The double Gameweek is an ever-divisive occasion in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) calendar. For some Fantasy managers, it relaunches a foundering season, for others it’s a siren song luring a hitherto buoyant squad onto jagged mini-league rocks.
On special occasions it’s traditional to find ourselves dining on fare we wouldn’t normally consider, and identifying the birthday cake from the Christmas sprouts can be a tricky business in Fantasy football. Having already focused on Liverpool, we now examine the runners and riders from the Everton squad who may tempt investment ahead of their forthcoming couplet of clashes.
THE PROSPECTS
There’s no disguising the fact that Everton have been handed the short end of the double Gameweek stick; a set-to with Spurs followed by a visit to Anfield wouldn’t augur brilliantly for any team. With a rampant Arsenal rolling up at Goodison the following Gameweek, the immediate prospects for Toffees players look somewhat sticky but, nevertheless, there are grounds for cautious optimism.
Spurs have shipped eight goals in their last two league games, and Everton have only failed to score once since the beginning of December. Liverpool have also been far from watertight at the back of late and, having scored just six goals in their last seven games -with three of those coming against a struggling Wolves- the chances of an Everton clean sheet are not remote, either.
Indeed the Toffees have been in good defensive nick lately, registering clean sheets against Chelsea and Man City in their last four games. Undefeated since January 11, confidence is high in the blue half of Merseyside, and the traditional late-season surge is in full flow for David Moyes’ men.
THE LIKELY LADS
As usual, the most enticing prospect in the Everton defence is FPL institution Leighton Baines. Already over the 100 point mark for a fourth consecutive season and firmly in the running to retain his title as the top scoring defender, a premium price tag of 7.8 has somewhat succeeded in dampening investor enthusiasm, despite his lock on Everton’s penalties and direct free kicks. Baines’ unusually low current ownership of 6.5% may serve as a further significant selling point for a player never far away from a double-digit haul.
For those inclined towards more budget friendly back line picks, the ever-glamourous Tony Hibbert offers an entry-level route into the Toffees’ defence. Priced at 4.6, Hibbert is having a bumper attacking season by his standards with two assists, though only the diehard optimist will be confidently expecting more. At 5.4, Tim Howard weighs in at the pricier end of the goalkeeping spectrum but, with two penalty saves under his belt, he is currently sitting at a more-than-respectable 100 points for the season; a consistent performer and a credible pick.
Goodison Park’s prodigal son,Steven Pienaar, has been merrily making hay since his January return to the Everton ranks, averaging 5.67 points-per-game at a price of 7.0. Perhaps the strongest candidate in the Everton midfield over the medium term, his short term appeal is hampered by his ineligibility to face Spurs as a condition of his loan deal. Though one to watch, he is unlikely to be the most tempting Toffee target this week, that distinction is likely to go to the dynamic Royston Drenthe.
Used tentatively by David Moyes for much of the season, Drenthe has been a frustrating acquisition thus far for Fantasy managers. With Moyes now apparently confident in the Dutchman’s defensive work ethic, though, it seems likely that increased pitch time will be his reward – particularly with Pienaar out of the running to face Spurs. Priced at just 5.3, and with no doubt over his capacity for explosive returns, Drenthe is certain to attract investment.
A firm favourite of David Moyes, Leon Osman is the highest scoring Everton midfielder this season – albeit with an unspectacular 66 points. Notching for Everton’s reserves on his return from injury last week, Osman is waiting in the wings as a potential spoiler for investors in Drenthe, and with Moyes ever tight-lipped over the match fitness of his players, his game time over the double Gameweek is difficult to predict. Never the most fashionable FPL pick, he has a record of delivering the goods and, currently priced at 6.6, he could represent the dark horse candidate this week.
One of the FPL’s more consistent performers over recent years, Tim Cahill is having a strangely subdued season. Usually a prime target, he has disappeared off the radar altogether for much of this campaign. Initially priced at 9.0, a season record constituting one goal and three assists does not make for impressive reading, even at his reduced price of 8.5. Nevertheless the Australian has sufficient pedigree to suggest that his slump cannot last forever, and he has the firepower to quickly make up for lost time once he finds his shooting boots.
CHEEKY PUNT
Denis Stracqualursi’s gutsy performances in recent weeks have enamoured him to the Goodison faithful. The top scorer in the Argentinian league last season, he has determinedly clawed his way up the Everton pecking order – starting in each of the last four games. A goal and three bonus points two weeks ago against Chelsea prove that he can cut it against the big boys and, priced at just 5.1, he presents an interesting left-field option for those Fantasy managers with a taste for blazing their own trails.
