Mondogoal Picks – Gameweek 16

A total of 73 points wasn’t quite enough to earn us returns as the race for Mondogoal contest prizes picks up pace. Unperturbed, we’re back with another lineup, assessing the weekend fixtures and volunteering our targets to help give you a leg-up in the quest for cash. There’s also an added incentive this week, as Mondogoal team up with partners Liverpool to offer an extra special contest and prizes.

Mondogoal is a daily and weekly Fantasy Football game – a brand new offering for this season. It not only allows you to play contests based on the Premier League but also all the major top-flight leagues – Serie A, La Liga, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Major League Soccer (MLS). You can even play global contests that span across all the leagues. Mondogoal also supports contests for Champions League and Europa League in midweek.

As always, you’ll find a £5 entry game with a guaranteed £1000 prize pot on offer this weekend and, if you want to try the game out without a stake, there’s a free to enter game with a £100 prize pool on offer.

There’s also this week’s Liverpool-themed contest. Again, this is free to enter and offers a signed Liverpool shirt and a ball signed by Jason McAteer. The game spans Saturday and Sunday’s matches only – it’s almost as if they didn’t want to allow us to pick Everton players in our lineups.

If you’re yet to get into Mondogoal and fancy a dabble, we’ve previously published a comprehensive strategy guide, offering tips to help you get started.

Read on for our analysis of the weekend fixtures and the key men being considered for the Fantasy Football Scout lineup…

Saturday’s Picks

With Sergio Aguero crocked, we have to look to elsewhere for our guarantee of goals in the forward line – inevitably, that has to come from Diego Costa.

There’s still some concerns over his fitness – Jose Mourinho has said as much – but his sharpness around goal will surely return and the home fixture with Hull looks an obvious source of points for the Chelsea attack. While Eden Hazard is equally essential, at 16.8 million compared to Costa’s 10.9, there’s no contest here.

We’ve also got to back the Blues’ back four against the Tigers: Steve Bruce men have just a single goal in their last four road trips and I just don’t see them making a dent on Mourinho’s defence. Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill are both drafted into our back three. Even though he trails the likes of César Azpilicueta for points per game (5.92 vs 6.43), the Serb’s price of 7.5 million looks too kind to ignore, given his propensity to get in the box. Cahill’s a little more expensive at 8.7m but his threat from set-pieces and corners earns him the nod against the Tigers.

We go all in on the league leaders and snap up Oscar as our fourth Chelsea selection. Rested in midweek, the Brazilian has scored or assisted in each of his last three at the Bridge and looks far more budget friendly (10.5m) than the likes of Hazard – he’s averaged 8.61ppg this season.

With Hazard overlooked, we’re spending our midfield cash on Man City’s in-form Samir Nasri. Yaya Toure is a little too pricey for our liking at 15.2million, so we’re turning to the Frenchman instead – Nasri’s goal and assist in the midweek win in Roma bodes well as the champions roll up to Leicester and at a price of just 9.7m, he looks too good to ignore.

Southampton’s performance against United on Monday night deserved at least a point and Graziano Pelle’s goal offered a reminder of his qualities. He’s worth of a place in our three-man forward lines this week for the trip to Turf Moor – 9.9 million is a reasonable price for a striker that’s delivered 7.26 ppg to this point.

Between the posts, Wojciech Szczęsny returned to action in midweek and, at just 6.2 million for this weekend, looks a bargain, even against the resurgent Newcastle. There were alternatives – you can pick up Stoke’s Asmir Begovic for just 4.3 million for his trip to Palace.

Crystal Palace’s clash with Stoke presents a trio of in-form entertainers who go head-to-head. Yannick Bolasie goes on impressing with his tricks and flicks and, at just 6.5 million, finds a place in our midfields, despite his lowly 4.70 ppg to this point. We’re backing him for an end product against the Potters. Similarly, Wilfried Zaha has to be a consideration given his kind 6.8 million valuation. He’s a risk with Jason Puncheon looking to earn a recall but looks a gamble worth taking, given the latter is a doubt through illness – it’s just a matter of time before Zaha figures on the Palace scoresheet.

Stoke have their own individual talent in Bojan – a player who has thrived now he’s established in Mark Hughes’ plans. His price tag of 9.7 million is a little too rich for us this week – we’re backing the Eagles rearguard to hold firm but will keep Bojan in our thoughts as a festive differential.

The final slot in our Saturday 4-3-3 lineup goes to Villa’s Christian Benteke, who can be acquired for just 8.4 million ahead of a midlands derby trip to West Brom. The Belgian has returned a goal and assist in his last two and represents fine value – delivering double figures in both those matches.

Sunday’s Picks

Robin van Persie and Wilfried Bony both make a case for us to re-configure our teamsheet, with home fixtures against Liverpool and Spurs respectively. Bony boasts a level of consistency that demands our attention, having notched seven league goals in the last nine, although at 12.6, it’s debatable whether there’s value on offer here. Van Persie, at 10.7 million and off the back of his brace at Southampton on Monday night, looks a more viable option.

We’re also backing Gylfi Sigurdsson against his former club on Sunday. Deemed surplus to requirement by Mauricio Pochettino in the summer, the Icelandic international will have a point to prove – he’s averaged 9.22ppg thus far and comes in at 11.5m. Sigurdsson has grabbed a goal and seven assists already at the Liberty.

Marouane Fellaini, at 7.7 million, is a consideration as a differential in midfield, while both the United and Liverpool defences look best avoided in current form. Elsewhere, Swansea’s Gerhard Tremmel will get a start in goal against Spurs with Lukas Fabianski suspended – he boasts a modest 5.0 million price tag and is a clear option should you back the Swans to shut Spurs out. We’re drafting him in for Szczesny between the posts for Sunday’s Liberty clash.

Monday’s Picks

Everton have a host of talent, from back to front, to consider for their Monday night clash with QPR. The visitors are without Charlie Austin and have laboured on their travels – promoting Leighton Baines in our thinking as an option at the back. At 11.6 million, we’re struggling to find the funds for him, though, with Seamus Coleman (8.8m) offering an attractive alternative having lined up on the right side of midfield at City last time out – we opt for the right-back in our XI instead.

Kevin Mirallas, at 11.2, and Romelu Lukaku (10.5m) are the major goal threats on show for the Toffees, with the latter taking his place in our weekend Gameweek Mondogoal lineup, replacing Pelle.

The FFS Weekend XI