Manchester United’s goal machine overshadows his City counterpart, who manages to overcome a bench role to deliver. Elsewhere Leighton Baines takes further strides towards our squads and the value offered by Jermain Defoe and Matt Phillips becomes almost impossible to ignore. Here’s the Stock Check following Monday’s matches….
On the Rise
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
While his second-half strike was clearly offside, Ibrahimovic converted the opportunity with the confidence of player who has scored five times in as many appearances.
The Swede has become a relentless source of Fantasy Premier League points, providing nine goals and four assists in the last nine Gameweeks.
Significantly, he’s also been rewarded with 17 bonus points in that spell and ranks top for that metric overall this season with 23.
While the debate on the optimum configuration of FPL forwards rumbles on, any solution surely has to lock in Ibrahimovic in this form.
The Gameweek 21 visit from Liverpool will provide the next big test but, following that, United’s fixture list continues to offer Ibrahimovic the platform to go on delivering points as he starts to edge towards – whisper it – “essential” status.
Sergio Aguero
In another rollercoaster of a day for Aguero, the Argentine overcame Pep Guardiola’s team selection to emerge from the bench to return a goal and seven FPL points.
A superbly taken strike, it was certainly a goal that suggested that there was more to come from the City man.
However, with Pep’s teamsheet sending early shockwaves throughout the Fantasy Football community, interest in Aguero has been tempered further.
Forthcoming fixtures with Everton and Spurs are also far from straightforward, with Guardiola’s men still struggling for fluidity.
With competition for spots in our forward line so intense and, with Aguero’s price tag a constant obstacle, his 21.5% ownership seems unlikely to spike just yet.
Romelu Lukaku
Another notable contender for one of our three striker slots, Lukaku was on target in Gameweek 20 with a goal of real quality.
Having earned a fortuitous assist earlier in Everton’s 3-0 win over Southampton, the Belgian fetched a fifth double-digit return of the season.
A visit from City is up next in Gameweek 21 but, with very obliging fixtures to follow, interest in the 9.5 priced Lukaku looks destined to pick up pace.
Leighton Baines
Now confirmed as Everton’s designated penalty taker, Baines took further strides towards our line-ups ahead of a favourable schedule.
With attacking returns in four of the last six Gameweeks and 11 bonus points over that period, Baines’s stock has soared of late, effectively ending all arguments on the preferred full-back option in the Toffees squad.
Tom Davies
Handed a first start of the season by Ronald Koeman, the lively midfielder earned a first assist to stake his claim for further opportunities.
With Idrissa Gueye now absent at the Africa Cup of Nations, potentially until Gameweek 25 or beyond, Davies may emerge as a short-term option as a 4.3-priced fifth midfielder.
Jermain Defoe
The Sunderland striker is a key reason why Aguero may struggle to turn heads.
Striking home his fourth and fifth spot-kicks of the campaign, Defoe moved to 11 goals for the season and to 113 points.
Significantly, that trails Diego Costa by just eight points, despite Defoe being priced 3.0 less than the Chelsea man.
Way out in front for points per million among forwards; Defoe now faces Stoke City, West Brom and Crystal Palace in three of his next four.
Vito Mannone
Somewhat exposed at Turf Moor in Gameweek 19, the Italian reacted by producing no less than 13 saves in the 2-2 draw with Liverpoo. That’s more than any other FPL goalkeeper in a single match this season, making him the only stopper to return four save points in a single Gameweek this season.
Accepting the batton from the injured Jordan Pickford, it’s clear that Mannone can also benefit greatly from save points during his run in the Sunderland XI.
The absence of key defender Lamine Kone may kill off any chance of clean sheets over the next five to six Gameweeks but Mannone has highlighted that he could still return points during this phase having fetched an impressive seven-point return on Monday, despite conceding twice.
Matt Phillips
The winger prolonged his spell of outstanding form with two more assists in West Brom’s 3-1 victory over Hull City.
Providing both from corner kicks, the Scot’s mastery of dead-balls continues to provide dividends and supplement his potential from open play.
Second only to Liverpool’s Adam Lallana for transfers in ahead of Gameweek 20, he is currently the top target following Monday’s returns.
Now ahead of Watford’s Etienne Capoue for points per million value, it’s difficult to build a case against Phillips’ acquisition right now.
A Gameweek 21 trip to Spurs will test his ability to deliver against sterner defences but, following that, the Baggies’ fixture list promotes his stock further with Sunderland and Stoke City their next two opponents.
Chris Brunt, Gareth McAuley
Another member of the Baggies contingent to deliver in the victory over the Tigers; Brunt stooped to nod home Phillips’ corner for a second of the season.
Meanwhile, McAuley was not to be denied. He headed his fourth of the campaign from another Phillips cross to further his stock.
