TCD SCOUT REPORT GW7
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by Andy Spink
Before we look ahead to the GW7 transfer options, I recommended four players in last week’s article (one in each TCD position) as ‘in-form’ who would be worthwhile bringing in for GW6.
Here’s how they got on:
Timm van der Gugten — 275 points
James Vince — 24 points
James Rew — 329 points
Daniel Worrall — 202 points
Some of these scores highlight the value of backing players who have scored well within the previous two or three games. It’s also worth noting that these transfer tips are often considered with multiple gameweeks in mind, but it’s always nice when the big points arrive immediately.
Top 10 Form Players — Previous Four Fixtures
There have been plenty of standout performances over the past four gameweeks, but the biggest surprise has been 19 year-old Somerset wicketkeeper James Rew (80K) surging to the top of a form table dominated by bowlers and bowling all-rounders. The only other batters near him are the experienced internationals Labuschagne (174K) and Pujara
(160K) who are both scoring their runs in a division below Rew. GW7 offers a fresh opportunity for some new players to infiltrate the form table, while there are some fixture blanks to contend with once again. Lancashire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire all have a week off so their players are unavailable for selection.
This article will explore different transfer options by position across three different categories:
1. In-form pick — Which player is currently on a hot streak of form?
2. Reliable pick — They may not score huge totals every week but will consistently pick up points
3. Differential pick — A low owned player (& >10% ownership) who could catapult you up the leaderboard in upcoming weeks.
Top 10 Form All-Rounders — Previous Four Fixtures
Here are my top transfer recommendations for GW7, with justification:
In-form Pick
Ben Raine put in another high quality and match-winning performance against Yorkshire in GW6, scoring over 300 points, yet it baffles me that he has only been selected by 9% of DOCs. Raine, who has bowled more maiden overs than any other all-rounder this season, has proved his capability of picking up big points and is definitely worth consideration ahead of a nice fixture run.
Reliable Pick
Only two players have crossed the 1000 point mark this season, and one of them is Glamorgan all-rounder Timm van der Gugten. As you can see above, bowling has made up around 90% of his points, but at 107K he’s beginning to look like one of the bargains of the season. It’s also very handy that his 2nd innings scores have outscored his 1st in the past two GWs -
we’re often left wondering where the points are coming from late in games and he seems to have the knack!
Differential Pick
My differential ALR pick, selected by 2% of DOCs at time of writing, is Wiaan Mulder. Perhaps more of a luxury transfer given his cost, but you feel that Mulder will continue to become more influential in this Leicestershire side over the coming gameweeks. His performance against Sussex in GW6 was superb; 5 wickets in the 1st innings (including Steve Smith) followed by an unbeaten century shows he’s in good touch.
Top 10 Form Batters — Previous Four Fixtures
Here are my top transfer recommendations for GW7, with justification:
In-form/Reliable Pick
I predicted that a Leicestershire opener would fire in the early rounds of the season, but unfortunately I’m stuck with Sol Budinger in my team while Rishi Patel has been raking in points. Patel is the 2nd highest point scorer among batters this season, only 11 points behind Pujara, and he has struck 11 sixes to really boost the bonus points. Given he only costs 69K and many batters are struggling, unavailable or awaiting international duty, he’s a
great option to consider for the weeks ahead.
Differential Pick
My differential batter pick this week is Ollie Pope, selected by 8% of DOCs at time of writing. This feels a bit like deja vu having mentioned Pope in last week’s article, however he was unexpectedly rested by the ECB and didn’t feature in GW6. Assuming he returns to the squad this week, a game against Kent at The Oval awaits Pope and an opportunity for DOCs to bring in arguably the best captaincy option for GW7. This is likely to be Pope’s final first class game before The Ashes begin next month, and Surrey do make a habit of only batting once at The Oval when batting conditions are good, but the upside of bringing in Pope for this week could be huge if it won’t involve tearing your team apart to do it.
Top 10 Form Wicketkeepers — Previous Four Fixtures
Here are my top transfer recommendations for GW7, with justification:
In-form/Reliable Pick
For the second week in a row, James Rew is the standout pick for a position that isn’t offering many appealing options currently. Rew now has more batting points than any other player, which opens the discussion for utilising him as a specialist batter. Rew sits low on the list for catches this season (12), which is similar to some slip catchers elsewhere — Madsen
(15), Clarke (12) and Sibley (11). Even though you’d be sacrificing fielding points by selecting Rew as a batter, it may be the right move in the short-term to help balance your squad if you’re short on batting options.
Remember there will be a ‘free hit’ opportunity after GW8 which means you can restructure your squads with more freedom then.
Differential Pick
England’s loss will certainly be Surrey’s gain where Ben Foakes is concerned. The Surrey fixture run looks ridiculously appealing, beginning with two games vs Kent followed by another two home games. Foakes, selected by 8% of DOCs at time of writing, is now the top-scoring player for fielding points this season despite having played a game fewer than
most. As a long-term option with the gloves, who will also take on responsibility with the bat in Pope’s upcoming absence, Foakes could be a very worthwhile investment.
Top 10 Form Bowlers — Previous Four Fixtures
Here are my top transfer recommendations for GW7, with justification:
In-form Pick
Yet another Surrey pick, but another great transfer option considering his form and upcoming fixtures. A five-wicket haul in the first innings against Middlesex in GW6 saw Worrall continue his good start with the ball, while Kemar Roach has returned home early meaning even more responsibility will fall on the Aussie seamer. Surrey play back-to-back games against Kent, who have been heavily reliant on their opening partnership of Compton and Crawley; so there’s certainly a huge opportunity for bowling points once the initial breakthroughs have been made.
Reliable Pick
Mo Abbas, the other player to reach 1000 TCD points this season, can feel a bit unlucky that he didn’t come away with more wickets against Kent in GW6 having bowled a huge volume of very tidy overs. Having been very reliable for Hampshire so far this season, we look ahead to their fixture in GW7 with much optimism. Northamptonshire visit the Rose Bowl
having just been skittled for 158 & 72 by Nottinghamshire in GW6; this created a very compelling case for Abbas as captain this week as he faces a very weak batting uni.
Differential Pick
After a relatively sedate start to the season, Joe Leach is my differential pick this week — selected by 2% of DOCs at time of writing. Leach is the ‘go-to’ bowler for Worcestershire which makes him a great TCD asset; he’s taken more wickets than any other teammate while also chipping in with valuable lower-order runs. There may be other higher profile
bowlers available this week, however with three home games in the next four, Leach may be worth a punt.
The Final Word — GW7 Captaincy
As I alluded to in the article, there are a couple of standout captaincy options this week — Ollie Pope and Mo Abbas. You can make a very compelling case for either player given they both have home games against favourable opposition, and I plan on having both players available to me this week. Ollie Robinson has also been included in the Sussex squad and Matt Henry faces a struggling Middlesex batting unit at Lords, so there’s plenty of other differential options available. There’s also an argument to use the double captain googly if you have two strong options in your squad. This could be a great strategy this week if you’re feeling bold and looking to
cash in before the international summer begins; the forecast looks pretty solid although there may be some rain around on Friday.
