With the double Gameweek 33 edging every closer, our consideration of player recommendations for the next four fixtures brings it into play, boosting the appeal of Arsenal, Everton and United assets. Our Watchlist rankings have had their weekly refresh in your sidebars; read on for our position-by-position breakdown of the key movements.
Goalkeepers
This area of our squads remains highly problematic. Injuries to first choice options like Tim Howard, Pepe Reina, Tim Krul and John Ruddy continue to cloud the issue, while we’ve now been hit by Mark Bunn’s one-match ban for his red received at Sunderland. With Ali Al-Habsi dropped to the bench for Wigan and Wojciech Szczesny seemingly out of favour, our options continue to be limited further by the week.
It means that some will be in the market for an acquisition in this area, and with just four ever-present keepers in the league this season, the temptation to opt for a reliable heavy-hitter as a fire and forget option is strong.
United’s David De Gea sits on top of our rankings, having cemented his start between the posts and returned five consecutive clean sheets. With the United back four’s game time under threat now the title now in their grasp, the Spaniard has gone from being a rotation concern to perhaps the most secure defensive option on offer. He’s also reasonably priced, of course: with his 5.7 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) price tag, only Jonny Evans can be acquired for less in the United backline.
If that’s a bit rich for your tastes, then Arsenal’s Lukas Fabianski is your punt in the budget bracket. We’ve stuck our necks out here, predicting that the Pole could well retain his start with his compatriot, Wojciech Szczesny, out of favour at the Emirates. Certainly the recent words of Szczesny’s father will likely do him few favours when it comes to winning back his place and Fabianski has experience, plus a clean sheet at the Liberty last time out, to help his cause. At just 4.3 in the FPL, he offers an intriguing end of season option and, if you’ve got decent back-up in reserve, you can perhaps take a risk on Fabianski for the Arsenal double.
West Ham’s Jussi Jaaskelainen is our mid-price solution. Coming in at 5.1 in the FPL, the West Ham stopper has two clean sheets in his last five and, with 118 saves, offers supplementary points aplenty. Like Fabianski, he has a double Gameweek in his favour, putting the Finn firmly back on our radars.
While QPR’s Julio Cesar is perhaps a risk as a one-stop solution, the Brazilian offers a strong partnership with Jaaskelainen, providing effective cover for Gameweeks 32 and 35 when West Ham visit Liverpool and Man City. The duo also rotate home and away for the final three fixtures to offer a decent run-in (NEW NEW RDG).
Elsewhere in our rankings, we still have time for Petr Cech as a secure defensive option in Rafa Benitez’s rotating rearguard, while Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer is showing outstanding form with just four goals conceded in the last six league outings. The Cottagers have decent short-term fixtures but the schedule does stiffen for the final run-in.
Southampton’s Artur Boruc is benefiting from an improved Southampton defence and is buoyant after the penalty save at Carrow Road, while Asmir Begovic grabbed a first clean sheet in 12 at home to West Brom last weekend. The Stoke defence are showing shoots of recovery at the back, as Tony Pulis’ side bank on defensive resolve to see them achieve a comfortable mid-table position.
Defenders
With the goalkeeper situation perhaps uncertain at the Emirates, attentions will turn to the defence only to find that Arsene Wenger’s recent rotation policy across the back four makes acquisition very difficult. Arguably, having looked shaky in early season, Per Mertesacker is now the preferred option in central defence, with Laurent Koscielny his current partner as Thomas Vermaelen admits to his recent faltering form. Mertesacker has started the last nine league matches and can be brought in for Arsenal’s double Gameweek for 5.3 in the FPL. Koscielny is available for an identical price, with less security but, arguably, the greater goal threat.
The big German topples Glen Johnson at the top of our rankings, then, although Liverpool’s right-back holds in our top five with fixtures remaining favourable in the short-term. Jose Enrique is, of course, the alternative on offer in Brendan Rodgers’ ranks.
Everton’s Leighton Baines is another to benefit from an impending double fixture – he climbs to third spot, having plunged the depths in recent weeks. With injuries throughout the Everton lineup, Baines may have to rely on attacking returns to repay the investment but he remains a likely target for Gameweek 33, regardless.
