As always, there’s much for us to consider as we assess the upcoming round of fixtures. Loic Remy’s pitch time, Harry Kane’s captaincy form, the displays of our double Gameweek 31 heroes, consistency amongst the Palace midfield and Liverpool’s main men in light of the double Gameweek 34 announcement are all on our lunchtime menu.

Remy’s minutes for the Blues…
Having scored the winner in each of the last two league matches, the Frenchman looks the favourite to start away to former club QPR this weekend as a result of Diego Costa’s hamstring injury. Certainly, Remy’s form suggests he’s in pole position to get the nod ahead of Didier Drogba but it’s worth noting that, in the seven matches Costa has failed to start this season, Remy has started four to Drogba’s three, so it’s far from cut and dried. Another goal-getting display from Remy at Loftus Road would strengthen his case for inclusion as the Blues double Gameweek approaches but bearing in mind that Drogba started – and scored – against Gameweek 33 opponents United earlier in the season, the Frenchman needs a big performance to keep ahead in the pecking order.

Liverpool’s main contenders ahead of the double…
This morning’s confirmation of a double Gameweek 34 for Hull and Liverpool affords the latter’s home clash with Newcastle an extra edge for Fantasy managers. Rodgers’ decision to ditch his 3-4-2-1 and move to 4-3-3 against Blackburn last night allowed Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho roles on either side of Daniel Sturridge, with the Brazilian’s winner bringing him back onto our radars after a run of one assist in four league outings. With Jordan Henderson netting in four of the last five, we’re not short of targets to scout in Monday evening’s Anfield encounter.

Baines as an option once again…
Three successive wins for the Toffees, with just a single goal conceded over that run, suggests their defence may be worth a revisit. Leighton Baines has now earned four bonus points from the last couple of clean sheets and has served up eight key passes since returning from injury in Gameweek 29 – more than any other defender. A trip to Swansea poses a stiff test but with Burnley, Villa and Sunderland also in the next five fixtures, the left-back could provide us with the chance to freshen up our backlines if he can convert those underlying stats to Fantasy returns.

Less tinkering from Koeman…
The Sadio Mane situation is a strange one. He’s scored two and assisted one of Southampton’s last five goals over the last nine Gameweeks, yet Ronald Koeman dropped him to the bench for last week’s trip to Everton and continued to field the misfiring Graziano Pelle up top. After starting the last two through the centre, Shane Long was shifted out wide at Goodison as Koeman drafted in the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Eljero Elia, switching from the 4-2-2-2 that started the previous Gameweek to a 4-2-3-1 in the 1-0 loss. A home clash with Hull kick starts a run which also pits the St Mary’s side against Stoke, Sunderland, Leicester and Villa in the next six – a schedule which could reignite his side’s Fantasy potential if Koeman can rediscover a winning formula.

Kane’s armband appeal…
Two blanks in the last three indicates he’s human after all. With Tottenham’s bid for a Champions League place looking all but over now, there’s a danger of their season simply petering out – as we saw only last week in the case of Christian Benteke and Charlie Austin, placing our faith in players with everything still on the line can prove a canny tactic. Certainly, with back-to-back clashes against Villa and Newcastle, Kane’s captaincy appeal remains as strong as ever. Beyond that, though, the growing feeling that Mauricio Pochettino’s team have taken their foot off the gas, in addition to upcoming double for others, may see Kane go armband-less from Gameweek 34 onwards.

Can Benteke and Austin’s form trump the fixtures?…
Both racked up the points in an unforgettable double that will go down in Fantasy Football folklore. Now, though, their owners face a real decision as their respective schedules – which include a blank Gameweek 33 for both players – turn nasty. Austin, who has already scored at Stamford Bridge, hosts Chelsea, whilst Benteke travels to Tottenham and also pays to City in the next three. At this time of year in particular, however, form has a habit of winning out over fixtures and another strong showing from either player may well persuade owners to hold for now.

A consistent Palace midfielder…
With places in our three-man frontlines at a premium, few are willing to take a punt on Glenn Murray – despite producing five goals, two assists and eight bonus points in his last five, the Eagles striker sits in just 0.3% of FPL teams. Although Alan Pardew’s attacking midfield three have proven capable of earning points, Jason Puncheon, Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie have failed to come close to matching Murray’s consistency. Puncheon has earned attacking returns in two of the last nine, Zaha in two of the previous ten, whilst Bolasie has picked up points in three of seven appearances since returning from the African Cup of Nations. Given that Puncheon, at 5.6, is the dearest of the trio, there’s clearly potential for value here – can one of them step up and produce regular returns ahead of an enticing run of fixtures against Sunderland, West Brom and Hull?

The Foxes attack as the double approaches…
Nigel Pearson once again changed his approach for last week’s visit of West Ham. This time around, the Foxes boss shifted to a 4-2-3-1 in order to accommodate Riyad Mahrez on the right, with Jamie Vardy on the opposite flank in the 2-1 triumph. Leicester have now scored five goals in the last two as Pearson goes on the offensive and whilst Vardy is the in-form option here – playing a part in five of his side’s last seven goals – his classification as a forward hardly helps, given that his manager is fielding him on the flank. Ideally, we’d want Mahrez in contention for the Foxes double Gameweek 34 as we look for an alternative to Matty Phillips as a cheap fifth midfielder but the Algerian’s withdrawal at the break places question marks over his pitch time.

Downing’s display in the centre …
A change of formation from Sam Allardyce could potentially reignite the Hammers playmaker’s faltering season. After a number of weeks out wide, Downing was shifted into the centre as Big Sam moved from 4-3-3 to a 4-3-2-1 formation away to Leicester last weekend. Despite producing a single assist in the last nine, Downing still sits in over 24% of FPL teams and a return to form would certainly shake up many a mini league. A home clash with Stoke sparks the start of a kind run which also pits the Hammers against QPR, Burnley and Villa in the next five as Allardyce looks to arrest his side’s ailing form.

Sanchez’ momentum at Burnley…
The Chilean stung the 50,000 FPL managers who parted company prior to the home clash against Liverpool by racking up a 13-point haul – his highest since Gameweek 21. There’s no denying Sanchez had gone off the boil in recent weeks; he’s scored just twice in his last eight league appearances, with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla all vying for our attentions in the Arsenal midfield. Certainly, with a blank Gameweek 33 preceding a home clash against Chelsea, non-owners will likely avoid for now – those still holding Sanchez could well take advantage of that, as he looks to replicate his 16-point haul against the Clarets earlier in the season.

City’s response to the Palace setback…
Three successive away defeats at the hands of Liverpool, Burnley and Leicester have all but ended the champions’ title defence. Manuel Pellegrini’s men need little motivation for Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford, though – a win would allow the visitors to overtake the Red Devils and build momentum ahead of three excellent home fixtures (WHM, AVL, QPR) in the subsequent four. Whilst their hopes of catching Chelsea now look extinguished, City certainly have the schedule to nail down second spot – owners of David Silva and Sergio Aguero will be desperate for a return to form as we start to reassess our attacking options in light of today’s double Gameweek 34 announcement.