Our Saturday morning usual brings another trio of overlooked options for your perusal ahead of this morning’s deadline. We’ve a couple of midfielders with fixtures in each of the next two Gameweeks to consider, whilst our third option is back from suspension and looking to stake a late claim for England’s squad for Brazil.
Charlie Adam
A Fantasy phenomenon back in 2010/11 during his stint with Blackpool, the Stoke playmaker is starting to produce more consistently in Mark Hughes’ debut season at the Britannia helm. Already this term, Adam has found the net on seven occasions (compared to five goals in the previous two years), whilst a trio of assists reflects his growing role within the Potters midfield.
Despite dropping to a deep-lying berth in front of the back-four, Adam’s penchant for a long-range effort has kept his points ticking over – three goals in his last seven, including a strike against former club Liverpool and a brace at home to United, have brought him onto Fantasy radars as managers shop around for options in light of the decimated schedule.
Whilst a weekend clash with Arsenal is far from straightforward, Adam squares up to Norwich next Saturday and also has an upcoming run of games that offers optimism for any would-be suitors. With West Ham, Hull, Newcastle, Villa and Cardiff also on his agenda over the next eight matches, Adam, at 5.8 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), 4.9 in the Sky Sports game and 1.5 in the Sun Dream Team, may be worth considering for Gameweek 29 and beyond.
Christian Eriksen
Let’s face it – until his display against FC Dnipro on Thursday evening, the Dane was far from our thoughts after seemingly becoming a peripheral figure in Tim Sherwood’s first-team plans. The departure of Andre Villas-Boas initially looked ideal for Eriksen – a bit-part player under the previous man in charge, he managed just a single assist in the first 16 Gameweeks before the Portuguese was dismissed back in mid-December.
Along with Emmanuel Adebayor, Eriksen quickly became a vital part of Sherwood’s first XI. The former Ajax man plundered three goals, a trio of assists and eight FPL bonus points in his first seven league games but, after failing to produce against Hull in Gameweek 24, he was then hauled off just before the hour mark in the following league game and hasn’t featured since.
His midweek goal and assist and general all-round performance suggest Eriksen may well have played his way back into contention for Spurs’ home clash with struggling Cardiff this Sunday. Granted, his acquisition comes with a risk due to Sherwood’s unpredictable midfield selections but, providing he’s given the game time, the Dane looks an in-form option to consider, bearing in mind he also has a trip to Chelsea in next weekend’s decimated Gameweek 29 schedule. Available for 6.9 in FPL, Eriksen comes in at 7.0 in the Sky Sports game and 4.0 in the Sun Dream Team.
Andy Carroll
After months on the sidelines with a heel injury, the Hammers forward flickered briefly on our Fantasy radars before a three-match suspension forced him out of the picture again. Handed his first minutes in Gameweek 21, Carroll emerged from the bench to tee up a Mark Noble goal in a vital 2-0 win at Cardiff – three games later, his first home start harvested a pair of assists as his partnership with Kevin Nolan proved the undoing of Swansea.
An altercation with Chico Flores forced Carroll off the field with less than 60 minutes on the clock yet, in spite of his absence, the Hammers have continued to grab the goals and points as their season starts to pick up pace. Expected to be re-installed to the starting XI for a weekend trip to Everton, Carroll sets you back 7.2 in FPL (8.1 in the Sky Sports game and 3.0 in the Sun Dream Team) and also has a double Gameweek 31 to heighten his appeal, as he looks to make up for lost time and stake a last-gasp claim for World Cup consideration.
