A shivering cold Friday evening is brought to a close by the seventh article of the day. As always, we roll out a trio of overlooked alternatives for your consideration – all three have favourable home fixtures on their schedules tomorrow and have plenty to play for, as their respective sides look to put some poor recent form behind them.
Yohan Cabaye
After several weeks on the treatment table with a groin injury, the Frenchman made his return last weekend as a second-half substitute in Newcastle’s goalless draw at Norwich. With a full weeks’ training under his belt, Cabaye is primed to start for the Magpies against travel-sick Reading at St James’ Park tomorrow and will be hoping to replicate the eye-catching attacking displays that served his side so well prior to his spell on the sidelines.
In his last four starts for the Tyneside team, Cabaye found the net on two occasions, scoring crucial goals against Sunderland and Liverpool and resultantly picked up five bonus points for his endeavours. As Alan Pardew plots to secure a first win since Gameweek 18, he’ll be buoyed by the fact that the Royals have tasted defeat in each of their last six road trips and have picked up two points on their travels all season. While many Fantasy managers will be looking to Papiss Cisse to produce the goods, Cabaye offers an intriguing mid-price midfield option ahead of tomorrow’s deadline – coming in at 6.6 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and 8.5 in the Sky Sports game, with an ownership under 3% in both games, he could be one to consider as the Magpies attempt to engineer a climb up the table.
Franco Di Santo
Arouna Kone’s African Cup of Nations absence brings the former Chelsea man into consideration as Wigan prepare for Sunderland’s arrival tomorrow afternoon. Shifted to a central berth for last week’s trip to Fulham, with Shaun Maloney tucked in behind, Di Santo notched his first goal since Gameweek 7 as the Latics picked up a point at the Cottage.
Having also provided an assist in the previous three, the Argentine is starting to offer an increased level of consistency which could come to fruition at the DW against a Black Cats side that have lost three of their last four on the road. Granted, the hosts have been far from impressive in front of their own fans of late but it’s starting to near that time of the season where Martinez’s men suddenly find their form and defy the doubters. Three points tomorrow could well reignite their annual bid to beat the drop and Di Santo – priced at just 5.3 in FPL and 7.5 in the Sky Sports game, may just be the man to provide that spark.
James Morrison
A pair of assists in last week’s defeat at Reading saw the West Brom midfielder return to Fantasy form after a blank run of Gameweeks. Morrison produced a goal or assist in six of his first 12 appearances this term and had looked a real mid-price contender but has since fallen off Fantasy radars, with a more withdrawn role on occasion denting his appeal.
As Steve Clarke looks to arrest a run of three straight league defeats, the Baggies have the perfect opportunity to return to winning ways as out-of-sorts Villa make their way to the Hawthorns. Back in his preferred role in “the hole”, Morrison will be looking to produce the goods again in tomorrow evening’s feisty midlands derby – priced at 5.9 in FPL and 6.4 in the Sky Sports game, Morrison has racked up more FPL points than any other West Brom player so far and will be keen to put the porous Villa backline to the sword as the Baggies go in search of their eighth home in of the season.
