Nani continues to rack up the Fantasy points and looks set for heavy investment ahead of a favourable run of fixtures. Demba Ba’s heroics are not enough to prevent Newcastle from slipping to defeat, while Sunderland hit the goal trail to continue their revival under Martin O’Neill.
Peter Odemwingie
The Nigerian has now scored or assisted in his last four games after a difficult first few months of the season. Odemwingie is finally reproducing the form that saw him take the Premier League by storm in his debut campaign and is proving a pivotal part of Roy Hodgson’s side once again, as the Baggies continue to climb the table. His return to goalscoring form will not only delight his Fantasy backers but West Brom fans, too- the club have won every game Odemwingie has scored in this term.
Paul Scharner
Having returned to the first team against Blackburn last week after recovering from a knee injury, Scharner again proved his worth to West Brom, mirroring the returns of Odemwingie with a goal and assist in the 3-2 win. When fully fit, his contribution has been vital- Scharner’s last three full appearances – going as far back as gameweek 8- have produced 2 goals and 2 assists, and at 5.2, he’s an intriguing proposition. A home clash with Man City on Boxing Day will detract investment but Hodgson’s side have a strong run of home fixtures to follow- Odemwingie will no doubt attract the most Fantasy suitors but Scharner could prove a decent differential.
Demba Ba
Two goals against West Brom weren’t quite enough to prevent Newcastle from slipping to a surprising home defeat at the hands of West Brom. Ba has found the net 5 times in the last five games and has now broken the 100 point mark, one of only four forwards to do so. Still only priced at 7.4, Ba has now leapfrogged Steve Morison as the best value outfield player to date and a trip to Bolton on Boxing Day looks promising. Clashes against Liverpool and Man United follow the Reebok showdown, however, and with the African Cup of Nations around the corner, a mass exodus will soon be on the cards.
Sergio Aguero
The Argentine had been through something of a barren spell prior to last night’s game against Stoke, with just a couple of goals in his previous seven gameweeks. Aguero’s price had resultantly dropped from 11.4 to 11.1 but a brace saw a return to form as he helped end the Potters’ fourth-match winning streak. The summer signing grabbed his fourth double-figure points haul at the Etihad in just eight appearances and looks odds-on for the maximum bonus for his display.
Adam Johnson
Afforded a rare start for the clash against Stoke, the winger lashed home a brilliant long range effort to demonstrate his capabilities. Johnson last started a match back in Gameweek 8 but despite a handful of subsequent sub appearances and a total of 179 minutes since then, he’s still managed to produce the goods, scoring 4 goals and providing a couple of assists in his last five games at the Etihad. At 7.0, he’d be Fantasy gold if Roberto Mancini would just give him the game time but remains one of the most frustrating Fantasy picks around, thanks to the Italian’s tinkering.
Phil Jones
The former Blackburn man was shifted out of his recent central midfield role and dropped into the heart of defence as a foot injury meant Rio Ferdinand was omitted from the United starting XI for the trip to Fulham. Jones never quite recovered from a stray elbow by Clint Dempsey, however, and was subbed off early in the first half. Post-match, United revealed he is due to undergo x-rays on his jaw, with early, unconfirmed reports suggesting he could be sidelined for up to six weeks. Any absence would be a huge blow to his Fantasy owners, with Jones currently residing in over 25% of Fantasy squads. Ferdinand is also likely to miss the Boxing Day game at home to Wigan, making Jonny Evans, at 4.5, more tempting an acquisition than ever. Young is also expected to be out for 2-3 weeks, according to Sir Alex.
Nani
A goal and a couple of assists at Fulham continued the winger’s recent commanding displays since returning to the left flank. Since the reintroduction of Antonio Valencia to the first XI in gameweek 15 against Wolves, Nani has scored 33 points, pre-bonus, while Valencia –who provided another assist, his fifth in three games- has returned 26 points, more than Ashley Young has managed since the end of gameweek 3. With Wigan, Blackburn and Bolton to visit Old Trafford in three of the next four gameweeks, expect Nani’s price to rocket.
