We call upon a trio of midfielders this afternoon as Fantasy managers brace themselves for a hectic mid-January period that hands us two Gameweeks over the next few days. West Ham’s fit-again playmaker is back on our radar and joined by a couple of wide men this time around as the minutes tick down to another deadline.
Dimitri Payet
Dimitri Payet (7.7) picked up where left off on his return from injury against Liverpool, pirouetting out of challenges and fashioning two key passes in a second-half cameo. The France international was subsequently afforded another 30-minute run-out in the Hammers’ midweek FA Cup encounter, priming him for a start in the league.
Payet was pitched at 7.5 at the start of the campaign but saw his valuation bloom to 8.3 in the wake of an eye-catching purple patch (four goals and three assists across six outings). Now priced back at 7.7, there’s a great opportunity snap up a player that’s only failed to deliver attacking returns in three of the 11 matches he’s started and finished this term.
Throughout the course of the campaign, Payet ranks second – behind Mesut Ozil (one every 20.4 minutes) – for key-pass frequency (23.4) and top among the Iron’s midfield contingent for shots on target (11). Only Swansea (four) have tallied fewer goals than Bilic’s troops (five) during the seven Gameweeks that Payet was consigned to the treatment room, underlining his importance to their attacking output.
West Ham excelled on the road when Payet was fit – besting the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool while tallying 12 goals in six outings – so the prospect of back-to-back away fixtures (sou, new) should not be a deterrent. Aside from the fact that the Cherries have recorded just two clean sheets at home, the Hammers will be encouraged by attacking form that has them ranked second for shots in box (24), joint-second for big chances (five) and top for shots on target (14) across the past two Gameweeks.
Wilfried Zaha
Wilfried Zaha (5.3) netted the winner for Crystal Palace in their 2-1 triumph over Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium, alerting us to his differential potential in the budget bracket. The ex-Manchester United recruit is yet to establish himself as a serious contender on the Fantasy scene (two goals, three assists) but has terrorised defences with his nimble footwork at greater regularity this season, earning three penalties in the process.
Although the Eagles have recorded three successive blanks in the league, they’re set to receive a timely boost with the return of Connor Wickham – who’s been training with the first team after shaking off a calf complaint. Alan Pardew’s men failed to score in the two Gameweeks prior to Wickham’s comeback in Gameweek 12 but went on to chalk up 11 goals in six match-ups with the former Sunderland marksman spearheading their attack.
At Villa Park, the Eagles will meet a side that ranks rock-bottom for clean sheets (two) and second for goals conceded (37). The home side also have an issue in the right-back area, with Alan Hutton sidelined – that could see skipper Micah Richards deployed out of position and up against a lively Zaha.
Palace, meanwhile, rank third for road wins (five), having tasted defeat just twice on their travels. With a trip to Man City and home clash against Tottenham Hotspur immediately following the Gameweek 21 fixture, the Londoners should go all out to snag all three points and keeping pace with West Ham in the tussle for a Europa League berth. Zaha may yet prove to be a key figure in those ambitions.
Raheem Sterling
With the majority of Fantasy managers plumping for Kevin De Bruyne (28% ownership) and Yaya Toure (18%) in their pursuit of Man City coverage, the 9%-owned Raheem Sterling (8.7) represents a departure from the crowd. Although he lays claim to inferior form, the jet-heeled winger supplied an assist against Norwich City in the FA Cup and netted in his last home start. Moreover, all of his attacking returns in the league (five goals, three assists) bar one assist, have arrived at the Etihad, which bodes well ahead of Everton’s visit.
Delving into his underlying statistics, only three midfielders amassed more shots on target (five) than Sterling over the last four Gameweeks, while he ranked second – behind Aaron Ramsey (23) – for penalty-box touches (20). Taking the season as a whole, the former Liveprool recruit has chalked up six more shots inside the box (27) than any of his Sky Blues counterparts and the joint-most shots on target (18).
For all the Toffees’ attacking verve of late, Sterling will fancy his chances against a rearguard that placed joint-second for goals conceded (10) over the previous half-dozen Gameweeks. Additionally, Roberto Martinez’s squad has failed to exert control while on the road, ranking eighth for big chances conceded (16) and eighth for shots inside the box surrendered (83). Man City, though, have accrued six more home goals (29) than the rest of the field and rank top for shots on target (73) on familiar soil.
Everton will also be wary of their right-back area with Seamus Coleman sidelined. City’s combination of Aleks Kolarov and Sterling could be a key weapon in Wednesday meeting, with Pellegrini perhaps concentrating attacks in that area in light of Coleman’s absence.
