The Digest – Gameweek 17

Our final glance back at the Gameweek gone by pays tribute to QPR’s penalty-box predator and the rising fortunes at White Hart Lane, whilst we also assess the possible shake-up of Louis van Gaal’s first XI as the injuries ease for United.

The Player

Charlie Austin’s outstanding start to life in the top flight shows no sign of slowing down after a weekend hat-trick took the QPR frontman to 11 goals for the season.

Having steered his side to promotion with 17 strikes in 31 Championship appearances, Austin got off to a slow start in the top flight and netted just twice in the opening eight Gameweeks. Since then, though, his turnaround in Fantasy fortunes has been remarkable – the 6.0-priced forward has racked up nine goals and a pair of assists in his subsequent eight appearances.

Undoubtedly, his home performances have held far more weight. With his side continuing to toil on their travels, Harry Redknapp has ensured the onus is very much on attack at Loftus Road and Austin has been the chief beneficiary – averaging 7.7 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points per appearance in front of his own fans. Granted, just two goals on his travels highlight QPR’s issues away from Loftus Road, but bearing in mind those strikes were at St Mary’s and Stamford Bridge, he’s still more than capable of delivering on the road.

Indeed, in spite of his side’s away struggles, Austin climbed to second in the FPL forward standings on the back of his weekend treble. At a time where Fantasy managers are scouring the market for Sergio Aguero alternatives, his home form alone is worth the investment – three double-figure hauls in his last five at Loftus Road underline his impact, and with Redknapp determined to steer his side away from trouble, Austin’s impact is unlikely to dry up any time soon.

The Team

A home win over Burnley earned Spurs a third straight victory in all competitions as they finally start to settle under Mauricio Pochettino. Once again, Harry Kane was amongst the goals against the Clarets as the youngster continues his remarkable progress as a Fantasy force – he’s now notched 14 times in all competitions this term, the same number as Tottenham’s top scorer in 2013/14, Emmanuel Adebayor, managed over the entire season.

With an output like that, it’s easy to see why few managers subscribe to the idea that Kane’s starts will be managed over the festive period – with over 42,000 transfers in this week in the FPL game, the 5.2-priced frontman is second most popular to Austin. It’s not all about Kane, though; Christian Eriksen’s superb recent form, allied with the first-team return of Nacer Chadli last weekend, affords us options in the centre of the park, too.

At the back, Pochettino finally seems to have decided on his first-choice options. With Kyle Walker returning from injury, the Argentine has a solution to the problematic right-back berth, and with Ben Davies edging past Danny Rose on the opposite flank, Jan Vertonghen and Federico Fazio have been afforded the chance to forge a partnership in the heart of the back-four. Indeed, only last week the Belgian admitted that this consistency of selection has been key to his side’s recent fortunes.

A Boxing Day trip to Leicester affords Spurs the chance to maintain their momentum before Man United and Chelsea roll up to the Lane – with confidence high, though, they could pose that pair plenty of problems, and with Palace, Sunderland and West Brom following directly after, Pochettino’s troops have the chance to step up their bid for that elusive top-four finish.

The Talking Point

It’s credit to Louis van Gaal that, in spite of a terrible run of injuries during his first few months at the Old Trafford helm, United sit in third spot – ten points off the summit.

A draw against Villa may have ended a run of six straight wins for the Red Devils, but with fit-again Radamel Falcao handed a first start since Gameweek 7 and Angel Di Maria back in action after a hamstring injury, Van Gaal’s growing number of attacking options could hand Fantasy managers a festive boost.

Earlier this month, Van Gaal confessed that Robin van Persie had been “a lucky boy” not to be dropped during his lean spell of scoring, with Falcao’s lack of fitness affording the Dutchman guaranteed pitch time. With the United boss now convinced of the Colombian’s sharpness, it was perhaps telling that it was Van Persie who made way on 60 minutes at Villa Park – in spite of his recent scoring form, this was the earliest he’s ever been withdrawn this term.

Falcao’s goal, supplemented by the maximum bonus, came at a time where Wayne Rooney continues to be utilised in central midfield. Encouragingly, the South American has earned points in each of his four league starts, and with the fixtures falling in United’s favour, he could present us with a far more budget-friendly option, at 10.5 to Van Persie’s 12.6.

Similarly, Di Maria’s return to action could spell trouble for Juan Mata once again. The Spaniard has impressed in his fellow midfielder’s absence but Van Gaal has been ruthless with Mata’s pitch time already and there’d be no real surprise if his run of five straight starts came to an end at home to Newcastle on Friday.

With ownership levels of just 2% and 13%, there’s no doubt that, if they can steer clear of further injuries, Falcao and Di Maria could quickly emerge as big-hitting alternatives for our 15-man squads. As the festive fixtures fall in their favour, the United new boys have the chance to help cement their club’s top-three position and play their way back into our Fantasy plans.