Welcome to the penultimate edition of The Weekly Shop for this season as once again we cast our eye over our partner game FanDuel’s player list to pick out some of the key prospects on offer.
Before we analyse which prospects are set to deliver healthy points returns in the upcoming round, we ponder a few of the main fixtures that will provide some of those assets.
Manchester City’s convincing 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace raises the stock of their attacking options, while opponents Leicester City will surely be facing sustained pressure at the Etihad Stadium – the ideal situation we target when selecting FanDuel defenders.
Spurs may be deflated from the defeat at the London Stadium, but Harry Kane, in particular, could bounce back against Manchester United following his recent excellent home form. A clean sheet also looks likely for the hosts considering Jose Mourinho’s rotation policy – but that should also provide some bargains from the United rearguard.
Both sides in Crystal Palace’s clash with Hull City offer up appealing options. The visitors will be pushing for a win in their bid to survive the drop, so their budget players could prove to be good value. Sam Allardyce, meanwhile, will likely pinpoint the Tigers’ vulnerability at set-pieces as a route to victory.
The Better Buys
We start by examining the big-hitters that have caught our attention – these players require considerable investment but have the fixtures and form to be worth the outlay.
In goal, we have a pair of premium options for those willing to shell out on their shot-stopper.
Hugo Lloris (£7.5m) looks to have a strong chance of keeping Manchester United out – Mourinho appears focused on their Europa League campaign and they’ve consequently blanked at Manchester City and Arsenal in their previous two away league ties. Spurs have three straight clean sheets at home and have the best defensive record of any side in front of their own fans – securing 12 shut-outs in 18 matches (conceding only eight goals) at White Hart Lane this season.
Bournemouth’s Artur Boruc (£8.2m) is our other top prospect for the keeper berth. The Cherries host a Burnley side that picked up their first away victory of the term against an injury-stricken Crystal Palace outfit, but they will likely have a tougher test on the south coast. A pair of clean sheets and 19 saves have contributed to the Polish stopper’s 19.6 average in FanDuel over his last four outings.
When selecting defenders in FanDuel, we focus on players that have been picking up plenty of clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBIs) – all actions that deliver in points.
Bournemouth’s Steve Cook (£8.7m) has made the most CBIs (452 in 36 appearances) of any defender this season to build an average of 20 FanDuel points per match. Those consistently robust displays at the back should be useful against a Burnley side that will likely make heavy use of their physicality to secure chances at the Vitality Stadium.
Sam Allardyce is set to launch an aerial barrage on the Hull City back-line, with forward Christian Benteke as the target man. The Tigers’ Harry Maguire (£9.2m) should be up for the battle – he’s registered 51 CBIs and 11 tackles over his last six matches. Nine attempts have led to two goals in that run to help him accrue a 23.75 point average in FanDuel – making us seriously consider the centre-back despite the hefty price-tag.
On to the midfield, where Cesc Fabregas’s (£10.1m) pair of assists against Middlesbrough puts the Chelsea asset firmly in our thoughts. In his previous ten appearances at Stamford Bridge, the Spaniard has served up nine assists and a trio of goals. A 36-point FanDuel average over his last six home matches is promising ahead of an encounter with a Watford side that have lost five successive matches on their travels, conceding 12 goals.
We can’t ignore Gylfi Sigurdsson (£13.1m), with the Swansea City midfielder set to be instrumental against relegated Sunderland as Paul Clement’s side fight for their own top-flight status. The Icelander has a 26.9 average over the last four, returning a goal, an assist, nine chances created and six shots on target.
Manchester City’s chief playmakers have both enjoyed a revival of form towards the close of the campaign. David Silva’s (£11.1m) early goal against the Eagles followed four assists in his previous six starts prior to an injury – he now has a 25.5-point average over his last six matches.
Kevin De Bruyne (£13m) notched a goal and two assists to bring in a 61-point haul last time out. The Belgian also had four assists in six matches before that impressive 5-0 win, and his 20 chances created over the last four Gameweeks is top for midfielders. Promisingly for the duo, the Foxes arrive at the Etihad with injuries and a porous record on their travels, leaking 15 in their previous eight away matches.
They’ll be supporting forward Gabriel Jesus (£11.8m), who maintained his fine start to his City career with an assist against Palace, meaning he’s provided attacking returns in all four of his league starts so far. Four goals have helped the Brazilian accrue an enticing 33.6-point average in those outings.
