Spot the Differential – Gameweek 23

We turn to a couple of budget-friendly midfielders this morning as the fixtures turn kind for Stoke and Sunderland. Our final pick is proven Fantasy royalty, who seems to have finally found his way out of the Anfield treatment room.

Adam Johnson

After missing last week’s goalless FA Cup clash with Fulham, the midfielder has been passed fit for Sunderland’s home clash against Burnley later this afternoon. Johnson looks poised to return to his new position behind front pair Jermain Defoe and Steven Fletcher in Gus Poyet’s attack-minded 3-5-2 formation, with the Black Cats boss keen to hand him a central, roving role from this point on.

Johnson’s worth to the Wearsiders is obvious right now – with three goals and an assist in his last seven appearances, he’s played a part in four of his side’s previous six strikes. Coming in at just 6.0 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, Johnson now embarks upon an exceptional run of home fixtures (BUR, QPR, WBA, AVL, NEW, CPL, SOU, LEI) that sees him host seven of the bottom ten teams in the final eight matches at the Stadium of Light, and with trips to the likes of Swansea and Hull in the next six, he looks one of the strongest shouts in the mid-price midfield bracket right now.

Victor Moses

A loan move to Stoke looked to have re-ignited the winger’s Fantasy fortunes before he was sidelined in November with a thigh problem. Moses has served up a series of consistent displays for the Potters, producing returns in five of his last eight appearances prior to sustaining his injury and, having returned to the fold in the previous Gameweek, stepped up his form with a goal and assist in Monday’s 4-1 cup win at Rochdale.

Despite the loss of Bojan to a season-ending knee injury, Mark Hughes’ side have reason for optimism over the coming matches. Stoke face just one of the top ten teams in the next eight Gameweeks, with a very kind run of fixtures kicking off with a home encounter against QPR later today. Available for just 5.2 in FPL, Moses looks nailed on down the Potters’ left flank, and with 12 attempts on goal and 10 key passes in his last four league outings, the stats certainly suggest he could be poised to profit.

Daniel Sturridge

At long last, the Liverpool striker is set to return to league action for the first time since Gameweek 3. After a number of injury setbacks, Sturridge’s stint in Boston with the Red Sox medical team seems to have finally solved his problems and with Brendan Rodgers talking up his training ground displays over the last few days, we reckon he’s set for a role off the bench at home to West Ham tomorrow.

With the Reds looking to bounce back from their midweek semi-final cup exit to Chelsea, Sturridge’s return provides a perfect tonic as Rodgers looks to continue the form that had seen his side take a ten-match unbeaten run to Stamford Bridge last Tuesday.

At 11.1, Sturridge offers an alternative route for those currently looking to part company with the suspended Diego Costa. Whilst it’s likely his minutes may be initially managed, it’s worth noting that since moving to a 3-4-2-1 in Gameweek 16, Liverpool have fired more shots (128) and attempts on target (47) than any other team and sit second only to City for efforts inside the area. Sturridge’s predatory nature looks likely to benefit and hand Fantasy managers a real boost for the remaining months of the current campaign.