After an international break packed with injury concerns for Fantasy managers, we edge towards Gameweek 4 by rolling out our Friday lunchtime regular once again. We scour the PlayON player price list ahead of tomorrow’s 10.45am deadline and, as usual, offer a couple of picks per position, with an essential weekend target and a budget alternative for your consideration.
This weekend PlayON have £2,000 in Guaranteed Pots on offer – £1,000 Guaranteed for the full gameweek, £500 Guaranteed for the Saturday daily game and £250 Guaranteed for each of the Sunday and Monday daily games.
Goalkeeper – Asmir Begovic
After an unlikely clean sheet at the Etihad, a home encounter against Leicester bodes well for his prospects of another shut-out. Available for just 7.6m, Begovic offers a cut-price route into a defence that conceded just 18 times in front of their own fans last term – the fourth most resilient home back-line of 2013/14. If you’re willing to entrust some of your budget to Louis van Gaal’s new look defence, then David de Gea comes in at 7.9m for a plum home encounter with QPR. While there may be question marks over United’s starters in defence, the Spaniard is guaranteed pitch time by comparison – having chalked up his first shut-out of the season last time around, he’ll be confident of another against an R’s side with just one goal to their name thus far.
Defender – Javier Manquillo
After stuttering in their first two fixtures, Liverpool impressive 3-0 win at Spurs in the last Gameweek suggests they could be worth the outlay at both ends of the pitch. The Reds will be hoping that home comforts allow them to continue the run, then, and with Glen Johnson injured and Jon Flanagan still finding his fitness after sustaining a knee injury, Manquillo looks set to retain a starting place against Aston Villa for the bargain price of 7.2m. League leaders Chelsea host Swansea on Saturday as Jose Mourinho’s side seek to maintain their 100% start to the season. Given their visitors have a similar record, though, snapping up a defender with plenty of attacking potential seems a sensible move, and with two goals and an assist thus far, Branislav Ivanovic, at 9.5m, cannot be overlooked for this one.
Midfielder – Wilfried Zaha
Climbing off the bench in the previous Gameweek, the on-loan midfielder wasted no time in making an impact. Zaha – who sets you back 8.9m – fired four attempts and netted a last-gasp equaliser as Palace snatched a draw at Newcastle, and with Marouane Chamakh ruled out, he looks poised for a start as Neil Warnock’s side play host to promoted Burnley. Elsewhere, Angel Di Maria looks a real bargain for United’s home clash against QPR. Priced at a mere 8.2m, the record signing welcomes the R’s in excellent form, having served up a goal and three assists in Argentina’s recent friendly win over Germany and looks in the mood to pick up the points in his first appearance at Old Trafford.
Forward – Mame Biram Diouf
There’s no doubt that Stoke’s summer signing took his time to settle in his new surrounds, but on the evidence of his showing last time out, is beginning to find his feet. Diouf’s superb solo effort against champions Man City hints at the form that that produced eight goals and four assists in 19 appearances for Bundesliga club Hamburg last term, and with a generous price tag of 9.8m in PlayON, is a strong cut-price contender at home to Leicester City. Following their convincing win at Tottenham, we turn our attention to the Liverpool attack. With a home match against Aston Villa up next, Mario Balotelli will be hoping to start his goal-scoring account for the Reds after coming close several times at White Hart Lane. With Daniel Sturridge sidelined due to a thigh injury, the 10.4m priced Italian should start up front and affords us a double-up option along with Raheem Sterling (10.5) in the Merseysiders’ midfield.
Head over to www.playon.co and get picking ahead of the 10.45am deadline tomorrow morning.
