We drop by the Weekly Shop a little later than usual this afternoon, after Gameweek 33 came to its conclusion last night. As usual, we analyse the player lists of our partner games to highlight the likely targets that will make up our own weekly squads.
As always, the player analysis is split into two sections: I’ll break down the key targets that no squad can do without in “Better Buys”, before seeking out those one-shot “Poundstretcher” prospects that can provide us points, whilst freeing up funds.
For this week’s selection, we’re focusing on the FantasyBet and DraftKing player lists.
Better Buys
United’s defensive form at home is unparalleled, with ten clean sheets in 15 matches at least two more than any other side. The Red Devils have conceded a mere seven times in front of their own fans – again, that’s more resilient than any other side – and with two home ties against bottom-five sides coming up, David De Gea (FantasyBet 5.5m, Draftkings $4,500) is by far the stand-out keeper for the Gameweek’s fixtures.
West Brom have struggled to vindicate Tony Pulis’ reputation as a defensive-orientated manager this campaign, with a mere two clean sheets in seven matches reflecting a drop off in resilience. However, weekend visitors Watford have scored only once in six away ties, making Craig Dawson (FantasyBet 5m, Draftkings $3,900) a tempting prospect. While the chances of a shut-out against Arsenal are slim, the right-back’s aerial threat could be effective against a side that have conceded the second most attempts from set plays (23) over the last four.
Prior to hosting the Baggies, Arsenal welcome Crystal Palace to the Emirates. Although the Eagles kept back-to-back clean sheets in Gameweek 33 , they have struggled on their travels and conceded in each of their last six road trips. Alexis Sanchez (FantasyBet 11m) continued his best run of form of the campaign with a goal at Upton Park – three strikes and as many assists over the last five Gameweeks makes the Chilean one of the first names in our line-ups.
Man City’s progress to the last four of the Champion’s League will boost morale at the Etihad but it also makes rotation more likely over the run-in. Maintaining fourth place is also a serious necessity, though, so while Sergio Aguero (FantasyBet 13m, Draftkings $8,600) could find his pitch time slightly rationed, we still expect the Argentine to start both matches at Chelsea and Newcastle. Aguero has netted five times in his last six away outings and, with Kevin de Bruyne back in the mix, still has the quality to make an impact even with reduced minutes.
Poundstretchers
The goalless draw at Selhurst Park saw Joel Robles (FantasyBet 4m, Draftkings $4,100) pick up all three bonus points after the Toffees keeper made six saves to deny Alan Pardew’s team. A visit from Southampton, who have been erratic on the road and failed to net in five of their last nine away ties, bodes well for successive clean sheets. Although a short trip four days later to Anfield does not promise much, the Spaniard’s bargain price tag still makes him one to consider for saving funds.
Newcastle may be in terrible form but the upcoming visits from Swansea and Manchester City are both must-win matches if they are to have any chance of surviving the drop. If you’re willing to invest in a backs-against-the-wall Magpies team then two goals and an assist in four starts highlights Andros Townsend’s (FantasyBet 5.5m, Draftkings $4,800) Fantasy potential with assured pitch time.
Having scored against Everton and Watford, Alex Iwobi (FantasyBet 4.5m) maintained his fine form with a pair of assists against West Ham last Saturday. We’re backing the Arsenal midfielder to continue to offer an excellent value option as Crystal Palace and West Brom roll up to the Emirates.
United’s pair of home clashes could offer a number of options. Tim Fosu-Mensah (FantasyBet 4.0m, Draftkings $3,000) has started the last two in all competitions at right-back and the youngster’s calibre of displays suggest he could retain that role ahead of the likes of Matteo Darmian for the double. Jesse Lingard (FantasyBet 4.5m, Draftkings $4,500) has played more centrally of late and while he’s had a dry run in front of goal, those upcoming match-ups against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace should provide more chances. Marcus Rashford’s (FantasyBet 4.5m, Draftkings $5,600) FA Cup goal against West Ham brings the youngster into contention as a cheaper alternative to the in-form Anthony Martial (FantasyBet 7.5m, Draftkings $6,600) in our line-ups. While the Frenchman is likely to get more minutes, Rashford could end up outshining his team-mate for a much lower price-tag.
Slaven Bilic appears to have focused on bringing the best out of Andy Carroll (FantasyBet 6m) of late. The frontman followed up his weekend hat-trick against Arsenal with an assist for James Tomkins’ cup consolation goal against United on Wednesday night and while a weekend trip to Leicester could be tricky, a home tie against a Watford side that have run out of steam promises more goals.
These are the contenders for my weekly contest lineups. Tomorrow I’ll also bring you up to date on my progress in FantasyBet, as I continue my quest for profit in the 2015/16 campaign.
