Selection
22 April 2017 1217 comments
James H James H
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After Marko Arnautovic delivered in spectacular fashion last weekend with a 12-point haul in Stoke City’s 3-1 win over Hull City, we’re hoping at least one of this week’s differential choices can produce another double-figure score.

With three teams facing double Gameweeks, we’ve turned to players from Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Middlesbrough, given the potential on offer.

Andros Townsend

Having produced two goals, three assists and nine Fantasy Premier League (FPL) bonus points over his last six appearances, Crystal Palace midfielder Andros Townsend enters the double Gameweek in fine fettle.

The England international, who’s available at just 5.8 in FPL, has been a star performer for the Eagles over the past month or so, and now faces matches away to Liverpool and at home to Tottenham Hotspur in Gameweek 34, before a plum home fixture against Burnley a week later.

While they appear tough match-ups on paper, Liverpool do rank joint-first for big chances conceded over the last six Gameweeks with 16, while the fact Palace have won three of their last four at Selhurst Park suggests they can trouble an in-form Spurs.

Townsend’s underlying statistics illustrate his growing influence for Sam Allardyce’s side, registering 15 key passes over the last six Gameweeks, more than double the tally of any team-mate, and only bettered by Manchester City’s David Silva among all FPL midfielders.

Despite outscoring Wilfried Zaha by 42 FPL points to 36 over Palace’s last six matches, it’s Zaha who is proving more popular among managers.

The Ivory Coast international has been snapped up by 78,000 FPL bosses since Saturday’s deadline, compared to 33,000 for Townsend.

That’s seen Zaha’s ownership soar to 15.7%, leaving the 2.7%-owned Townsend as the differential option.

So for those Fantasy managers who are running out of time to make a late charge in mini-leagues, it’s arguably Townsend who provides the bigger upside of the two.

Stewart Downing

With Middlesbrough facing the most favourable fixtures of the three teams who have two matches in Gameweek 34, we’ve decided to roll the dice on midfielder Stewart Downing.

Steve Agnew’s side travel to Bournemouth this afternoon, before entertaining Sunderland at the Riverside on Wednesday night.

While goals have been hard to come by for ‘Boro all season long, managing just 23, those two match-ups are pretty appealing.

Bournemouth rank third for most goals conceded (11) over the last six Gameweeks, and second for shots conceded from inside the box (59) over the same period.

Sunderland, meanwhile, have only kept one clean sheet in their 15 away matches this season.

‘Boro attackers could be worth consideration as differentials this week then, with the 0.5%-owned Downing perhaps a dark horse.

Downing is one of only four players to start all five matches since Agnew took charge at the Riverside, and has created 10 chances, double the number of any team-mate.

Under Agnew, there has been an emphasis on getting crosses into the box for forwards Alvaro Negredo and Rudy Gestede.

‘Boro rank second for crosses (126) over the last six Gameweeks, and as seen on Monday night, when Downing’s cross was volleyed home by Negredo, he offers significant assist potential.

So available at just 4.9 in FPL, Downing looks a possible option for maverick Fantasy managers.

Daley Blind

The knee injury suffered by Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo in Thursday night’s 2-1 win over Anderlecht in the UEFA Europa League means we’ve opted for Daley Blind as our final selection.

The Dutch defender has generally been out of favour under United boss Jose Mourinho of late, but with Phil Jones and Chris Smalling also sidelined, he looks to have a good chance of starting both matches in double Gameweek 34, when United travel to Burnley and Manchester City.

Blind’s lack of playing time means he’s owned by just 4.2% of FPL managers, but as a short-term option, he could well be worth a gamble.

The major advantage Blind possess is the fact he shares set-piece duties when in the side.

He has produced 14 successful corners this season, more than double of any team-mate, and has created a chance every 62 minutes, better than fellow defender Antonio Valencia (84).

Given he’s only made 19 appearances, the fact Blind has registered 12 FPL bonus points is hugely impressive, and priced at 5.2, he is also cheaper than both Eric Bailly and Valencia.

United have kept clean sheets in three of their last four league encounters, and with Burnley only scoring in three of their last five, Sunday’s clash looks promising from a defensive perspective.

The Manchester derby will present a far tougher challenge, but over the two fixtures, there’s every chance Blind will prove to be a worthwhile acquisition.

Mourinho’s side also face a very favourable home fixture against Swansea City in Gameweek 35, so particularly for Fantasy managers who still have their wildcard to play, there look enough reasons to take a short-term punt on the United man.

  1. ZeBestee
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 7 months ago

    Mawson > Blind for -4 and play 3 united players:

    Bailly Valencia Blind

    or play Robertson

    chasing

    1. Guvnor
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Play robertson

      1. ZeBestee
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        what about a Boro defender? Gibson?

  2. Lawrø
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 7 months ago

    Good to go?

