Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 3 – The Weak

After assessing the teams with the strongest upcoming schedule yesterday, we now shift our focus to assess those sides we should be trying to avoid for the next six Gameweeks.

This should be a particular interest to those Fantasy managers keen to make amends for an inauspicious start to the campaign, and certainly those with Wildcards active.

We find that, while Everton were mightily impressive in their 3-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday, their fixtures suggest goals and clean sheets will be hard earned in the coming weeks. The Toffees are joined in our group of unfortunates by Steve McClaren’s Newcastle who are on a collision course with all of last season’s top four over their next six matches.

EVERTON

Roberto Martinez’ side have taken four points from their two matches so far, but with home matches against last season’s top two, and a Merseyside derby also to play at Goodison Park, it could be more difficult for the Toffees in the coming weeks. Away trips to Swansea and West Brom, two of the stronger defensive units outside of the regular top six challengers, could also prove to be tricky assignments.

There have been a number of stand-out performers so far, with Romelu Lukaku (8.1) and Ross Barkley (6.6) both scoring twice and registering an assist in the first two Gameweeks. The Belgian has thrived playing against the top four sides in the past, but with the likes of Swansea’s Bafetimbi Gomis (7.1) and Stoke’s Mame Biram Diouf (6.5) providing strong options at a slightly cheaper price, it may be too much of a risk to back Lukaku to keep delivering. Barkley is more friendly on the budget, and like his team-mate, is among the top ten players transferred in this week in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

At the back, Phil Jagielka (5.5) and Seamus Coleman (6.0) have ownerships of 21.6% and 13.7% in FPL respectively, and look unlikely to justify their hefty price tags given the quality of attacks heading their way in the upcoming period, while Coleman may also have to be more cautious with his raiding runs from right-back.

NEWCASTLE

After a promising performance in the 2-2 draw against Southampton, Steve McClaren’s men fell to a lacklustre 2-0 defeat at Swansea last weekend, making it seven consecutive Premier League away defeats for the Magpies, with just one goal scored. Given they have to travel to Man United, West Ham and Man City in the next six, the prospects for Newcastle’s Fantasy assets are severely hampered, particularly bearing in mind that they also face home clashes against Arsenal and Chelsea in the same spell.

Papiss Cisse (6,5) scored in that opening weekend draw and also bagged full bonus points but with difficult opponents and the possibility of Aleksandar Mitrovic taking minutes away or even being handed a chance to start, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to significantly add to his tally in the next six Gameweeks. Georginio Wijnaldum was another to find the back of the net against Southampton, but priced at 7.0 in FPL, the likes of West Ham’s Dimitri Payet (7.6) and Swansea’s Andre Ayew (7.1) have both form and fixtures in their favour and look far more appealing mid-price options.

Newcastle have only kept one clean sheet in their last 13 league matches, so while Tim Krul (4.5) and Massadio Haidara (4.5) are kind on the budget, the chances of them registering shut-outs in over the next six appear slim.

CRYSTAL PALACE

With just two clean sheets from 20 matches under the stewardship of Alan Pardew, the Eagles backline can’t be trusted to provide defensive returns, particularly with clashes against Chelsea, City and Tottenham in the coming weeks.

Joel Ward (4.5) may have collected a ten-point haul against Arsenal thanks to his long-range strike and maximum bonus, but with just two goals from 105 top flight appearances, we can hardly rely upon further attacking returns. Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy (4.0), like Ward, has seen plenty of investment this week, with over 78,000 transfers in, but with uncertainty surrounding the pecking order at Selhurst Park among the goalkeepers until Julian Speroni returns from his hand injury in the next few weeks, the former QPR stopper represents a risk.

Further forward, Yohan Cabaye’s 12.7% ownership may be looking elsewhere once this weekend’s favourable home clash against Aston Villa is out of the way, while owners of Jason Puncheon and Yannick Bolasie will hold similar concerns. With Connor Wickham, Glenn Murray and Patrick Bamford all vying for the lone striker role in the 4-2-3-1 formation, few will be looking at the Eagles frontline options for now.

ARSENAL

While it’s difficult to back against the likes of Alexis Sanchez, there’s no doubt Arsenal face some tricky fixtures in the next few weeks. The Gunners entertain Liverpool and Man United at the Emirates, two sides that have yet to concede a goal, while they also have to travel to champions Chelsea and the in-form Leicester.

With Man City’s attackers facing such kind fixtures, there appears to be no need to own more than one Arsenal attacking option over the coming period, with Sanchez and Mesut Ozil looking the leading contenders for that spot. Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey (both 8.5) have failed to register attacking returns so far and could find their way out of many Fantasy managers’ 15-man squads, while with Sergio Aguero a “must have” for many FPL bosses, the 9.0-priced Olivier Giroud seems unlikely to attract many suitors, despite his well-taken volley against Palace.

Arsene Wenger’s side have conceded three goals in their two matches so far, and with some tricky fixtures in the next six Gameweeks, the likes of Laurent Koscielny (6.0) and Per Mertesacker (5.5), with ownerships of 16.2% and 15% respectively, may struggle to justify their price tags. Likewise, Petr Cech (5.5) has shown some weaknesses early in his Gunners career and may struggle to accumulate clean sheets in the coming weeks.

BE WARY OF…

Man United
Louis van Gaal’s side have struggled in front of goal so far this term, and with three tricky away fixtures (swa, sot, ars) on the horizon, it’s not a great surprise to see Wayne Rooney topping the transfers out this week, with over 197,000 FPL managers shedding the United skipper. Memphis Depay certainly earned a stay of execution following his shift against Club Brugge on Tuesday, but while both players could deliver against struggling Newcastle this weekend, the need to adequately cover the Man City frontline for their favourable run of fixtures may see United assets sacrificed.

Van Gaal’s men do appear to offer a far tighter unit in defence this season, with back-to-back clean sheets registered against Tottenham and Aston Villa. At this point, it’s looks far safer to back the Red Devils rearguard rather than their attack through this tricky run of fixtures. Matteo Darmian (5.7), who has racked up four bonus points so far, continues to present a worthy target: the Magpies visit, plus the home fixture against Sunderland in Gameweek 7 should prove profitable for the Italian and his defensive team-mate.

Chelsea
Many Fantasy managers put their faith in “big hitters” Branislav Ivanovic (7.0) and Eden Hazard (11.5) at the start of the season, but with a meagre four FPL points between the pair, and some difficult match-ups over the next six Gameweeks, it appears the sizeable funds tied up in the duo could really be better spent elsewhere.

Jose Mourinho’s team sheet will be closely monitored on Sunday given his shock decision to withdraw John Terry at half-time at the Etihad. The Chelsea skipper’s 9.8% ownership are facing an anxious wait to see if he’ll start at the Hawthorns, while there is an outside chance Cesar Azpilicueta could shift to right-back instead of the struggling Ivanovic, with new signing Baba Rahman (6.0) an outside bet to make his debut at left-back.

Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas are other big names at Stamford Bridge enduring tough starts to the new campaign, so until we see the Blues conjure up some stronger performances, it may be best to avoid their expensive Fantasy options for the time being, with their schedule easing from Gameweek 9 onwards.