Dec 14

Swansea - Team & Player Guide 2015/16 - Fantasy Premier League Tips

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We're teaming up with knowledgable fans ahead of the 2015/2016 Fantasy Premier League season to get some tips on their players potential, starting lineups, transfers and much more. This article will focus on Swansea City who will be hoping to break into a Europa League spot under promising young manager Gary Monk. A Swansea fan from Reddit has provided us with his expert insight in to the club and hopefully his predictions and player analysis will help you choose which Swansea players should make your FPL teams. He will also be at hand to answer any of your Swansea related questions in the comments section. Without further ado, here's our Swansea team guide and player tips for the 2015/16 season

OPENING FIXTURES

Chelsea (A) Newcastle (H) Sunderland (A) Manchester United (H) Watford (A)

SET PIECE TAKERS

Penalties: Jonjo Shelvey, Gylfi Sigurdsson Freekicks: Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jonjo Shelvey Corners: Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jonjo Shelvey

TRANSFER TARGETS

Striker - Steven Fletcher (Transfer rumour) Jordan Rhodes (Transfer rumour)

PREDICTED LINEUPS

Fabianski Naughton Williams Fernandez Tabanou Cork Ki Ayew Sigurdsson Routledge Gomis

SWANSEA'S DEFENSIVE RECORD

Last season Swansea were impressive at the back. Their starting goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski kept 12 clean sheets. One behind the top three goalkeepers on 13. This correlates into a lot of FPL points if your team consisted of Swansea defenders. Monk had them disciplined at the back and they were very tough to break down at times. The likes of Williams and Taylor also kept 13 clean sheets throughout the season. The Swans' conceded 49 goals throughout the season with 22 of them coming at home. Monk will look to reduce that number to help Swansea back into the Europa League.

GOALKEEPER ANALYSIS

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[/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half]Lukasz Fabianski (5.0m) - The Polish goalkeeper was the highest scoring goalkeeper on FPL last season with an impressive 151 points. There is no reason why he can't replicate this form. VERDICT: Avoid early on they play both Chelsea and Manchester United but after that you need to consider him.[/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Kristoffer Nordfeldt (4.5m) - He's come in to replace the departed Tremmel and is more likely to play the cup games than the league games. If Fabianksi does suffer an injury he's a solid replacement if Swansea have a kind set of fixtures. VERDICT: If Fabianski can stay clear of injury Nordfeldt has little chance of playing, we would suggest avoiding him.

WHICH SWANSEA DEFENDER SHOULD I PICK FOR MY FPL TEAM?

As was Swansea's impressive defence last season you have a few Swansea defenders you could pick. Franck Tabanou has impressed in pre season and enjoyed a fantastic season in Ligue 1 with Saint-Etienne whilst Kyle Naughton nailed down the starting right back spot last season. Our pick though is a solid defender who is a nailed on starter and will pick up a lot of points. It's Ashley Williams. He's a rock at the back for Swansea and is the captain, he was the Swans' highest scoring defender last season but he does need to score more.

DEFENDER ANALYSIS

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[/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half]Ashley Williams (5.0m) - He's guaranteed to be a starter and offers stability and consistency at the back for Gary Monk. His only down side is he doesn't score enough put what he lacks in goals he makes up for in clean sheets. VERDICT:You could probably spend 5.0m on a higher scoring defender but Williams offers minutes and points. [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Franck Tabanou (5.0m) - The wingback joins from Ligue 1 where he impressed enough to earn his move to Swansea. He's already shown in pre season his attacking threat and has been linking up well with Ayew. We can see him picking up assists this season. VERDICT: We'd keep an eye on him let him adapt to English football before selecting him. Federico Fernandez (5.0m) - Another solid defender in the Swansea back line, he's a nailed starter along side Williams at the back but there is a lot of talk he could replace Otamendi if he leaves Valencia. VERDICT:  Hold off on him if you want a Swansea CB stay with Williams, Fernandez could be moving. Neil Taylor (5.0m) - He was the starting left back last season but lacked quality in the final third. He did however look very strong defensively. The signing of Tabanou means his game time will decrease from last season. VERDICT: Avoid Taylor, he will be rotated in and out the side and won't feature on a regular basis. Kyle Naughton (5.0m) - Took the starting right back spot from Rangel towards the second half of the season and kept it for the remainder. He's expected to be the starter going into the new season and provides an attacking threat, there are better options for his price though. VERDICT: You could spend the money elsewhere as Rangel may just get his place in the side back. Kyle Bartley (4.5m) - He's going to be the third and possibly choice behind Williams, Fernandez and maybe Amat depending on who Monk brings in. Unless of injury or a sale he's going to stay there. VERDICT: If Williams or Fernandez leaves or gets injured he won't start. Angel Rangel (4.5m) - When he starts he does't finish the 90 minutes, he lost his place to Kyle Naughton but will be eager to get it back, he may be in and out the side but won't nail down the spot. VERDICT: Although he may feature we would suggest spending the 4.5m elsewhere. Jordi Amat (4.5m) - At the beginning of last season he started for Swansea but he soon lost his place to Fernandez. It'll be touch and go between Amat and Bartley for the third choice spot but both of them won't be featuring much. VERDICT: Avoid him, his minutes will be limited. Dwight Tiendalli (4.0m) - It's very unlikely he's going to play and when he does he makes little impact. VERDICT: Stay clear, he scored two points last year.

