Sky Sports Fantasy Football Tips: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk
Callum Paterson could be a worthy consideration - but Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus?
Thursday 17 January 2019 17:44, UK
Former Sky Sports Fantasy Football champion Dan Cox highlights six players for you to consider for your side this week.
There are just two days of action to navigate through this weekend and Mohamed Salah, as he is most weeks, is an essential pick as Liverpool face Crystal Palace at Anfield.
One of his team-mates also makes the list, as well as a very cheap budget option, while news of Harry Kane's considerable injury lay-off has caused a fair bit of panic and many will be looking to move on the Spurs striker.
Any questions or dilemmas? Ask Dan on Twitter at @dancox82.
Virgil Van Dijk - £9.9m
Let's start at Anfield where Liverpool host Crystal Palace on Saturday. Van Dijk has been a colossus for Jurgen Klopp's side as they have climbed to the top of the table, and maybe the Netherlands international should have been given more than just the three man-of-the-match awards he has collected so far this season.
Liverpool have kept 13 clean sheets, conceding 10 goals in the process and Van Dijk has been instrumental in making them a solid unit at the back. He has actually become the highest points scorer in the game with 169 points, registering more than team-mate Mohamed Salah and Chelsea's Eden Hazard, and considerably more than Harry Kane or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
After Crystal Palace this weekend, Liverpool face Leicester, West Ham and Bournemouth up until the overhaul which should give Van Dijk more chance of racking up some clean sheets, as well as a fair number of bonus points, which have added 39 to his tally already this season.
Mohamed Salah - £12.9m
As Liverpool have some favourable fixtures on the horizon, the lethal front line deserves some consideration once more. Salah is again a must have in my opinion.
With 160 points from 14 goals, eight assists and three man-of-the-match awards, he Is somewhat down on last season's 378 points from 32 goals, 11 assists and a 12 man of the match awards. But he is still in over half of teams with 52.1 per cent of players picking him, so do you dare go without the Egypt international?
Callum Paterson - £5.2m
Paterson is a very popular pick amongst some for a variety of reasons. His main attraction is not his four goals - it is the fact he is listed as a defender in Sky Sports Fantasy Football, but has been moved into a striking role by Neil Warnock.
Therefore you have the beauty of picking a player listed in a different position and, in effect, you can pick a 4-3-3 while playing with a 3-3-4.
Because he is listed as a defender, every goal Paterson scores is worth seven points, two more than a striker would receive, and if Cardiff keep a clean sheet he gets another five.
Be wary though, as if Cardiff are on the end of a heavy defeat you are looking at minus points. But for a £5.2m outlay your expectations are not that high.
In their next four games until the overhaul Cardiff face Newcastle, Arsenal, Bournemouth and Southampton and apart from Arsenal, they are not the toughest of tests.
Paul Pogba - £10.6m
The Manchester United man has been in blistering form since the sacking of Jose Mourinho. He has returned 71 points in the last five games, quite a contrast from the previous 14 where he earned just 66.
You would not expect him to continue this points-to-game ratio, but it clearly demonstrates his point-scoring ability as he has picked them up in a variety of ways.
They have come not only from goals and assists, but also passing and shots bonuses - he is somewhat of a man of the match favourite. Having picked up 137 points for the season and in just 13 per cent of teams, I think he is a great pick from now until the end of the season.
Gabriel Jesus (£12.1m) and Sergio Aguero (£12.8m)
Manchester City travel to the John Smith's Stadium on Sunday for their Sky Sports Super Sunday clash, and I think Pep's men could heap more misery on 20th-placed Huddersfield, especially after the news of David Wagner leaving.
With many people having a Harry Kane-sized hole in their team, a new striker may be in order. It's the ideal opportunity to bring in a city striker, but just which one?
Gabriel Jesus has been in great form recently, with two goals and a man-of-the-match award against Wolves on Monday night, following on from a four-goal haul against Burton in the Carabao Cup.
There is always the worry about who will start for City, but as it is the first game of the day you can check the line-up before deciding on transfers and captains. If Jesus starts then I think he is a great option, and with relegation-threatened Huddersfield and Newcastle up next I think there could be more goals in store for the Brazil striker.
City also face Arsenal and Chelsea before the Overhaul but I still think there are goals for City in these games. Given he is in just 4.3 per cent of teams, he is somewhat of a niche pick.
If Sergio Aguero starts, he would be a good option as captain. Aguero scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture in August and with 10 goals and five assists this season, he is ticking over nicely and is always capable of a big haul.
I would guess the pair would share minutes over the next few games, but you just have to make your choice and stick with it, hoping that when they do make it onto the pitch they make it count.
Even if Jesus starts on Sunday and Aguero is benched, it is not out of the question for Aguero to come on and grab a goal or two or vice versa.
