Our quest to unearth some overlooked gems this week takes on a decidedly Belgian flavour as we champion a striker and defender from the international Red Devils. West Ham’s Senegalese striker completes our complement of enticing differentials.
Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku has struggled to replicate the form that earned him a £28 million switch to Everton last summer, netting just one goal in 14 starts prior to last Gameweek. There are signs, however, that the Belgian marksman is starting to rediscover his touch, given that he’s scored in the Toffees’ previous three matches in all competitions. Granted, two of those were converted penalties, yet the confidence garnered from those spot-kicks was apparent for all to see in Everton’s 5-2 Europa League defeat to Dynamo Kiev last night, in which Lukaku equalised with a pinpoint curling strike from just outside the area.
Further to his goal against Newcastle United last time out, the 8.8-priced Lukaku managed more attempts on target (three) than any other Premier League forward in Gameweek 29 and also provided the assist for James McCarthy’s first goal of the season. Everton’s upcoming run of four fixtures (qpr, SOU, swa, BUR) includes the two most obliging defences in the league (QPR and Burnley), providing a platform for the former Chelsea striker to build on his recent momentum. Considering that the R’s haven’t recorded a home clean sheet this year, backing Lukaku to score for the fourth consecutive clash this weekend seems like an astute decision.
Toby Alderweireld
Toby Alderweireld’s return from a hamstring injury offers yet another viable route into Southampton’s resilient rearguard. No team has seen their defence breached on fewer occasions (21) than Ronald Koeman’s outfit this term, so it’s no wonder Saints trio Nathaniel Clyne (35%), Ryan Bertrand (19%) and Jose Fonte (14%) are among the three most heavily-backed defenders in the Fantasy Premier League.
Alderweireld (4.7) comes with the obvious upside that he’s priced well below the other starters in Southampton’s defence – his central defensive partner Fonte, for instance, will set you back 1.2 more than the Belgian. With pivotal double Gameweeks on the horizon, sourcing value in defence to facilitate the purchase of heavy-hitting midfielders and forwards will be on many managers’ agendas.
Three clean sheets in Southampton’s last six outings strengthens Alderweireld’s case for inclusion. As does the fact that Saints go head-to-head with two of the leagues’ bottom-five scoring teams (Burnley and Hull) in their upcoming schedule (BUR, eve, HUL, sto) as Koeman’s side look to get their bid for a top four finish back on track.
Diafra Sakho
Having faced six of the top seven sides in the last seven Gameweeks, West Ham enjoy a relatively smooth run-in that includes only two teams (Manchester City and Stoke City) currently occupying berths in the league’s upper echelons. The Hammers will look to bounce back from their seven-match winless streak when they entertain Sunderland at the Boleyn Ground this Saturday, as Diafra Sakho searches for his first goal in four starts.
With Enner Valencia still sidelined by virtue of a lacerated foot, Sakho shoulders much of the goalscoring burden for the misfiring Irons. Although the Senegal international has offered little cause for celebration in recent weeks, his underlying stats reveal a knack for engineering attempts on goal – in the past four Gameweeks, only QPR’s Charlie Austin (22) has fashioned more shots than Sakho (17), with the Hammers man producing more attempts from inside the box than any player during that period. Priced at just 5.4 in FPL, Sakho could be a real bargain option if he can start tucking away his numerous opportunities.
