PlayON Picks – Gameweek 23 – £300 in Free Entry Games

Our Friday lunchtime look at the PlayON Player Price List arrives once again as the hours count down until another deadline. As always, we offer a couple of picks per position: one essential weekend target and a left-field alternative for your consideration.

PlayON have now extended their deadline for submitting your teams so you can now tinker with your starting XI right up until the first kick-off each week – tomorrow that’s 12.45pm, when Hull and Newcastle get the action underway at the KC Stadium.

This week, PlayON have over £2,000 in Guaranteed Pots, including £300 of FREE ENTRY games – click here to find out more.

Goalkeeper – Tim Krul
The Dutchman may have conceded twice against Chelsea and Southampton since returning from injury but prior to being sidelined, Krul’s four clean sheets in five highlights his potential against less threatening opposition. A trip to misfiring Hull, who have failed to score in ten of the last 14 Gameweeks bodes well and the Tigers’ lack of bite makes the 1.2%-owned Krul a real bargain buy at just 6.2m in this week’s PlayON Player Price List. Fraser Forster’s total of ten clean sheets is more than any other keeper in the Premier League this term. Coming in at 7.5m, the Southampton stopper faces a depleted Swansea side that are without suspended playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson for the St Mary’s clash and, having conceded just once in the last three home outings against Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal, he looks a strong shout for another shut-out. So far, Forster is owned by 18.3% of Fantasy managers heading into the weekend.

Defender – Phil Jones
A home clash with Leicester offers Man United the chance to avenge their Gameweek 5 loss at the King Power Stadium earlier in the season. Whilst Louis van Gaal’s side have struggled for goals, their resilience has afforded opponents just two goals in the last four rounds of league fixtures. With that in mind, we’ve gone for Phil Jones (7.2m, 28.7% ownership) as a left-field pick – the centre-half has been handed a share of corners recently and his penchant for earning interception and clearance points has helped him earn three scores of 1000+ points in PlayON over the last four Gameweeks. Laurent Koscielny (8.3m) is the essential defender this week. Having kept out Stoke and Man City in the last two, Arsenal go looking for a third clean sheet in a row against an Aston Villa side that have failed to notch in the last five. Having scored in his previous Emirates appearance in a 3-0 win over Stoke, the Frenchman looks an in-form option at both ends of the pitch right now and has already persuaded 36.6% to snap up his services for this one.

Midfielders – Jason Puncheon
With goals in each of his two league appearances under Alan Pardew, the Palace winger looks an absolute bargain at just 8.2m this weekend. Owned by 28.3% of PlayON managers, Puncheon has been integral to his new manager’s perfect start at Crystal Palace and with visitors Everton conceding eight goals in their last three away trips, the Eagles will be keen to go on the offensive once again and continue their ascent up the table. Since returning from injury, Angel Di Maria (13.3m) has failed to replicate his early season form in spite of a recent move up front. The 33%-owned Argentine’s out of position potential could be worth considering at home to Leicester, though – Di Maria notched a goal and assist against the Foxes back in September and he’ll fancy his chances of replicating those returns against a defence with two clean sheets in the last ten Gameweeks.

Forwards – Jonathan Walters
A home clash against QPR bodes well for Stoke’s chances this weekend. Given that the R’s have lost every match so far this season, Mark Hughes’ side will be strongly favoured to emerge triumphant, despite the loss of Bojan to a season-ending knee injury. Fielded up front for the Potters in recent matches, Walters earned the assist for the Gameweek 22 win at Leicester and was amongst the goals in Monday’s FA Cup win at Rochdale – at a price of 7.5m and owned by just 4.3% of managers, he could be a budget gem this weekend. We were planning on rolling out Alexis Sanchez here but with doubts over the Chilean’s hamstring, we’re turning to his Arsenal team-mate Olivier Giroud instead. At a price of just 10.6m, the Frenchman has scored four times in his last five league appearances and looks an equally potent threat against a defence with a single clean sheet in their last five road trips – already, over 40% of PlayON managers have drafted him in for this one.