Our Friday lunchtime look at the PlayON Player Price List arrives once again as the packed festive schedule continues. As always, we offer a couple of picks per position: one essential weekend target and a left-field alternative for your consideration.
Fantasy managers should be aware that PlayON have now extended the deadline for submitting your teams. Previously, the cut-off point was two hours before the first kick-off in a Gameweek but now you can now tinker with your starting XI right up until the first match in each Gameweek gets underway.
PlayON has Freeroll games and Guaranteed Pot games running each week for the rest of the season at www.PlayON.co. This week they have £350 in Freerolls and over £2,000 in Guaranteed Pots on offer – to get your free entry into the Freerolls just follow them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PlayON and like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PlayON
Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris
After a midweek defeat at Chelsea, Spurs will be hoping for an easier test at home to Crystal Palace this weekend. The Frenchman has kept a paltry three clean sheets this season but having only conceded a single goal in his last three home appearances, will be hoping for a shut-out against an Eagles side that failed to score at home to Aston Villa in midweek. At 7.8m, Lloris is by no means a budget option but with 12 saves (worth 200 points apiece in PlayON) could still prove worthwhile should he fail to keep out Neil Warnock’s side. Chelsea, on the other hand, registered a fourth successive clean sheet in all competitions in midweek – an ominous sign for their title challengers. Thibaut Courtois may be the joint-top most expensive keeper at a price of 8.2m but the Belgian remains the cheapest route into the Blues backline away to a Newcastle side that has scored twice in the last three Gameweeks.
Defender – Alan Hutton
After keeping three clean sheets in the first four Gameweeks, Aston Villa fell victim to a terrible run of fixtures which forced their defenders off our radars. Paul Lambert looks to have finally steadied the ship again, though, and with just two goals conceded in their last four outings, Villa will be confident of keeping out a Leicester City side that has failed to score in four of their last five on the road. Available for just 6.0m this weekend, Hutton is an inexpensive enabler whose forward raids could yet reap reward in the final third. A home clash with Swansea brings West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell (7.4m) into contention. Big Sam’s side have conceded just once in the last four at Upton Park, whilst the Swans have scored only two goals in their previous four road trips. With a goal and assist in two of his last three at Upton Park, the summer signing looks in great form at both ends of the pitch right now.
Midfielder – Jordan Henderson
Back-to-back wins over Stoke and Leicester points towards an upturn in fortunes for Liverpool as Sunderland pay visit to Anfield. Henderson has only missed one match this season and is starting to pull his weight with two goals and three assists, including a strike away to Leicester on Tuesday night. At 8.3m, he’s a far cheaper option than Raheem Sterling (12.2m) and his defensive work – including interceptions and tackles – is almost smiled upon kindly by the PlayON Scoring Matrix. The essential midfielder this week is Christian Eriksen (10.9m). Despite a seemingly underwhelming season, the Tottenham playmaker has still managed five goals and with two strikes and an assist in his previous three, looks in promising form for the visit of Crystal Palace.
Forward – Nikica Jelavic
Four goals in the opening seven Gameweeks brought Jelavic onto Fantasy managers’ radars, before his season was curtailed by injury. The Hull frontman has failed to score since returning late last month but, after serving up a midweek assist against former club Everton, he’s starting to pick up the points just in time for a plum home clash with West Brom. At a price of just 8.2m, the Croatian looks tempting against a defence with a single clean sheet in eight attempts. The Premier League’s in-form player, Sergio Aguero is impossible to ignore. The City striker now has 14 goals in as many matches and entertains an Everton side that have conceded in each of their last five away trips – at 15.0m, he is anything but budget-friendly but given his red-hot displays, Aguero looks like a necessary inclusion to our squads.
Head over to www.PlayON.co and get your teams in for the £350 in Freerolls and £2,000 in guaranteed pots.
