Next week is the final chance to play your second Wildcard if you haven’t done so already, and if that’s your plan, then a one week punt on a differential could be just what you need to add a bit of excitement to this week’s match ups. The pick of this weeks fixtures involve City, Spurs and West Ham so we’ve focused on picks from these sides, plus the obligatory Birmingham pick for anyone looking for something slightly more long-term….
David Silva
An inconsistent start to the season and the constant threat of rotation from Adam Johnson, has meant David Silva has been largely overlooked as a Fantasy pick so far. Van Der Vaart, Nani and Cahill have all been outstanding in midfield, so it’s understandable why the silky Spaniard has been overlooked as a mid-priced option. Things are starting to look up however, and with Johnson out injured and the arrival of Edin Dzeko prompting a shift in formation, David Silva is now starting to look like a genuine prospect. Playing as part of a front three against Birmingham, he looked dangerous on the ball and provided the assist for Tevez’s early goal after a darting run into the box, and he was unlucky not to come away with more than just a single assist.
City have a home tie against West Brom later today, a team that has conceded 14 goals in their last six games, and after slipping to eight points behind their Manchester rivals, only a convincing victory will be enough to appease their demanding fans. Whether Mancini decides to play 4-3-3 or deploy Silva at the tip of a diamond behind Dzeko and Tevez, Silva should still be heavily involved in their attacking play, and could come away from that game with a big score. City do not have a double Gameweek next week, but with WBA, mun, FUL, WIG their fixtures are easily good enough to justify investment, and with an ownership of just 1.7% Silva will be a great differential to have for this fruitful period.
David Bentley
David Bentley certainly has a point to prove to his Tottenham bosses, after the self proclaimed ‘heir to David Beckham’ has spent the large part of two years warming the bench since arriving for £15 million in 2008. His loan move to Birmingham 3 weeks ago could be just what he needs to kick start his career and his performances since arriving have also put him firmly on our Fantasy radar considering Birmingham’s two double Gameweeks coming up in week 26 and 28.
He was man of the match in his debut against Villa, so was unlucky to come out of that game with just two FPL points, but against City on Wednesday he was a constant threat on the right of midfield and duly collected maximum Bonus, to add to his assist. Free-kicks and corners are always a big Bonus when considering a Fantasy pick, but with 6’7” Nikola Zigic on the pitch they become even more important. It was no surprise to see Bentley also leading the OPTA stats in terms of crosses delivered then, he managed 14 against City, nearly twice as many as the next highest midfielder. The stats also show he created five goal opportunities (key passes) in that game, so it is obvious that he will become a consistent provider of assists and Bonus points if he can keep up that level of performance.
At 5.7m, he will be competing with Charlie Adam and Chris Brunt for a place in your Fantasy team but with Adam playing deeper to accommodate Reid and West Brom unable to hit a barn door at the moment, he looks like the best pick of the three for the next three game weeks at least. His 0.7% compared to the Adam’s 29.8% also sets him apart as a big differential.
Aaron Lennon
Despite being overshadowed by a certain Dutchman this season, Aaron Lennon still offers good value at 7.5m and looks to be regaining some of the form he showed last season. Before his injury last year, Lennon was in the form of his life and looked unstoppable in Tottenham’s 9-1 demolition of Wigan, and again in their 3-0 victory over Man City.
As a winger that likes to cut inside and run at defenders, Lennon has been less effective in the five man midfield favoured by Redknapp this season but injuries to Bale and Modric has seen them revert back to the two up front that was so effective last year. Lennon was deployed on the left hand side of a makeshift 4-4-2 against Blackburn, and he looked lively throughout and earned the maximum Bonus points as a result. He looks set to play the same role in their home game against Bolton today, so he could prove to be a good differential to Van Der Vaart with just 2.2% ownership in the FPL game.
Victor Obinna
Eight goals and seven assists in 23 games this season puts Victor Obinna’s returns on par with the likes of fantasy favourites Fernando Torres and Johan Elmander, but as the majority of those came in cup games, he has been largely ignored by the Fantasy Football masses, and is currently owned by just 0.5% of all FPL managers. His 16 point haul including two goals, an assist and three Bonus points against Blackpool will make plenty wake up to his potential however, and we can expect that figure to rise significantly over the next few weeks if he maintains his current form.
A quick look over the OPTA stats shows his FPL points returns are not an accurate reflection of his influence this season; Members can see for themselves how Obinna, in some key areas, is on a par with Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov, and that is despite playing for a side battling relegation. His returns against Blackpool were clearly no fluke.
West Ham have three very winnable home games and a trip to West Brom in the next four matches so this is a crucial time for Avram Grant’s side. They have been much improved over the last few weeks though, and if Obinna can maintain his form, at just 5.5m, he could prove to be an exceptional value pick.
Best of the Rest
Andy Reid slotted straight into the Blackpool side on Wednesday after his loan move from Sunderland was completed 48-hours earlier, and he played as the furthest forward of the three midfielders. He looked a bit unsure of his role in that game but he should be more settled after a weeks training so is well worth monitoring this weekend with Blackpool’s double coming up. Newcastle looked pretty toothless against Spurs without Carroll or Ameobi, but Leon Best at 4.3m has an opportunity to make a name for himself, and could be good value if he can repeat his hat-trick heroics from earlier this season. Finally Ciaran Clark recorded his fourth goal of the season in the FA cup last weekend, and offers good value at 4.4m, although Kyle Walker is also worth a look at just 4.1m.
