For many Fantasy Premier League managers, Raheem Sterling's (£12.1m) Gameweek 1 hat-trick against West Ham United is fast becoming a distant memory.
The Manchester City winger recorded 20 points against the Hammers, the highest individual points haul of 2019/20.
Yet Sterling has managed only two goals and 19 points since then.
Captaincy disappointment
Selected as the top captain for Gameweek 6, he was handed the armband by over 1.4m managers at home to Watford.
But his role as an unused substitute in the 8-0 win was the final straw for many owners.
Sterling is the most-sold player in the Gameweek, moved on by more than 198,000 managers ahead of his trip to Everton.
Man City frenzy
His absence was all the more frustrating for his 41.5 per cent owners after four other Man City midfielders earned double-figure hauls on Saturday.
Kevin De Bruyne (£9.9m) produced a goal, two assists and 17 points against the Hornets. The playmaker has recorded double-figure hauls in all three of his home matches.
He sits only one point off the top of the overall player standings, behind team-mate Sergio Aguero (£12.2m).
Dependable Aguero
The Argentinian extended his prolific start to the season with a goal and an assist. He has scored in all six of the opening Gameweeks, tallying 55 points.
There is no doubt that Sterling remains one of the standout premium picks in midfield but he will always be prone to the occasional benching.
Last season, he started only 31 Gameweeks, earning a further three appearances as a substitute. Yet he still finished as the second top-scoring midfielder in FPL.
This term, however, with both De Bruyne and Aguero offering greater consistency, Sterling's place as the go-to Man City attacker seems increasingly under threat.
Experts on keeping or selling Sterling
Holly Shand (@FFCommunity_): I've got Sterling and I'm happy to keep him for the whole season. He's had his inevitable rest now and the underlying statistics remain encouraging. He hasn't turned into a poor FPL asset overnight and I'm convinced that more points are just around the corner. Keep
Ash FPL Hints (@FPLHints): Except for Ederson (£6.1m), it seems all City players are at risk of rotation. It's worth holding on to Sterling. Then again, downsizing him can spread funds across the pitch to make a more balanced team. Keep
Sam Bonfield (@FPLFamily): Starting the season without Sterling in my team felt a huge problem, especially after Gameweek 1. But, since then, Sterling's form hasn't been up to the standards we expect. Having both been benched in Pep Guardiola's rotation, De Bruyne is 15 points ahead of Sterling and he is significantly cheaper. I'm not in any rush to buy Sterling but if I owned him I'd give him another week. He's had his match on the bench and is too good a player for the goals not to come soon. Keep
Lee Bonfield (@FPLFamily): We shouldn't be so quick to give up on Sterling. He played in both matches over the international break and probably needed that rest. Now he's had it, Pep will bring him back refreshed and ready to take on an Everton defence who have conceded at least two goals in each of their last four Premier League matches. Keep
Ben Crabtree (@FC_CrabDogg): I'll be keeping him as I'm sure he'll return some double-figure hauls soon. I can see the temptation to free up funds but think it'll be costly for points. Keep
Mark McGettigan (@FPLGeneral): I still feel Sterling could be a season keeper. Form is temporary, class is permanent. He'll be back with a bang soon, hopefully in Gameweek 7. Keep
Chuck Booth (@ChuckBoothSport): If you have De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) in your team, I wouldn't recommend moving Sterling out unless it's on a Wildcard. Sterling has still been heavily involved for City and will come good. Selling him to get Aguero would generally require a hit and, moving forward, Aguero will likely be subject to more rotation than Sterling. Keep the faith, he'll still end the season with 30 goal involvements. Keep
Neal Thurman (@nealjthurman): We've seen all of City's attacking midfielders break out so why not go with David Silva (£7.5m) or Bernardo Silva (£7.8m) for a significant discount over Sterling? Gives you at least one upgrade elsewhere, like Mason Greenwood (£4.5m) for someone who might start. Sell
Ben McNair (@drbenmcnair): I still think Sterling will be the highest-scoring City player over the season. He's as assured of starts as any City attacker and must be a prime captain candidate over the next five or so Gameweeks. Keep
Also in this series
Part 2: GW6 Lessons: Lundstram shows value of promoted players
