Gameweek 32 – Best Punts

A certain Belgian striker stole the headlines from last Gameweek’s three punts. Christian Benteke was my chosen forward punt for the double Gameweek and he didn’t disappoint. Benteke scored four goals in total and picked up three bonus points. That meant an incredible 23 points for Villa’s front man and the highest scoring FPL player who started the Gameweek with less than 2.5% ownership. If he continues his current form then Tim Sherwood won’t have to worry about relegation this season. My other two punts weren’t quite as lucky. Wes Morgan came close to scoring for Leicester but he failed to do so and the Foxes also conceded against West Ham. My midfielder of choice was Marko Arnautovic. However, the Austrian only played 29 minutes against Chelsea and it was Jon Walters who won the plaudits instead. Here are Gameweek 32’s Best Punts with ownership figures correct as of the 9th April.

Toby Alderweireld

Position: Defender

Club: Southampton

Price: 4.8

Ownership: 2.1%

Southampton boast the league’s best defensive record with 14 clean sheets this season and with ownership that low and a price of only 4.8 Alderweireld is a great option. His ownership was much higher before an injury that put him out of action for seven Gameweeks but as his ownership fell he rose up my punts scale. This weekend the Saints welcome Hull City to St. Mary’s and Ronald Koeman’s side will be hoping for another clean sheet. The Tigers have been goal shy all season. The arrival of Dame N’Doye brought some temporary relief but his goal supply seems to have dried up since then. Nikica Jelavic has been more consistent this season but he will miss the game with a knee injury. With a lack of firepower I can’t see a struggling Hull City side troubling the incredibly sturdy Southampton defence on Saturday.

Alderweireld also offers attacking potential. Although he is likely to start as a centre-back this weekend the Belgian is versatile enough to play as a full back or centre midfielder. That means that should anyone pick up an injury or Ronald Koeman want to change tactics then Alderweireld is the most likely to benefit from being moved further up-field or out wide. The centre back has had 12 attempts on goal in his 19 apps this season and scored once as well as creating five goal scoring chances for his teammates. Those are impressive stats for a centre back. The main appeal of Alderweireld is his chances of picking up clean sheets but the potential for attacking returns makes him an even better option.

Craig Gardner

Position: Midfielder

Club: West Brom

Price: 5.5

Ownership: 0.1%

Perhaps an odd choice but Craig Gardner has turned in some really good performances lately. The ex-Sunderland man arrived at West Brom at the start of the season and has flown under many managers’ radars. The midfielder has one goal and a pair of assists to his name so far this season but I think a strong finish will see those figures rise. Gardner has completed nearly 1000 passes this season and put over 45 crosses into the box, creating 25 goal scoring chances in the process. His importance cannot be underestimated. Although he may not be making the headlines he is the pendulum of the Baggies’ midfield. He isn’t afraid of a shot either with 44 attempts on goal this season. He also has a say on set pieces, taking free-kicks and corners for his side.

This Gameweek West Brom face a Leicester side who will be buzzing after their win over West Ham last weekend. However, their defence is still incredibly leaky, especially away from home. The Foxes haven’t kept a clean sheet on the road since September so West Brom will fancy their chances against Leicester. An ever improving Craig Gardner will be looking to benefit from this and propel his Baggies side to safety.

Steven Fletcher

Position: Forward

Club: Sunderland

Price: 5.0

Ownership: 0.4%

I have picked Steven Fletcher a couple times already this season and he has let me down but I am confident that he won’t do so this weekend. Fletcher was guilty of squandering countless chances against Newcastle last Gameweek but luckily for him Jermaine Defoe’s superb strike was enough to guarantee the Black Cats three points. Fletcher plays down the middle of a front three and it is him who has the clear cut chances. The re-introduction of Billy Jones into the starting XI meant more crosses from the full back position and suddenly Fletcher was more in the game. The Scotsman has four goals to his name this season and is a deadly aerial threat.

This Gameweek the Black Cats welcome Crystal Palace to the Stadium of Light. Palace have been fantastic since Alan Pardew’s appointment and have produced fast, free-flowing football that is fantastic to watch. That leaves gaps at the back. As the Black Cats learn how to play under Dick Advocaat their movement going forward is improving and the chance to play a leaky Palace side gives them the perfect chance to start scoring more freely. With Steven Fletcher the main man up front he will be looking to spearhead attacks.

Last Gameweek’s Top Scoring Punts*

DEF – Vlad Chiriches, 8 pts, 4.7, 0.1%

MID – Matt Phillips, 20 pts, 4.6, 1.3%

FWD – Bafétimbi Gomis, 13 pts, 6.5, 0.7%

*These aren’t my choices but the top scoring players with under 2.5% ownership. (Christian Bentke did score higher than Gomis but his ownership has now climbed above 2.5%.)