Spurs grind out a vital victory, Arsenal need help to triumph and Middlesbrough pick up their first three points of the year on a dour but important night of Premier League fare. A long and meandering Gameweek 34 is nearly over, with few well-owned assets enjoying a profitable Wednesday night.
Here’s the Stock Check…
On the Rise
Christian Eriksen
In the rush to pick up Spurs stars for their Double Gameweek 37, the Danish midfielder has been rather left behind.
More than 30,000 managers sold Eriksen ahead of their trip to Selhurst Park and he duly punished that lack of faith with a stunning winner to keep the title race alive and his loyal 18% ownership happy.
That’s three goals and as many assists over the last six Gameweeks for Eriksen. Add in nine bonus points, including a maximum last night, and he’s provided 49 points over that period – the 35.2%-owned Dele Alli has 42 points from the same haul of goal and assists, but can’t match his team-mate for bonus awards.
The pair remain key assets for the run-in, with Harry Kane’s assist for Eriksen keeping his own output simmering ahead of Sunday’s decidedly crucial North London derby.
Indeed, Kane remains the top FPL transfer target since the previous deadline passed, with over 34,000 new owners snapping him up.
Nacho Monreal, Gabriel
The Spanish defender is thriving in Arsene Wenger’s brave new world of three at the back.
The 3-4-2-1 formation was rolled out again in the 1-0 win over Leicester City, though the Gunners’ manager’s decision to play Kieran Gibbs at left wing-back allowed Monreal to switch to left centre-back at the expense of Rob Holding.
That derails plans to exploit the young centre-half’s 4.0 price as we consider how best to take advantage of Arsenal’s two Double Gameweeks still to come.
But it should boost Monreal’s attractiveness. He’s not the cheapest at 5.8, but Wenger has used the versatile Spaniard in all but two league matches this season.
His 12-point haul last night included an assist for Robert Huth’s own goal, a clean sheet and maximum bonus points.
A cheaper option involves Gabriel (4.8), who has started all three matches of Wenger’s new-look Arsenal in light of Shkodran Mustafi’s ongoing injury absence.
Choosing Gunners defenders remains risky, however – last night’s clean sheet was only a third since Gameweek 21 and they face Spurs and Southampton away and host Manchester United over the next three fixtures.
A knee injury picked up by Laurent Koscielny last night clouds the issue further. Although the Frenchman managed to play through the pain to finish the Leicester match, Wenger conceded post-match that he’s yet to ascertain the extent of the problem.
In Decline
Alvaro Negredo
More than 150,000 managers rolled the dice and captained the striker for Middlesbrough’s Double Gameweek and the Spaniard duly produced the slimmest of pickings.
Negredo’s 14.9% ownership base was never likely to hold onto him anyway – Boro still have to face three of the top four – but four measly points from his two Gameweek 34 outings has sparked an early, and probably rage-fuelled, exodus, with nearly 26,000 managers selling him already.
We can expect that to escalate over the next two days, though – Negredo has been sold by over 10,000 managers in the last 24 hours, more than any other player.
Alexis Sanchez
The Chilean midfielder remains the game’s riskiest proposition.
Ignore him and Fantasy Premier League’s leading points scorer has six matches to show that ignorance is not always bliss.
Keep or buy him in and we’ll be betting the house – or at least a hefty 11.5 – on a player with just two goals and an underwhelming 25 points from his last six league starts.
The jury remains out on the impact Arsenal’s new formation is having on Sanchez. He was moved back to the central striker role against Leicester City, with Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil flanking him, but that didn’t improve his output.
He managed just two shots, both from outside the area, with one hitting the bar. But he has scored twice in three matches in all competitions since the switch to a defensive three took place.
Sticking or twisting on Sanchez looks like being one of the biggest decisions as we prepare for our crucial final Wildcard of the season.
Son Heung-min
The general wisdom is that we’ll need three Spurs players in our sides from here on in.
Until recently, one of them was likely to be the South Korean midfielder.
But Mauricio Pochettino has created considerable doubt in our minds now. He used Son as a wing-back in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final and benched him at Selhurst Park last night.
A half-time switch to a four-man defence gave Son a second chance and he was a key part of an improved Spurs performance after the break, but there is no place for doubt when Pochettino’s charges have just five matches left to garner us points.
With Kane, Alli and Eriksen looking undroppable, Son’s 12.2% ownership have a decision to make – over 6,000 have already jumped ship over the last 24 hours.
Mamadou Sakho
A mini-rush to tap into Palace’s defensive assets for their Double Gameweek 34 didn’t include Sakho as he was ineligible to play in the first match against parent club Liverpool.
But the Eagles are undoubtedly a far tougher proposition with the Frenchman at the heart of their defence, so the knee injury he sustained against Spurs last night weakens the attraction of holding on to relatively cheap Palace defenders throughout the run-in.
Sakho looks highly likely to have played his final match this season, according to Sam Allardyce.
“He has hyperextended the knee. It is certainly serious enough to keep him out for who knows how long, we won’t know until we diagnose it, but if it is ligament it may be the end (of his loan spell), it may not.”
Those of us with Wildcards can weather the storm, but it’s not quite so simple for the rest.
With James Tomkins also currently sidelined, those looking for a budget enabler from the Palace back line ahead of attractive home matches with Burnley and their (albeit single) Gameweek 37 clash with Hull City could well be drawn to the 4.2-priced Martin Kelly.
Wilfried Zaha
Snapped up by over 144,000 FPL managers for Palace’s pair of fixtures, Zaha proved a bitter disappointment.
While Christian Benteke backers were rewarded with 14 points over the Double Gameweek, Zaha limped in with just three points to show for his troubles, with last night’s late booking merely adding injury to insult.
Already, Zaha is the third most transferred out midfielder in the Gameweek, despite that favourable upcoming home clash with the Clarets.
Although some 17% owners may look to hold for the Burnley encounter, trips to Man City and Man United in the final three suggest that Zaha looks set to depart many more squads once the weekend has passed, particularly for those set to wield wildcards in time for Double Gameweek 36.
