Fantrax: The 5m Club

I've never been a fan of the entry level player prices being 5m, always felt the price should be 10m forcing you to at least think about their purchase.  However, with no 1m buys and no squad/bench thoughts to cloud our judgement in Fantrax, maybe they are a key component of the game.

Certainly the 5m club gives us that early season thought of the classic "season keeper".  Alexis Sanchez and Kieran Trippier would both have been 5m to start last season and finished 1st and 4th in the total points rankings.  Then you have Wes Morgan 7th and Danny Ings 22nd ending up in the top 25 points scoring players of 2014/15.  Would a plan of attack be to pick up 1, 2 maybe even 3 of the 5m picks and run them all season?

With that in mind lets take a look at a few of the options.  I have tried to pick players that I think can likely play 30 league games.

• Rolando Aarons - Newcastle United

The young magpies winger is full of promise.  Injury prevented his inclusion last season but he has been a hit this pre season.  In the 4-3 win against Zach's mighty Portland Timbers Aarons scored two and assisted a goal.  He may be too green to be a week in week out pick but Newcastle are desperate for something fresh and Steve Mcclaren is an attack minded coach.

• Andre Ayew - Swansea City

With no european football to distract them the Swans look a strong handful of a side particularly at home.  Nicely classed as a midfield player and a differential to the obvious Siggy pick.

• Ross Barkley - Everton

Young Ross had a tough season last time around.  After the breakthrough of the 13/14 campaign the expectation and links with Manchester City arrived.  Barkley struggled to keep a first team place but the signs are he will start this season with one.  No European football should see a good run of games and that's good news for England.

• Yohan Cabaye - Crystal Palace

Perhaps the strongest option so far.  Cabaye was an excellent Yahoo player and with Gavin setting up the blog league to those rules Cabaye has to tempt you.  He must be a sure starter and id imagine will play a book to box role and provide the crosses from set plays.

• Troy Deeney - Watford

Hard to consider a forward as an option up against premium picks of Kun, Sanchez, Diego Costa, Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and Christian Benteke.  But if you want to try something different by strengthening your side in other areas, Deeney is nice choice.  Club captain and on pens.  He has been a consistent scorer in the Championship and we saw last season with Charlie Austin and Danny Ings the potential of a Championship hot shot.

• Matteo Darmian - Manchester United

Darmain is a concern with possible rotation but with Utds defence being so poor last season, I'm thinking LVG will try and stick to a back four.  If Darmian can settle in the hussle of the EPL I think he will be a very good scoring fantasy player in the Fantrax format.

• Jack Grealish - Aston Villa

When I picked him a few times last season Grealish was a very good scorer of points for me.  Despite his off the field issues Villa's squad looks lacking, therefore he should start plenty.

• Robert Huth - Leicester City

Huth also scored very well in the second half of the season for me.  Nigel Pearson's removal may not affect his starting status but I wonder how the squad will react.  The Foxes have a tasty set of opening fixtures and Huth could well return clean sheets and the odd goal in this period.  In doing so you may find him hard to drop as the season progresses.

• Glen Johnson - Stoke City

Johnson looks a player in decline or he did at Liverpool.  Having said that, Mark Hughes and the Stokie crowd have a way of lifting players.  If he could find form he will be joining a strong defence and he's always liked a shot from distance.

• Dimitri Payet - West Ham United

Now here is one of those players we love.   Very good but at times inconsistent in the real world, Payet is an attack heavy thought process man.  Expect plenty of phantoms and the odd 20-30 point week.

• Sebastian Prodl - Watford

A goal scorer centre back and you should expect Prodl to have to make plenty of blocked shots etc to go with them

• Micah Richards - Aston Villa

Once the darling of future english defenders you would think he has a point to prove.  Also pretty good at getting on the end of chances in the opponent's box although not always taking them.  Surely a starting CB when fit.

• Matt Ritchie - Bournemouth

Love this guy.  The Cherries will find the EPL very hard but ever improving Richie is at the heart of the best Bournemouth play.

• Nathan Redmond - Norwich City

In the Canaries last EPL season I thought Redmond looked an EPL player.  Norwich will need his pace away playing on the counter.

• Theo Walcott/Daniel Sturridge/Falcao/Luke Shaw/Bastian Schweinsteiger/ Memphis Depay.

Some big names there.  Problem is most are injury prone while none can be sure they won't escape rotation.

Theo and Depay have unfortunately been listed as forwards losing some more appeal but on the flip side for me, I do expect them both to have fast starts to the season.  Perhaps they are season keepers but possibly keepers until the weather changes.

Of the options I chose Cabaye, Ritchie and Darmian take my fancy.  Without the bench option I'm not sure if any will survive the whole season.  They all could come in useful once Kun and Sanchez are back for week 2 or 3 though.

So what do you think?  Is there anyone in the 5m and under category that you consider to be a potential season long pick up?

Stall