Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 30 – The Strong

After Monday’s confirmation that three teams will face a double Gameweek 34, our outlook for the teams with the strongest upcoming schedules has changed somewhat.

It’s now budget options from Middlesbrough and premium assets from Manchester United that look set to feature prominently on our wishlists, although we’re slightly more cautious on Crystal Palace’s prospects ahead of their double.

Middlesbrough

(swa, hul, BUR, ARS, bou/SUN, MCI)

With a double Gameweek 34, along with favourable fixtures in the short-term, ‘Boro’s leading assets could provide some value over the next month or so.

Having kept eight clean sheets this season, it’s at the back where investment is most likely.

Burnley are still without a win on their travels this season, so the Gameweek 32 match-up at the Riverside Stadium looks favourable for the prospects for the ‘Boro backline, while the trips to Swansea City and Hull City also appear reasonable.

It’s double Gameweek 34 that stands out, though, given that Sunderland have failed to score in six of their last seven, although the trip to Bournemouth appears trickier based on the Cherries’ upturn in form over recent weeks.

Regardless, the budget price tags of players such as Victor Valdes, Fabio and Calum Chambers – when fit – makes them appealing options for the double.

While ‘Boro are the lowest scorers in the top flight with just 20 goals, the upcoming fixtures are very favourable.

Over their respective last four matches, no team has conceded more goals than the nine let in by Hull and Swansea, while Sunderland have allowed more shots from inside the box (43) than any other side.

The Burnley and Bournemouth showdowns are also pretty kind, so the likes of Alvaro Negredo, Gaston Ramirez and perhaps even Rudy Gestede may attract some investment as differentials.

Manchester United

(WBA, EVE, sun, CHE, bur/mci, SWA)

Jose Mourinho’s side also benefit from having a double Gameweek 34, while the short-term outlook is also very positive.

From an attacking perspective, the Sunderland and Swansea fixtures look promising, while West Bromwich Albion have shipped seven goals in their last four matches.

Chelsea and Everton are among the strongest defences, but with both clashes at Old Trafford, there should still be reasonable opportunities for the United attack to profit.

Trips to Burnley and Manchester City form double Gameweek 34, and while not the easiest of fixtures, the allure of two fixtures will surely see Zlatan Ibrahimovic become a near-essential asset once he returns from his suspension for Gameweek 31.

There are no real standout candidates from the United midfield, with the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata potential differentials.

Having kept clean sheets in three of their last five, it’s at the back where the option to double-up could be more tempting.

West Brom, Sunderland and Burnley all feature among the six teams registering the fewest shots inside the box and creating the fewest big chances over the last four matches, so those fixtures should look pretty promising.

The home fixture against Swansea should also present another decent opportunity for clean sheet points, while although defensive returns are less likely against Chelsea and Everton, they have at least found it more difficult to score on their travels.

With a goal and three assists in his last seven starts, Antonio Valencia offers the potential to deliver at either end of the pitch, making him an obvious target, while David de Gea looks the other “safe” selection from the United rearguard.

Liverpool

(EVE, BOU, sto, wba, CPL, wat)

On paper, Liverpool’s upcoming schedule looks hugely favourable, as they avoid all of the current top six.

But although the Reds are unbeaten against all of their top four rivals, they have struggled against some of the “lesser sides,” and also won’t benefit from a double Gameweek.

With Liverpool’s strengths mainly lying in their attack, we’re most likely to target Reds assets in the final third.

The Bournemouth, West Brom and Watford fixtures all look pretty appealing to that end, while Stoke have tended to leak goals against the leading sides.

Crystal Palace have kept three consecutive clean sheets, though, while as already mentioned, Everton have been strong at the back since the turn of the year. It is also worth noting that Palace will be without the on-loan Mamadou Sakho against his parent club, boosting the Merseysiders’ goal potential.

This upcoming block probably warrants owning one Reds attacker then, with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino the best options.

From a defensive standpoint, Jurgen Klopp’s side should be able to muster a couple of clean sheets over the next six Gameweeks.

No team has registered fewer shots from inside the box than Watford over the last four matches, with 21, while Stoke and Palace are finding goals pretty hard to come by at the moment.

It’s only the Merseyside derby which looks to present a really difficult match-up, but having only registered one shut-out in their last 10, Fantasy managers may still choose to steer clear of the likes of Simon Mignolet and Nathaniel Clyne.

Also Consider

Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs will have a double Gameweek further down the line, likely to come in Gameweek 37, and in general, they look to have the strongest run-in for teams with ten matches remaining.

The short-term prospects (bur, swa, WAT, BOU, cpl) in particular appear very bright, so it’s understandable that Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen both feature among the top six players transferred in this week ahead of the trip to Turf Moor. It’s uncertain when Harry Kane will return from his ankle injury, but there’s no doubt that he looks set to play a prominent part in our three-man frontlines once fully fit.

The upcoming fixtures should also see Spurs add to the 12 clean sheets they’ve managed so far.

Kyle Walker looks the standout candidate, certainly until Danny Rose returns from a knee injury. Ben Davies could offer short-term cover until that point.

Southampton
There’s plenty to like regarding Saints’ run-in, with four home matches over the next six Gameweeks (BOU, CPL, wba, MCI, che, HUL), while they also have two double Gameweeks yet to be arranged.

The next two home fixtures, in particular, look very favourable, but the groin injury suffered by Manolo Gabbiadini is a huge blow given how quickly he’s settled in the Premier League.

Dusan Tadic currently appears to be the best route into the Southampton attack, but the absence of Gabbiadini may prove a major deterrent regarding investment in all of Saints’ attacking assets. In saying that, James Ward-Prowse (two goals and an assist in five) has emerged as an enticing budget option at just 5.0.

Claude Puel’s men have also been shipping goals of late, conceding five over the last two Gameweeks. But Maya Yoshida could be a viable option in defence given the extra matches and his bargain 4.3 price tag. If you have cash to splash, though, the 5.4-priced Ryan Bertrand has four assists in his last five Gameweeks.

Sunderland
Over the next six Gameweeks, the Black Cats only face one side currently in the top ten, with the coming period (wat, lei, MUN, WHM, mid, BOU) crucial to any chances they have of avoiding relegation.

David Moyes’ men will also face a double Gameweek later on this season, with their trip to Arsenal yet to be rescheduled.

The next six fixtures should provide a reasonable platform for Jermain Defoe to return to form, and he could challenge for a spot in our three-man forward lines once again.

Sunderland have also kept clean sheets in two of their last four matches at the Stadium of Light, so Jordan Pickford looks a good option in goal, with the odd shut-out, and certainly save points looking assured.

Crystal Palace
The Eagles face a double Gameweek (liv/TOT), but the difficulty of those two fixtures will probably limit investment in Palace assets.

They do face pretty favourable home fixtures against Leicester City and Burnley either side of the double, though, so by the time Gameweek 33 comes around, there may be some merit in eyeing one or two Eagles assets.

As mentioned above, though, Mamadou Sakho’s appeal is reduced by the fact that he cannot play in the first match of the double. Elsewhere, Wilfried Zaha could provide decent value in midfield, while Patrick van Aanholt should be back from an ankle injury before their double-header.

The short-term prospects appear less promising, though, with trips to Chelsea and Southampton followed by a home clash with Arsenal.