Our regular rinse through the fixture list is rolled out once again, with the upcoming double Gameweek playing a significant part in our thinking. Looking at the next four fixtures in particular, then, we factor in the FA Cup Sixth Round Replay between Chelsea and United, in addition to impending blanks for both Swansea and West Brom.

The Strong

Arsenal

The only side to have two home fixtures in double Gameweek 33, as Norwich and Everton roll up to the Emirates, Arsene Wenger’s side are set for a favourable run of fixtures which is sure to persuade Fantasy managers to acquire their main assets. A home clash with Reading this weekend, in addition to trips to West Brom and Fulham over the next four Gameweeks, affords the Gunners plenty opportunity to continue a run of form which has harvested four wins in the last five.

Unfortunately, rotation at the back and injury worries further up the field blight the prospect of investment. At present, it seems Watchlist target Per Mertesacker is the most nailed-on defender – while the likes of Carl Jenkinson and Lukas Fabianski are kinder on the budget at 4.0 and 4.3 respectively, neither come without risk and although new boy Nacho Monreal has impressed (averaging seven points per appearance) it remains to be seen just how much his game time will be affected by a fully-fit Kieran Gibbs.

Fantasy managers await an injury update on the pelvic problem which ruled Theo Walcott out of England’s recent internationals, making Santi Cazorla the most popular pick since the end of the previous Gameweek; over 27,000 FPL managers have secured the Spaniard thus far. Up top, Olivier Giroud remains an enigma. The Frenchman has scored in just six league games in his debut season in north London, though four of those fixtures have harvested double fixtures – clearly, the potential for points is there, then, but the chance of frustration is even greater.

West Ham

Now just six points clear of safety, Sam Allardyce’s side have the schedule to aid an ascent up the table. Double Gameweek 33 hands them a trip to fellow strugglers Southampton before United come calling and with home games against West Brom and Wigan also on their agenda over the next four, there’s reason for optimism around Upton Park.

At present, though, the Hammers boss is sweating over the fitness of three key midfielders – Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and Joe Cole all remain doubtful for Saturday’s showdown with the Baggies. Andy Carroll has notched in each of the last two home games and was on spot-kick duties in Noble’s absence against Tottenham in Gameweek 27 but at 8.2 in FPL, his appeal is severely diminished; he’s also ineligible for the Gameweek 32 trip to Liverpool. At the back, the return of George McCartney raises question marks over the full-backs, with Joey O’Brien’s versatility perhaps giving him the edge, though Winston Reid seems nailed-on by comparison. With two clean sheets in the last 12, though, Jussi Jaaskelainen seems the safest bet, with a regular flow of save points to fall back upon should the Hammers concede.

Everton

David Moyes’ side will also be set for investment in light of their impending double. Up first for the Toffees is a home clash with Stoke and trip to Tottenham, before a pair of fixtures against QPR and Arsenal in Gameweek 33. With trips to Sunderland and Liverpool in their following three, in addition to a home clash against Fulham, Everton’s short-term schedule looks a little tricky, though; all four of those road trips looks testing, with each of their hosts having plenty to battle for.

Two-match suspensions to Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar keeps them off the radar until the double, handing centre-stage to Leighton Baines and Leon Osman. As usual, Baines’ attacking potential may balance out his side’s inability to keep out their opponents – he’s produced two goals and a pair of assists over the last six, in comparison to a single clean sheet – while Osman has scored in two of the last three and has already earned over 21,000 new owners. Victor Anichebe has returned to full fitness again and led the line against City last time out; at 4.3 he looks an enticing forward option and looks likely to get the nod over Nikica Jelavic.

Fulham

The Cottagers also have three home matches in the next four, with a double Gameweek 33 also boosting their appeal. Martin Jol’s men arrive in good form; the 1-0 win at Spurs extended their unbeaten record to four matches and with three clean sheets accrued over that run, Fulham have impressed at both ends of the pitch. Games against two of the bottom four in the next three look promising – QPR are the visitors this upcoming weekend, while a trip to Villa is the first fixture of their double, before Chelsea come calling. With Arsenal also arriving at the Cottage, Jol’s side have home comforts on their side.

At the back, then, Mark Schwarzer certainly offers security at a time where there are question marks against the game time of many keepers as a result of either injuries or lack of form. Sascha Riether’s attacking potential has impressed, though; the 5.0 priced right-back has now scored or assisted in each of his last three appearances and now has five assists for the season. Further up the field, Dimitar Berbatov has been the only one to make a case for inclusion – having scored (and received bonus points) in four of his last five, the Bulgarian is the only form forward of the four sides that definitely have a double in their schedule.

Also Consider

Liverpool – the next three fixtures, in particular, look solid for Brendan Rodgers’ side. The Reds roll up to Villa Park this weekend looking to avenge their Gameweek 17 home defeat at the hands of Paul Lambert’s side, while a home clash with West Ham and trip to Reading also bolster their appeal. The downside is Luis Suarez’s disciplinary situation – a booking in any of those three matches will hand the Uruguayan a two-match suspension and is likely to deter many from investing until the threshold is extended to 15 cautions after the second Sunday in April. Daniel Sturridge’s mid-price appeal remains enticing regardless, while in midfield, Stewart Downing and Philippe Coutinho offer in-form, cheaper alternatives to Steven Gerrard. At the back, both Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique impress bombing forward from full-back and continue to pick up attacking points.

