Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 21 – The Strong

With the busy festive period now behind us, it’s time to focus on which sides should be backed to start 2016 off with a bang. West Ham are handed the platform to build on back-to-back victories, whilst Swansea are set for a crucial upcoming period that hands them four home fixtures in the next six Gameweeks.

WEST HAM

With four clean sheets over previous last six matches, the West Ham defence has been a great source of Fantasy points over the past month. The fact they face the three teams (bou, AVL, nor) who have recorded the fewest numbers of shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks over the coming period offers a real possibility of further shut-outs. Barring the 4-0 victory over Arsenal, Southampton have also been struggling for goals for quite some time, while Newcastle have only managed one goal from their last four matches. Only the home clash against Man City in Gameweek 23 looks unfavourable in the next six then, and while Bilic may adopt a more attacking game plan now he has Dimitri Payet available once again, the likes of Aaron Cresswell (5.5) and Adrian (5.0) should be able to provide a decent number of defensive points over the next few weeks. With skipper Winston Reid back in training, though, it remains to be seen whether James Collins or Angelo Ogbonna will make way once the Kiwi is fully fit.

The Hammers only managed five goals in the seven league matches Payet missed through injury, but the expectation is that the return of the France international should spark their attack back into life. The home fixture against Aston Villa in Gameweek 24 looks the stand-out clash, with the Villans having conceded seven goals in their last four matches. Newcastle have allowed the most number of shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks (45), while the trips to Bournemouth and Norwich should see Bilic’s men get on the scoresheet. Even the Man City match-up is reasonable, given the Citizens struggles at the back with out Vincent Kompany, so Payet (7.7) certainly looks a great option in midfield for the upcoming period, with his current ownership standing at just 7% in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) following his lengthy lay-off.

WEST BROM

The Baggies also only have two home fixtures (AVL, SWA) across the next six Gameweeks, but with both of those sides featuring in the bottom six for shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks, clean sheets look a reasonable possibility. Defensive returns could be scarce in the four away trips over the next month or so, though, with Chelsea having scored five goals in their last two home matches, while Everton have found the back of the net 17 times in their last six at Goodison. As already touched upon, though, Southampton and Newcastle have been short of goals of late, so overall the outlook for members of the West Brom rearguard generally looks bright. Craig Dawson (5.1) continues to look a solid option in defence, then, but with Ben Foster (4.9) stepping up his recovery with a 45-minute run out for the reserves yesterday, Boaz Myhill’s 10% ownership may soon have to make alternative plans.

With few genuine Fantasy options among West Brom’s attackers, it’s unlikely that any will really capture the imagination of FPL bosses. The home matches against Aston Villa and Swansea may well see Tony Pulis’ men get on the scoresheet, but with the Swans having kept three clean sheets in the last four, that fixture may not yield too many goals. Chelsea have also looked a far stronger defensive unit since the arrival of Guus Hiddink, managing shut-outs in their previous two. Although the other three away matches (sot, new, eve) are quite reasonable, it’s very unlikely we’ll be looking to the Hawthorns for our front-eight positions.

SWANSEA

The Welsh side’s next three matches sees them square off against teams who feature among the top five for goals against over the last four Gameweeks. Sunderland also rank third for shots conceded from inside the box during that period, so the likes of Andre Ayew (6.8) and Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.0) look attractive mid-price options in the short-term. In truth, the remaining fixtures on the current slate (wba, CPL, SOT) are also fairly reasonable, with the Southampton clash in particular offering hope of a goal or two, having conceded at both West Ham and Norwich in recent matches. Uncertainty over the managerial situation at the Liberty Stadium may put off any would-be suitors, although there has been speculation that caretaker boss Alan Curtis could be handed the reins for the rest of the season.

It’s at the back where Fantasy managers may be more keen to invest in, with the Swans having shored up defensively of late. Sunderland and Watford have been in good form in front of goal, though, registering five and seven strikes respectively over the last four Gameweeks, while as already mentioned, Everton have been rampant at Goodison Park over the previous few months. It’s perhaps the final three fixtures that could provide defensive returns, although Palace’s lean spell in front of goal could be remedied by Gameweek 25 given the Eagles are in the market for a new striker. Ashley Williams (4.8) is the obvious target, given he’s racked up a sensational 14 bonus points from a possible 15 in the five matches the Swans have kept a clean sheet in this season, with Lukasz Fabianski (4.7) a decent option in goal.

ALSO CONSIDER…

Bournemouth
The Cherries have four home matches in the next six (WHM, NOR, sun, cpl, ARS, STO), so their budget options could really come into their own over the coming period. Eddie Howe’s men have only conceded four goals in their last six, and the home clash against Norwich looks favourable in terms of picking up some defensive returns. The other fixtures aren’t overly favourable, but with a decent attacking threat from the likes of Charlie Daniels (4.5) and Adam Smith (4.1), the pair look decent options over the new few weeks.

Bournemouth have provided us with a plethora of budget midfield options this season, and with the next three fixtures pretty favourable, the likes of Josh King (4.6) and Junior Stanislas (4.2) should continue to offer great value for a fifth midfielder. The imminent arrival of Juan Iturbe on loan from Roma could throw some doubt over the make up of the Bournemouth attack, though.

Norwich
Alex Neil’s side are full of confidence right now after picking up nine points from their last four matches, and the fixture list over the next six Gameweeks (sto, bou, LIV, TOT, avl, WHM) generally offers further cause for optimism. The Canaries have only managed three clean sheets this season, though, with all of those coming at Carrow Road, and with Liverpool, Tottenham and West Ham visiting East Anglia in the next six, registering a fourth shut-out could be tricky. The away trips to Bournemouth and Aston Villa are fairly reasonable, though.

It’s a similar story from an attacking sense, with the Bournemouth and Aston Villa matches the two clear favourable fixtures. Wes Hoolahan (4.8) is the stand-out attacking option at Norwich, but with so many other budget options available to FPL managers in midfield, the Republic of Ireland international may not have a strong enough run of fixtures to warrant much investment.

Watford
Odion Ighalo (6.4) and Troy Deeney (5.2) rank among the top five highest scoring forwards in FPL, and the pair should continue to flourish over the next three Gameweeks (sot, swa, NEW). The Hornets do then face a tougher run of matches (CHE, tot, cpl), but Ighalo, in particular, has proven he can score against the sternest of defences.

Watford have managed an impressive eight clean sheets so far this season, and the next three matches appear reasonable in terms of being able to add to that tally. Allan Nyom (4.7) and Heurelho Gomes (4.8) could continue to provide decent value, then, but while the pair are worth holding onto, further investment is unlikely, given the difficult fixtures that follow.