With the winter transfer window now slammed shut, us Fantasy managers have a deadline of our own to consider. As usual, we roll out three under-the-radar options for your perusal – a couple of top-flight veterans and a youngster making his mark on Merseyside are our Gameweek 24 protagonists.
Kevin Nolan
Back-to-back suspensions over the past month have seen the West Ham midfielder tumble off Fantasy radars. Nolan returned for the midweek trip to Chelsea and, whilst he failed to get amongst the goals, the Blues’ recent defensive record makes his blank at the Bridge somewhat understandable.
Instead, Nolan’s displays prior to being dismissed at Fulham in Gameweek 20 earn him a place in our thoughts. A goal and three assists over games against Arsenal and West Brom turned heads and was enough to hint at a semblance of form before a moment of madness at the Cottage earned him a four-match ban.
Andy Carroll’s return to the Hammers first-team is another factor to consider. With his sidekick leading the line, Nolan’s prospects seem far more enticing as he buzzes around in the box looking for knockdowns from the big Geordie target man. The fixtures also weigh heavily in the Hammers’ favour. Four strong home games (SWA, NOR, SOU, HUL) and a trip to Villa in the next six could barely be kinder for Sam Allardyce’s side and suggest Nolan, at 6.5 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL), 6.8 in the Sky Sports game and 3.5 in the Sun Dream Team, could still have a part to play in our Fantasy seasons.
Shola Ameobi
The Newcastle frontman finds himself in pole position to face Sunderland tomorrow lunchtime after the FA rejected Loic Remy’s red card appeal on Friday. With the Frenchman set for a three-match ban, Yohan Cabaye departing for Parisian pastures new and both Yoan Gouffran and Papiss Cisse injury doubts, Alan Pardew looks set to hand Ameobi the chance to continue his superb scoring record in Tyne-Wear derbies.
Clearly, when it comes to games against their bitter rivals, Ameobi has the big-game temperament to flourish. Over 12 games against the Black Cats, the centre-forward has notched seven times – the second most impressive record in the club’s history. With Pardew’s side desperate to avenge a 2-1 defeat at the Stadium of Light earlier this season, Ameobi, at 4.8 in FPL, 6.8 in the Sky Sports game and 1.5 in the Sun Dream Team, could well be the man for the occasion before the Tyneside team face tough encounters with Chelsea and Tottenham.
Raheem Sterling
Many suspected the youngster’s game time would be considerably diminished upon Daniel Sturridge’s return from injury but that hasn’t quite transpired. Instead, Sterling has started all three of Liverpool’s league games with Sturridge back in the fold, maintaining a run which has seen him named in the Reds’ first XI in each of the last 11 Gameweeks.
With three goals and a trio of assists over that period, Sterling (5.3 in FPL, 4.8 in the Sky Sports game and 2.5 in the Sun Dream Team) has proven excellent value across the Fantasy games in recent weeks. Providing he can continue as a regular for the Merseysiders, the fixtures bode well for short-term investment at least – trips to West Brom and Fulham, allied with a home clash against Swansea in the next four, may well persuade Fantasy managers to acquire him as a route into Brendan Rodgers’ free-scoring side.
