Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 30 – The Strong

We turn our attentions to the upcoming four to six Gameweeks this afternoon and analyse those sides with the kindest schedules to follow. The league leaders have every reason for optimism as they close in on the title, whilst Spurs and Southampton will be looking to strengthen their respective bids for a top-four finish.

Chelsea

Pegged back by a determined Southampton side at the weekend, Jose Mourinho’s men missed out on the opportunity to open up an eight-point gap over the chasing pack. Nonetheless, Man City’s shock defeat to Burnley will have seen the leaders breathe a collective sigh of relief, and with the forthcoming schedule in mind, the Blues are afforded optimism that their title rivals won’t be recovering much ground any time soon. The next three are particularly promising, with a Stamford Bridge clash against Stoke coupled with trips to Hull and QPR, and though the following two fixtures – at home to United and away to Arsenal – are sure to prove testing, the Gameweek 34 double, which also features a meeting with bottom-placed Leicester, will ensure that Fantasy managers won’t be discouraged from loading up on the Blues’ main protagonists.

Branislav Ivanovic once again validated his premium price tag last weekend, grabbing his fifth assist of the season and a bonus point in the 1-1 draw. With four goals also in the bag (two of which have come in the last five Gameweeks) the 7.5-rated Serb is undoubtedly the star attraction in the Blues’ rearguard, whilst John Terry looks the only other secure option in defence. Further forward, with neither Cesc Fabregas nor Oscar having earned returns since Gameweek 22, what was once a midfield brimming with options is now looking a much more straightforward equation; Eden Hazard has notched a goal or assist in four of his last six displays, with maximum bonus points acquired in all of those performances, and few are likely to overlook the Belgian ahead of the upcoming double. Diego Costa put an end to his recent drought with the opening goal against the Saints – his 18th league strike of the season – and, like Hazard, could feature heavily in our plans prior to Gameweek 34.

Swansea

After failing to take advantage of numerous first-half openings, Garry Monk’s side were made to pay the price last night when Liverpool struck the only goal of the match midway through the second half. That meant that the Swans have now recorded back-to-back defeats for the first time since Gameweek 16, though with a superb next six now on the agenda, the Welsh outfit will still be optimistic of ending their season in a strong position. Plum home meetings with Hull, Everton and Stoke are married with trips to relegation battlers Aston Villa and Leicester, and Fantasy managers will likely be eyeing up the Swans’ assets at both ends of the pitch as a result.

Interestingly, Monk’s men have registered clean sheets in five of their last six league victories, and further success over the coming weeks could see their rearguard in the points once again. Kyle Naughton has started at right-back in all seven Gameweeks since his January move from Spurs, and at 4.3 offers managers a bargain option at the back. Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianksi is far dearer at 5.2, though his save points have seen the Pole average 5.3 points per appearance over the last three Gameweeks compared to Naughton’s 3.0.

In midfield, Gylfi Sigurdsson came close to grabbing a goal against Liverpool last night, and having found the net against former club Spurs in Gameweek 28, the Icelandic international is hinting at a return to the form that saw him prove one of the most popular Fantasy assets in the early part of the season. That said, Ki Sung-yueng is available for 1.4 less and, with goals in three of his last six outings, is a bang-in-form budget option. The same cannot be said of forward Bafetimbi Gomis, however, who is doing little to prove that he is capable of filling Wilfried Bony’s shoes as the spearhead of the Swans’ attack. Whilst the kind fixture list could provide him with the opportunity to show his worth, few are likely to take a punt on the services of a striker with a single goal in 16 league matches.

Tottenham

Sunday’s calamitous defeat at the hands of Man United underlined a number of Spurs’ shortcomings on a day when they were due to demonstrate why they are worthy of a top-four spot. Indeed, the north Londoners have now conceded two or more goals in four of their last five league ventures, but with three of the four least prolific attacks in the league this season (LEI, bur, AVL) on the agenda in the next trio of Gameweeks, Mauricio Pochettino will at least be afforded the chance to get things back on the right track. A trip to Newcastle then follows before a tough pair of fixtures in Gameweeks 34 and 35 against Southampton and City, and bouncing back quickly from Sunday’s loss looks vital if they are to stay in the running for Champions League qualification.

As mentioned, that defensive record is unlikely to tempt many into investment in the backline, though Danny Rose’s attacking impetus has seen the left-back notch a goal and assist in the last four rounds of fixtures, and so long as he can avoid the rotation he was subjected to in the latter half of the recent double Gameweek, the 4.9-valued man looks a viable option over the coming schedule. Without a goal in his last six appearances, Christian Eriksen is starting to show signs that a busy campaign is taking its toll, and though the short-term fixture list should see his 25.9% ownership retain his services, non-owners may overlook the Dane. Nacer Chadli currently offers better value at 6.3, and has found the net in two of his last six league starts, though for those interested in Spurs’ attack, only one player really warrants our full attention; Harry Kane’s blank against United was just his fourth in the previous 14 Gameweeks, with double figures accrued in six of those outings, and the young striker is set to retain his position at the zenith of our Watchlist whilst the schedule smiles so kindly.

