Frisking the Fixtures – The Strong

We cast an eye over the upcoming schedules now, with only six Gameweeks of the season remaining. Unsurprisingly, those teams with double Gameweeks dominate our thinking – Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City all play twice in Gameweek 34 and also have a fixture in Gameweek 35, whilst Palace and Everton’s prospects are boosted by back-to-back doubles over the next two rounds of fixtures.

Liverpool

The Reds’ Fantasy appeal is boosted significantly by their two doubles, in Gameweeks 34 (bou & EVE) and 37 (WAT & CHE), in addition to a home match with Newcastle in Gameweek 35. Jurgen Klopp’s men have been in good scoring form, netting eight times in their last four matches, and those match-ups against Bournemouth and Newcastle look particularly favourable. The Cherries have conceded 10 goals in four, while Newcastle have fared little better, letting in eight goals over the same period. The matches against Stoke, Everton and Swans look very reasonable, too, with the Merseyside derby particularly favourable should the Toffees rest a few players ahead of their FA Cup semi-final just three days later. Philippe Coutinho (8.2) looks the form option from the Liverpool attack, but Roberto Firmino (8.1) may come into contention providing he’s fully recovered from a hamstring problem – he returned to training ahead of tonight’s clash with Dortmund. Daniel Sturridge (9.9) could also attract some investment, although his fitness remains a concern, particularly if the Reds progress in the Europa League.

The Bournemouth, Newcastle and Swansea fixtures look the strongest in terms of possible returns for Liverpool defensive assets. Bournemouth have only created three big chances in their last four matches, and have failed to score in their last two fixtures, while Newcastle have drawn blanks in three of their last five matches on the road. Swansea, meanwhile, haven’t scored more than one goal in any of their last five home matches. The Everton and Stoke matches should also offer decent chances of clean sheets, so owning at least one of Simon Mignolet (4.9) or Dejan Lovren (4.8) could prove profitable.

Arsenal

The Gunners have looked a much-improved side over the last two Gameweeks, and offer us a plethora of options at both ends of the pitch. The home fixtures against Crystal Palace and West Brom in double Gameweek 34 appear very favourable, with both clubs allowing eight big chances over their last four matches. The trip to Sunderland in Gameweek 35 should also offer a reasonable match-up, although the Black Cats have tightened up of late, conceding just four goals and only two big chances. Norwich, Arsenal’s opponents in Gameweek 36, have an even better record, conceding three in four and allowing just one big chance. West Ham have shipped exactly two goals in each of their last three league matches, so attacking returns may also be on the cards on Saturday. Owning at least one of Alexis Sanchez (10.9), Mesut Ozil (9.7) or Danny Welbeck (7.4) looks a wise move over the coming period, then, while the option to double up on the Gunners attack is tempting, with the in-form Alex Iwobi (4.5) a viable budget option. The Nigerian wide man could well be prone to some rotation, though.

The upcoming fixtures appear just as favourable from a defensive standpoint. West Brom and Norwich have created just three and two big chances respectively over the last four matches, while Sunderland have netted just four times as many matches. Only the trip to West Ham looks difficult over the next four Gameweeks, then, with Slaven Bilic’s side registering the fifth-highest number of total goal attempts over the last four matches, with 62, while they’ve also netted eight times over that period. Hector Bellerin (6.4) looks the standout option from the Gunners backline having scored once and bagged three assists in his last three appearances. Laurent Koscielny (6.2) offers a set-piece threat, but Gabriel (4.3) could well be worth some consideration given he’s started seven of Arsenal’s last eight matches. Petr Cech (5.8) could also come onto our radars, but perhaps doesn’t offer the best use of our three Arsenal spots given his limited upside.

Man City

City’s fixtures in double Gameweek 34 (che & new) aren’t actually too appealing defensively. Chelsea have scored eight times in their last three at the Bridge, whilst Newcastle look an improved unit under Rafa Benitez. The home matches against Stoke and in particular West Brom could yield shut-outs though, so owning a City defensive asset does hold some appeal over the coming weeks. Rotations worries do limit our options though, with Joe Hart (5.6) looking the safest and best value option. Nicolas Otamendi (6.5) may struggle to live up to his price tag, while the prospects of Eliaquim Mangala (5.3) largely depend on how quickly Vincent Kompany returns from his calf injury.

