We draw a line under the Gameweek 30 coverage by running the rule over the key player, team and talking point for Fantasy managers.
Everton’s left-back makes a welcome return to contention ahead of Gameweek 31’s reduced round of fixtures.
Arsenal finally rediscover their form just in time for our Gameweek 32 Wildcards.
Meanwhile, could a stint on the sidelines for Harry Kane prove a blessing in disguise for Fantasy managers as we reassemble our squads for the upcoming double Gameweeks?
The Player
The return of Leighton Baines for the first time since Gameweek 13 was a timely one for Sam Allardyce and Fantasy managers alike.
Proven Fantasy Premier League (FPL) royalty, the Everton left-back delivered a 12-point return in his first appearance under Allardyce, bringing in an assist, maximum bonus and a clean sheet in the 2-0 home win over Brighton.
That shut-out was, coincidentally, their first since Gameweek 20 and also came in a match where Wayne Rooney’s third spot-kick miss of the season could now see Baines re-instated as their number one penalty taker.
It also arrives at a time where many Fantasy managers are looking to play the Free Hit chip for Gameweek 31’s restricted slate of four fixtures, with the Toffees making their way to Stoke on Saturday.
With Gylfi Sigurdsson now confirmed as sidelined, Baines’ stock for the trip to the Potteries has improved further, with the full-back likely to be a protagonist on all set-pieces from here on.
Granted, the lack of a double Gameweek over the run-in dents the appeal of Allardyce’s charges, while back-to-back home clashes to follow against Man City and Liverpool hardly helps.
Yet with their final five fixtures all against bottom eight sides (swa NEW hud SOT whu), Baines could play a part as an effective differential over the run-in.
Looking back to earlier in the season, his last four league appearances have produced 32 FPL points – a sign that rumours of Baines’ Fantasy demise have been greatly exaggerated.
The Team
This time last week, Arsenal’s prospects for appearing in this section were slim to none.
The Gunners headed to the San Siro on the back of four straight defeats last Thursday evening but their 2-0 win over AC Milan, followed by Sunday’s 3-0 home win against Watford, has brought them back onto our radars.
In particular, those Fantasy managers considering a Wildcard in Gameweek 32 will now be eyeing up the Gunners’ key men ahead of a very favourable run-in.
According to our season ticker, Arsene Wenger’s side have the most appealing remaining schedule of any side once Gameweek 31 has passed.
Over Gameweek 32-35, they face four relegation strugglers (STK SOT new WHU), with a trip to Leicester also expected to join their visit to Newcastle as part of double Gameweek 34.
Arsenal’s home form, in particular, looks a key factor when assembling our new squads.
Having conceded in each of the 11 Gameweeks prior to Sunday’s win, investing in their defence remains a somewhat risky business.
In attack, though, it’s a different matter altogether. Despite their struggles over the season, only Man City (51 to 39) have scored more goals than the north London outfit in front of their own supporters.
That bodes well for Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, who both supplied a goal and assist against the Hornets.
With Wenger resting Aaron Ramsey from the last two league matches as he saves the Welshman for Europe, Mkhitaryan – at 7.7 – could present the value route into Wenger’s new-look attack.
A goal and four assists in six outings means he’s played a part in 56% of the Gunners’ league goals when selected – up markedly from 32% while at Man United.
He also scored against Milan, while Mesut Ozil followed up his pair of San Siro assists by providing Shkodran Mustafi’s weekend opener.
Meanwhile, Aubameyang’s ineligibility for Europa League fixtures guarantees his pitch-time for the remaining league fixtures.
He’s now scored against Everton, Brighton and Watford, with his only blanks in five appearances in clashes with Spurs and Man City.
That record looks encouraging given he faces just one other top six team – Man United in Gameweek 37 – between now and the end of the season.
The Talking Point
After limping off in the first half of Tottenham Hotspur’s win over Bournemouth, the Harry Kane exodus marches on.
Over 210,00 FPL managers already parted company prior to this afternoon’s confirmation that the striker has been ruled out until next month with ligament damage.
Still owned by a hefty 42%, Kane’s stint on the sidelines coincides with a frustrating run of recent form that’s produced just a single double-digit haul in the last ten Gameweeks.
By comparison, his main armband rival Mohamed Salah has five sets of 10+ points hauls in nine appearances across that stretch.
That’s compounded by a schedule that hands Spurs a blank Gameweek 31 and clashes with Chelsea and Man City in the next four rounds of fixtures.
While Spurs have made no further comment on the situation, reports elsewhere suggest that Kane could be out for just four weeks.
If true, that could, potentially see him return in time for an expected double Gameweek 34, which would hand his side home matches with Man City and Newcastle.
However, you’d have to question whether he’d be fit for two back-to-back fixtures immediately upon his return to contention.
For Spurs, though, Son Heung-min’s star is on the rise as a result of back-to-back braces.
At just 8.2 to Kane’s 12.8, that saving in budget can now revitalise our squads as we freshen up our options for the upcoming pair of double Gameweeks.
Indeed, Wildcarders may even seen Kane’s injury as an advantage that they can exploit: while other managers may now have the task of moving Kane out and redistributing his funds, those with the refresh can act and immediately spread his fee to strengthen their Wildcard squads.
They can now plan their moves around any further news, with the likes of Aubameyang now seen as potential placeholders for our frontlines until Kane is fit and ready.
As mentioned in previous articles, Kane missed 49 days last season with the same injury – a similar scenario would keep him out of contention until Gameweek 36.
Should that be the case again, he can still play a major part in the run-in – particularly if Spurs clinch a place in the last four of the FA Cup.
Such a scenario would hand them a hugely favourable final three Gameweeks (WAT wba & bri LEI), with the lure of a Triple Captain chip for Gameweek 37 difficult to overlook for those trips to West Brom and Brighton.
