As mentioned in yesterday’s preview article, PlayON are rolling out a Bumper Gameweek for the festive period with a guaranteed £1,000 prize pot. This gameweek comprises the next 30 league fixtures and lasts from Saturday December 21 until Sunday December 29, meaning we need to take each team’s next three league fixtures into account when assessing our selections:
Luis Suarez will be a clear contender for most of our frontlines with a home clash against Cardiff tomorrow lunchtime but with trips to City and Chelsea also on his Bumper Gameweek agenda, Liverpool’s in-form striker doesn’t have it too easy. With Suarez setting us back 11.9m , freeing up budget in other areas is key and with this in mind, we scour the PlayON Price List to look for less costly options across the classifications.
Clearly, one of our main concerns will be the threat of rest and rotation as managers look to utilise the depth of their squads. Whilst targeting those with kind fixtures is obviously key to our assessment, picking regular players who will guarantee us 90 minutes for each of the trio of matches also plays a part.
If you’re new to PlayON, read this season’s introduction article for more information. If you’re already a PlayON player, read on for our selection of this week’s targets..
Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris
Having just shipped five goals at home to Liverpool, the Tottenham keeper’s price has plummeted in the PlayON Player Price List. With caretaker manager Tim Sherwood keen to steady the ship, Lloris looks one of the few Spurs players set to offer a security of starts ahead of a trip to Southampton and back-to-back home games against West Brom and Stoke – a schedule that is rated third strongest for clean sheet prospects by our season ticker. Coming in at a mere 6.5m, the Frenchman is the second cheapest stopper available for the Bumper PlayON Gameweek, whilst Cardiff’s David Marshall (8.0m) has a couple of home games (SOT, SUN) to compensate for a trip to Liverpool tomorrow. If you’re feeling flush, Man United’s David De Gea comes in at 9.5m and is a secure starter for games against West Ham, Hull and Norwich.
Defender – Antonio Luna
A trip to Stoke, followed by home games with Crystal Palace and Swansea, gives Aston Villa the chance of a merry Christmas. Priced at 8.6m, the left-back is the cheapest of Paul Lambert’s regulars and will be confident of picking up the points – the midlands outfit have two clean sheets in the previous three in front of their own fans. If you don’t fancy Lloris in goal, Tottenham captain Michael Dawson comes in at 8.1m for the above-mentioned run of games, whilst Man City skipper Vincent Kompany will set you back 8.4m and has a trip to Fulham and home clash against Crystal Palace on either side of a tricky Etihad encounter with Liverpool. Manuel Pellegrini’s side had conceded just twice in front of their own fans prior to last week’s 6-3 win over Arsenal and look a strong shout for a couple of clean sheets over that trio of fixtures.
Midfielder – David Silva
Priced at a mere 7.4m, the Manchester City playmaker looks outstanding value for the PlayON Bumper Gameweek. With Sergio Aguero injured, there’s a chance Silva may be move to the role in “the hole” if Manuel Pellegrini opts for a 4-5-1 formation and, having scored or assisted in six of his eight league appearances this term, he could be set to run amok over the upcoming matches. The downside is that he’s currently sitting on the Suspension Tightrope – a booking in any of the next two would limit his availability but Silva looks too good to ignore as a cut-price route into Pellegrini’s free-scoring side. Sunderland are rated top in our Season Ticker for attacking potential over the next three and we resultantly turn to Emmanuel Giaccherini, priced at just 7.8m, as the Black Cats prepare to face Norwich, Everton and Cardiff. The Italian has already notched twice this term and looks key to Gus Poyet’s side. Further up the price bracket, Theo Walcott’s brace against City last week brings him back onto our radars. The Gunners wide man will set you back 9.5m but will fancy his chances of breaching Chelsea’s porous backline before taking on West Ham and Newcastle.
Forward – Romelu Lukaku
With doubts still hanging over Wayne Rooney’s availability and uncertainty surrounding Manuel Pellegrini’s tactics now that Sergio Aguero is injured, the Everton forward looks a stand-out option for the Bumper Gameweek. A guaranteed starter under Roberto Martinez, Lukaku travels to Swansea this weekend before welcoming Sunderland and Southampton to Goodison Park – having scored or assisted in each of his last five appearances, his price tag of 11.7m reflects the big Belgian’s consistency. Danny Welbeck, at 10.5m, could be worth a flutter if Rooney fails to recover from a groin problem, while if you are looking for a cut-price option, Norwich’s Rickie Van Wolfswinkel could be an outside punt. Finally recovered from a toe injury, the Dutchman is priced at just 7.1m, and has games against Sunderland and Fulham before welcoming Man United to Carrow Road.
How To Play
PlayON is weekly Fantasy Football for free or for cash, so you can dip in and out of playing throughout the season. Once your starting XI is built (you can keep changing your team right up to two hours before the first kick-off – 10.45am this Saturday), you can compete for cash. Entering a multiplayer game for a set stake, you’ll have a chance of winning your share of the pot should you finish high enough in the rankings.
Similarly, you can challenge other players to one-on-one games, selecting the amount at stake. The likes of Robbie Fowler, Les Ferdinand and OptaJoe are all playing the game and are there to be challenged for free or for £1. The Fantasy Football Scout team is also available to be challenged and has a 55% win rate up to this point.
The Fantasy Football Scout Game
We’ve also got a £2 multiplayer game, dedicated to our community, which is now open and the prize pot is building.
Challenge Your Mates
You can also set up your own multiplayer games with your mates to play for bragging rights only or for cash. Create your own game at www.playon.co.uk.
Finally, a reminder that we have published a strategy guide, offering some tips for getting the most from your PlayON lineup, right here.
You have to be over 18 to enter cash games at PlayON. If you do wager some cash, please remember to gamble responsibly. PlayON is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