    Heaton
    Alonso / Chambers / Mawson / McAuley(c)
    Alli / Zaha / King
    Lukaku / Kane / Negredo(vc)

    Pickford / Sanchez / Carroll / Cedric / 7.5m in the bank

    1. BadgersBoys
      • 12 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Love a bit of bench w*nkery

      1. T444
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Benchwankery gets through the language filter I have discovered

    2. Bunk Moreland
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Bit risky but could be good fun,;-)

    3. FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Get Sanchez off your bench immediately, Lawro!

      Look at TriggerLips's form tables for GW34. I've captained Sanchez based on the tables.

      1. Bunk Moreland
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        He will autosub on.

      2. diesel001
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        He is bench wonking. McAuley no game so Negredo(c) and Sanchez in

        1. FPL Virgin
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          8 years, 7 months ago

          Phew! Haha

    4. HashAttack
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      cant' recommend West Brom player for captain!

    5. Vedas
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Nice benchwonkery, g2g

    6. Sess!
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      You are the sort of player I hate

    7. HashAttack
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Negrado pulling up with a hamstring during the warm up at Bournemouth would be sick

    8. MTPockets
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Bet you don't.

        1. Lawrø
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 7 months ago

          How much? 😉

      • THFC4LIFE
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        What if Negredo gets injured before the games loool

        1. Lawrø
          • 13 Years
          8 years, 7 months ago

          Then I deserve what I get 😆

    9. TheBear
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Captain choice:

      Lukaku
      Sanchez
      Coutinho
      Negredo

      1. Guvnor
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Lukaku for me. Or Zaha

      2. Bunk Moreland
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Negredo or Lukaku

      3. CAPTAIN CRESPO
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Lukaku or Negrado

      4. Vedas
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Negredooooooo

      5. Football Heaven
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Do you think coutinho will do well? Not sure between him or costa

      6. Vasily
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Coutinho

      7. Aubaaaaa
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Gredo

    10. CAPTAIN CRESPO
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Bench one

      a) Alonso (not kept many cleansheets)
      b) Lovren (defensive problems elsewhere for Liverpool)
      c) Fernandez (playing stoke at home and need points)

      Thanks

      1. Guvnor
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        B

      2. Vedas
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        B

    11. BB-8
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Play Heaton or Pickford?
      Captain Lukaku or Zaha?

      1. Yellin' in my Ear
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        I'm playing Heaton

      2. Vedas
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Heaton
        Zaha

      3. CAPTAIN CRESPO
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Same problem with Heaton/Pickford.
        I think I might go Pickford as I have no Borough players and banking on them struggling to score

      4. NestorC
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Heaton
        Kaku

      5. BB-8
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Cheers all 🙂

    12. FPL ElasticO
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Who to bench for Negredo???
      A. King
      B. Eriksen

      1. BadgersBoys
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        If you other Spurs attacking options then Eriksen

      2. TSILIKAFENEIAKOS
        • 11 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Sitting on the same, maybe Eriksen for me but I have Alli and Kane as well.

    13. dunas_dog
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Best captain this week ?f

      A Lukaku
      B Kane
      C Zaha

      1. Guvnor
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Got the same dilemma

      2. T444
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Coin toss

        1. T444
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 7 months ago

          A special quadrangular coin for me

          Kane rashford Zaha kaku or de Gea.

          Currently on DdG

    14. NestorC
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Play

      A) Heaton

      B) Jaku

      Cheers

      1. BB-8
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Jak

      2. Oven Glover
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Heaton

      3. Vedas
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Jak

    15. Dele
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      G2G? Anymore hits needed? 4.1ITB

      Jaku,
      Bailly, Gibson, Valencia
      Sanchez, Eriksen, Alli, Coutinho
      Benteke, Negredo (C), Kane

      Pickford, Bertrand, Yoshi, T.Carroll

      1. Vedas
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        G2G

    16. TSILIKAFENEIAKOS
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Not sure who to bench :

      Alli - Eriksen - Sanchez - Coutinho - King
      Lukaku - Kane - Negredo (C)

      Between King and Eriksen ?

      1. Vedas
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Eriksen

    17. Yellin' in my Ear
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Which one would you bench?
      A) Alonso
      B) King (playing Gibson)
      C) Eriksen (also playing Alli and Kane)

      Other attackers playing: Alli, Sanchez, Coutinho, Lukaku, Kane

      1. Vedas
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Eriksen

        1. Yellin' in my Ear
          • 10 Years
          8 years, 7 months ago

          What I'm on atm, cheers

    18. Viper
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Price changes last night? Bloody fell asleep!

      1. BadgersBoys
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Caught me out also.

      2. Bunk Moreland
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        18 fallers, couple of dgwers rose. Check the event tab on fplatatistics.co.uk

      3. Sess!
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        I got stung with brunt. Only reason I kept him was in case I got any injuries this gw. He'll be benched next week othwerwise.

