The Watchlist Updated – Gameweek 33 – The Defence

With Gameweek 32 put to bed following Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Newcastle, we’re rolling out the first of our Watchlist articles, which offer player recommendations for the next four-to-six Gameweeks. With double Gameweek 34 around the corner, Thibaut Courtois and Kasper Schmeichel jump up the goalkeeper rankings, while three home matches in the next four see Leighton Baines move into prominence.

GOALKEEPERS

Southampton’s Kelvin Davis retains his spot at the top of our rankings, with the 4.5-priced keeper offering terrific value in Fantasy Premier League (FPL). The Saints stalwart has kept shut-outs in both his appearances at St Mary’s since replacing the injured Fraser Forster, and while four of Ronald Koeman’s side next six (sto, TOT, sun, lei, AVL, mci) are on the road, given the south coast club have conceded just 12 goals on their travels this season – the least in the league- Davis looks a strong pick for the rest of the campaign.

Tim Howard leaps up a couple of places by virtue of Everton’s favourable upcoming schedule (BUR, MUN, avl, SUN, whm, TOT). The four home matches look particularly appealing, given the Toffees have registered shut-outs in four of their last five league encounters at Goodison Park, making the 5.1-rated Howard a viable option between the sticks.

After registering a clean sheet in the 1-0 win at QPR, and with double Gameweek 34 (ars/lei) around the corner, Thibaut Courtois jumps up a couple of places in our latest refresh. The 5.9-valued Belgian will have his work cut out keeping a red-hot United attack quiet on Saturday, given they’ve scored 12 goals in their last four matches. With home matches against Crystal Palace and Sunderland in the next six, though, along with a trip to West Brom, Courtois – the cheapest option amongst Chelsea’s defence – looks worthy of serious consideration.

While Leicester have only managed one clean sheet in their last ten league matches, they have the most favourable fixtures (SWA, bur/CHE, NEW, SOT, sun, QPR) for the rest of the season, according to our Season Ticker. At 4.4 in FPL, Kasper Schmeichel looks a genuine option, then, and could help create funds for premium Chelsea and Liverpool options ahead of double Gameweek 34.

With no fixture in Gameweek 33, Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet drops slightly in our ladder. A kind schedule thereafter (wba/hul, QPR, che, CPL, sto), including that double in Gameweek 34, make the 5.9-priced Belgian international a real contender for one of our three Liverpool slots, with the Reds having kept clean sheets in three of their last five matches.

Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski falls a few places in our latest update, with Garry Monk’s side only registering two shut-outs in their last nine league encounters. Neil Taylor’s two-match suspension and Kyle Naughton’s season-ending ankle injury won’t help the 5.4-valued keeper’s prospects of improving on that record, while a tough end to the season (ars, MCI, cpl) suggests there are better options for the season’s climax.

Owners of West Ham defensive assets will have been left seething after Marko Arnautovic’s last-gasp equaliser on Saturday. Nonetheless, a favourable run-in (qpr, BUR, avl, EVE, new) following this weekend’s trip to the Etihad means Adrian remains in our thoughts for the upcoming period. Safely ensconced in mid-table, there are concerns over the Hammers’ motivation, given they’ve won just one of their last ten league matches, but for those who own the former Real Betis keeper, using a valuable transfer looks unnecessary.

Joe Hart keeps his place in our latest rankings due to City’s home defensive form. The champions have chalked up a clean sheet in each of the last three in front of their own fans and now have four favourable Etihad encounters (WHM, AVL, QPR, SOT) in the final six. Although the 6.1-rated keeper is an expensive luxury, given City’s struggles away from home, the England No.1 could still be set to benefit from home comforts.

Another keeper falling due to a blank this week is Arsenal’s David Ospina. The Gunners also face leaders Chelsea in Gameweek 34, but with the fixtures then easing up (hul, SWA, mun/SUN, WBA), including that double in Gameweek 37, the 4.9-priced Colombia international could come into the equation for one of our three Arsenal slots.

Tom Heaton returns to our thoughts after a long absence, with Burnley’s fixtures (eve, LEI, whm, hul, STO, avl) for the remainder of the season among the most favourable, according to our Season Ticker. The Clarets have kept impressive clean sheets against City and Tottenham in recent weeks, so the 4.6-valued Heaton offers a decent option for the final few weeks of the season.

DEFENDERS

Another shut-out in the 1-0 win against QPR further reaffirmed Branislav Ivanovic’s spot at the summit of the FPL defender standings. The 7.6-rated Serbian is now the sixth highest scoring player across all positions this season, and with a decent run of fixtures (MUN, ars/lei, CPL, LIV, wba, SUN) until the end of the season, including the double next week, looks primed to add to the impressive 155 points tallied so far this term.

