It’s not just Liverpool who ‘double’ in Gameweek 24 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL). Everton also play twice, with a pair of home encounters against Leicester City and Liverpool.
In this piece, we look at the pick of the Toffees players and weigh up the pros and cons of investment in the Merseyside club.
- READ MORE: FPL Q&A: Triple Captain v Assistant Manager, Moyes + Gordon to Mbeumo?
- READ MORE: Lateriser: Early ideas for Blank Gameweek 29 + chip strategy
BUYING EVERTON PLAYERS FOR DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 24: THE POSITIVES
PROGRESS UNDER MOYES
David Moyes has got off to a decent start in his second spell at Everton, with two wins out of three games under his belt.
It’s a microscopic sample, of course, but already Moyes has increased the Toffees’ attacking threat.
The defensive organisation instilled by Sean Dyche has continued, too, with Saturday’s spirited display at Brighton and Hove Albion their eighth clean sheet of the season – only Liverpool and Nottingham Forest have more, with nine.
| Goals scored (PL rank) | Mins per xG (PL rank) | Goals conceded (PL rank) | Mins per xGC (PL rank) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under Moyes | 4 (10th=) | 73.9 (10th) | 3 (4th=) | 94.7 (5th) |
| Under Dyche | 15 (19th) | 99.4 (18th) | 25 (7th) | 67.9 (8th) |
TACTICAL TWEAKS
Everton have lined up in a fairly standard 4-2-3-1 formation under Moyes so far, but small tactical tweaks have been highly effective, particularly down the right.
With Jake O’Brien (£4.5m) deployed as a defensive full-back, tucking in to form a back three when out of possession, the player in front – namely Jesper Lindstrom (£5.0m) – has performed a sort of hybrid wing-back/winger role.
Most importantly, it’s allowed greater in-game flexibility, and Everton look far less one-dimensional as a result.
DECENT FIXTURES AFTER THE DOUBLE GAMEWEEK
While one of Everton’s Double Gameweek 24 fixtures is a Merseyside derby against league leaders Liverpool, they do at least face strugglers Leicester at home before that.
A nice-ish run follows, too, with Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers on the agenda.
When considering Everton players for Double Gameweek 24, Fantasy managers should also take into account Blank Gameweek 29, where four clubs will be without a fixture due to the EFL Cup final.
Everton, however, have a decent home match against West Ham United in Blank Gameweek 29, so for those not playing the Free Hit chip, investing in their players now can also help further down the line.
SOLID DEFENSIVE FOUNDATIONS
Everton have the sixth-best defensive record in the Premier League this season. Only Liverpool and Nottingham Forest have kept more clean sheets.
It’s therefore no surprise the Toffees feature highly in G-Whizz’s clean sheet odds list for the match against Leicester.
A shutout in the Merseyside derby is far less likely, of course, although Everton’s Goodison Park advantage could make that clash a lot closer than anticipated.
BUYING EVERTON PLAYERS FOR DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 24: THE NEGATIVES
DOUCOURE + BETO THROUGH THE MIDDLE?
“I can definitely see we are lacking a level of quality that will give us opportunities or make us score more goals…” – David Moyes
Everton’s creator-in-chief Dwight McNeil (£5.1m) has been absent since early December and, according to Moyes, probably needs knee surgery.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.4m) has a hamstring injury, too, which very likely rules him out of Double Gameweek 24.
It means Abdoulaye Doucoure (£5.1m) and Beto (£4.9m) will probably line up through the middle against Leicester on Saturday, a combination that brings energy but ultimately lacks enough quality.
Indeed, at the Amex Stadium in Gameweek 23, Everton had just one shot on target – Iliman Ndiaye’s (£5.5m) penalty.
Furthermore, the Toffees’ 22.28 expected goals (xG) this season is the second-lowest of all clubs in the division.
OTHER GOOD OPTIONS IGNORED
While Everton have a Double Gameweek 24, it’s worth remembering that there are some very appealing ‘single’ Gameweek fixtures on offer elsewhere.
Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo (£7.8m) and Yoane Wissa (£6.2m) face Tottenham Hotspur at home on Sunday, for example.
Is Ndiaye really a better option than Wissa for the next few weeks, even with that additional fixture?
LACK OF TABLE BONUS FOR MOYES
If you play the Assistant Manager chip on David Moyes in Double Gameweek 24, you can profit from four matches across the next three Gameweeks.
The Scotsman would have picked up 19 points in Everton’s 1-0 victory over Brighton last week, thanks to six points for the win, two points for the clean sheet and one point for the goal.
In addition, a further 10 points would have been added to Moyes’ total because of the table bonus.
However, with Everton currently placed 16th, Moyes can only earn table bonus in one of his next four matches as it stands.
You could of course move Moyes on after Double Gameweek 24, but that will require the use of a precious transfer.
BEST EVERTON PLAYERS FOR DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 24
