Our Friday lunchtime regular assessment of the PlayON Player Price List arrives once again as the hours count down to another deadline. As always, we offer a couple of picks per position: one essential weekend target and a left-field alternative for your consideration.
PlayON have extended their deadline for submitting teams so you can now tinker with your starting XI right up until the first kick-off each week – tomorrow that’s 12.45pm, when Spurs and Arsenal go head-to-head at White Hart Lane.
This week there is over £2,000 in Guaranteed Pots and £300 in Free Entry Pots on offer at PlayON – check out the games here.
Goalkeeper – Tom Heaton
Priced at 6.6m, Burnley’s Tom Heaton is our left-field goalkeeper this weekend. Owned by only 7% of managers currently, the Clarets stopper has kept four of his five clean sheets at Turf Moor this season and entertains a West Brom side that have scored just one goal in Tony Pulis’ three matches at the helm – with the fixtures turning against Sean Dyche’s side, they need to deliver against the Baggies tomorrow. Faith in Manchester City’s defence is at a real low right now after the champions conceded in each of the last six Gameweeks. A home clash against a Hull side that have failed to score in seven of their last nine matches offers Manuel Pellegrini’s side a promising chance to record an eighth shutout of the season, though. Joe Hart (8.1m, 18% ownership) hands us a secure route into their defence and is less expensive than both Martin Demichelis and Vincent Kompany, while the full-back positions remain a guessing game with Pellegrini’s rotation policy.
Defender – Matt Targett
Ryan Bertrand’s red card against Swansea should offer the youngster an opportunity at left-back as Southampton travel to QPR. Having played just 111 minutes of Premier League football this season, Targett is priced at just 5.4m this week in PlayON and bearing in mind the R’s have just scored one goal in three at Loftus Road, the 9%-owned defender could be excellent value here. After starting five of the last seven in all competitions, Kurt Zouma has appeared to oust Gary Cahill as John Terry’s central defensive partner at Chelsea. Available for 6.5m, the defender is a bargain route into a defence that will be facing goal shy Aston Villa and is understandably one of the most popular defensive picks this week, with an 18% ownership at present.
Midfielder – Jonjo Shelvey
A home encounter with Sunderland hands Swansea the chance to rack up a seventh league win at the Liberty. With Gylfi Sigurdsson still suspended, Shelvey (7.5m) looks set to continue in the support role behind Bafetimbi Gomis and, as evidenced by his winner at St Mary’s last weekend, has a habit of scoring spectacular long range efforts. Shelvey’s kind price has already persuaded 11% of PlayON managers to snap up his services. Chelsea’s Eden Hazard takes up the other spot in midfield as the league leaders head to Aston Villa. Priced at 13.9m in this week’s PlayON Player Price List, the Belgian’s (31% ownership) form is ticking over with an assist for Loic Remy’s opener in last week’s draw against with Man City and, having scored in two of his last three road trips, he’ll fancy his chances of breaching the hosts’ porous backline.
Forwards – Dwight Gayle
With three goals and an assist in his last three appearances, the Palace striker has looked revitalised under new manager Alan Pardew. The Eagles travel to fellow strugglers Leicester City this weekend and, having netted three times in their previous road trip at Burnley, square up to a defence that have conceded in each of their last seven. Gayle has five shots (worth 200 points apiece in PlayON) in his last three and looks to offer value at 7.5m – currently owned by just 9% of PlayON managers. Sergio Aguero is without a goal in three league appearances since returning from injury, the longest the Argentine has gone without a goal a season. That’s an ominous sign for visitors Hull, who roll up in dreadful form after back-to-back 3-0 defeats – available for 14.8m and currently residing in a massive 66.0% of teams, it is difficult to overlook the 14-goal striker.
Head over to www.PlayON.co now to get your teams in for the Free Entry games and the £2,000 in Guaranteed Pots.
