Drop the Flop – Gameweek 22

We’ve all been there. That light-bulb moment when you see a player hint at form and suddenly present themselves as the perfect transfer to help propel yourself up your mini-league.

Sure, they’ve only scored one goal and picked up a scrappy assist over the last few Gameweeks, but Fantasy Football success is built on such risks. Flash forward a few weeks, however, and you’re left with a player wasting a precious spot in your starting XI who has suddenly developed a penchant for two-point returns.

This new feature shines a spotlight on a selection of such flops and looks for ways to remedy the situation and help Fantasy managers to ditch the accumulated deadwood:

Glen Johnson – Last four Gameweeks: 2 points

So often a reliable source of both defensive and attacking points in years gone by (a goal, five assists and 16 clean sheets in 2012/13), the Liverpool full back has disappointed many this time around. His defensive prospects looked sky high after producing clean sheets in each of the opening three Gameweeks, but with only a trio of shut-outs since then, the value of Liverpool’s rearguard assets has tumbled significantly.

At the other end of the pitch, the 5.8-priced Johnson has far from succeeded in making up for his lack of defensive returns. He’s contributed just one assist all season, back in Gameweek 15, and has failed to reward the 28,000 Fantasy Premier League managers who snapped up his services for the following Gameweek. He has returned a measly four points since then and, with a Merseyside derby and the visit of Arsenal on the horizon, its time this Flop made a swift exit.

Having registered five clean sheets in the last nine Gameweeks, Sunderland’s defensive assets are offering superior value at the moment. Amidst a superb set of fixtures, Gus Poyet’s first-choice back-four are at least 1.0 cheaper than the Reds defender and offer differential appeal, with Phil Bardsley’s two goals thus far furthering his case.

On the other hand, the premium backlines are also hitting form right now. Patrice Evra, Seamus Coleman and John Terry may well be costly alternatives to Johnson but are all plundering the points at the moment and carry significant potential for attacking returns. Further up the price bracket is Leighton Baines who, recently back from the sidelines, has quickly demonstrated his worth by picking up double figures (including maximum bonus points) in his last two games. Worth the extra outlay? He just might be.

Peter Whittingham – Last four Gameweeks – 8 points

Cast your mind back a few Gameweeks and, in the heat of the festive schedule, the allure of Peter Whittingham was sitting at a season-high. Embarking on a superb run of fixtures from Boxing Day onwards, the set-piece specialist highlighted his potential as a top transfer target with a goal, assist and bonus points over Gameweek 16 and 17 and was resultantly drafted in by 75,000 managers over the subsequent three Gameweeks.

Since Boxing Day, however, Whittingham has done everything but spread post-Christmas joy. Two point hauls in each of the last four fixtures left those who acquired him ruing the decision to opt for the winger over in-form team-mate Jordan Mutch. True, he is still the top-scoring midfielder under 7.0, but with the fixture list now taking a severe turn for the worse with ties against both Manchester sides looming, and new Cardiff boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first signing Magnus Wolff Eikrem challenging Whittingham’s starting spot, it might just be the time to cut your losses and go in search of a replacement.

With January Wildcards to wield, managers might well have the luxury of spare budget to utilise in going about replacing this Flop. Adam Lallana is available for less than 2.0 more than Whittingham and offers almost the whole package – the fourth highest-scoring midfielder in the game boasts form, security of starts and a decent schedule ahead (SUN, ars, ful, STK, HUL). On the other hand, for those looking to free up budget elsewhere, Adnan Januzaj, Steve Sidwell, Raheem Sterling and Ki Sung-Yueng all have appeal. At 0.6 cheaper than Whittingham, the latter has picked up two sets of double figures in his last four games and has a mere 0.7% ownership, making him a strong differential and a significant climber on our Watchlist.