Following the return from injury for Kevin de Bruyne (10.3), the outlook for City’s attack looks far brighter. They had failed to score in their previous two away matches prior to the 4-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday, and with Newcastle conceding four goals against Bournemouth and Sunderland in their last two matches on home turf, the prospects for that match look pretty decent. The trip to Chelsea will be tougher, although the Blues have surprisingly failed to keep a clean sheet in their last nine home matches. Manuel Pellegrini’s men have to be backed to prosper in home fixtures against West Brom and Stoke, so Sergio Aguero (13.5) looks a sure bet to feature in many of our 15-man squads. De Bruyne offers a potential double-up option, and, as we saw last night against PSG, has immediately rediscovered his form and is flourishing in a central support role.

Everton

Given that Watford and Palace have managed two clean sheets apiece in their last 14 league outings, the outlook for the Everton attack looks very bright for double Gameweek 33. The fact Roberto Martinez’ men also face a double in Gameweek 34 (SOT & liv) makes Romelu Lukaku (9.0) a near certain pick for all Fantasy Premier League (FPL) bosses. Those latter two matches are slightly trickier, though, with both teams conceding five goals apiece in their last four matches. The Toffees also face a blank in Gameweek 35, although their fixtures thereafter (BOU, lei & sun, NOR) are also very favourable and should see the likes of Ross Barkley (7.1) and Aaron Lennon (5.6) earn plenty of investment. As already touched upon, the only possible concern is that Roberto Martinez may opt to rest some of his regular starters against Liverpool ahead of their FA Cup semi-final, perhaps limiting the appeal of Lennon, in particular, who looks more prone to rotation.

The matches at Watford and Palace look reasonably positive from a defensive point of view, with the Hornets only netting once in their last four matches, while Alan Pardew’s side haven’t scored more than one goal in any home fixture since the 5-1 win over Newcastle in Gameweek 14. Defensive points look far less likely against Southampton and Liverpool in Gameweek 34, though, with both teams in decent form in front of goal. The pricing of Toffees defensive assets also limits their appeal, with Joel Robles (4.3) the clear standout option given his bargain price tag. He looks an obvious target for Gameweek 33 and those using their bench boost chip in double Gameweek 34, then, with Seamus Coleman (5.8) or Phil Jagielka (5.1) the best options from the defence.

Also Consider…

Crystal Palace
Although Palace are desperately short of form, their Fantasy assets are firmly at the forefront of our thoughts given they face two consecutive DGW (NOR & EVE, ars & mun). Perhaps only the Norwich match looks a good bet for a clean sheet, but given their respective goal threat, Scott Dann (5.7) and, to a lesser extent, Damien Delaney (4.3), could be worth considering, particularly for those using their wildcard this week.

The fixtures aren’t outstanding from an attacking sense, but Yannick Bolasie (6.0) could certainly be worth a roll of the dice over the next two Gameweeks, although it’s worth remembering Palace players are probably only short-term punts, given their blank in Gameweek 35.

Newcastle
The Magpies’ fixtures from Gameweek 34 onwards (SWA & MCI, liv, CPL, avl) offer hope of a revival under Rafa Benitez. Aleksandar Mitrovic (6.2), Georginio Wijnaldum (6.8) and Andros Townsend (5.7) could all boast some value over the coming period, and should come onto the radars for those wildcarding this week.

The upcoming fixtures may not yield too many clean sheets, but the 3.9 price tag in FPL for goalkeeper Karl Darlow makes him an obvious target, particularly for those using their bench boost chip in double Gameweek 34. Daryl Janmaat (4.8) looks the pick of the defenders with his added attacking threat.

Southampton
Investment in Saints Fantasy assets is extremely unlikely given they don’t face a double, but those Fantasy managers who don’t have a wildcard to use may well keep hold of the likes of Jose Fonte (14% ownership) and Graziano Pelle (7% ownership), given they face a favourable home clash against Newcastle on Saturday, and have a plum fixture in Gameweek 35, away to lowly Aston Villa.