Fantasy Premier League, Gameweek 8 tips: Harry Kane In, Mohamed Salah Out? Raheem Sterling's justifying his price

Harry Kane often exudes contrasting emotions among Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers — ecstasy for his owners and agony for those who don’t. The last couple of weeks have seen the Tottenham Hotspur forward resume his routine with three goals in two Premier League games. The goal streak continued against Barcelona in the Champions League despite Spurs falling to a defeat. It has prompted FPL managers to pull out their wildcards to enable the entry of Kane in their teams. A wildcard certainly makes the operation easier, but the Premier League takes a break after the weekend’s action for international fixtures. Injuries to big players during internationals make the weekend after the break an ideal one for using your wildcards, and Gameweek 9 thus could be a better time to use your wildcard. However, Spurs face Cardiff at Wembley in the next round. It’s a potentially bumper fixture for the north-Londoners who could rack up a cricket score against the newly-promoted outfit. So there’s a decision to make for FPL owners. [caption id=“attachment_4938061” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Harry Kane is in fine goal-scoring form ahead Gameweek 8 of FPL. AP[/caption] Buying Kane without a wildcard means, FPL managers will have to let go another big gun to bring him in. With Liverpool facing Manchester City this weekend, it could be a good chance for FPL owners to take a gamble on such a move. Mohamed Salah, who many saw as Kane’s main rival for the golden boot race, hasn’t been able to match last season’s high standards. The Egyptian was substituted at the hour mark, despite his team trailing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Last year’s PFA Player of the year award winner has also seen his price drop by £0.1m. in recent times. Maybe the time has come to let go the Egyptian and free up those many millions that have been invested in an underperforming player. He has a great home record and removing him before a home game might not make great sense, but Liverpool’s form in front of goal hasn’t been great this season. Hence it may not be such a bad move to sell Mohamed Salah, especially if it paves way for the entry of Harry Kane. Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen or any Manchester United big gun could all be exchanged for bringing in Kane without utilising your wildcard. Raheem Sterling - From pricey to prolific Sterling’s price put many of his suitors off after the Manchester City forward was priced above the likes of Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne. However, with four goals and two assists to his name, the Englishman has portrayed the kind of consistency that has justified his price tag of £11.1m. Even though a daunting trip to Anfield may dissuade you from picking Sterling, the City man is the best midfielder right now after Hazard. On current form, Sterling is a better bet than Salah, Mane, Eriksen and Dele Alli. [caption id=“attachment_5326911” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Brighton and Hove Albion’s next nine fixtures in the Premier League[/caption] Bargain buys  Anthony Knockaert: Knockaert is Brighton’s highest-scoring midfielder. With three assists and a goal, he has been consistently delivering performances in games where Brighton face opponents of similar strength. Their fixture list is quite inviting and Knockaert could prove to be a real steal in coming weeks. At a price of just £5.5m, the Brighton midfielder is a purchase that must be considered. Pablo Zabaleta: West Ham United have certainly picked up form. Manuel Pellegrini’s men followed up the 0-0 draw against Chelsea with a 3-1 win over Manchester United. The Hammers may not have too many clean sheets to show for their efforts, but with their fixture list getting simpler, there will be few on the way. Former City full-back Zabaleta, who provided an assist last week, is an excellent option if you are not willing to take a hit on your pocket. At £4.3m, the Argentine is one of the cheapest defenders who plays on a consistent basis. Glenn Murray: Like Knockaert, forward Murray is likely to benefit from Brighton’s easy set of fixtures. The striker has already scored four goals this season and his tally could just be about to rise astronomically. At a price tag of just £6.5m, Murray would make an excellent bargain buy. Johan Berg Gudmundsson: Burnley’s assist king has got into his own in the previous few weeks taking his tally of assists to four for the season. Gudmundsson bagged nine assists last season, but with Burnley looking more potent this season, expect this count to go up. At a price of £5.9m, he is another player that could reward you without letting your purse take a hit. Captain’s conundrum  Look no further than Kane. A home game against Cardiff means lots of goals for Spurs and it is unlikely that Kane will not play a large part in it. This week it’s a no-brainer. However, if you don’t have Kane in your side, Chelsea’s Hazard is also a really good option. The Belgian has been very consistent this season and against a Southampton side, he could get a lot of joy. Another tip! Perhaps the most important one. The deadline is at 11:30 PM IST on Friday. Don’t miss it.