As always, we scour the market for a trio of overlooked alternatives ahead of the Gameweek deadline. A couple of last season’s main Fantasy protagonists are starting to hint at a return to form, whilst one of Newcastle’s French contingent is hoping to benefit from his compatriot’s imminent departure:
Christian Benteke
Back-to-back goals against Arsenal and Liverpool suggest the Villa frontman is finally on the path to rediscovering the form that made him a Fantasy phenomenon in the second half of last season. After a slow start to life in the midlands, Benteke ran riot from January 1 onwards in 2012/13 and notched 14 times in the final few months – a situation he is threatening to replicate second time around for Paul Lambert’s side.
After racking up four goals in the first four Gameweeks, the big Belgian’s campaign shuddered to a halt after he picked up a hip problem at Norwich in late September. Returning to action a month later, Benteke’s form fell flat as a run of 10 league games without a goal saw his confidence slowly ebb away, with Fantasy owners deserting the Villa forward in droves.
As his self-belief returns, he’s once again in our thoughts ahead of tomorrow’s midlands derby with West Brom. With West Ham and Cardiff also on his agenda over the next four, Benteke, at 8.7 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), 9.0 in the Sky Sports game and 5.5 in the Sun Dream Team, could well be worth that third forward slot once again.
Robert Snodgrass
The Norwich midfielder is another player who has failed to replicate the form of his debut year in the top-flight. Snodgrass lit up the Premier League last time around, producing six goals and nine assists on his way to accumulating 152 points in the FPL game but so far this season has mustered just a single goal and assist for the Canaries.
As our recent KPI analysis article for members highlighted, though, his underlying statistics over the last six Gameweeks suggest Snodgrass could well be set for a turnaround in fortunes. With a home game against Newcastle supplemented by showdowns against Cardiff and West Ham in the next four matches, the Scot – 5.9 in FPL, 7.3 in the Sky Sports game and 3.0 in the Sun Dream Team – looks key for Chris Hughton’s side from this point onwards.
Hatem Ben Arfa
With Yohan Cabaye set to leave for PSG and Yoan Gouffran a doubt for Newcastle’s trip to Norwich, Ben Arfa is likely to be handed the chance to stake a claim for a regular role once again. After starting eight of the first nine Gameweeks, the Frenchman has tumbled down the pecking order and managed just one more appearance in the first XI – a 90-minute display against Stoke in Gameweek 18 which harvested a pair of assists.
While his talents are undoubted, Ben Arfa’s work-rate has proven his undoing under Alan Pardew. With plenty of tracking back required from a role out wide, it seems likely he’ll be handed the role in “the hole” behind Loic Remy this evening and tasked with replicating Cabaye’s recent displays from a central position. Ben Arfa is down to just 6.5 in FPL, 5.9 in the Sky Sports game and 3.5 in the Sun Dream Team, and also has a home derby with Sunderland this weekend for those who fancy a punt.
