This article is part of our Mondogoal Fantasy Soccer series.
A harsh reality in fantasy Premier League games is those players who fall short of expectations or fail to live up to their price tag. Three weeks into the season, some well-known commodities have gotten off to concerning starts, which warrants reconsidering their respective fantasy stocks. While it's still too soon to write off certain players as busts, letdowns, or flops, using MondoGoal's scoring system and player salaries set for Week 4, we can update the outlooks of some of this season's most frustrating players thus far.
John Terry (£7.1M)
After finding the fountain of youth in manager Jose Mourinho's first two seasons back at Chelsea, the 34-year-old Terry has gotten off to a rocky start this term. Subbed off at halftime due to his poor performance in Chelsea's 3-0 loss at Manchester City in Gameweek 2, Terry returned to the lineup last weekend but was sent off with a straight red card at West Brom. Additionally, only Sunderland has surrendered more goals than Terry's Chelsea. Averaging a nearly non-existent 0.23 points per game on MondoGoal, the now-suspended Terry runs the risk of losing his place to youngster Kurt Zouma, whose undeniable talents could pressure Mourinho to sacrifice his captain more as the season unfolds.
Harry Kane (£9.6M)
Last season, Kane didn't score his first Premier League goal until November, but by going on to notch an astounding 21 goals, much was expected of the Englishman heading into the current campaign. Through Spurs' first three matches, their young striker has yet to score, attempting just eight shots, with only two landing on target. Priced as the 13th most expensive striker on MondoGoal, Kane's "best" performance this season came last weekend, yet he yielded merely 4.25 points, casting further concern of a sophomore slump. The fact that Kane and Tottenham have gotten off to a poor start is no coincidence; however, with his next three matches coming against Everton (H), Sunderland (A) and Crystal Palace (H), it would be surprising if Kane went three more matches without scoring.
Saido Berahino (£6.6M)
Coming off his breakout 14-goal campaign last season, Berahino's current salary of £6.6M on MondoGoal makes him seem like a total bargain. However, with transfer rumors swirling around the young striker, Berahino's game has noticeably been affected, as he's averaging fewer than three fantasy points per game. In fact, Berahino still hasn't been credited with a single shot attempt on MondoGoal. While the closing of the transfer window should cement his future one way or the other, Berahino has certainly let down owners looking to capitalize on his cheap early season value.
David de Gea (£7.4M)
Another player widely reported to be subject of transfer talks, de Gea's proposed move to Real Madrid has resulted in him being frozen out of the Manchester United team thus far. That's a shame for fantasy owners, as the Red Devils have strung together three straight clean sheets to begin the campaign. Such performances have helped de Gea's replacement at goalkeeper, Sergio Romero, have his fantasy stock skyrocket to become MondoGoal's second most expensive shot-stopper. Given Romero's form, it will be fascinating to see what happens to de Gea if he doesn't move to Madrid in the next week.
Kieran Trippier (£8.8M)
A hip selection among fantasy owners last season, Trippier's performances for relegated Burnley ultimately earned him a transfer to Tottenham this summer. That move figured to allow Trippier to build on his 10 clean sheets and four assists from last term, but the switch to White Hart Lane has hardly gone as planned. With fellow Englishman Kyle Walker around, Trippier has yet to see the pitch, while Walker has enjoyed a rebirth of sorts. Sure, Walker has struggled to stay fit over the past couple seasons, but at this point, it's almost impossible to justify paying Trippier's hefty £8.8M salary on MondoGoal.
Theo Walcott (£10.0M)
Following a hat-trick to end last season, Walcott's fantasy stock appeared to be on the rise heading into this term, when he figured to see somewhat regular playing time at center forward for Arsenal. Despite also scoring from that position in the Gunners' FA Cup triumph and successful preseason slate, Walcott has yet to be handed a start in Premier League play thus far, playing just 51 minutes in total. Obviously, that spare role makes Walcott's £10.0M MondoGoal price tag one to avoid, particularly considering his teammate Alexis Sanchez is available for £10.1M.
Cesc Fabregas (£10.4M)
Walcott's former teammate, Fabregas has been a glorified turnstile in Chelsea's midfield this season, as only one player has been dribbled past more often than Fabregas' 2.7 times per game. While the Spaniard has never been known for his defensive bite, Fabregas' patented set-up ability in attack has gone missing through the Blues' first three matches. Last season, Fabregas tallied four assists through the same early season span, which helped him accrue a league-leading 18 helpers on the season. Priced as a top-20 midfielder on MondoGoal, Fabregas' fantasy owners will hope this weekend's home matchup against a Crystal Palace team that he beat for one of his mere three league goals last term can help revitalize his current campaign.
Wayne Rooney (£8.3M)
For a player with Rooney's goalscoring record, his current £8.3M evaluation on MondoGoal seems like a steal. However, through three games the Manchester United captain has performed well below his best. Truthfully, Rooney is notorious for his hot and cold performances, but with minimal pressure on his starting central striker position, he has failed to fully justify an uncontested first XI place. That being said, Rooney has incredibly accumulated double-digit goals in every Premier League season since the 2004-05 campaign, so he seems a virtual lock to dramatically increase his current average of just over three fantasy points per game on MondoGoal before long.
