Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 27 – The Strong

With the much-discussed Gameweek 28 blanks now looming, those teams who are guaranteed a fixture have gained favour in our latest analysis of the upcoming schedules.

Swansea City and Hull City still look well placed to provide us with several low-to-mid-price options, then, while West Ham United and Liverpool players should also prove to be shrewd investments during this forthcoming spell.

In the longer-term, we’re also advocating planning for acquisitions from Spurs once we clear the perils of the aforementioned blank.

Swansea City

(BUR, hul, bou, MID, TOT, whm)

The Swans’ upcoming schedule is very strong in the short-term, with match-ups against four of their relegation rivals, while the trip to West Ham United also offers reasonable prospects.

Bournemouth and West Ham lead the way for goals conceded over the last four matches with 12 and eight respectively, while Hull City rank third for most shots conceded from inside the box over the same period.

Those three fixtures look favourable for the prospects of the Swansea attack, then, while Burnley have only managed one clean sheet away from home this season.

Goals may be harder to come by against Middlesbrough and, in particular, Tottenham Hotspur, although Paul Clement’s men may well be able to penetrate the stubborn ‘Boro rearguard.

Gylfi Sigurdsson will be widely expected to maintain his impressive run of form, having gained attacking returns in six of his last seven appearances, while forward Fernando Llorente looks a solid option in the low-to-mid-price bracket.

From a defensive perspective, the home clashes against Burnley and ‘Boro appear the most likely to provide dividends.

‘Boro have failed to score in five of their last six on the road, while Burnley have only netted four goals in their last four matches.

The Hull and Bournemouth match-ups are also reasonable, and with his added goal threat, Alfie Mawson looks one of the stronger budget options currently available.

West Ham United

(CHE, bou, LEI, hul, ars, SWA)

The Hammers have four very appealing fixtures over the next six and also benefit from being one of only eight teams guaranteed to play in Gameweek 28, when they travel to struggling Bournemouth.

Looking at the prospects of the West Ham defence, the matches at home to Leicester City and Swansea offer hope of clean sheets, with the Foxes having struggled for goals until Monday night’s 3-1 win over Liverpool.

Swansea rank bottom for shots from inside the box over the last four matches, with just 16, while the Cherries have only managed 17 over the same period.

The trip to the KCOM Stadium is also pretty favourable, so for those looking for a differential at the back, Winston Reid, given his additional goal threat, could be a consideration.

It’s the Hammers’ attack that is likely to attract more attention, however.

Bournemouth, Hull and Swansea all feature among the six teams conceding the most big chances over the last four matches, while Leicester have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six.

Those four fixtures are expected to see Slaven Bilic’s side rack up goals, while unless the Arsenal defence shows signs of improvement over the next few weeks, the Gameweek 31 trip to the Emirates could also offer a return.

Choosing the right Hammers attacker could be an issue, though, with Michail Antonio, Robert Snodgrass and Andy Carroll among the leading options for Gameweek 28 and beyond.

Hull City

(lei, SWA, eve, WHM, MID, mci)

The Tigers have three strong KCOM fixtures over the next six Gameweeks, including that guaranteed clash in Gameweek 28 at home to Swansea.

Saturday’s trip to the King Power Stadium is looking less favourable following Leicester’s impressive 3-1 victory over Liverpool on Monday night, though.

Hull’s budget options are still shaping up to provide intriguing differentials for the upcoming period, with the encounters against Leicester, Swansea, West Ham and, to a slightly lesser extent, ‘Boro offering opportunities for attacking returns.

Investment in a Hull forward is still unlikely at this point, though, given that neither Abel Hernandez or Oumar Niasse have established themselves as the first-choice striker.

Lazar Markovic and Kamil Grosicki could be of interest in midfield, although the Serbian remains an injury doubt ahead of this weekend.

It’s perhaps Marco Silva’s defences that harbours the greatest potential.

The Tigers have proved resilient in front of their own fans since the arrival of Silva, so shut-outs could be on the cards over their next three home clashes.

Clean sheets seem more unlikely in the three away matches, but the goal threat of Harry Maguire, allied to his 4.4 price tag in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), makes him an interesting option – providing he can recover from a knee injury to face Swansea in Gameweek 28.

Left-back Andrew Robertson represents the safest route into the Hull backline, given that Michael Dawson and Curtis Davies could threaten the starting spot of Maguire when they return to full fitness, though that is likely to be a month away.

Liverpool

(ARS, BUR, mci, EVE, BOU, sto)

With Jurgen Klopp’s side playing four of their next five at home, including the visit of Burnley to Anfield in Gameweek 28, when so many other teams miss out, Liverpool assets have seen their stock rise dramatically.

Only Chelsea (36) have scored more goals at home than the Reds’ 31, so Klopp’s attack has to be backed over the next month.

The Burnley and Bournemouth fixtures certainly look hugely enticing, while Liverpool’s record against the bigger sides offers hope they could also find returns against Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton.

The trip to the bet365 Stadium in Gameweek 32 also appears reasonable, so investing in at least one Reds midfielder looks advisable over the coming spell.

Sadio Mane perhaps remains the standout option, given his electric form at Anfield this season, but Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and, to a lesser extent, Adam Lallana will also have their backers.

The weaknesses shown in the 3-1 defeat to Leicester, along with the fact that clean sheets are unlikely against Arsenal, City and Everton, means Reds defenders are unlikely to be high on our priority list.

Nathaniel Clyne is perhaps too expensive to justify a spot in our five-man backlines, while Dejan Lovren – a decent option when fit, given his 4.8 price tag in FPL – has missed the last three matches due to a knee injury.

Also Consider

Everton
The fact that the Toffees play in Gameweek 28, when they host West Bromwich Albion, drives our interest in their assets.

That’s the first of four strong home fixtures to come (WBA, HUL, LEI, BUR) which ensures that Everton’s three tough away fixtures over that period (tot, liv, mun), fail to provide a reason to bail.

While faith in Romelu Lukaku is likely to remain strong, midfield picks such as Ross Barkley and Ademola Lookman may have limited appeal once Gameweek 28 is cleared.

Five clean sheets in their last seven suggests that those home fixtures alone justify keeping hold of an Everton defender, with Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines liable to chip in with attacking points.

Leicester City
Although the champions blank in Gameweek 28, they do face three favourable home fixtures (HUL, STO, SUN) in their next four.

It remains to be seen whether the Liverpool win was a one-off, or the sign of a happier camp following the departure of Claudio Ranieri, but a reinvigorated Jamie Vardy could provide a handy differential over the coming weeks.

The England international still looks overpriced at 9.6, though, while no other Leicester attackers currently make a case for inclusion in our 15-man squads.

Those three home matches could yield a clean sheet or two, but the Foxes’ rearguard has struggled over the last few months, and is unlikely to attract any investment. Christian Fuchs could prove the exception should he follow up on Monday’s assist.

Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs also suffer from a blank in Gameweek 28, but their schedule is very favourable all the way up to Gameweek 34.

Home clashes against Everton, Southampton and Watford in the next five bode well for Harry Kane, who has accrued 43 points in FPL over his last three appearances at White Hart Lane.

With reasonable away trips to Burnley and Swansea also on the agenda, both Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli should remain powerful options in midfield.

Injury worries over both Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are a concern regarding the Spurs backline but, with his added attacking threat, Kyle Walker remains a solid option.