Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 3 – The Weak

After assessing those teams with strong schedules over the next four to six Gameweeks, we now cast an eye over those whose prospects look less promising. Chelsea and Spurs face testing times in their quests to maintain their 100% records, whilst Villa’s upcoming schedule may well give Paul Lambert little to smile about.

ASTON VILLA

Paul Lambert’s men will be all the more fervent to add to their opening day victory over Stoke this weekend against Hull City, with the fixture list looking decidedly bleak beyond Sunday’s encounter. A remarkable quintet of matches sees the Midlands outfit face last season’s top five in consecutive Gameweeks, with home showdowns against Arsenal and Man City on either side of trips to Liverpool and Chelsea, before a visit to Everton rounds things off.

It’s hard to see any joyful days ahead for Villa in the coming weeks, then. Clean sheets in both their opening fixtures have seen Ron Vlaar and Alan Hutton attract plenty of attention and consequently increase in price, though the chances of either of the defenders continuing to reward their owners looks slim – the former’s considerable 27% ownership may well dwindle in the short-term, particularly if he fails to recover from a knee problem which makes him doubtful for tonight’s cup clash with Orient.

EVERTON

A 2-2 draw in both opening fixtures suggests that the Toffees’ high pressing tactics have been exposed by an overall lack of match sharpness right now. Next Saturday evening’s encounter with Chelsea is sure to test their energy levels once again, whilst trips to Liverpool and Man United in consecutive fixtures in Gameweeks 6 and 7 could also prove a major stumbling block.

That upcoming set of opponents suggests defensive returns for the Toffees continues to look unlikely. Seamus Coleman’s goal against Arsenal in his first appearance of the campaign promotes him above the equally priced Leighton Baines in our rankings for now, though both may have to rely on attacking returns to justify the outlay.

Further up the field, a goal and maximum bonus points in each of his first two appearances has seen Steven Naismith snapped up by over 14% of Fantasy Premier League managers, though his early form could be scuppered by the tough schedule. Owners of Romelu Lukaku will be keen to see the big Belgian prove that he has the quality to defy the fixtures – with Samuel Eto’o on board now, though, Roberto Martinez could choose to protect Lukaku from an ongoing toe problem. If he fails to make next weekend, an exodus could be on the cards for the 11%-owned summer signing.

LEICESTER

A well earned point against Everton was followed by a 2-0 defeat at the hands of on-song Chelsea at the weekend, and the fixture list continues to frown upon the newly promoted Foxes for the next few weeks. Nigel Pearson’s side welcome Arsenal and Man United to the King Power Stadium in their next four, and with trips to Stoke and Palace also factored in, the short-term doesn’t look too favourable.

Kasper Schmeichel should be kept busy between the sticks, then, whilst Wes Morgan and co will have to wait a few more Gameweeks until their budget appeal has the opportunity to emerge. Up top for the Foxes, both Leonardo Ulloa and David Nugent are viable cut-price forward options for the season ahead, but may struggle to truly advertise their talents until the Gameweek 7 clash with fellow Premier League new boys Burnley.

BE WARY OF

Chelsea
Back-to-back victories, with Fantasy returns spread right across the positions, ensures that Jose Mourinho’s side are the star attraction for managers right now. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that those two fixtures have been against two newly promoted sides in Burnley and Leicester. On the horizon now for Chelsea is the trip to Everton this weekend accompanied by a possible early six-pointer against title rivals Man City in three weeks’ time, before a London derby with Arsenal in Gameweek 7, meaning that the Blues are set for a much tougher time in the upcoming weeks.

There’s no doubt that Chelsea’s stars have the form and quality to produce in these challenging fixtures, though Branislav Ivanovic may have to rely on the attacking prowess that has seen him accumulate a goal and assist thus far to continue to prove good value for his 7.1 price tag. Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard will remain popular options, with the onus on the pair to inspire their side for the big fixtures, while Diego Costa’s dream start to life at Stamford Bridge could come under threat if he fails to produce against the resilient defences of City and Arsenal.

Spurs
Another team to have started brightly and picked up maximum points from their first two matches, Mauricio Pochettino’s side will have their work cut out to continue that form. Liverpool, Man City and a north London derby at the Emirates in the next six Gameweeks somewhat dampens their appeal, though showdowns with Sunderland, West Brom and Southampton over the same period suggest it’s not all doom and gloom.

Though they are yet to concede, clean sheets in the three aforementioned fixtures seem unlikely – Eric Dier’s army of new owners may consider rotating the defender, though that may prove a risky decision with his attacking abilities proving so vital to his appeal thus far. The new arrival of Federico Fazio adds to Pochettino’s options at the back and many will be happy to steer clear until a picture emerges of a regular back-four.

Meanwhile, owners of Cristian Eriksen will be holding out to see if he can turn his positive stats into returns in his side’s clashes with Sunderland and West Brom in Gameweeks 4 and 5 – failure to do so could see the 8.0-priced Danish playmaker begin to lose his place in many Fantasy teams, especially if the equally priced Erik Lamela continues his flourishing form from last Sunday’s 4-0 rout against QPR. Emmanuel Adebayor’s 4% ownership underlines his differential appeal but the Togo international has his work cut out to mirror last week’s 12-point return against QPR.

West Ham
The East Londoners gave a good account of themselves in their 3-1 victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday and will be hoping to do the same against Southampton this weekend. However, the Hammers schedule is then blighted as they travel to resilient Hull before facing Liverpool and Man United in consecutive Gameweeks. Any potential investors in summer signing Mauro Zarate following his goal-scoring debut at the weekend should be wary of this pair of tough fixtures, though clashes with QPR and Burnley then await Sam Allardyce’s team to boost the 6.4-priced Argentinian’s prospects further.