The attacking potential offered by the Baggies pair is clear and, with the fixture list remaining kind following Gameweek 21, at least one of this pair appear to be priority signings.
Brunt, with his added potential from open play and dead-ball crosses, has the edge in our Watchlist rankings.
Robert Snodgrass
Despite suffering a stinging defeat, Snodgrass furthered his stock with a seventh goal of the season and fifth double-figure return.
Currently overshadowed by the potential offered by Phillips in the same price bracket, Snodgrass nonetheless has to remain on our radars.
An evil fixture list does cast doubt over his potential output over the coming five Gameweeks, however.
Hull City face Bournemouth in a vital home encounter in Gameweek 21 but follow that with ties with Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Callum Chambers
While Middlesbrough’s skipper Ben Gibson remains the most popular asset in Aitor Karanka’s backline, Chambers, at just 4.4 in the FPL, is offering outstanding value.
Claiming two bonus points from Monday’s 0-0 stalemate with Leicester City, Chambers has surpassed Gibson for clearances, blocks and interceptions over the last four Gameweeks, ranking second overall among all defenders for that metric over that period.
With uncertainty surrounding the Boro full-backs, Chambers is now our go-to option for a backline that faces Watford (a), West Brom (h) and West Ham (h) in their next three.
In Decline
Divock Origi
Jurgen Klopp’s reluctance to make wholesale changes to his line-up at Sunderland saw the Belgian omitted from the Liverpool XI for the second successive match.
Despite having just two days between fixtures, the Liverpool manager opted to start Daniel Sturridge up top away to Sunderland, with Origi afforded just 18 minutes off the bench, adding to his 27-minute sub appearance against Man City on New Year’s Eve.
With the Reds now set to play six more times in January – including a pair of EFPL Cup semi-final clashes against Southampton – Origi’s role as a regular now looks very much in doubt.
In saying that, Sturridge did limp off with an ankle injury, while Sadio Mane is now away at the Africa Cup of Nations, which may yet hand Origi a reprieve – particularly if Philippe Coutinho fails to return from an ankle injury for Gameweek 21.
Nonetheless, Klopp’s teamsheet has already had a significant impact and earn Origi 17,000+ transfers out – more than any other forward in the Gameweek.
George Friend
On New Year’s Eve, away to Manchester United, the Middlesbrough full-back was handed a first start since Gameweek 11 as Antonio Barragan sat out a one-match ban.
Friend immediately dropped back to the bench at home to Leicester yesterday, only to then earn minutes after the Spaniard was forced off with injury during the first-half.
Yesterday’s goalless draw was ‘Boro’s fourth clean sheet in their last six home matches, with only Chelsea and Liverpool breaching their backline over that run.
With a trip to Watford preceding back-to-back visits from West Ham and West Brom, Aitor Karanka’s defensive regulars could go on providing us with a steady source of returns.
While ever-present Gibson is the obvious route, both Chambers and Fabio – at 4.4 apiece – now seem far more reliable options than Friend, who continues to look a peripheral figure in Karanka’s plans.
Kevin De Bruyne
While Aguero owners were relieved with his goal off the bench, De Bruyne’s fall from Fantasy favour shows no sign of abating.
Despite playing the full 90 minutes against Burnley, the Belgian served up a third straight blank and has now managed a mere two assists in the last eight rounds of fixtures.
Team-mate Raheem Sterling, meanwhile, has scored or assisted in four of the last five.
Without a goal since Gameweek 5, De Bruyne now sits level with Hull City’s Snodgrass on 94 points and with winter wildcards now in play, that 10.6 price tag is sure to see his 8% ownership look elsewhere for value.
Nacer Chadli
Hauled off just after the hour-mark in West Brom’s 3-1 comeback win over Hull, the summer signing has now failed to produce any points since Gameweek 8.
With Phillips delivering consistently, Chadli has now dropped to a mere 1% ownership ahead of a trip to former club Spurs.
Although the schedule picks up from Gameweek 22, the Belgian will struggle to earn our attentions, with James Morrison strengthening his claim for a return to the first XI by netting for the hosts – a third goal in his last nine appearances.
Furthermore, should Allan Nyom succeed in his attempt to quit the Africa Cup of Nations, Chadli could well be back on bench-warming duties, allowing Chris Brunt – who started as a left-back yesterday – to occupy the right wing berth once again.
Andy Carroll
Considering his injury history, it was perhaps no real surprise to see the West Ham striker warm the bench against Manchester United, just two days after playing from start to finish away to Leicester.
Limited to just 22 minutes against the Red Devils, Carroll failed to add to his run of two goals in six appearances at a time where some Fantasy managers were considering his services ahead of a fine run of fixtures.
A Gameweek 21 home encounter with Palace certainly bodes well, but Slaven Bilic’s teamsheet served a timely reminder that Carroll’s acquisition doesn’t come without risk – even when he’s fully fit and available for selection.
