Chelsea’s FA Cup win at Middlesbrough last night merely added to our Gameweek 29 headache, with four fixtures now out of the equation. The situation is quickly turning into a nightmare scenario for Fantasy managers, with many contemplating points hits in an attempt to patch up our threadbare squads. With City, United, Arsenal and Everton also amongst the eight inactive teams, plenty of the key Fantasy performers look set to sit this one out – we dust ourselves down, take a deep breath and reassess the situation ahead:
As mentioned in our previous article on the topic, City and United’s fixtures against Wigan and West Ham could yet be moved to a date within the same Gameweek. For now, though, we’re assuming neither will have a game and, with this in mind, have looked at the in-form protagonists who offer a solution not just for Gameweek 29 but for the short-term and beyond.
Defenders
Glen Johnson/Jose Enrique
With pricey and popular options such as Leighton Baines, Patrice Evra and Pablo Zabaleta all inactive, there will be plenty of budget available to splash the cash for those looking to freshen up their backlines. Brendan Rodgers’ side look set for significant investment as a result of a run of fixtures which sees them travel to four of the current bottom five in the next six.
The Reds make their way to Wigan this weekend before entertaining Tottenham in Gameweek 29 and then face Southampton, Villa, West Ham and Reading in the next four – an enticing run of fixtures which could well produce points at both ends of the pitch. Johnson and Enrique, at 6.4 and 5.8 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) respectively, both look real alternatives over the next few matches. Johnson has offered plenty attacking threat from right-back without quite producing the points his endeavours have deserved, while Enrique’s 19 point double Gameweek haul highlighted his capabilities – both are under 5% ownership and could prove intriguing differentials. We’ve producing a “Versus” article, directly comparing the two players in detail, which will be published for our members tomorrow.
Seb Bassong
A trip to Old Trafford this weekend will keep him off Fantasy radars but the Cameroon international is then set for an outstanding run of fixtures that could conceivably see him kept in our Fantasy squads for the remainder of the campaign. Bassong has five favourable home games left on his schedule, with Southampton, Swansea, Reading, Villa and West Brom all rolling up to Carrow Road, while trips to Sunderland, Wigan and Stoke will hold little fear for Chris Hughton’s troops. With clean sheets in six of his 14 home fixtures so far, the 5.3 priced Bassong looks a strong option in front of his own fans, while three goals and a pair of assists are indicative of his attacking potential. Russell Martin, at just 4.2, is a viable alternative on offer for those on a stricter budget.
Chris Samba
QPR’s new centre-half has already slipped in price to 4.9 after conceding six in the last couple of Gameweeks but the fixtures remains firmly in Samba’s favour. A trip to Southampton this weekend precedes a Gameweek 29 home clash with Sunderland before Harry Redknapp’s side square up to Villa, Fulham and Wigan in the following three.
A tricky trip to Everton in Gameweek 33 is also on the agenda right now but if the Toffees win their FA Cup Quarter Final clash with Wigan a week on Sunday, this fixture will be rescheduled – affording the R’s the opportunity of a double somewhere thereafter. With three home games (STO, ARS, NEW) and a trip to Reading to play out their season, Samba will be hoping to benefit from the resilience that has produced three clean sheets in the last four at Loftus Road, while his aerial ability in the opposition box is always liable to wreak havoc. Clint Hill, at 4.3, may appeal as an alternative route into the R’s backline but certainly doesn’t offer the same goal threat as the former Blackburn man.
Midfielders
Gareth Bale
The Welshman’s bandwagon is in overdrive after six goals, and three sets of FPL double figures, in his last four fixtures. Bale is picking up pace in his pursuit of Robin Van Persie at the top of the FPL standings and is clearly benefitting from Andre Villas-Boas’ decision to hand him a central role behind a lone forward as he almost single-handedly grabs the goals for the north London outfit. He’s now registered eight sets of double figures this season – an indication of his captaincy capabilities – and welcomes Arsenal to the Lane this Sunday before travelling to Anfield in Gameweek 29.
Beyond that, Spurs then face Fulham, Swansea and Everton in the following three before going head-to-head with Chelsea and City. Like Van Persie, it almost seems an irrelevance as to who he faces in any given Gameweek, with the Tottenham midfielder’s incredible attacking displays suggesting he’s as near to nailed-on in our squads as can be.