A pair of assists for Jamie Vardy in the home clash with Watford means the Leicester City front-man has five assists and seven goal in ten league appearances – he’s only failed to contribute at the Emirates during that reliable run of form. Such a record makes him an intriguing differential for one of the forward slots when he’s available for £10.1m in the visit to the Etihad.
Bournemouth’s leading scorer Josh King (£11.6m) also keeps on delivering – an assist against Stoke City made it nine in eleven Gameweeks that the forward has provided attacking returns. He should be deployed in a lone striker role again as Burnley arrive having conceded the most shots in the box (58 along with Palace) of any side over the last six matches.
While Spurs may have blanked last time out, Harry Kane (£12.5m) has tallied 11 goals and a pair of assists in his last six starts at home. The forward ranks first for goal attempts (20) over the last four Gameweeks, with 12 of those on target. United visit having been defeated 2-0 at the Emirates in a performance that indicated Jose Mourinho sees the Europa League as a more feasible route to Champions League qualification.
The Poundstretchers
We now browse the more budget-friendly end of the market to put forward players that free up funds for the ‘Better Buys’ in our line-ups, while also having the potential to bring in their fair share of points themselves.
Again, we start by considering a couple of candidates for the keeper’s jersey.
The Manchester City defence were hardly troubled against Crystal Palace, making stopper Willy Caballero (£7m) one of those budget options. Pep Guardiola’s outfit now have three clean sheets in five outings at the Etihad.
Back-to-back clean sheets suggest a return to the resilience Antonio Conte’s back-line exhibited earlier in the campaign. Thibaut Courtois (£7.1m) appears underpriced then – particularly as visitors Watford have failed to score in five away trips.
It’ll be worth checking Manchester United’s team sheet for kindly-priced defenders as they head to White Hart Lane. Chris Smalling (£7.3m) has 50 CBIs over his last four outings, while youngster Axel Tuanzebe, available for £6.5, may earn another start and scored 19.5 points against Arsenal last time in a performance that included five tackles.
West Ham’s James Collins (£7.7m) has excelled as part of a back three and looks good value for Liverpool’s visit. The centre-back is top for CBIs over the last six matches, registering 81 of those actions – ten more than any other defender – to build a 21.95-point average over that period.
Adrian Mariappa (£7.6m) has started four of Watford’s last five matches to record a 22.8 average, including 11 tackles. Christian Kabasele (£6.8m) is potentially an even cheaper option should the Hornets continue to be plagued by injuries, having started the last two and recording 18 CBIs and five tackles.
Leicester City’s Yohan Benalouane (£7.8m) continues to offer a cut-price route into Leicester City’s defence. They will surely be kept busy against a Man City attack that have created 92 chances over six outings – the most in the league. Benalouane should be in line for a strong CBI return.
Kevin Long, priced at only £6.1m, may be a bargain in Burnley’s visit to Bournemouth, but another start after scoring 19.25 points against West Brom depends on the fitness of defensive stalwarts Ben Mee and Michael Keane.
Viable budget-friendly midfielders appear thin on the ground, although the fixture at Selhurst Park provides a couple of options. Hull’s Sam Clucas (£7.9m) notched 26 in FanDuel last time out, following previous scores of 22.5 and 33.25 points.
Kamil Grosicki (£7.8m) will be the Tigers main source of creativity with Lazar Markovic now ruled out for the season. The Polish winger has produced modest returns of late but remains their key architect, both from open play and from an array of set-pieces.
Andros Townsend (£7.9m) was also on our list from this tie although with the winger struggling with a foot injury, it may actually open the door for a bargain acquisition in defence. Jeffrey Schlupp (£7.0m) may be pushed into a winger’s role in Townsend’s absence – a situation to monitor on arrival of the Palace teamsheet.
In attack, Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke’s (£8.9m) aerial threat makes him a tempting pick considering Hull’s weaknesses. They’ve allowed 91 headed goal attempts this season – only Sunderland (95) have yielded more. The Belgian’s 47 headed shots is the most in the league this campaign.
Elsewhere, we’re expecting Fernando Llorente (£9m) to be a major threat for Swansea City at the Stadium of Light – the Spaniard has netted five goals in eight starts to help the Welsh side sit just above the relegation zone.
I’ll be back before the weekend with the FanDuel Focus, where I’ll run through my strongest XI for the round and take a look at the upcoming contests on offer.
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