This article is part of our Ball Watching series.
Fellaini in the Hole
Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal did not go with Wayne Rooney and Falcao up front in place of the injured Robin van Persie (ankle). Instead, the Red Devils put Rooney up front alone with Marouane Fellaini right behind. This is the same position the afro'd Belgian flourished in at Everton. The budget price tag also compounds the interest for Fellaini.
Time to Buy Christian Benteke
If Villa's Belgian striker is truly "back" after netting a goal and an assist on Tuesday, then fixtures against QPR, Sunderland, and Swansea in his next five games will provide more offensive output. Furthermore, if Gabriel Agbonlahor continues to start next to Benteke in a 4-4-2 diamond formation, the speedy Englishman also has budget fantasy value.
A QPR Must-Own?
I found myself slightly redfaced when my podcast parter, Andrew Laird, was talking about Matt Phillips and I had no clue who that was. Upon further research, Phillips has been a phenomenal budget option since the departure of Harry Redknapp. The Scottish winger has four assists in the past three games to go along with his 21 crosses. Charlie Austin's recent resurgence is likely due to this uptick in service.
Victor Moses is Back on Track
The Nigerian winger has now scored in two of his past three games, while playing all of the possible 270 minutes. He also has eight shots (four on target) in that same time period. This shot rate is almost double his season average of 1.82 shots/90 minutes. It's clear that the Potters are leaning heavily on Moses during their recent rise up the Premier League table.
