Wins for Everton, Leicester City and Stoke City highlight a number of budget options, while a stalemate at The Hawthorns brings in yet more bonus points for a key Crystal Palace defender.
In the transfer tussle between cut-price Everton forwards Oumar Niasse and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it was the Senegalese who won the battle, but it’s the young Englishman who could yet win the war. At least until January.
Confidence in the Toffees is returning quickly, prompting 66,000+ to invest in Niasse (5.0) as their third striker for the visit of Huddersfield Town.
The extra 0.1 required to secure Calvert-Lewin’s services was a stretch too far for many – he was bought by just 21,000 – but they were treated to a 12-point haul from their capture involving a goal, an assist and maximum bonus.
Niasse, meanwhile, watched the entire 2-0 win from the bench.
The market is now moving decisively to Calvert-Lewin, with 31000+ signings putting him in the top five for transfers-in ahead of Gameweek 16’s Merseyside derby at Anfield. Some 6000+ of those have moved direct from Niasse.
There’s no question that Calvert-Lewin will come under threat. He will need to maintain form to retain a starting role and new Everton boss Sam Allardyce has also made it very clear that a striker will be his top target in the January window. Until then, however, the 20-year-old should get opportunities and emerge as a prime cut-price solution for Fantasy managers.
The derby clash aside, the schedule is otherwise kind to Everton, with a visit from Chelsea the only other tricky fixture until the New Year.
That should energise the transfer activity surrounding Gylfi Sigurdsson as well.
The midfielder’s form had been as poor as his new club’s, but he now has returns from his last four starts after scoring the opener yesterday. His modest 2.2% ownership will surely blossom if he can maintain such form.
Post-match, Allardyce revealed how pushing the Icelander further up the pitch proved pivotal in breaking the deadlock.
“We changed the tactics at half-time by telling Aaron Lennon and Gylfi to sit in the holes, not to chase their full-backs all the way back on top of our full-backs… that gave them a bit more freedom when we won the ball back, because we could pop it into them and they were further up the pitch when they were receiving the ball.”
Allardyce’s reputation for defensive solidity was hardly harmed by a second consecutive clean sheet for the Toffees, with a couple of assets looking increasingly attractive.
Young full-back Jonjoe Kenny (4.3) has now started the last seven matches and has returned 16 points from the last two, while keeper Jordan Pickford (4.8) has produced 22 points over the same period.
The former Sunderland stopper was an outstanding Fantasy option last season and he’s starting to look the same again this time around, picking up two bonus points yesterday despite making only three saves.
As for Huddersfield, the heady days of their Gameweek 9 win over Man United are now just a dim memory.
They’ve lost four straight, scoring just the once while conceding 12, and their assets are looking increasingly toxic.
Gray back on the radar
Demarai Gray repaid the faith shown in him by new Leicester City manager Claude Puel with the only goal of a tight encounter against Burnley.
The young winger has started all but one of the Frenchman’s six matches in charge, returning to the first XI yesterday after he was benched in the midweek win over Spurs.
The 5.3-priced midfielder was deployed in a No 10 role and had four shots, all in the penalty area, in a busy display that reaffirmed his differential credentials – he’s owned by just 0.9% – ahead of a fine short-term schedule (new sot CRY).
Another more seasoned differential candidate is Riyad Mahrez (4.8%), whose assist from a cross/shot yesterday was the sixth match he’s produced returns (three goals, four assists) from in eight Gameweeks. Notably, he was stationed back on the left flank to accommodate Gray’s return.
A first clean sheet since Gameweek 10 was particularly productive for Kasper Schmeichel’s 4.2% ownership, the keeper bringing in 10 points as he was also awarded maximum bonus for the third time this season. That takes him level with Burnley’s Nick Pope on nine for the season.
Cut-price full-back option Ben Chilwell (4.3), who had initially been used by Puel as a winger, kept his place at left-back, with Christian Fuchs named on the bench having missed the midweek win following the birth of his daughter.
Shaqiri delivers again
Stoke City midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri’s smartly-taken goal in the 2-1 win over Swansea City took him to four goals and five assists for the season.
That equals his best-ever Premier League haul from his debut campaign (three goals, six assists) with December having only just arrived.
The Swiss international is clearly excelling having been handed greater freedom to join the attack – his strike yesterday was a rare one from inside the box. That helped him continue to see off the rival claims of team-mate Eric Choupo-Moting for a place in our squads.
The latter, is now priced at 5.6 having suffered overnight sales and a drop. That makes him 0.5 cheaper than Shaqiri, though Choupo-Moting has now mustered just a goal and an assist over the last six Gameweeks and was subbed on 69 minutes against the Swans; he lasted only four minutes more in midweek.
The Cameroon international was deployed on the left for the Potters, with Shaqiri cutting in from the right as Mark Hughes opted for a front two. That saw Mame Biram Diouf back in attack alongside Peter Crouch. The pair combined for Stoke’s second, as Diouf struck a fourth of the season.
Priced at 5.6, he would be another consideration for our third striker role if we can be sure that he will remain in Hughes’ attack. He has missed just a single Gameweek outing this season, though many of his appearances have been as a right wing-back.
Elsewhere for Stoke, Jack Butland returned early from injury to offer us a new keeper solution, but Bruno Martins-Indi suffered a groin problem which could rule him out of the festive programme.
That should open the way for Kevin Wimmer to gain starts again – a handy 4.4 option considering Stoke’s solid schedule (bur WHU WBA hud che NEW) once Gameweek 16’s trip to Spurs is done.
Sakho the bonus magnet
A second successive clean sheet and two more bonus for Mamadou Sakho means that the Crystal Palace centre-half now has eight bonus points from the last three Gameweeks.
The Eagles’ 0-0 draw at West Brom had more than a hint of luck about it, however.
New Baggies boss Alan Pardew proved he was no Pulis 2.0 as his side fired in 20 shots – the average under the previous incumbent was 8.3 per match – but there was a sense of irony that the change in management produced West Brom’s first clean sheet since Gameweek 5.
Palace’s shut-out was largely due to the heroics of keeper Julian Speroni, who only played because Wayne Hennessey picked up a back problem in the warm-up.
The veteran made seven saves and earned maximum bonus, but he might not retain his place after being dropped following Gameweek 12.
Palace stayed strong at the back without Scott Dann (illness) and James Tomkins (knock), as Martin Kelly was drafted in alongside Sakho for his first start since Gameweek 3.
For the Baggies, Salomon Rondon led the line in Pardew’s relatively progressive 3-4-3 formation.
