Time for the latest instalment of the Weekly Shop, where we cast our eye over the player list of our partner game FanDuel to pick out some of the key assets for the upcoming round.

Ahead of that analysis, we consider a few of the fixtures that stand out as potentially strong sources of FanDuel points.

Manchester City host Crystal Palace and both sides provide some intriguing prospects for our line-ups. Sam Allardyce’s injury-stricken defence supplies a couple of budget options that should bring in points, as could players from Pep Guardiola’s fluid attack.

A buoyant Bournemouth welcome Stoke City with the in-form home side worth of our attention. We ponder Eddie Howe’s options across all four positions as we pinpoint the Cherries assets capable of delivering big.

Meanwhile, Eden Hazard’s recent record indicates that Middlesbrough will be hard pressed to silence the Belgian and pick up a result at Stamford Bridge. We ponder which of the Boro rearguard are in line to benefit from their attempts to hold back the league leaders’ attacking tide.

The Better Buys

We begin by highlighting the players at the top end of the FanDuel market – the prime contenders for a spot in our line-ups. They may require considerable investment but have consistently delivered over the season to suggest that they warrant such outlay.

First up, there are a pair of premium candidates for the keeper’s jersey this Gameweek.

West Brom travel to Turf Moor having blanked in their last three road trips. Burnley’s stubbornness at home has been a defining aspect of their season and Tom Heaton (£8.3m) has epitomised that resilience. The stopper has made 24 saves and kept three clean sheets in his last six outings, and another is on the cards against the Baggies to provide the ten points on offer for keepers.

Bournemouth’s Artur Boruc (£8.3m) is another tempting option if you’re willing to spend big. The Polish shot-stopper is top for saves over the last six Gameweeks, registering 30 to produce a 19.6-point FanDuel average from those outings. Back-to-back clean sheets bodes well for another shut-out, particularly considering visitors Stoke have failed to net in six successive away matches.

Defenders in FanDuel gain points for defensive actions such as clearances and tackles as opposed to clean sheets, leading us to focus on those that will be facing waves of attack in difficult fixtures.

The Middlesbrough backline will certainly be kept busy at Stamford Bridge. Calum Chambers (£7.8m) looks excellent value against Chelsea, particularly if he returns to centre-back. Daniel Ayala’s injury could force that change of position, which would put the Arsenal loanee directly in the path of Diego Costa. We’d expect the defender to reach the 21.74 points he’s averaged so far this campaign.

Much depends on how their UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg pans out tonight, but Manchester United’s Daley Blind (£7.9m) looks likely to figure at the Emirates with the injuries to the Red Devils back line severely limiting Jose Mourinho’s options. The versatile Dutchman has started the last three and recorded 24 clearances and eight tackles in that trio of run-outs to average a healthy 21 points per match.

Ahead of Leicester City’s encounter with Watford, Robert Huth (£8.1m) has recorded five scores of 20+ points over his last nine outings. The centre-back’s two shots on target and 13 CBI’s last time out at the King Power helped him accrue a score of 27.5 points and indicates his potential at both ends against the Hornets. As well as his goal threat, the German sits fourth for clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBIs) over the last six Gameweeks.

Next, we turn to the midfielders and forwards foremost in our thoughts.

Manchester City’s Leroy Sane (£10.6m) was rested in the first half at Boro, but arrived from the bench to produce an assist and emphasise his growing influence in Pep Guardiola’s plans. The starlet should earn a recall to first XI for the visit of Palace and provides a cheaper alternative to another solid FanDuel pick Kevin De Bruyne (£12.2m) – the Belgian has a 22.3-point average this season.

Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson (£12.5m) has reiterated his importance to a Swansea side fighting for survival, a goal and assist in his last two outings suggesting he’s overcome a dip in form. Everton roll up to the Liberty Stadium without a win in six away ties, providing Paul Clement’s outfit with a crucial opportunity to secure a victory. The Icelander’s 25-point average this season places him behind only the sidelined Philippe Coutinho and Eden Hazard for Fanduel midfielders in the Saturday to Monday window.

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard (£12.7m) will be a popular pick, with only two blanks in twelve matches reflecting a ruthless consistency ahead of Middlesbrough’s visit. The midfielder continues to perform better at Stamford Bridge than away, with an impressive 37-point FanDuel average over his last five at home making him almost impossible to overlook.

Blues frontman Diego Costa (£12.7m) also has to be considered following his brace and assist last time out in front of his own fans. That led to a score of 65.5 points to show he’s capable of bringing in significant hauls. Boro’s 56 attempts conceded in the box is the fourth worst tally in the league over the last six fixtures and adds weight to including one or more of Antonio Conte’s attacking assets.