With Rafael and Pablo Zabaleta completing our five, this is an expensive recommended defensive outfit, leading us to look lower down the rankings for mid-price and budget alternatives. QPR’s Chris Samba and Norwich City’s Seb Bassong still tempt us in the mid-price – Samba, in particular, was unfortunate to miss out on attacking returns at Villa last time out.
West Ham’s Winston Reid comes in cheaper than that pairing and has a double Gameweek to bolster his appeal – the likes of Joey O’Brien and Guy Demel also offer a route into Sam Allardyce’s rearguard, although with George McCartney nearing a return, the full-back situation in the Hammers camp looks fuzzy.
Fulham’s Sascha Riether is another consideration in the same bracket given his attacking form and the Cottagers’ recent record of three shut-outs in five. Stoke’s Marc Wilson and Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne are our nominated budget offerings.
Midfielders
Despite faltering at Anfield and at home to Fulham, it’s hard to deny Gareth Bale top spot in the rankings considering his blistering form to that point. The fixture list is against him but the Welshman surely remains the top consideration when shopping in this position.
The Arsenal duo of Theo Walcott and Santi Cazorla are on his tail, however. Both have huge appeal with the Gameweek 33 double looming and many Fantasy managers will be looking to partner them for the home fixtures with Norwich and Everton – with a lack of viable attacking options elsewhere in the Gunners squad.
Eden Hazard’s form has him replace Juan Mata as our nominated Chelsea midfielder, although, arguably, given the Blues’ hectic schedule, investment in either is questionable. Hazard’s form is hard to ignore, however, and with the likes of Michu faltering and Marouane Fellaini banned for two-matches, the Belgian holds in our top five.
Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko also keeps his rank with home matches with Fulham and Sunderland to come – holding off the Liverpool pair of Steven Gerrard and Stewart Downing, with Philippe Coutinho also an option, sandwiched between his two midfield team-mates in terms of FPL pricing.
Further down, we find QPR’s Andros Townsend coming into consideration off the back of two goals in two matches. The Tottenham loanee pushes both Shaun Maloney and Robert Snodgrass for that fifth midfielder slot and appears to be the option of choice for those looking to free up funds: Townsend can be acquired for just 4.5 in the FPL.
Forwards
Perhaps the most controversial area of our squads, as Robin Van Persie’s blip is prolonged to six Gameweeks with just a single goal returned. We’re keeping the faith with the Dutchman over the form of team-mate Wayne Rooney, simply because we cannot see Van Persie’s fortunes failing to recover given his level of involvement and set-piece responsibilities. Our soon to be published “Versus” article for members perhaps further evidence that has steered our current thinking.
Daniel Sturridge remains in the top three, as Luis Suarez is forced down our rankings, teetering on the suspension tightrope. One yellow card in any of the next three league matches will see the Uruguayan banned for two outings, a factor that surely has to come into consideration when it comes to acquisitions up front. Suarez’s form is superb but he’s undoubtedly a risk, despite strong fixtures.
Both Christian Benteke and Rickie Lambert maintained their form in Gameweek 30 to enjoy slight climbs in our reckoning. Fulham’s Dimitar Berbatov, the most sought-after striker in the FPL at the moment, also climbs and is firmly back in our thinking ahead of the local derby with QPR at the Cottage: it’s three goals in three games for the Bulgarian.
Lower down, Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud undoubtedly has double Gameweek appeal but his form is a concern – like Walcott, he’s gone five league starts without a goal, which could yet prompt a change from Wenger now that Gervinho is available; the Ivorian also found the net late on at Swansea last weekend.
Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez is the new budget consideration. The former Burnley marksman has shown outstanding recent form and has played his way onto the team-sheet at St Mary’s with returns in five of his last seven appearances. Available for just 5.1, Rodriguez is always going to suffer from Lambert’s popularity but offers coverage of the Saints revival for a cut-down price. It’s a similar story for Villa’s Andreas Weimann who, of course, is overshadowed by team-mate Benteke, but offers a cheap route to a Villa attack that suddenly looks vibrant as they fight for survival. Villa have scored in all but one of the last eight and the Austrian can be acquired for just 5.0, offering another intriguing third striker alternative.