Having averaged 5.1 points per appearance over Southampton’s last six matches since returning from suspension, Ryan Bertrand keeps his place in our latest refresh. The Saints upcoming schedule (sto, TOT, sun, lei, AVL, mci) offers hope of the 5.9-priced defender maintaining that average.

Leighton Baines moves up to third in our rankings, having led all defenders for chances created (nine) over the last four Gameweeks. With Everton more resolute at the back in the last four, only conceding twice, the potential offered by the England international at both ends of the pitch makes him worthy of consideration given the Toffees run-in (BUR, MUN, avl, SUN, whm, TOT) – that’s if you aren’t deterred by the lofty 7.0 price tag in FPL.

Leicester’s Jeffrey Schlupp drops a place this time around, but the 4.5-valued defender is still a strong Fantasy prospect given the Foxes favourable fixture list (SWA, bur/CHE, NEW, SOT, sun, QPR). Despite starting at left-back in the last two, he’s ended both matches as a wing-back due a mid-match tactical tweaks and has still chalked up five goal attempts in the last four Gameweeks, joint fourth among defenders. Schlupp has also delivered 15 crosses in the same period, more than the likes of Ivanovic and Bertrand.

While Toby Alderweireld doesn’t offer the attacking potential of his Southampton team-mate Bertrand, coming in at just 4.8 in FPL, the Belgian does offer outstanding value. Part of a Saints rearguard that has kept a league high 15 shut-outs this season, the defender on-loan from Atletico Madrid is definitely one of the best budget defenders available for the remainder of the season.

With West Ham in the midst of a kind run of fixtures (mci, qpr, BUR, avl, EVE, new), Aaron Cresswell provided a timely reminder of his attacking potential with a goal in the 1-1 draw against Stoke. With two strikes and four assists in his debut season in the Premier League, the 5.6-rated defender has consistently shown a desire to get forward from his left-back berth and is another who offers potential at either end of the pitch.

Scott Dann keeps his place in our latest update, having led all defenders for goal attempts (eight) over the last six Gameweeks. Palace have only kept one clean sheet in 12 matches since Alan Pardew took over, with a clear emphasis on scoring goals proving detrimental at the back, but the 4.9-priced defender’s ability from set-pieces marks him out as a defender worth considering.

Another defender who offers a threat from set-pieces is Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel, who returns to the Watchlist having served a three-match ban. Now down to 5.9 in FPL, the Slovakian should come into our thoughts ahead of double Gameweek 34 (wba/hul), with the Reds having registered clean sheets in their last six away matches with Skrtel in the starting XI. A pretty favourable schedule thereafter (QPR, che, CPL, sto) makes the former Zenit Saint Petersburg defender an enticing prospect for the season’s finale.

With more chances created (19) over the last eight Gameweeks than any other defender, Kieran Trippier sees his stock rise this week. That period incredibly saw Burnley face all of the current top eight, so the easier forthcoming schedule (eve, LEI, whm, hul, STO, avl) should give the 4.8-valued defender a chance of improving further on those impressive stats, and adding to his four assists far.

Stoke’s Philipp Wollscheid is a non-mover this time around, with four home matches (SOT, SUN, TOT, LIV), along with trips to Swansea and Burnley in the next six. The Potters have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four matches and have little to play for, finding themselves sat in mid-table, but coming in at just 4.4 in FPL, Wollscheid looks a solid budget option.

With a trip to Southampton and home clash against City in the next three, Danny Rose jumps back up a few places. The Tottenham rearguard has looked anything but secure in recent months, conceding 15 goals in their last eight league matches as their season stutters to a halt. Rose’s attacking threat, which has seen him produced nine goal attemptsand as many key passes over that period, keeps him in the reckoning.

Having shrugged off a groin problem to keep his place in the starting XI in the 1-0 win against Burnley, Laurent Koscielny returns to the Watchlist. The France international looks the most certain starter among the Arsenal back four, with Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal battling the likes of the fit-again Mathieu Debuchy, Calum Chambers and Kieran Gibbs for starting berths. With three goals this season, the 6.0-valued defender could come into our thoughts from Gameweek 35, given the Gunners favourable run-in (hul, SWA, mun/SUN, WBA).

Our ladder is completed by budget defenders Patrick van Aanholt and Craig Dawson. The Sunderland left-back has delivered some impressive stats since compatriot Dick Advocaat took the reigns at the Stadium of Light, registering five shots and creating as many chances in just three outings. The 4.1-valued defender picked up his fifth assist of the season against Palace and could be worth looking at further down the line, bearing in mind that the Black Cats have a double (LEI/ars) in Gameweek 37. Dawson’s stock has fallen, given West Brom have shipped seven goals at home to QPR and Leicester in recent weeks, and their run-in is unfavourable (cpl, LIV, mun, new, CHE, ars). With two goals this season and a strong threat at set-pieces, the 4.5-priced defender may yet bring in the points.