Wayne Rooney
A goal at Craven Cottage may have stretched his scoring run to three games, but Rooney’s Fantasy owners will be more than a little disappointed with his returns. In a game where Ryan Giggs, in a rare start, rolled back the years to replicate Nani’s 14 point haul, Rooney managed just 6 points and proved a frustrating armband pick once again- those above-mentioned home games will offer chances of redemption but with Nani in such scintillating form and Robin Van Persie facing Wolves and QPR next, many may be swayed to look beyond Rooney for captaincy material.
Robin Van Persie
Another goal last night brought his tally to 16 for the season but the Dutchman’s set-piece duties also played a part in his 8 point haul. A late Van Persie corner was nodded in by Yossi Benayoun to grab victory at Villa Park and, with a hand in both his side’s goals, he’ll surely be favourite for bonus when the points are released tomorrow.
Marc Albrighton
The youngster continues to vindicate Alex McLeish’s recent decision to install him into the Villa first XI. Albrighton was handed his first start of the season in gameweek 14 and has featured ever since, with his equaliser against the Gunners last night his second goal in four games. Given that Stiliyan Petrov, with 3, and Barry Bannan, with 1, are the only other midfielders from Big Eck’s side to find the net this season, Albrighton’s eye for goal stands him in good stead to keep that first-team place.
Leon Osman
Playing in “the hole” behind lone striker Louis Saha, Osman scored for the second game running to clinch a narrow victory over Swansea. Right now, Osman seems to be David Moyes’ preferred choice as the most advanced midfielder in the 4-4-1-1, with Tim Cahill afforded a brief second half sub appearance. Priced at 6.7, he’s still a major differential with just 1.4% ownership but with a kind run of fixtures and double gameweek on the horizon, is proving to be a pivotal player for the Toffees as they attempt to climb the table.
Royston Drenthe
The Dutchman proved his worth to the Everton cause last night, again providing an assist for Osman in back-to-back gameweeks. Having now recovered from a foot injury, Drenthe was afforded his first start since gameweek 12 and continued a strong run of consistency that has seen him either score or assist in five of his last six appearances. What’s more remarkable is that Everton scored 7 goals in those five games and Drenthe has had a hand in every one of them.
Luis Suarez
Handed a start at Wigan in spite of the recent FA charges, Suarez again drew a blank. Incredibly, given his undoubted abilities, he has scored just a single goal in Liverpool’s last ten matches, despite starting every one. Kenny Dalglish’s side may be consistently strong at the back- the goalless draw was their third clean sheet in a row- but in front of goal, they are failing. The Reds have found the net just 20 times this season; this is less than two of the bottom three clubs and not too far off a third of Man City’s 53. In spite of this, Suarez is still the fourth most popular forward, with 26.3% of Fantasy managers keeping faith in his potential.
Heidar Helguson
A goal and assist against Sunderland again underlined just how crucial he is to QPR. Helguson has now notched 7 goals and 2 assists in his last nine starts, scoring against the likes of Chelsea and Man City, but four away trips in the next six will be a test of his consistency. Priced at just 5.2, though, he’s continue to prove strong value in spite of Rangers’ stuttering form- they won just two of those aforementioned matches.
Nicklas Bendtner & Stephane Sessegnon
The Martin O’Neill effect is clearly working on Wearside. Sunderland had only scored more than a single goal on the road once prior to last night, in a 2-0 victory over Bolton back in gameweek 9. The Black Cats surpassed this at Loftus Road, grabbing 3 in a five-goal thriller, with Bendtner and Sessegnon grabbed a goal apiece for only the second time this season. Bendtner hadn’t scored since the Bolton game, with Sessegnon’s last strike in gameweek 10, but the team seem to have found an extra appetite- that’s 5 goals in three games since O’Neill’s arrival and, given they only scored 6 in Steve Bruce’s last six games, this bodes well ahead of a run of matches that include (EVE, SWA, NOR) and a trip to Wigan in the next six gameweeks.
Kieran Richardson
The left winger is another who is benefitting from an increase in Sunderland’s attacking potency. Two assists in the win over QPR returned a pre-bonus Fantasy haul of 8 points, equalling his best for the season. While many opt for the talents of Seb Larsson –the Swede has a 17% ownership- Richardson has a place in less than 1% of Fantasy teams. If the forwards can maintain their return to goals, Richardson, priced at 5.8, could become an interesting proposition.
