With a bucketload of goals and name full of vowels, Peter Odemwingie was one of the outstanding performers of last season. Garnering 171 points at an initial price of 5.0, the only tricky decision facing many Fantasy managers was what to do with the change. With his cut price contemporaries Charlie Adam and Andy Carroll the subject of eye-watering revaluations this term, Odemwingie’s starting price of 7.5 might have seemed an act of charity by the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) in comparison.
Missing the opening fixtures with an ankle injury, and apparently falling out with Roy Hodgson on his return, Odemwingie struggled to recapture last season’s form in a frustrating first half of this season. A tantalising renaissance in December comprising two goals and three assists over four Gameweeks returned him to many a radar, but the Nigerian quickly slipped back into the doldrums as the Baggies slumped after Christmas, registering just one win in eight games.
A move wide right was the catalyst for a rollicking resurgence in Gameweek 25, as man-of-the-match Odemwingie grabbed a hat trick and three bonus points from the wing in West Brom’s remorseless 5-1 thumping of Wolves. Another two goals and three bonus points the following week in a 4-0 drubbing of Sunderland added further fuel to his rekindled credibility as a front-line Fantasy pick, and, with tricky ties against Chelsea and Manchester United now behind them, the fixture list is forecasting fair winds for the buoyant Baggies, and for their free scoring front man in particular.
Odemwingie missed last Saturday’s trip to the DW Stadium due to a calf injury and his absence was keenly felt, with the Baggies’ attacking threat mainly nullified in a 1-1 draw at Wigan. With Hodgson revealing earlier this afternoon that the Nigerian has now recovered, he is expected to reprise his right flank role this weekend, with the Baggies looking to take advantage of three obliging home fixtures in the next five.
First up, Newcastle make their way to the Hawthorns and, with 15 goals conceded in their last five on the road, the Magpies’ early-season solidity is all but a bitter memory. Hodgson’s side also welcome visits from the ever-obliging Blackburn and QPR in the short-term, with the points potential on offer more than offsetting a pair of testing trips to Everton and City.
With form and fixtures meaning many Fantasy managers will afford both Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney a place in their front three, the final forward slot is open for consideration. Currently priced at 7.3, and with only 3.5% ownership, Odemwingie could offer a tempting alternative to the likes of Demba Ba and Daniel Sturridge in the mid-priced bracket and, with the season entering the final straight, a differential with proven FPL pedigree may prove difficult to ignore.