After a blank at Arsenal, Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy (£10.7m) maintained his best form of the campaign with a goal at The Hawthorns last time out. He boasts attacking returns in eight of his last nine – registering seven goals and three assists – which hints he’ll likely be involved in any goals against Watford.

Josh King’s (£11.7m) price in FanDuel has been steadily rising, but that’s no surprise – his winner at Sunderland made it nine goals in ten outings for the Bournemouth forward. Benik Afobe’s injury should mean the Cherries’ main threat is deployed as the lone striker – further increasing his appeal as a listless Stoke side make a trip to the south coast.

Manchester City could be in for another period without top scorer Sergio Aguero’s services after the Argentine limped off against Middlesbrough. That has boosted Gabriel Jesus’ (£11m) status as a viable option for our line-ups up against a Palace rearguard missing their first choice centre-backs. The Brazilian returned from injury with a goal and has now notched four and served up an assist in a trio of league starts.

The Poundstretchers

In this section we scan the middle and lower price ranges to identify some prospects that can save funds but also offer value with a reasonable chance of picking up FanDuel points.

In goal, Manchester United’s David De Gea (£6.9m) appears to be a budget option with the ability to reap the rewards. The Spaniard scored 28.75 points at City in his previous away match, with a clean sheet and six saves. An away clash at Arsenal could easily provide similar returns based on the Gunners’ recent stuttering form.

Liverpool welcome Southampton, and stopper Simon Mignolet (£6.8m) has improved of late by securing two clean sheets in three outings. The Belgian should be tested by the Saints, but with Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren back in central defence, the Reds look steadier at the back and another shut-out is on the cards at Anfield.

Thibaut Courtois, available for £7m, is the third keeper we’ve pinpointed as being potentially underpriced considering the Blues host a Boro side that have blanked in eight of their last ten away fixtures.

Manchester United also provide a bargain defender. Italian Matteo Darmian (£7m) could potentially be utilised at centre-back and has a respectable 16.9 average in FanDuel over his last four starts.

We mentioned that Palace have injury issues in defence, but that means Sam Allardyce will likely have to continue with a partnership of budget buys. Damien Delaney (£6.8m) and Martin Kelly (£7.2m) should both score more than usual with a busy afternoon ahead at the Etihad.

A price tag of £7.5m for Charlie Daniels looks good value for the Bournemouth asset. He should carry an attacking threat with frequent raids down Stoke’s left flank. The full-back scored in his last run-out at the Vitality Stadium and has a 21.5-point average over his last four at home.

The injury to Ayala means Middlesbrough’s Fabio (£7.5m) could start. That will likely lead to Chambers shifting to the centre and the Brazilian coming in at right-back for their difficult trip to Stamford Bridge.

Ryan Bertrand (£7.6m) is a cheap route into a Southampton defence that will be under pressure at Anfield. The left-back picked up 19.5 points last time out, making five tackles and six CBIs against Hull City.

The Tigers, meanwhile, have a must-win home tie with relegated Sunderland this round and they provide several midfield options with budget price tags.

Lazar Markovic, available for £7.3m, is our preferred pick. The Serb has netted in his previous two outings at the KCOM Stadium to score 24 and 31 points in FanDuel.

Eddie Howe may use Junior Stanislas (£7m) in a number ten role, with Afobe out and King up front. In which case, he’d be a potentially explosive differential. Elsewhere in the Bournemouth midfield, Ryan Fraser (£7.2m) has back-to-back assists while Lewis Cook, at just £5.9m, picked up 25 points versus Boro in their last home match.

Crystal Palace enforcer Luka Milivojevic (£7.4m) is top for CBIs in midfield over the last four. The midfielder should be in the thick of the action at the Etihad, particularly with free-kicks and spot-kick duties in his locker.

Swansea’s Tom Carroll (£7.4m) returned points from eight FanDuel actions against Stoke last time out at the Liberty Stadium. The midfielder has registered strong numbers over his last four at home, with a 23.8 average including ten tackles, a goal and an assist.

Fernando Llorente (£8.6m) is another possibility for our line-ups against the travel-sick Toffees. Promisingly, the Swans frontman has tallied nine of his twelve goals at home this campaign.

Despite limited pitch-time, Hull’s Oumar Niasse (£8.5m) has netted four goals in six appearances at home. Coach Marco Silva will see the encounter against the Black Cats as their best opportunity of a victory from their remaining fixtures, and the Everton loanee will be the spearhead of a likely spirited attack.

A late cameo saw Burnley’s Andre Gray (£7.8m) clinch their first away win of the term at Palace last time out. The forward notched a ninth goal of the season ahead of a home match with a West Brom outfit that have conceded 12 goals in their previous six away.

I’ll be back tomorrow with the FanDuel Focus to propose an XI player line-up and take a look at the contests and prizes on offer in the Gameweek 36 windows.

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