With Gameweek 28 dishing out blank fixtures for Arsenal, Birmingham and Spurs and with Charlie Adam now banned, it’s fair to say that the majority of Fantasy Managers are shopping for midfield options.
With the high-to-mid price offerings such as Cesc Fabregas, Rafael Van der Vaart, Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri all ruled-out of points scoring duty, finding a ready-made replacement is a Fantasy Manager’s obligation, with cash available to be splashed. Manchester City’s David Silva could fit our needs and budgets rather snugly.
The City squad offers serious potential with their two attractive forthcoming fixtures (FUL, WIG), but Silva, with form on his side, looks to be the standout option in midfield. In his last three Premier League fixtures he has claimed a goal and collected 2 assists, as well as claiming Bonus. Owned by just 2.0% of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Managers, he could be a prize “differential” in a Gameweek where many regular point-providers are absent.
Silva’s hefty FPL valuation of 8.5 shouldn’t prove too much of a hurdle, with Fantasy Managers having money in the bank after cashing-in on the aforementioned absentees. The Spaniard, who is on 93 FPL points so far this season, has performed consistently for City and the former Valencia-favourite boasts promising Members’ Area statistics, with his “touches” and rate of “successful lay-offs2 and “keys passes” of particular interest. It’s at Eastlands where you would expect Silva to continue to build on these stats and in turn boost his Fantasy tally; ith three home games in the next four, his mid-term prospects look strong.
The playmaker also appears to be a nailed-on as a City starter, having consistently completed 90 minutes in their last four Premier League fixtures, in a team that suffers from an often unpredictable rotation system. Roberto Mancini has also publicly criticised new signing Edin Dzeko, stating that the Bosnian still has work to do before he can be assured of starts. It therefore seems likely that the manager will stick with Carlos Tevez as the lone striker, leaving Silva in a more advanced central role rather than risk him being isolated out wide.
Whatever system Mancini opts for, Silva is set to be heavily involved over the coming gameweeks and while returns so far have been modest (2 goals, 7 assists), he undoubtedly has the talent to turn that around and reward those willing to take a punt with their new-found midfield funds.
