Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 29 – The Strong

We roll out the first part of our look at the upcoming four to six Gameweeks this evening. As always, we begin by highlighting the teams with favourable fixtures to follow – it looks to be plain sailing for a couple of teams who are hitting form and there may be an opportunity for David Moyes to rescue some dignity from his ailing debut campaign:

Stoke City

Having put a temporary halt to Arsenal’s title charge last weekend, Mark Hughes’ plucky team are starting to hit a bit of form. Unbeaten in their last three home games and with a set of fixtures to complement their form, the Potters may yet have an impact on the Fantasy landscape. The next six weeks include home games against West Ham, Hull and Newcastle and, with trips to Norwich and Aston Villa also in that period, only a visit to Stamford Bridge looks truly troublesome.

So far this season, only Liverpool and Chelsea have breached the Potters’ backline more than once at home, suggesting that they have been a little unlucky not to have registered more clean sheets. Keeping Arsenal at bay could be a turning point and their upcoming fixtures could be profitable: Ryan Shawcross has bonus points on his side, while Erik Pieters offers a budget option. Asmir Begovic could also be a canny acquisition, though, at 5.3 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), his price is a little off-putting. Further forward the pickings are rather slimmer. Former Fantasy legend Charlie Adam would have been firmly in our thoughts, though yesterday’s FA charge for violent conduct could result in a three-match suspension. The similarly-priced Jon Walters may come into contention for those willing to take a punt, whilst Peter Crouch, with two goals in his last four games, could have been a consideration if competition weren’t so fierce for our striker spots.

Southampton

Despite being beaten 3-0 by Liverpool last weekend, the scoreline unfairly suggests the Saints went down without a fight. With just one win from four games, Mauricio Pochettino will be looking to use the upcoming schedule to get his team back into top gear. Their next four fixtures include home games against Norwich and Newcastle as well as a trip to Crystal Palace, and with a home game against Cardiff also in the next six, Fantasy managers can afford to hold onto and even increase their stake in this team.

In goal, Artur Boruc is still a good choice, while in defence the return of Dejan Lovren ends the appeal of Maya Yoshida. Calum Chambers, on the other hand has played his way into the starting XI and, at 3.9 in FPL, represents a bargain. It’s hard to look past Adam Lallana in midfield, especially since the return of Gaston Ramirez casts a shadow over the game time of in-the-hole bargain Steven Davis. Up front, Jay Rodriguez and Rickie Lambert will be hoping that schedule can help spark a return to form after their goals have dried up – they’ve failed to produce points in the last four and three Gameweeks respectively.

Sunderland

Unanimous plaudits are scant consolation but the Black Cats’ Cup Final battle with City was richly deserving of praise. Following this weekend’s blank, Gus Poyet’ s side are set for a run of opponents that may well rescue their season, with games against Crystal Palace and West Ham at home sandwiching a double Gameweek 31 which includes a trip to Norwich in addition to a tough clash with Liverpool.

Vito Mannone has been imperious between the sticks, while in defence, Phil Bardsley looks like a bargain. It’s worth looking at Marcos Alonso, though – his regular forays up the flank have yet to be rewarded but his assist potential could soon be realised. In midfield, the standout option is Adam Johnson with six goals from six games, though it is worth noting that he has been hooked early in Sunderland’s last two matches, suggesting that Poyet’s prior lack of faith in the winger may be returning. It would be a brave manager indeed who punted on a Sunderland striker, but Fabio Borini’s feathers are up and he could possibly profit from these games – the Italian’s cup final strike vindicated his manager’s decision to field him as the lone forward, after mainly being fielded on the flank. Sunderland, of course, also have another couple of double Gameweeks to be factored in and early adopters could reap reward before the bandwagons and inevitable price hikes arise.

Everton

A comfortable win over West Ham epitomised Everton’s play of late – dominating games without scoring a lot of goals. Still, with Romelu Lukaku back in action that could change and their near-term fixtures are excellent – following this weekend’s blank, they play host to Cardiff before a double Gameweek 31 (SWA, new) and trip to Fulham. They also have another fixture (at home to Palace) yet to rearrange, which is likely to hand Roberto Martinez’ men a second double Gameweek. The defence, without Phil Jagielka for a game or two, still registered a clean sheet and Leighton Baines has recently been rewarding his owners for their hefty investment, with the left-back having outscored Seamus Coleman over the last few Gameweeks since returning from injury. The weekend omission of Kevin Mirallas is a big concern for his owners but a start against Arsenal in the cup this weekend may offer reassurance that Martinez was simply resting his first-choice right winger.

ALSO CONSIDER

Norwich
The Villa Park capitulation is a big worry for Chris Hughton, as is the trio of injuries to key players. However, the Canaries do have fixtures on their side – the next five Gameweeks see Stoke, Sunderland and West Brom all roll up to Carrow Road to test a defence that has shut out Tottenham and Man City in recent weeks. Injury scares over Martin Olsson and Robert Snodgrass – the two most sought after Norwich players in Fantasy terms – are a thorn in the side of Fantasy managers hoping to buy into what looked like a lucrative confluence of form and fixtures. Whilst few other Norwich attackers appear to be worth investement, alternatives to Olsson can be found in the shape of Sebastien Bassong and Russell Martin.

Chelsea
Jose Mourinho’s title bid continues unabated after his side cruised to a win over Fulham. Chelsea’s fixtures look good for the foreseeable future, with their toughest games in the next six coming at home as Tottenham and Arsenal roll up to Stamford Bridge. Aside from those showdowns, trips to Aston Villa, Swansea, Crystal Palace and Swansea and a home game against Stoke look set to encourage Fantasy faith in the league’s most in-form defence. With a settled back four offering a smorgasbord of value propositions, it’s hard to rule any out, though the money-no-object option is John Terry. Andre Schurrle’s hat-trick came off the back of only his second start since Gameweek 15, which ought to deter investment, and few managers would consider any of the Chelsea strikers at this point, leaving Eden Hazard as the only reliable attacking asset.

Man United
Embattled manager David Moyes could scarcely find himself under more pressure though the fixtures, to an extent, are on the Red Devils’ side. A trip to West Brom this weekend, in addition to a double Gameweek 31 visit to West Ham somewhat atones for the fact that United welcome Liverpool and City to Old Trafford in the next three Gameweeks. After that, the picture brightens considerably, though, with home games against Aston Villa and Hull either side of a trip to inconsistent Newcastle. Such fixtures may bring options from all positions into consideration. Five clean sheets in nine games suggests that David De Gea could be a canny premium acquisition for the run-in. In defence, injuries and rotation have left Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic the only secure options, the former’s relentless threat making him the better option if budget permits. In midfield, Juan Mata’s initial flurry of assists has died down in the last two games but there’s no denying his star quality. Finally, in attack Robin van Persie has scored in four of his five games since returning from injury to make a strong case for inclusion. Wayne Rooney’s propensity to be seconded into midfield when the going gets tough is a big concern, but he will always have an eye for goal.