    19. manu4life99
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Start one:

      A) Williams (whm)
      B) Davies (cpl)

      1. BB-8
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        A

    20. EWH2020
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Start one:

      a) Son
      b) Siggy

    21. Atimis
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Gibson in -4 and bench Walker (others are Valencia and Alonso) ?

      Cheers 😀

    22. jackhammer1
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Who scores more??
      A. Negredo -4
      B. Benteke -4
      C. Sane

      1. FPL Pillars
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        A I hope 🙂

      2. T444
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Not benteke

      3. jackhammer1
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Just not sure whether to pull the trigger or just play sane

    23. Kazza_
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Help please guys who would u play

      1) pickford
      or
      2) heaton?

      1. Holmes
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Heaton

      2. Pep says
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        2

        1. Kazza_
          • 14 Years
          8 years, 7 months ago

          thanks guys let's hope a boring 0-0 vs UTD

    24. Oven Glover
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Play two

      1. Baines
      2. Toby
      3. Mee
      4. Robertson

      1. BB-8
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        1,4

      2. Pep says
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Toby and Baines

      3. NestorC
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        2, 1

    25. Pep says
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Grant, Britos and Siggy to Guzman Blind Townsend for -8 and BB?

      DeGea
      Gibbo PVA Blind
      King Townsend Alli Sanchez
      Kaku Kane Benteke

      Guzan Son Alonso Mawson

    26. Kun Tozser
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      A Ayew
      Hazard -4

      1. Pep says
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Hazard

    27. Paganoi
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Already on a -4. Worth another -4 for Barnes > Tekkers/Rashford/Kane etc?

      1. Bunk Moreland
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Is your other option to play Barnes?

        1. Paganoi
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 7 months ago

          Was benching him for de Roon.

      2. Pep says
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Ya depends of your starting Barnes or not

      3. A.T
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Yeah probably

    28. Morph - Unbelievable Geoff
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Thoughts on Coutinho (c)?

      I don't have a DGW striker, he's at home and doesn't play in the cup before his league match, and Palace will be without Sahko.

      1. Bunk Moreland
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Decent option, but you never know with him. 1-15 points.

      2. Pirlø's Pen
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Decent option for sure, can see Palace's defence being leaky without Sakho.

        Always think Lpool's output decreases when Mane is abscent though!

      3. Football Heaven
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        I'm not sure about Costa or coutinho

    29. FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Well I'm starting Gestede and benching Alli.

      I hate/love DGWs!!! 😀

      1. BadgersBoys
        • 12 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Will Gestede play?

      2. Morph - Unbelievable Geoff
        • 9 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        I thought that you were captaining Gestede?

      3. Oven Glover
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        You better start him if he's (still) your captain

      4. Puzzle
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        This must be a joke, surely.

      5. T444
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        I didn't realise there was fpl for the championship

    30. GXNG
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Siggy/Alli + Naughton > Zaha + Blind for -8 (playing wc next week) ?

    31. youzef
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Worth a -8 to bring in baily for walker or hennessey for pickford ? Already have Zaha Benteke Gibson as my DGWs

    32. Torres76
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Captain choice from this lot?

      DDG
      Valencia | Barragan | Alonso
      Allli | Son | Coutinho | Zaha
      Lukaku | Kane | Rashford

      Thanks

      1. Elfmeter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Rashford

    33. Weeb Kakashi
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      DDG
      Robertson Gibson Alonso
      Alli Siggy Coutinho Zaha
      Negredo (C) Benteke Kane

      Bench Valencia Eriksen

      Would play Valencia over any one else?
      Personally feel he plays only City game!!
      Thoughts??

      1. Elfmeter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Keep him on Bench

    34. RedMarks 赤的
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Which one do you prefer?

      A. Fernandez --> Friend (Bench Robertson/B.Davies)
      B. Robertson --> Chambers (Spread the risks, already hav jakupovic)

      Cheers

      1. Elfmeter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        B

    35. GuillermoDickero
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      What are people doing with Valencia? Starting or benching?

      I'm thinking of playing Maguire over him

      1. Bunk Moreland
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 7 months ago

        Starting over Davies (cpl). I also play my Hull defender, anyone else you can bench?

        1. GuillermoDickero
          • 11 Years
          8 years, 7 months ago

          I'm playing AOA with Alonso so not really

    36. diesel001
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 7 months ago

      Sanchez(c) is an interesting choice. Leicester are crap away so the fixture is there, but compare Sanchez at home vs away:

      At home: 6 goals and 5 assists in 15 appearances
      Away: 13 goals and 4 assists in 16 appearances

      So is it Giroud and Ozil (even Walcott / Ox) who get the bulk of the points