QPR – there’s little doubt the Gameweek 30 defeat at Villa gives them significant problems at the foot of the table yet Harry Redknapp’s side will be hopeful of picking up the points over the next few matches. The R’s have a trip to Fulham and home clashes with Wigan and Stoke in the next four, in addition to a trip to fellow strugglers Reading in Gameweek 35 – with a seven point deficit to make up, the likes of Loic Remy, Andros Townsend and Chris Samba look pivotal to their ever decreasing chances of survival.

Chelsea – at present, the Blues have a double on their Gameweek 33 agenda but win against United in the FA Cup Sixth Round replay would reduce that to a single, as their home clash with Spurs would need rescheduling. Currently, Rafa Benitez’s side travel to Southampton this weekend before playing host to Sunderland and if they lose against United in the replay, they would entertain Tottenham and travel to Fulham in Gameweek 33. For Fantasy managers, though, rotation is a real issue. The United cup game is next Monday – just two days after the visit to St Mary’s – and given Benitez’s rotation strategy, there would be no surprise if he kept a handful of his main men out of the Saints clash. With the club also still in the Europa League, there’s plenty to consider, then, though the likes of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Frank Lampard are more than capable of racking up the points in any given Gameweek. Petr Cech is arguably the safest pick of any in terms of game time, though elsewhere at the back, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta offer the best potential of attacking points, despite the occasional threat of rotation; Luiz is another teetering on nine bookings, however.

Man United – Sir Alex Ferguson’s line-up against Reading last time out will also worry Fantasy managers. The United boss made eight changes to his XI yet still watched his side clinch victory over Reading – United travel to Sunderland two days before the Chelsea cup match and a similar situation could be on the cards as Ferguson looks to rest his top players, with a 15 point gap over City proving a significant safety net if he chooses to do so. United then face City in the league in Gameweek 32 but if they beat Chelsea in the cup, their trip to Stoke would be cancelled, given them just one fixture (a visit to West Ham) in Gameweek 33 – this would come three days after the FA Cup Semi Final, if they progress. As with Chelsea, then, the replay, which takes place on Monday April 1, will shed a lot more light on the scenario and will be significant as to how we assess Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra and Rafael over the short-term, at least.

The Weak

Sunderland

The Black Cats hold their breath for news of Steven Fletcher’s ankle injury, with a six-week absence predicted by many media outlets. To be fair, the Scot has hardly been firing on all cylinders lately – he’s scored in just two of the last 12 league games, with Martin O’Neill’s decision to move to 4-4-2 harvesting two points and no clean sheets in the last five Gameweeks. Up next for the Wearsiders, is a run of four fixtures (MUN, che, new, EVE) that look likely to extend that poor run of form and with the Black Cats just four points ahead of third bottom Wigan – having played a game more – the clouds are gathering over the Stadium of Light. Simon Mignolet’s save points are likely to keep the Belgian in business, while O’Neill must decide to move back to 4-4-1-1 if Fletcher is indeed injured. With Danny Graham yet to net since arriving from Swansea and Stephane Sessegnon a doubt due to a groin injury, Fantasy managers will surely be giving Sunderland a wide berth.

Swansea

With their league safety secure and silverware already in the bag courtesy of the Capital One Cup, Michael Laudrup’s side seemed to have eased up in recent matches. The Swans have just three fixtures in the following four, perhaps making the decision a little easier for those Fantasy managers looking to sell – a home clash with Spurs and trip to Norwich are far from straightforward, before a blank precedes the visit of Southampton in Gameweek 34. Looking at the form, Swansea have hit a real slump – they have registered two clean sheets and scored six goals in the last seven games but bearing in mind four of those strikes were against QPR, it means they scored a total of two in the other six fixtures. Michu has now notched in just one of his last 10 matches and, while Laudrup’s side have a double in Gameweek 36 to reignite their appeal, the current loss of faith which has seen the Spaniard shed over 23,000 FPL owners is understandable.

West Brom

The Baggies also have just three matches in the next four. A weekend trip to West Ham is likely to be a battle, given that the hosts are fighting to secure their top-flight safety, while home clashes with Arsenal and Newcastle sit on either side of the Gameweek 33 blank. Three goals conceded in the last five – with two clean sheets also accrued – suggests an upturn in defensive form for the likes of Liam Ridgewell and Ben Foster, while Romelu Lukaku’s would-be suitors will be reluctant to acquire the in-form Belgian until after the blank is out of the way.

Also Be Wary Of…

Tottenham – a 12-match unbeaten run has come crashing to a halt with back-to-back defeats and the short-term schedule is hardly appetising as Spurs look to get their bid for a Champions League finish back on track. As mentioned above, they may also have a blank Gameweek 33 to consider if Chelsea get the better of United in the cup – such a scenario would leave them with a trip to Swansea and home matches against Everton and City between now and Gameweek 34. While Gareth Bale’s owners will be confident on the Welshman’s ability to produce regardless, a single clean sheet in eight lessens the appeal of Michael Dawson, despite the relative budget route the centre-half offers into Tottenham’s backline.

Stoke – Tony Pulis’ side may have earned a first clean sheet in 12 last time out but the goalless draw with West Brom continued a dire run of attacking form. The Potters have acquired a single point and scored once in the last four matches and now travel to Everton before entertaining Villa – if United get the better of Chelsea in the cup, Stoke will also be without a Gameweek 33 fixture; given their form at both ends of the pitch, Pulis’ side will be dismissed by Fantasy managers, though many will be keeping an eye on the possibility of a double Gameweek.