This week’s “Watchlist” finds me switching focus to the forward line and with fantasy managers crawling over themselves to catch the Carlton Cole bandwagon, I take a look at an alternative who is just as capable of hitting the net as he is team-mates…
Ricardo Fuller will remain a controversial figure for the remainder of the season but his slapping of skipper Andy Griffin shouldn’t mask the fact that he remains Stoke’s main attacking weapon.
Fuller is eligible to return from a four-match ban at Spurs on Tuesday and he will surely go straight back into the attack alongside new signing James Beattie. That looks an awkward, bruising, uncompromising strikeforce – the last thing the Tottenham defence want to face without Ledley King and following their performance at Burnley on Wednesday.
That match starts a run of favourable fixtures (tot MCY sun POR avl) for Stoke that could well see profits for the Jamaican striker. Almost all of his forthcoming opposition have injuries at the back that will be crucial to dealing with the threat of the bullying front pairing. Fuller will face Spurs without King, City without Dunne, Sunderland without Nosworthy, the suspect Pompey defence and then possibly Villa without Laursen.
Stoke’s fixtures continue to look kind even beyond this (BOL eve MID wba NEW BLA). In fact, Fuller and Beattie will not face a top defence again this season – incredibly Stoke have already played United, Chelsea and Liverpool home and away. If Fuller can stay suspension (he has 7 bookings) and injury free – we could be looking at a decent budget option for the mid-term to long-term then.
Fuller’s form did take a dip before the Griffin incident – his last goal was back on November 29. This dip did coincide with a major drop in form for Stoke however, and as we saw at Stamford Bridge last week, Pulis’ side may well have rediscovered the appetite for a battle.
Earlier in the season Fuller weighed in with six goals, one assist and significantly nine FPL bonus points. He may well lose spot-kick duties to Beattie – even so, Fuller looks a strong contender to profit from the next five games. While the Carlton Cole bandwagon keeps rolling – Fuller and team-mate Beattie could well provide a key differentials in the same price bracket (5.5 vs Cole’s 5.9) for those willing to take the gamble.