Spot the Differential – Gameweek 30

As always on a Saturday morning, we scour the market in order to dig out some overlooked options ahead of the weekend deadline. This time around we assess a pair of in-form midfielders and a fit-again frontman who racked up the goals at a lower level in the season gone by:

Moussa Sissoko

Arriving at Newcastle midway through the previous campaign, the Frenchman quickly leapt onto our Fantasy radars with three goals and an assist in his first four games for the Tyneside team. Thriving in a central role for the Magpies, Sissoko’s mid-price appeal kick-started a huge winter bandwagon but the wheels fell off after he failed to score from Gameweek 27 onwards.

Putting it mildly, this season has been a bit of a let-down. Whilst Yohan Cabaye racked up the goals and earned himself a move to Paris St Germain, Sissoko’s position on the right flank saw him struggle to make an impact from an attacking perspective, with just a single strike and five assists to his name over the first 27 Gameweeks.

A two-goal haul in the previous league encounter has brought Sissoko back into consideration this week, with plenty of Fantasy managers willing to take a punt. Available for 5.7 in both the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and Sky Sports games and 3.0 in the Sun Dream Team, he has a trip to basement-dwellers Fulham later this afternoon before a pair of home fixtures in double Gameweek 31, with Alan Pardew’s side welcoming Palace and Everton to St James’ Park. With top scorer Loic Remy now sidelined with a calf complaint, Sissoko’s contribution looks more vital than ever as his manager looks to make headlines for all the right reasons and finish what has been an eventful season on a high.

Jonathan de Guzman

With many of his fellow Swansea midfielders beset by injury concerns, the Dutchman has steadily racked up the returns in recent matches. After a slow start to the season, de Guzman has served up some consistent displays and delivered a goal or assist in four of his last six starts, with points accrued against City, Liverpool, Fulham and Palace over that period.

The Swans’ double Gameweek 31 is arguably the least attractive around, with trips to Everton and Arsenal on their agenda, but Garry Monk’s team have some tempting home encounters on either side of those fixtures. West Brom and Norwich both roll up to the Liberty in the next three and with a trip to Hull following on from the Canaries’ visit, de Guzman’s owners and would-be suitors have reason for optimism. Available for 5.7 in FPL, 5.0 in the Sky Sports game and 2.0 in the Sun Dream Team, he also boasts the majority of the Swans’ set-pieces and could prove a decent mid-price midfield option for those prepared to take a punt.

Glenn Murray

The frontman’s 30 goals in the Championship last term were crucial to his side’s promotion push before a cruciate knee ligament, sustained in the Play-Off semi-finals, forced him onto the sidelines for several months. Finally recovered from the injury in early February, Murray has been tentatively eased back into the Eagles’ fold before chalking up his first 90 minutes in the Premier League last weekend.

With Marouane Chamakh stuck in the Eagles’ treatment room due to a hamstring complaint, Murray looks a nailed-on starter as Tony Pulis looks to pick up the points and secure his side’s survival. A trip to fellow-strugglers Sunderland is up next and, with games against the likes of Cardiff and Villa in the next five, Palace certainly have the schedule to prosper. Priced at 5.2 in FPL (7.0 in the Sky Sports game and 1.5 in the Sun Dream Team), Murray – who also has spot-kick duties for the Selhurst Park outfit – may well appeal to those managers on the lookout for a cut-price third forward for the run-in.