This article is part of our Ball Watching series.
I. Which Arsenal Striker Can We Trust?
With Olivier Giroud's return to the Gunners' lineup against Manchester United, Danny Welbeck is no longer a reliable tier-2 forward option. However, we've seen Giroud, and he's no shining star, either at a likely similar price moving forward. I would prefer going with Everton's Romelu Lukaku or Swansea's Wilfried Bony until further notice.
II. Is Moussa Sissoko the next Newcastle flavor?
The Senegal international has netted a goal and assist in his last three games, but is he just another flash in the pan joining the likes of Papiss Cisse, Gabriel Obertan, and Ayoze Perez (who may still be a current flavor, but how do you know?!).
III. Eden Hazard scores a goal!
As discussed on the Fantasy Soccer podcast, there was doubt cast on the young Belgian's recent production. I argued that the opportunity is going to continue to be there and that, combined with his talent, Hazard should be ranked among the top midfielders. For at least this week, I was proven right, albeit against a meager West Brom side.
IV. Chelsea's Midfielder Regulars
Speaking of the Chelsea midfield, it appears as though the cream has risen to the top in that the preferred attacking midfield three for the Blues will be Hazard, Oscar, and Willian (who is the cheapest in most game formats). This means that Willian would provide a decent value given the opportunities Chelsea create.
V. Remember, the African Cup of Nations is coming!
This is a friendly PSA that players from African countries may be missing for upwards of a month while they compete for their respective countries. This includes the likes of Yaya Toure, Wilfried Bony, Diafra Sakho, and many more. Just check in on that tournament and plan your rosters accordingly.
VI. If only he could score...
Yannick Bolasie is an absolute beast in real life, but fantasy-inconsistent unless you get into deeper stats, i.e. assist on shots/key passes/etc. He's Yaya Toure without any shooting ability on his best day, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. Perhaps if he changes clubs to a bigger team (he'd be a perfect fit to play holding midfield at Arsenal), he'd get more opportunity, but he played so well against Liverpool on Sunday that he deserved a mention. My individual performance of the weekend.