Moussa Sissoko
With three goals and a pair of assists in four appearances, the bandwagon shows little sign of slowing down for Newcastle’s January signing. Sissoko has attracted around 100,000 new owners in the previous two Gameweeks, with his mid-price appeal and role in “the hole” offering superb coverage of the Magpies’ attack ahead of a strong run of fixtures. The Frenchman travels to Swansea this Saturday and is then afforded a home clash with Stoke in Gameweek 29 but his potential stretches way beyond that, with a trip to Wigan and St James’ Park showdowns with Fulham and Sunderland in the following four. Indeed, the remaining schedule could well persuade Sissoko owners to hold right until the end of the season.
Sissoko’s appeal may also be furthered by the fact that Everton’s fixtures are set for a downturn in the short-term – owners of Marouane Fellaini are likely to be in the market for an alternative at this point, bearing in mind the Toffees have City, Stoke and Spurs in the following three. Currently costing 6.4 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), Sissoko offers far better value than 8.8 priced Papiss Cisse as a route into Alan Pardew’s side.
Michu
Having scored in just one of his last seven, there’s no doubt the Spaniard’s output has dried up in recent matches but a return to scoring form in his last league game harvested an 18 point haul against QPR. Michu entertains Swansea this weekend before travelling to the Hawthorns in Gameweek 29 and then has three home fixtures (ARS, TOT, SOT) in the following five to take advantage of. While the visit of Arsenal and Spurs may not look straightforward, Michu has scored in eight of his 13 matches at the Liberty and a move up front since Danny Graham’s departure basically hands us another forward for our squads.
Michael Laudrup’s side also have trips to Norwich and Wigan in their short-term agenda before the schedule turns nasty in Gameweek 35, as the Swans square up to the current top three in consecutive matches. Many may plan an exit route for around that time – shedding our sides of the most popular player in the FPL game is likely to be a make or break tactic over the final few matches of the season and one that could reap reward for those willing to gamble.
Steven Gerrard
Despite a deeper role under Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool skipper has re-established himself as a bona fide Fantasy force once again. With attacking returns in 11 of his last 14 matches, Gerrard has defied the doubters with a series of consistent returns and has registered 147 FPL points – fifth for midfielders and more than Theo Walcott, for example.
While Liverpool’s above-mentioned run of fixtures certainly looks prosperous for Gerrard’s potential, he could also be utilised as a midfield “place-holder” for those using the tactic of investing heavily in midfield. Given that premium priced options such as Walcott, Santi Cazorla, Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and David Silva all without a Gameweek 29, Gerrard could then be swapped for similarly priced alternatives as the double Gameweeks are announced. Arsenal’s pair of home fixtures against Norwich and Everton in Gameweek 33 could well see many Walcott owners keen to acquire Cazorla, given their respective displays so far.
Robert Snodgrass
The former Leeds man has racked up 108 points so far this term, more than any player for Chris Hughton’s side. Snodgrass’ delivery from the right has been a real feature of the Canaries play and with the majority of set-pieces and corners also in his locker, he has racked up four sets of double figures, thanks to four goals, five assists and an impressive 20 FPL bonus points.
Coming in at 6.2, he could well appeal to those Fantasy managers looking for a mid-price midfield contender – he has registered more points than any midfielder priced 7.5 and under and with that above-mentioned schedule in mind, could be set for a strong finish to his debut top-flight campaign. Hughton’s decision to move from 4-4-1-1 to 4-4-2 last weekend also boosts Snodgrass’ appeal and suggest the Canaries boss could be looking to go on the attack to secure his side’s safety.
Charles N’Zogbia
As we mentioned in a Watchlist piece earlier this week, the Frenchman has picked up in performance in recent matches. Having finally nailed down a regular role under Paul Lambert, N’Zogbia has thrived in a role in “the hole” behind Christian Benteke and has scored or assisted in four of the last five fixtures, producing a goal, five assists and three bonus points from Gameweek 23 onwards.