WHICH SWANSEA MIDFIELDER SHOULD I PICK FOR MY FPL TEAM?

A certain Swansea midfielder was sensational last season, and was one of them players who you couldn't sub out because of his ability. That was Gylfi Sigurdsson, he was an FPL gem last season and was relatively cheap but his price tag has risen this season. He's going to play behind the striker and will be involved in everything Swansea do. He's a dead ball specialist and seems to provide a goal or an assist from them on a regular basis. He is our pick for a Swansea midfielder.

MIDFIELDER ANALYSIS

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[/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half]Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.5m) - You will all be aware of Sigurdsson due to his high reputation and points scoring from last season. He scored 154 points and was the main corner and free kick taker where his delivery is magnificent. VERDICT: When Swansea adopted a diamond formation he was less productive, be aware of Monk's tactics if you select him. [/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Andre Ayew (7.0m) - A fantastic addition to the Swansea side, Ayew joins from Marseille where he scored 10 goals and picked up three assists in 27 games. He mainly played as a winger and his pace will be vital to how Swansea play. He may be subbed off a lot to give minutes to Montero/Routledge but he should be a consistent performer this season. VERDICT: We wouldn't select him from the start as 7.0m seems a little bit expensive but if he shows signs of brilliance that he is capable of then get him in. Jefferson Montero/Wayne Routledge(5.5m-6.0m) - It's a roll of the dice for who starts between the two wingers. The addition of Ayew will mean one will lose minutes in the side but it's yet to be seen which one it'll be. VERDICT: Good players on their day but because they will be fighting for a starting place we would avoid both. Ki Sung-Yueng (5.5m) - Ki is very overlooked in the Swansea side, last season he scored 129 FPL points and was a mainstay in the side, that is expected to be the case this coming season. Last year he scored eight goals from midfield and has nailed down the central midfield spot. VERDICT: If you can't afford the expensive Swansea midfielder we would recommend Ki, if he can continue his goal scoring form of last season he will be a great addition to your side. Jonjo Shelvey (5.5m) - If you select him it is another gamble. His form of last year makes him difficult to drop but such is the brilliance of the Swansea midfielders he will most likely to be bench. Has an eye for goal but it really is a risk if he plays. VERDICT: Hold off for now, if he can nail down a starting place get him in otherwise avoid. Jack Cork (5.0m) - A nailed on starter for Swansea but doesn't offer much in the way of points due to being a defensive midfielders. VERDICT: If you've read our other team guides you will know FPL is not the game for defensive midfielders, avoid him. Nathan Dyer (5.0m) - Struggled to make an impact last season and now is behind Ayew, Routledge and Montero in the pecking order. He's not going to be getting many games. VERDICT: Now 4th choice, you're probably best off avoiding him. Leon Britton/Matt Grimes/Jay Fulton (4.5m) - Britton is a club legend whose been with Swansea for years whilst Grimes and Fulton are both youngsters trying to break into the first team. All three of them will have limited minutes and will struggle to score a large amount of FPL points. VERDICT: Avoid all three of them.

WHICH SWANSEA FORWARD SHOULD I PICK FOR MY FPL TEAM?

Since the loss of Bony to Manchester City, Swansea have struggled for goals, then one man stepped up. Gomis took on goal scoring responsibilities and started to contribute in the final third for Swansea. He ended the season with seven goals but looked very impressive towards the end of the season. The addition of Ayew means he's going to get more chances and he should have a very strong year.

FORWARD ANALYSIS

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[/mks_one_half] [mks_one_half]Bafétimbi Gomis (7.0) - The main striker for Swansea this season he's going to have pressure to score goals for Swansea. He's strong and quick but fluffs his lines a lot when he should score with the talent in Swansea's midfield he should get more chances. Currently, 7.0m does seem expensive. VERDICT: He's going to be the starter for Swansea, keep an eye on him.[/mks_one_half] [/mks_col] Eder (5.5m) - Joins from Braga in Portugal and will be wanting to be second choice being Gomis, a place he probably will get. It's unsure what he will be like as he can be hot and cold. VERDICT: We'd advise avoiding him, it's yet to be seen how he will cope in England and you could spend 5.5m on the likes of Deeney. Modou Barrow (4.5m) - He's struggled to nail down a place at Swansea and is likely to be loaned out this season. VERDICT: Leave him be he won't make an impact on Swansea this year. Marvin Emnes (4.5m) - Not going to be a starter and probably going to be behind Eder in the pecking order. VERDICT: Avoid him.

OVERALL SUMMARY

In goal Lukasz Fabianski is a very solid pick not just as your Swansea goalkeeper but as your FPL keeper as well. He was the highest points scoring keeper last season due to his clean sheets and bonus points, he is worth considering for your team. In defence let Tabanou find his feet in the Premier League before selecting him. An attacking full back who was fantastic in Ligue 1 and impressed enough to earn a move to the Premier League. The selection you should consider from the start of FPL though is Williams. A very solid defender who brings clean sheets and more bonus points to your team, he doesn't score as much as he should but you don't score 118 points by accident. In midfield Ayew looks a promising addition to the Swansea side and his pace could see more chances created for Swansea but Sigurdsson is almost impossible ignore. He brings goals and assists to the side both from open play, free kicks and corners. Upfront Swansea are not blessed with a big pool of quality strikers but Gomis looks set to be their man striker. He will have to step up to reproduce the goods that Bony delivered if you're going to select Gomis give it a few weeks before you do.