemed to inform the Belgian striker, who thought he had signed for Burnley.

A hotel in Liverpool now features a hologram of Bill Shankly in their bar. That’ll really make the customers feel comfortable.

A Manchester United fan has celebrated the club’s big summer signings in truly horrific fashion…

Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez has set up an Instagram page for his dogs…

Fantasy Football

Week 2 of Fantasy Football has come and gone and we’re still faltering. A measly 59 points was all our mish mash of bargains and stars could muster. Sergio Aguero was again the stand out player and thankfully we captained him, gaining us 26 points. Captain Aguero aside, only Luke Shaw and Wes Morgan could register respectable tallies, gaining 17 points between them. Here’s how the the points worked out:

And what of our Game Week 2 suggestions? Well here’s how they fared:

Ben Foster £4.5m – 2 points

Stephen Kingsley £4m – 1 point

Jordi Amat £4m – 1 point

Leroy Fer £5m – 3 points

Gaston Ramirez  £5.5m – 1 point

Alvaro Negredo £6.5m – 10 points

Jermain Defoe £7m – 2 points

Well. The less said about that, the better.

So where do we go from here? We’re tempted to use our wildcard but we’ve decide to resist until after the international break. Thereafter, quite a few names will be on the chopping block. For now though, we need to ditch Andy Carroll as the West Ham striker has been ruled out for six weeks. Bacary Sagna has also picked up and injury so as we’re foregoing the wildcard option, we’re taking a 4 point hit. We’ve opted to draft in Daley Blind as Sagna’s replacement. The United utility man is priced at £5.5m and with Chris Smalling out injured, is playing regularly in United’s back line. With Carroll out, we’ve splashed out slightly on our replacement. Middlesbrough’s Alvaro Negredo was one of our recommendations last week and he got himself on the scoresheet for the second week in a row. His price tag has resultantly risen from £6.5m and is now available at £6.7m. We’re bringing him now before it rises further. Even with these transfers, we still have £1.8m in the bank. Here’s how the team shapes up for week 3:

Game Week 3 Suggestions

Goalkeepers

Tom Heaton £4.5m – Heaton has racked up 14 points for Burnley thus far and at just £4.5m could be worth an investment. Likely to make multiple saves per game as Burnley’s defence is sure to be tested throughout the season.

Defenders

Gareth McAuley £4.6m – Already off to a better start than his similarly priced WBA centre back partner, Jonny Evans. 7 points in each of the opening two games, one of which included a goal, prove that McAuley should not be overlooked.

James Collins £4.6m – The West Ham defender has also amassed 14 points in just two games, helped by a clean sheet and a goal. While West Ham have gotten off to a shaky start, Slaven Bilic can be trusted to steady the ship and with Collins at the heart of their defence, it would be foolish not to consider the Welshman.

Midfielders

Etienne Capoue £4.6m – Perhaps Capoue’s early season form will have us scratching our heads come May, but 19 points in the opening two matches is nothing to be sniffed at.

Victor Wanyama  £5.1m – Wanyama notched up 10 points in Game Week 2 and as a holding midfielder, it’s a feat unlikely to be repeated regularly. That being said, he’s sure to start most games for Spurs and at £5.1m, could be a handy sub.

Forwards

Abel Hernandez £6.0m – With many fantasy managers already building their teams around Ibrahimovic and Aguero, budgets are tight when it comes to spending on a third forward. The likes of Andre Gray, Alvaro Negredo and other reliable budget option forwards, are priced northwards of £6.5m. Hernandez will save you £0.5m and recorded 5 and 6 points respectively in his opening two matches.

Football Recommendation of the Week

-      Joe.co.uk Premier League Ground Quiz; This will kill a few hungover minutes over the weekend.

Non-Football Recommendation of the Week

-      Dublin v Kerry, All Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final; When it comes to Gaelic football, Dublin and Kerry are historically the two most successful teams in Ireland. The pair clash in this year’s All Ireland semi-final on Sunday, to determine who will face Mayo in the final and it’s sure to be a barnstormer.

That’s it from us for this week…keep checking back or follow our Facebook page or Twitter for future editions.