After a record high score in Gameweek 29 I was on form again in Gameweek 30. Two out of three punts brought home the bacon. My defender Carl Jenkinson helped his West Ham side to their first clean sheet since February and his sterling performance earned him a bonus point; that meant seven points in total for the full-back. The other punt that came off last Gameweek was Aaron Lennon. Members of the Fantasy Football Scout Community were shocked at his inclusion but, again, he proved those doubters wrong with a goal and three bonus points. Lennon managed 10 points and was one of only three midfielders to reach double figures.
My final punt was the striker Andrej Kramaric. My prediction that Tottenham vs Leicester would be a high-scoring game was correct as the score was 4-3. However, Kramaric didn’t come off the bench so failed to grab any points. With a Leicester double Gameweek on the horizon, though, he is still one to watch. Here are Gameweek 30’s Best Punts with ownership figures correct as of March 28.
Wes Morgan
Position: Defender
Club: Leicester City
Price: 4.4
Ownership: 0.3%
Leicester City were unlucky not to pick up any points against Tottenham last Gameweek. If they carry on performing with as much attacking desire then they should have enough about them to secure safety. One player who scored in that goal fest at White Hart Lane was the big centre-back Wes Morgan. Morgan escaped his marker and nodded in from a set piece. With such a bulky frame he is a handful for any opponent and I think he could get the better of the Hammers backline this Gameweek. Morgan has had 15 attempts on goal this season and six of them have been on target, which is a fantastic ratio for a centre-back. Of these 15 attempts 13 have come from set plays which highlights his threat from dead-ball situations. In recent weeks Cheikhou Koyaté has had to fill in at centre-back for the Hammers due to injuries and so far has failed to look the part. His lack of experience may be exposed during set pieces and I expect Morgan to capitalise on any slips.
Despite conceding three goals last Gameweek, Nigel Perason has improved the Foxes’ defence a lot. Since the start of the calendar year Leicester have only conceded two goals at home and have picked up clean sheets against Aston Villa and Hull City. With Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia both out, West Ham’s goal coring burden has fallen on Diafra Sakho but the Senegalese international has been unconvincing in front of goal since his return from injury, despite scoring the winner against Sunderland. I don’t see enough threat in West Ham’s side to trouble a Leicester defence that is solid at home so there could well be points on the table for West Morgan this Gameweek!
Marko Arnautovic
Position: Midfielder
Club: Stoke City
Price: 6.2
Ownership: 0.6%
Perhaps a shock choice this week as Stoke City face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge but I think Marko Arnautovic will be among the points. Despite sitting in pole position, Chelsea’s defence is far from impenetrable. The Blues have only kept two clean sheets at home this calendar year and have conceded 11 goals in 10 matches, home and away, since January 1st. By no means is the Chelsea back-four as leaky as those towards the bottom of the division but clubs can travel to Stamford Bridge hoping to get something from the game. Mistakes can be forced in defence, as showcased in the calamity of errors that led to Hull’s goals last Gameweek. Marko Arnautovic’s pace and directness could cause big problems for Chelsea, especially on the break.
The Austrian boasts sublime crossing and finishing skills which makes him a good attacking outlet for his side. He averages a cross into the box every 16 minutes and has a goalscoring chance every 46 minutes. Arnautovic has made a name for himself this season by creating chances out of nothing. When a cross or shot seems impossible he can pull it off. Despite not scoring this season he netted in Austria’s 5-0 win over Liechtenstein and has two assists since the start of the year. His flair and vision have the potential to create and score chances even when Stoke have their backs against the wall. This will be key against the league leaders this weekend. In Gameweek 10 I predicted Austin scoring away at Chelsea and he did; I see a similar situation for Arnautovic this Gameweek.
Christian Benteke
Position: Forward
Club: Aston Villa
Price: 7.5
Ownership: 1.6%
It seemed silly not to pick a player who has a double Gameweek this week so I have gone with Christian Benteke up front. Since Tim Sherwood’s arrival, the big Belgian has been rejuvenated and has formed a fantastic partnership with Gabriel Agbonlahor. Agbonlahor’s ownership has crept above 2.5% so I haven’t picked him this Gameweek but the Englishman will be coming into my Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team for the double. However, Benteke has just as much goal potential and I actually think that he stands a higher chance of scoring in the first match away at Manchester United. Should he recover from a hip injury, his physical presence could be too much for Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. Despite United keeping three clean sheets in their last four I think Villa will have the better of them on Saturday as they pose more of an attacking threat than the likes of Sunderland and Newcastle who the Red Devils have kept out in recent weeks. Manchester United have conceded 65 attempts at goal from headers this season, the most of all sides in the top half of the table. Benteke’s fantastic leap and new-found desire to score sets him in good stead for this week.
The following game in the double is against QPR. Although I think Gabriel Agbonlahor is more likely to score in this game due to his pace and directness, Benteke should pick up the assists. His flick-ons have created plenty chances for his striker partner in recent weeks. United are weak in the air but QPR are even worse and Benteke will make the most of this. With double-figure scores in two of the last three Gameweeks Benteke’s form is undeniable and with two games this Gameweek he is a fantastic punt, especially for those looking to jump up their mini-leagues!
Last Week’s Top Scoring Punts*
DEF – Federico Fernandez, SWA, 4.9, 0.1%, 9 pts
MID- Fernando, MCI, 4.8, 0.5%, 14 pts
FWD – Glenn Murray, CPL, 5.1, 0.1%, 12 pts
*These are not my selected punts but the highest scoring players in the FPL game with over 2.5% ownership.