N’Zogbia hosts City this Monday before making his way to Reading in Gameweek 29 and has a kind run of fixtures afterwards which could well serve his owners well beyond. Home games with QPR, Liverpool and Fulham are supplemented by a trip to Stoke between Gameweeks 30-33; the 5.8 priced midfielder could well make his way onto Fantasy radars if he continues in the same vein that made him such an impressive Fantasy option at previous club Wigan.
Forwards
Luis Suarez/Daniel Sturridge
As we’ve ascertained already, the fixtures are firmly in Liverpool’s favour over the next six. With Robin Van Persie and Sergio Aguero owners looking at a blank, Suarez looks the obvious big-hitter replacement – he has outscored Sturridge by 31 to 26 over their four starts together since the latter arrived from Chelsea last month and is perhaps a better armband alternative.
Nevertheless, Sturridge has scored or assisted in each of his five appearances for the Reds, offering a superb source of consistency in the mid-price range. Coming in at 7.5 in FPL, Sturridge could well give Suarez a battle for points from here on in, with his role as the lone forward proving profitable. Owners of the likes of Olivier Giroud, Carlos Tevez and Demba Ba could well be turning to Sturridge to deal with the fixture fall-out – providing he can recover from the knock that is being assessed prior to the DW match this weekend.
Rickie Lambert
The third highest scoring forward in the FPL game, Lambert is finally gathering the attention his displays have deserved, with his price leaping from 6.5 to 7.0 in the past couple of Gameweeks. It’s little wonder, though – a goal or assist in each of his last three is the most consistent run of returns all season, highlighting his flourishing form under new manager Mauricio Pochettino. The Southampton forward welcomes basement-dwellers QPR to St Mary’s this week before visiting Norwich in Gameweek 29 and has three home games (LIV, CHE, WHM) and a trip to Reading in the following four. Although his season then finishes with three away games in the last four, with visits to Swansea, Spurs and Sunderland supplementing a home game against West Brom, Lambert has scored in six of his last seven road trips, suggesting that he could well be a season keeper from here on in.
Lambert has already notched against the likes of United, City and Chelsea this term – highlighting his fixture-proof appeal – and with spot-kicks and a share of set-pieces also in his locker, he has scored 45 points more than the Saints next best Fantasy asset, Jason Puncheon. Indeed, with Puncheon and Gaston Ramirez afforded brief second-half sub appearances at Newcastle last weekend, Lambert’s appeal as the most secure route into a Southampton side with everything to play for goes from strength to strength.
Christian Benteke
Another mid-price option currently caught up in a relegation battle, the Belgian’s game time is also guaranteed as the lone forward for struggling Villa. Benteke has stepped up in performance in recent weeks, scoring or assisting in five of the last seven in a run that has harvested six goals, an assist and eight bonus points – indeed, over the course of the season, Benteke has played a part in over two-thirds of Villa’s goals when on the pitch; a portion greater than any regular forward for their respective side. Priced at just 7.0, Benteke – who also has spot-kicks duties under his belt – will have a major say over the above-mentioned next few matches if Paul Lambert’s side are to stand any chance of climbing out the drop zone.
Romelu Lukaku
Yet another highly affordable option, Lukaku comes in at 6.5 in FPL and has been racking up the returns in spite of his side’s recent indifferent form. The on-loan Belgian – who misses out against parent club Chelsea this weekend – has produced attacking points in six of his last seven, with six goals, a pair of assists and three bonus points to show for his recent endeavours. While Shane Long’s return from injury edged Lukaku onto the bench in Gameweek 26 at Liverpool, he needed just 17 minutes as a substitute to find the net and maintain his stunning form.
Handed a starting role alongside Long last time out in a 4-4-2 at home to Sunderland, Lukaku bullied the Black Cats into submission with a 12 point haul in the 2-1 win. While a home clash against Swansea has the potential for points in Gameweek 29, his short-term schedule is a little less enticing than Lambert or Benteke’s – trips to Stoke, West Ham and City then follow, with a home clash against Arsenal sandwiched in between the latter two matches. Lukaku’s final four matches (NEW, sot, WIG, nor) could well hand him the platform to finish the season with a flourish – an ownership of 6% could appeal to those on the hunt for a differential.