Southampton

The Saints’ battling draw against Chelsea, coupled with their win against Crystal Palace two weeks ago, suggests that the wobbly form that brought three defeats in five matches through February is now firmly behind them. What’s more, with a superb next six that pits them against four of the current bottom seven sides in the table (BUR, eve, HUL sun), Ronald Koeman’s men will be harbouring hopes that they can now reignite their campaign and get themselves firmly back in the running for a place in the top four.

Key to their chances of doing so could be the form of Sadio Mane. Recently fielded in a central position behind a lone striker, the Senegal international has proved instrumental to his side’s attack, firing in more shots (20) than any other midfielder in the last six Gameweeks, with 14 of those coming within the opposition’s penalty area. Indeed, the 6.6-rated midfielder has played a part in seven of the Saints’ last eight league goals when he has been on the pitch, and with Koeman finally seeming to have lost faith in the abilities of Graziano Pelle, few are likely to overlook Mane as the main attraction in attack. Meanwhile, Ryan Bertrand and Nathaniel Clyne remain two of the most popular assets the game has to offer, and their ownership only looks set to rise bearing in mind the schedule. For those unable to find the extra cash for the pair, however, centre back Toby Alderweireld was reinstalled to the starting line-up on Sunday after his recent recovery from a hamstring injury, and is on offer for just 4.7.

Also Consider…

Leicester
The Foxes held out for only their second point in the last seven Gameweeks against Hull on Saturday, and will now be eyeing West Ham and Swansea’s upcoming visits to the King Power Stadium as well as trips to West Brom and Burnley as chances to put some more vital points on the board. From a Fantasy perspective, there is much to be interested in here: Chelsea’s involvement in the Capital One Cup Final at the start of March means that the Foxes now face a double Gameweek 34, and the impending fixtures will see many of us monitoring their budget assets as in preparation. Jeffrey Schlupp was unfortunately moved to the left wing-back role at the weekend, but after clocking up a clean sheet and a bonus point will still be creeping up many a manager’s Watchlist. Further forward, the main contenders for our investment look to be Riyad Mahrez and Andrej Kramaric, though both will need to step up their output over the next few weeks if any significant attention is to come their way prior to the double.

West Ham
Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to fellow Londoners Arsenal means that the Hammers are still without a league victory since Gameweek 22, and have now lost each of their last three outings. After a great start to the campaign, Sam Allardyce’s outfit have reached a clear low point, though this weekend’s home clash with struggling Sunderland could well provide them with the chance to reverse their dipping form. And with Leicester, QPR and Burnley also awaiting in their next six, rediscovering their winning touch could reap plenty of reward for the Hammers and Fantasy managers alike.

Diafra Sakho is currently Allardyce’s only fully fit striker, and despite having now failed to find the net in his last three outings, the Senegal international’s starts should be assured. The forward will be looking to Stewart Downing to replicate the creativity that has produced more chances than any other player, bar Eden Hazard, this season; the 6.5-priced winger has been unfortunate to only register one assist in his previous eight outings, and still looks crucial to the Hammers’ fortunes over the impending fixture list. Big Sam was forced to field a makeshift backline for the Gunners clash at the weekend, but with Carl Jenkinson and possibly Winston Reid returning to the fold this time around, their rearguard could be set to profit. With a goal and four assists to his name so far, Aaron Cresswell remains the likeliest source of points from defence if you’re willing to shell out 5.6 for his services.

West Brom
The Baggies’ assets come with something of a health warning due to their horrendous final five fixtures of the season. Over the short term, however, their prospects look promising – once a trip to the Etihad this weekend is out of the way, the Midlanders boast back-to-back home fixtures against the current bottom two (QPR, lei) before travelling to Crystal Palace.

With Ben Foster now sidelined for at least four weeks after damaging his knee in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Stole, Boaz Myhill, at 4.0, could prove a superb short-term bargain for the next four Gameweeks as part of a rearguard that’s registered shut-outs in four of their last five matches; Craig Dawson and Joleon Lescott are the usual alternatives here. Up top, Saido Berahino may well have just four more Gameweeks to deliver for his band of owners before they part company, but having notched in three of his last five, the 5.6-rated youngster looks a good bet to do so. Berahino’s strike partner Brown Ideye was back in the goals at the weekend, and with an ownership of just 0.3%, he stands out as a differential forward option.