It’s definitely “squeaky bum time” for Fantasy Managers as we cling on tight to precious mini-league leads. Slow and steady wins that race, but plenty (like me) are chasing a fair sized lead and only a big ‘Differential’ can save us from sliding into oblivion.
As we get down to the business end of the fantasy season, doubts over the rotation of several key players mean we’ve ignored some of the riskier, lesser known picks this week, and instead gone with some old favourites coming back into form…
Glen Johnson
At 7.1 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game Glen Johnson may be on the pricey side but with Liverpool in such fine fettle, he looks well worth a punt this week especially for those sat on Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Aleksandar Kolarov or David Luiz, who all look likely to be rested in one of the remaining two games.
Despite being separated by just two points in their battle for the final European place, Liverpool and Tottenham’s respective home and away form couldn’t be more different; In their last six home games Liverpool have picked up 16 of a possible 18 points including 4 clean sheets, while Spurs have managed just 5 points on their travels over the same six game period and have scored just once in their last three. Liverpool look clear favourites this afternoon then, and a shut-out is a very distinct possibility.
At the other end of the pitch, Johnson also looks a good bet. After picking up two assists against Fulham last time out, he has a great chance of adding more this weekend against a Spurs side missing both first choice players on the left hand side in Bale and Assou-Ekotto. With Carroll expected to return, Kuyt will likely move back to the right wing and give Johnson the freedom to push up the field and we can expect much of Liverpool’s attacking play to come down this side of the pitch.
Stephen Hunt
After surprisingly replacing Matt Jarvis in the starting lineup last weekend, Stephen Hunt repaid manager Mick McCarthy’s faith with an inspirational display that saw him throwing himself into tackles all over the pitch, and helping to set up the first two goals with corners for scorers Steven Fletcher and Adlene Guedioura.
An old fantasy favourite from his time at Hull, The 29-year-old winger has been plagued with injuries this season and has struggled to make an impact, but his previous record gives us plenty to mull over. Hull managed just 5 wins in the 09/10 season and he missed half the season through injury, but Hunt still picked up 6 goals from midfield.
Wolves’ away record is fairly poor, but with a trip to a Sunderland side that were thrashed 3-0 by Fulham in their last home game, they will still be confident of getting something out of the game. Hunt can be picked up for 5.3 in the FPL, so if you are looking for a differential to the popular (and potentially injured) Charles Nzogbia this week, then he looks a great option.
Matt Taylor
Another big fantasy favourite from the 08/09 season when he scored 10 times, Matt Taylor has had a disappointing season so far, notching just once and picking up a measly 64 points. Despite dropping out of favour at the start of the season and handing over penalty duties to Kevin Davies, Taylor has now worked his way back into the side and started their last four games, putting in one of his best performances of the season against Sunderland last weekend.
A total of five attempts on goal and three key passes (assist attempts) in the Sunderland game were not enough to earn him any Bonus Points, but if he can keep up that level of attacking intent then he has a great chance of getting something from their trip to Blackpool, and his current price of 5.1 makes him another decent budget selection.
Best of the Rest
Adlene Guedioura could prove to be another strong pick from the Wolves midfield; his goal and assist were enough to rack up an 11 point total last week. Fabio Da Silva represent a cheap way into the Man United defence but caution is advised; the threat of rotation makes him probably only good for one of their remaining two fixtures. Finally, with the news that Fabregas and Nasri will face a late fitness test before their clash with Villa, Aaron Ramsey could feature in an advanced role and will be good value at 6.0 this week if he can retain his place.
