Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 15 – The Strong

With four home matches in the upcoming six rounds of fixtures, both Man United and Arsenal look primed to provide us with plenty of profitable Fantasy options. Chelsea’s assets could be back on the menu as Jose Mourinho’s side prepare for three plum home fixtures in the next four Gameweeks.

Man United

While they have conceded exactly one goal in their last two matches, United’s strength this season has clearly been their defence. With Norwich and Swansea, two teams who feature in the bottom three sides for shots from inside the box over the last six Gameweeks, visiting Old Trafford in the next six, further defensive returns look on the cards. West Ham and Chelsea have also only scored three and two goals respectively over the last four Gameweeks, while Bournemouth and Stoke have generally struggled on their home turf. David de Gea (5.6), in particular, looks a great option between the sticks, then, with Chris Smalling (6.8) the most secure option in defence.

None of United’s attacking assets have shown any level of consistency so far this season, but with West Ham, Stoke and Norwich all ranked in the top five teams for shots conceded from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks, they certainly have three very favourable match-ups in which to feast on. The Bournemouth and Swansea clashes are also strong fixtures, so the likes of Juan Mata (8.7) and Anthony Martial (7.8) can’t be discounted, although their lack of form means significant investment is unlikely.

Arsenal

Both Newcastle and Bournemouth have conceded eight goals in their last four matches, so those two home fixtures look hugely promising for those holding on to Gunners attacking assets. Sam Allardyce has worked his magic on the Sunderland defence in recent weeks, but that home encounter still represents a favourable match-up, while Aston Villa have conceded seven goals over the last two Gameweeks. Only the Man City and Southampton clashes look unfavourable, then, and even in those matches, the likes of Mesut Ozil (9.3) still can’t be discounted in terms of being able to pick up attacking points. With injury concerns throughout the attacking positions, Aaron Ramsey (8.0) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (5.5) could emerge as decent differentials over the coming period should the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla face extended spells on the sidelines.

The Arsenal backline has regressed somewhat over the last month, with just one clean sheet in their last five matches. The absence of Francis Coquelin further harms their ability to register shut-outs, but the Aston Villa and Newcastle fixtures, in particular, should provide good opportunities to pick up defensive points. The Sunderland and Bournemouth home clashes also appear pretty favourable, so it may be worth sticking with the likes of Petr Cech (5.7) and Hector Bellerin (5.9), although they may struggle to deliver great value for their premium price tags, with those City and Southampton match-ups unlikely to yield any defensive returns.

Chelsea

Confidence in the Blues’ backline in beginning to rise in light of three clean sheets in all competitions. Although Bournemouth, Watford and Sunderland all feature among the top eight sides for total goal attempts over the last four Gameweeks, those three home fixtures should throw up some defensive points. The three away matches (lei, mun, cpl) in the next six are pretty tough, however, although Palace have failed to score in two of their last three home matches, while Man United have blanked in two home encounters this season. So perhaps only the cheaper Kurt Zouma (5.4) looks likely to attract any significant investment at this point, with Thibaut Courtois (5.2) the other option, given his return to first-team action is seemingly imminent.

Having only scored three goals in their last five matches, investing in Chelsea attacking assets, particularly given their price tags, doesn’t hold much appeal at the moment. Bournemouth, Watford and Sunderland all sit around halfway in the standings for shots conceded in the box over the last four Gameweeks, so while those home fixtures are fairly favourable, we may not see a flurry of goals at Stamford Bridge. Leicester have managed to tighten things up at the back of late, while the trips to Old Trafford and Selhurst Park are unlikely to prove particularly profitable. Until we see Eden Hazard (10.9) return to goal scoring form, he simply looks overpriced at the moment, while Diego Costa (10.8) doesn’t look assured of playing time, so only Willian (6.9) appears worthy of consideration as a mid-price option.

Tottenham

While Spurs only have two home fixtures (NEW, NOR) in the next six, those clashes are against teams that have conceded six goals in an away match this season. This weekend’s trip to the West Brom also looks a reasonable match-up given Man City, Chelsea, Everton and Leicester all scored three goals at the Hawthorns this season, while Everton have been leaky at the back of late, conceding eight goals in their last five matches. The trips to Southampton and Watford are also not what you’d consider to be particularly unfavourable match-ups, so the in-form Harry Kane (9.6) should continue to prosper, while Christian Eriksen (8.4) and Dele Alli (5.0) look viable options in midfield.

West Brom, Newcastle and Norwich form the three teams who have managed the fewest number of total goal attempts over the last four Gameweeks, so those three fixtures should certainly offer realistic hope of defensive returns. Watford have failed to score in four home matches already this season, and could also be deemed a reasonable match-up, although keeping out Southampton and Everton on the road could be a tough proposition. Toby Alderweireld (5.5) currently looks the pick of the Tottenham backline, with Kyle Walker (5.0) an option for those whose budget can’t stretch to the Belgian.

ALSO CONSIDER…

West Brom
While the Baggies have tough fixtures over the next two Gameweeks (TOT, liv), both in terms of potential defensive and attacking returns, their schedule thereafter (BOU, swa, NEW, sto) is very favourable. Bournemouth and Newcastle have both shipped eight goals over the last four Gameweeks, while Swansea have conceded eight times in their previous four home matches. James Morrison (4.8) could emerge as a budget fifth midfielder option then, while Salomon Rondon (6.7) may be a contender for our three-man frontlines, with the Venezuela international a differential candidate given his ownership in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) stands at just 0.5%.

The goal threat of Swansea, Newcastle and Stoke has been limited in recent weeks, with all three sides registering just two goals from their last four matches. Those three fixtures look pretty favourable, then, while the home clash against Bournemouth in Gameweek 17 could also offer a decent opportunity for a clean sheet, meaning the likes of Boaz Myhill (4.8), Craig Dawson (5.1) and Jonny Evans (4.8) may soon be back on our radars.

Liverpool
The Reds have scored seven goals in their last two away matches at Chelsea and Man City, and face a really favourable match up when they travel to Newcastle on Sunday. As already touched upon, Leicester and Sunderland’s rearguards have been improved of late, while a trip to Watford and a home clash against West Brom could be tricky match-ups. West Ham are also among Liverpool’s next six opponents, so with none of the big sides on the upcoming schedule, the 8.4-priced Philippe Coutinho – providing he overcomes a hamstring problem – looks a strong option for our five-man midfields, with concerns over rotation hindering the prospects of many of the other attacking options at Anfield.

The Leicester fixture apart, defensive returns could be a possibility in the other five matches on the current slate, so Alberto Moreno (4.9) should see his 4% ownership in FPL continue to rise, while Dejan Lovren (4.9) remains a short-term option in the absence of the injured Mamadou Sakho.

Everton
No team has been more prolific than the Toffees over the last four Gameweeks, so the away matches at Norwich and Newcastle in the next four could provide further attacking points. The four upcoming home fixtures (CPL, LEI, STO, TOT) aren’t the easiest, but given the current form of Romelu Lukaku (9.0), Ross Barkley (7.2) and Gerard Deulofeu (6.3), owning at least one of those trio should certainly continue to pay off.

Everton have only managed one clean sheet since Phil Jagielka was sidelined with a knee injury, so keeping out Leicester and Tottenham could prove to be a tough task. Defensive returns may be possible against Newcastle and Stoke, though, while the Palace and Norwich fixtures are reasonable match-ups. Seamus Coleman (5.9) looks the pick of the defenders given he also carries an attacking threat, having bagged an assist in each of his last two outings.