Yesterday’s confirmation of a double gameweek 28 for both Liverpool and Everton has had a significant effect on the Watchlist rankings. The red half of Merseyside, in particular, looks primed for investment, given their subsequent schedule over the next couple of months. The rankings have now been fully updated to reflect form and the fixture list and, as always, you’ll find them in your right-hand sidebar. Read on for a summary of the key movements and factors at play…
Goalkeepers
The keeper situation always presents a conundrum for Fantasy managers, with Tim Krul and Michel Vorm established in so many squads. Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer climbs to our top spot to offer the strongest alternative over the forthcoming Gameweeks; he works well with either Krul or Vorm over the next few fixtures and offers cover of a Fulham back four handed a favourable run of opponents.
Villa’s Shay Given and Blackburn’s Paul Robinson also have fixtures in their favour, while Bolton’s Adam Bogdan is undoubtedly the most intriguing budget option on offer. Outstanding fixtures in the coming month are balanced by a doubt over his starting role, however, with Owen Coyle threatening to reinstate Jussi Jaaskelainen. Should Bogdan hold his start, at 4.0, he clearly presents a strong option as a partner to a mid-price option in our squads.
Norwich’s John Ruddy is also a possibility. The Canaries had recorded back-to-back home clean sheets prior to last week’s Carrow Road loss to United but, with Wigan and Wolves paying visit in the next four, Ruddy has the potential to return the points.
Defenders
Vincent Kompany’s position at the top of our rankings is surely not in question. He’s now clearly emerged as the most secure option in a City back four that has kept four clean sheets in their last six league matches. While Joleon Lescott is an alternative, he could see eventual rotation with Kolo Toure; Micah Richards has given way to Pablo Zabaleta in the last two league outings.
Jonny Evans is another player who surely has little to prove to Fantasy managers. Now established in United’s back four and clearly favoured by Sir Alex Ferguson, at 4.5 he demands selection given the run of fixtures ahead.
While Ryan Taylor holds third, his grip could be tenuous should his starting role come under threat, paving the way for Danny Simpson to surpass him as the preferred option in Alan Pardew’s defence. Fulham’s rearguard, with Stephen Kelly the obvious budget option, should be well fancied given their schedule. John Arne-Riise and Brede Hangeland are the other, more expensive and potentially profitable options to consider here, if there are funds available.
Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel comes into our top five as a result of Liverpool’s double fixtures in Gameweek 28 – the Slovakian centre-back is showing strong form with a substantial threat from Liverpool’s set-pieces. That’s enough to see him rank higher than the previously well-fancied Jose Enrique, although both look decent propositions given the schedule ahead.
Everton’s Leighton Baines is another to benefit from the Gameweek 28 double, although his encounters with Spurs and Liverpool seem unlikely to offer defensive returns. Baines’ set-piece role has been reduced by the presence of Royston Drenthe in the Everton starting XI and with Steven Pienaar unavailable against parent club Spurs, the Dutchman will likely start that first fixture. Baines is, nonetheless, a potent attacking threat down the left-flank and represents a handy differential for those with defensive funds available.
Further down the defensive rankings, the likes of David Wheater and Scott Dann present the best options in the Bolton and Blackburn defences respectively, offering goal threat from set-pieces to accompany fixtures that hand the possibility of budget clean sheets.
Midfield
This is one area of our teams ripe for a shake-up. The form of Stephane Sessegnon and Clint Dempsey – formerly mainstays and established members of our top five in the Watchlist, is now under scrutiny. Dempsey has returned just one assist in his last three, with evidence of a reduced goal threat, while Sessegnon has stuttered somewhat, with question marks raised by the drubbing at the hands of West Brom last time out. Both will likely need to produce this weekend to ensure that they postpone a trend of sales.
Around them, City’s David Silva and Tottenham’s Gareth Bale remain solid – their position in our squads strengthened by price rises that will likely see them held through any dips in form. An assist apiece at the weekend, the duo remain atop the Watchlist rankings while form continues to simmer.
There are likely to be two or three spots in our midfield up for grabs, then, with a raft of intriguing options available to help shake things up. Juan Mata is still the safe option – like Silva, he has a degree of consistency with regular assists remaining his main source of income. Fixtures are a mixed bag for the Spaniard, with a potential blank Gameweek to come should Chelsea see off Birmingham in next week’s FA Cup replay.
Yaya Toure offers the potential to double up on the City midfield, although he seems better suited as a cheaper replacement for his Spanish team-mate, for those brave enough to turn their back on Silva’s steady stream of points. Arsenal’s Theo Walcott is perhaps a more intriguing option in the same bracket, although with Robin Van Persie installed, again there’s a sniff of overkill here.
With Antonio Valencia’s fitness still a concern, budget alternatives might just be the way to seek the differential- West Brom’s James Morrison and Bolton’s loan star Ryo Miyaichi present the two most palatable options. Morrison’s form is undeniable, while Miyaichi has fixtures that should give him the platform to demonstrate his talents in the weeks to come.
Forwards
With Robin Van Persie yet again demonstrating his consistency with a goal and assist return in the win over Spurs, there can be little debate as to his place at the top of the rankings, despite the charge from Wayne Rooney and Luis Suarez, with fixtures in their favour.
Both Rooney and Suarez are climbers and remain firmly in our thoughts for the month ahead. The latter has newly emerged as a consideration following the announcement of Liverpool’s double Gameweek, of course, but, like Rooney, Suarez enjoys encouraging fixtures through March and April that promise to see the pair enjoy increased profits.
For now, both Sergio Aguero and Demba Ba hold that pair off, although there’s little doubt that we’ll see Aguero drop as City’s fixtures hand them tough trips to Swansea and Stoke in the short-term. We know all about the Argentine’s form on the road and with Rooney and Suarez facing more favourable schedules, Aguero looks set for heavy sales following this weekend’s meet with Bolton.
There are credible options outside of this group of five for those Fantasy managers looking to mix it up. Peter Odemwingie carries outstanding form into meetings with Chelsea and United before his schedule improves, while Blackburn’s Yakubu has the opportunity to boost his goal tally with obliging home games that could yet lift Rovers out of the relegation mire.
Grant Holt is your budget option, meanwhile – with strong form and a run of decent fixtures, Holt looks to have cemented his starting role in Paul Lambert’s side, with Steve Morison seemingly out of favour. The Canaries skipper is on spot-kicks and already has the ten goals this season we predicted in our pre-season projections; we’ve more on him in a full Watchlist article to come.
