Pep Guardiola's appointment at Manchester City stole the show on Transfer Deadline Day, however, it was the arrival of three new strikers which sparked discussion amongst the fplbet team and the Fantasy Premier League community.
The players in question are Seydou Doumbia, Emmanuel Emenike and Oumar Niasse - all of which bring their own expertise to the table. After some intensive research, the fplbet team have categorized each player into a scoring system which suits them best; ranging from FPL and FantasyBet's rigid scoring system, to Mondogoal's extensive coverage. Hopefully this will aid you in your quest to win some cash prizes or gain some ground on your opposition.
FPL - Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow > Newcastle)
Following successful spells at BSC Young Boys (Apps: 79, Goals: 58, Assists: 21) and CSKA Moscow (Apps: 150, Goals: 95 Assists: 42), the Ivorian has made his way to the Premier League and to Newcastle United.
The loan agreement sees Seydou Doumbia join the Magpies until the end of the season, and he seems to match the criteria that Steve McClaren has been desperately searching for, “a natural goalscorer, someone who has scored goals in the Champions League and played at the highest level."
Third-bottom Newcastle are two points from safety with 15 matches remaining. With this in mind, many think Doumbia will slot straight into the starting XI - in an attempt to score some goals and pull clear of the relegation zone, but don't be fooled into believing this. Doumbia hasn't featured competitively since the 8th of December, so will be eased into the action. Our advice is to keep tabs on his progression, and once match fit, take another look at the situation.
Why Doumbia for FPL?
The ideal situation is that Doumbia has nailed down a starting spot by Gameweek 28. We advise holding off the Ivory Coast International until then, as Newcastle face Everton (a), West Brom (H) and Chelsea (a), all tough fixtures, before a blank in Gameweek 27. This gives Doumbia enough time to regain sharpness in preparation for Stoke (a), Bournemouth (H), Leicester (a), Sunderland (H) and Norwich (a) - matches in which he is capable of working into some form. Doumbia is the most reliable goalscorer in our lineup, and with FPL's rigid scoring system, finding the back of the net on a regular basis is paramount.
FantasyBet - Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce > West Ham)
The Nigerian forward will be known heavily by those who play FIFA, he possesses bags of pace, but his goalscoring record in Turkey has not been very impressive. In the 2014-2015 season the striker scored just four goals in 27 games, so if he's going to be a hit for West Ham, that has to change. Emenike certainly has goals in him, whilst on loan at Al Ain he found the net 7 times in 11 games.
He hasn't been bought in blindly though, Hammers boss Slaven Bilic worked in the Turkish lead managing Besiktas and will be well aware of the qualities that Emenike has. Furthermore, whilst in charge of Russian side FC Lokomotiv Moscow, the striker was playing for Spartak Moscow. It's clear that Bilic has been a long term admirer of the 28-year-old, after completing the signing the Croatian said “Emenike has been on our radar and I know him for a long time. He is a great player and I hope he is going to do a great job for us” before describing him as extremely quick and very direct.
Emenike joins West Ham and is likely to be thrown straight into the first team picture. The London club are lacking in the striker department, with Enner Valencia and Nikica Jelavic the only two available at this present moment.
Why Emenike for FantasyBet?
There is a real chance that Emenike will hit the ground running for West Ham and nail down a starting spot in time for Gameweek 26 when they face Norwich at Carrow Road. Alex Neils side have conceded 11 goals in their last five games and look very shaky at the back. The pace of Emenike should cause the Canaries a lot of problems. The following gameweeks sees Sunderland guest at Upton Park - another match which pits West Ham against a weak defence.
So, instead of throwing him into your FPL side now we believe his FantasyBet selection offers a much smaller risk.
Mondogoal: Oumar Niasse (Lokomotiv Moscow > Everton)
The Senegalese International was the Toffees first and only deadline day signing, for a fee in the region of 13.5 million. There was a host of Premier League sides interested in Niasse, however, it was Everton who finally secured the services of the 25-year-old.
Niasse, who is comfortable as an out-and-out striker or playing just off the frontman (in this case Romelu Lukaku), won the Russian Premier League Player of the Year award for 2015 and has already contributed with 8 goals and 7 assists in the Premier Liga this season. He has also showcased his skills on the European stage, with 4 goals and 3 assists, in just 7 Europa League appearances.
We've heard him dubbed ‘a young Arouna Kone', but in our opinion, he is much more efficient - on the ball and in front of goal. A front-three of Deulofeu on the right, Niasse on the left and Lukaku through the middle is an exciting prospect. However, the fact that Niasse will have a more withdrawn role is never a good thing for a Fantasy Football striker.
Why Niasse for Mondogoal?
Niasse will most likely be utilised on the left side of a front-three is the reason why he is more suited towards Mondogoal. Their scoring system is much more flexible, than the likes of FPL and FantasyBet; so Niasse, who on average per game this season has taken 3.6 shots, made 1.3 key passes and won 2.2 freekicks, fits the bill perfectly. Roberto Martinez has stated that “He is not back up for anyone, he has his own ability” - this is very positive news for both the youngster's future and his Mondogoal potential.
