PlayON Picks – Gameweek 34

We roll out our Friday lunchtime assessment of the PlayON Player Price List once again. As always, we offer a couple of picks per position: one essential weekend target and a left-field alternative for your consideration.

PlayON are now running a number of different deadlines so Fantasy managers can have as much benefit of seeing teamsheets as possible. Tomorrow, for example, managers can pick teams for the weekly game (which includes all ten matches on Saturday and Sunday) and the single match game (for the Southampton versus Tottenham match) up to 12.45.

Managers can pick teams for all the 15.00 & 17.30 kick-offs up to 15.00 tomorrow. Their Daily game on Sunday, which includes two matches, has a deadline of 13.30. There’s free entry tourna-ments and guaranteed pots in all games so plenty for Fantasy managers to take advantage of – you can pick up to three different teams for each game now at www.PlayON.co

Goalkeepers – Asmir Begovic
Available for just 7.1m, the Bosnian is handed a plum home clash with a Sunderland side that have scored only once in their previous three road trips. Although Stoke have failed to keep a clean sheet in five matches, three of their last four shut-outs have arrived at the Britannia, suggesting the 15%-owned Begovic could be in line to pick up the points against Dick Advocaat’s strugglers. Joe Hart (8m, 14% ownership) bagged a fourth straight clean sheet at home and resultantly retains our essential goalkeeper status. Eleven saves over that run shows he is also picking up those valuable extra points and the City keeper will need to deliver once more against Villa’s in-form Christian Benteke at the Etihad.

Defenders – Wes Morgan
The Leicester defender’s threat in the opposition box has served up a goal and an assist in his last four. Over that period, Morgan has six headed attempts on goal and 18 clearances, highlighting his points potential at both ends of the pitch in the event of his side conceding away to Burnley. Bearing in mind the Clarets have scored a single goal in seven matches, Morgan – at 6.3m and owned by only 3% of PlayON managers – looks an ideal budget enabler for our squads. Scott Dann also looks a strong option as Palace attempt to bounce back from the home defeat to West Brom. Coming in at 7.1m and owned by 14%, the centre-half has produced five efforts in the box over his last six and faces a Hull side with a single goal in their last four on the road.

Midfielders – Matty Phillips
With two goals and seven assists in his last nine matches, the winger has produced a consistent source of points under new boss Chris Ramsey. QPR failed to score at home to Chelsea last time out but will be optimistic of getting amongst the goals at Loftus Road this weekend, considering that visitors West Ham have a single clean sheet away from home all season. Available for 7m and picked by 13% of teams, Phillips looks set to prosper once again. Jordan Henderson was our left-field pick a couple of weeks back but is now promoted to essential status ahead of the trip to West Brom The midfielder (16% ownership) offers a budget route into the Liverpool side at 8.8m, has four goals and two assists in six matches and has form against West Brom, scoring one and assisting the other in the 2-1 win at Anfield. Bearing in mind that the Baggies have conceded seven in their last two at the Hawthorns, Brendan Rodgers’ side will be hopeful of returning to winning ways.

Forwards – Glenn Murray
After providing four assists and six goals in six appearances, the Eagles striker unexpectedly blanked against West Brom at Selhurst Park. A home tie against struggling Hull is a different prospect, with the Tigers conceding eight in their last three matches, and, for 7.5m, the 22%-owned Murray offers excellent value as Palace look for a win before the schedule turns against them. Sergio Aguero (15m) delivered a goal on his return to our essential slot last week and we’re sticking with the Argentine ahead of Villa’s visit. The City striker now has three strikes in two matches since Manuel Pellegrini shifted to a 4-4-1-1 formation and, having fired ten attempts over that pair of fixtures, looks back to his predatory best. With David Silva likely to be available, Aguero has already been snapped up by a massive 59% of PlayON managers for this one.

Head over to www.PlayON.co to get your teams in for the free entry and guaranteed pot games.