Well, compadres, Game Week 29 has been a little quiet but that’s okay because Game Week 30 promises to be huge. There are plenty of players to choose from – mostly from the WTA, but some middle-of-the-pack men, too – and several players I’m sure you’re all chomping at the bit to trade out.
So who should you sell and who should you buy? And why is it ‘the Week of Woz’?! All the answers lie below…
Check out who is playing where in the coming weeks with our player calendar
Gael Monfils ($6.98) is a hard pass. He’s scheduled to play in Metz but hurt his knee at the US Open and has been banged up all year. If you trusted the body to hold up he would have some merit as he’s 15-4 in Metz.
David Goffin ($6.03) is a good option. He’ll be the second seed at the Moselle Open, a tournament he won in 2014 and will face a weak draw. With a win percentage of 68% and no titles for the year, the Belgian will be looking at Metz as his best chance to elevate this season from an average year to above average. He also plays the following week in Shenzhen, a tournament he bombed in last year.
Pablo Carreno Busta ($7.99m) is a little more expensive but that’s because he’s in really good form — or so say the experts. I’d stay away from the Spaniard because I don’t buy his US Open success; he played four qualifiers and zero top 20 seeded players to reach the semifinal. He is also inexperienced in Metz, having played there just once before and losing in the first round to Mischa Zverev.
Speaking of Mischa Zverev ($6.05m), if you take out the German’s successful Flushing Meadows performance he’s a stinky 2-3 since Wimbledon and has lost in straight sets to anyone worth their salt. Not a hard pass but a pass nonetheless.
Mid-priced Frenchman Lucas Pouille ($6.08m) and Gilles Muller ($8.85m) are both playing in their home country and are smart choices. Pouille has won two titles this year and is coming off a final 16 appearance at the US Open. He is also the defending champion in Metz. Muller has also won two titles in 2017 but has struggled badly since the American hard court swing and has only made a semifinal once from six tries in Metz.
A note before you read on: all of these women will play in Game Week 31 so trade with an eye for the future.
Agniezska Radwanksa ($6.4m) could win the Toray Pan Pacific Open. She won’t, because it’s the Week of Woz, but I could see her as a finalist. Despite her mediocre 2017 record, Aga performs very well in this tournament; she’s won it three times and is 26-6 in Tokyo throughout her career. She’s also playing on hard courts – a surface she wins on 73% of the time-and is a lot cheaper than your other options.
Thinking of bringing in US Open champ Sloane Stephens ($10.3m)? Reconsider. She’s only playing a WTA International event and is inexperienced in Japan. At that price you want a bit more bang for your buck. On the other hand, she’s 15-2 since Toronto so if you want to ride the Stephens mega-wave I can’t really blame you.
World No.1 Garbine Muguruza ($13.53m) and Madison Keys ($10.23m) are two that I’d feel safe with. Garbi went 12-3 on the American hard court swing and Keys went 12-2. Muguruza has been okay in Tokyo in the past but Madison has struggled with a 2-3 all-time record. Keys is also coming off a massive high in New York which, given her youth, might mean she isn’t entirely focused – but sometimes you just have to trust the eye-test and my eyes are telling me both women are playing formidable tennis.
Karolina Pliskova ($10.86m) is another safe choice. She’s 44-13 on the year and 9-3 since Wimbledon. Her record in Tokyo is average but the sample size is small so you can probably disregard that.
If you’re looking for a cheap flyer Angelique Kerber ($5.49m) is your girl. She was a finalist in Tokyo in 2013 and is 14-6 overall. Given the nightmare year she’s having (25-18 including a first-round bomb to 19-year-old Naomi Osaka in New York) I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’d much, much rather Petra Kvitova ($6.39m), who has also won a title in Tokyo and is 9-3 since Wimbledon.
Finally, my best bet for the week is Caroline Wozniacki ($12.53m). The uber consistent Dane is the leading fantasytennisleague.com scorer among women and has dropped in price due to her disappointing showing in New York. The former world No.1 has been great all year – 49-18 and 7-3 since the American swing – and is the defending champion of her upcoming tournament in Tokyo (she’s won it twice in total). Overall she’s 23-7 in the post-US Open tournament and is historically good at bouncing back from bad losses so bring her in and don’t think twice.
I love a steady points chart and @CaroWozniacki's is as steady as they come: pic.twitter.com/h0eGUrHC1e
— FantasyTennisLeague (@FTL_insider) September 13, 2017
Follow the FTL Insider for all the stats, tips and news you need to ace your league.
Buy: Agnieszka Radwanska ($6.4m) — despite not going far in New York she competed well and that should continue with a Tokyo tournament she likes.
Honourable mention: David Goffin
Sell: Elina Svitolina ($14.27) — most expensive female player has done nothing wrong but won’t play for a while so cash in now.
Honourable mention: Timea Bacsinszky
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