After last week’s missing games for Arsenal, Spurs and Birmingham, most Fantasy Managers will have been looking forward to finally having a full squad to pick from this week. Alas, with so many injuries recently, it looks like our detailed transfer plans might need to be shelved for now while we put out some fires instead.
With just ten weeks of the season left, unless you’re sat at the top of all your mini-leagues there is less incentive to go with the tried and tested replacement, and a wisely chosen differential could be the difference between making a late charge to the top and sinking into mid-table obscurity. After dropping yet another place in the Scout league, frankly I’m willing to try anything…..
David Luiz
While Chelsea fans were emphatically celebrating the arrival of Fernando Torres, David Luiz’s deadline day signing almost went unnoticed, despite the £23 million price tag. There is no doubt who has had the biggest impact so far however; Luiz’s high energy, powerful performances have put the sulky Spaniard to shame, and at just 6.1m, he looks the much better Fantasy prospect right now.
Chelsea will always be good for clean sheets and with his added attacking threat, he should score well. In his two and a bit appearances so far he has been all over the pitch; pushing forwards, popping up on the wing, beating players (for a centre-back his close control is excellent), and generally being a nuisance. There’s an obvious risk of the odd card here and there, but there is also the chance of goals and plenty of Bonus Points, and with him joining so late in the season there is little risk of a suspension for accumulating yellow cards.
Luiz goes into this weekend’s game as a doubt after picking up a hamstring problem, but Ancelotti is hopeful he will be fit to start. A further consideration is the return of Alex who is due to return from his knee injury soon and Ancelotti has already threatened to rotate his back line, stating that even Captain John Terry is at risk. Luiz’s ineligibility for the Champions League should see him get the priority in League matches however.
With Chelsea’s fixtures now easing up, and a double fixture in gameweek 33, 6.1m looks a potential bargain. His current ownership of 1.6% is bound to rocket after last week’s performance, so with a trip to a Blackpool side still without Charlie Adam up next, if he can shrug off his injury then it looks a good time to climb aboard.
Joleon Lescott
As an Everton fan it is hard to take Joleon Lescott seriously any more, but even I have to admit that he looks like a real prospect again now that Kolo Toure is facing a lengthy ban. Lescott’s form over the last couple of games were enough to suggest he could have done well anyway, but this latest news make him a cast iron starter and a huge differential considering his ownership is currently just 1.4%.
At 6.3m, he isn’t cheap but you have to take into account the potential for attacking points as well as clean sheet points and with City’s upcoming fixtures he looks good for both. In the 2007/2008 season Lescott scored 10 goals from central defense for a massive 196 points, and his following season was almost as good with 172, despite playing out of position at left-back.
City play Wigan at home this weekend, a side that have scored just 11 times on the road this season, so if Kompany and De Jong do end up playing a part as suggested by Mancini then a clean sheet looks a pretty safe bet.
Thomas Hitzlsperger
With a nickname like ‘Der Hammer’ Thomas Hitzlsperger was always going to be a hit at West Ham, it just took a lot longer than he would have hoped. Despite arriving in the summer, he didn’t make his debut until the FA cup game against Burnley two weeks ago after being sidelined with a serious thigh muscle injury, but looks to have slotted straight into the side alongside Scott Parker in midfield, and could play a big part in their relegation battle between now and the end of the season. His man of the match performance in that game, topped by a stunning long-range goal put him firmly on our radar, but it was his performance in their 3-1 victory over Liverpool that really showed his potential as a Fantasy investment.
He managed an assist and a Bonus Point for a total of 6 points against Liverpool, but the OPTA stats available to members show he could have had a lot more; he had four attempts on goal (two on target), as well as making three key passes. If he can maintain that sort of performance we can expect to see plenty of goals and assists as well as bonus, so for just 5.0m he looks a bargain. Fixtures tighten up considerably after this week, but with Stoke at home this weekend, he is still worthy of serious consideration. Hitzlsperger is currently owned by just 0.4% of all FPL managers, fellow Scout Andy being one of those who jumped on the wagon early.
Louis Saha
A risky pick this one, but despite Everton’s recent Jekyll and Hyde performances, having a couple of Everton players looks pretty essential going into their double gameweek and with so few reliable options, I’ve gone for the player I feel has the best chance to score big this week.
The obvious drawback with Saha is his injury record; he has only started three league games in a row once this season so bringing him in for Everton’s double gameweek could be asking for trouble. That said, with Cahill and Fellaini both sidelined through injury he will be the key to Everton’s attacking play, and if he can stay fit for both games and get anywhere near the level of performance he managed at Blackpool, then his owners could be celebrating a huge points score.
While Jermaine Beckford offers a cheap route into the Everton attack, Louis Saha is clearly the class act in the team and his four goals against Blackpool show just how clinical he can be in front of goal when his confidence is high. Without Fellaini and Cahill, David Moyes is likely to go 4-4-2, with Saha and Beckford up front, while Bilayletdinov and Anichebe drop to the bench. Saha clearly revels in the space he is given as a result of Beckford pulling the defenders out of position so that partnership will be key to his chances of a big score. Saha is available for 7.7m, and is currently owned by just 3.2% of all FPL managers.
Best of the Rest
Leon Osman is not an obvious fantasy pick, but his recent form suggest he could do well for Everton’s double. With Cahill managing just 18 minutes against Sunderland last week, Osman was drifting from the left to a position just behind the striker and managed 5 shots on goal and 3 key passes in that game. Birmingham’s double makes them worthy of a serious look, and with Scott Dann out for the season, Martin Jiranek looks set to play both games and could be a bargain short term pick at just 4.5m. Finally, Nicklas Bendtner looks set for a starting role against Sunderland, and his midweek hat-trick will see him going into that game with even more confidence than normal.
