Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 3 – The Strong

With Gameweek 2 now behind us, our attentions turn to the upcoming schedule as we assess the forthcoming four to six Gameweeks. Our first instalment takes a look at those sides with more favourable fixtures, with the Tyne-Wear duo and struggling United afforded reasons for optimism:

SUNDERLAND

Having performed admirably in their clash against Man United at the weekend, it’s two points from two matches now for Gus Poyet’s side, and a superb run of fixtures awaits the Black Cats in the weeks ahead. The visit of in-form Tottenham to the Stadium of Light in two weekends’ time will undoubtedly be a tough encounter, but that fixture sits in between trips to newly promoted QPR and Burnley, which are then followed by home showdowns against Swansea and Stoke.

The main source of points for the Black Cats so far has come from the midfield, with goals from Seb Larsson, Lee Cattermole and Jack Rodwell inspiring their side against West Brom and United. The former has set piece duties in his favour and also chipped in with an assist on Sunday afternoon to boost his prospects, though is the most expensive of the trio at 5.5 (compared to 4.5 and 5.0 respectively).

Up top, Steven Fletcher is yet to get his scoring tally underway, though has been fielded as the most advanced forward in his side’s opening two fixtures and looks most likely to benefit from the creativity of those in behind him. Sunderland’s defence, meanwhile, have maintained their budget appeal for this season, despite accumulating 11 shut-outs in their last league campaign. Vito Mannone (who totalled a noteworthy 134 points last year) is still first choice between the sticks and on offer for 4.5, though for the same price, Fantasy managers can acquire Patrick van Aanholt, whose strong performances at left-back since joining Poyet’s side from Chelsea in the summer have attracted our attentions.

MAN UNITED

It’s a shame that Louis Van Gaal’s acknowledgement that he’s a slow starter with new clubs is holding so true, as United struggle to justify our heavy level of investment. Nonetheless, a strong set of opening fixtures continues for the Red Devils as they welcome QPR and West Ham to Old Trafford in their next six, with trips to Burnley, Leicester and West Brom also holding plenty of promise for the out-of-form Red Devils. Everton’s visit to the Theatre of Dreams in Gameweek 7 will be their first big test of the season, but Van Gaal will be optimistic that, by then, his side will have begun to click and better the performances evident in their loss to Swansea and 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Sunday.

The 12.5-priced Robin Van Persie made a somewhat unconvincing comeback against the Black Cats, and will be hoping to get back up to stride quickly to help his side overcome their current slump. Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney remains the most popular player in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game with an incredible 46% ownership, though his team’s poor form has already seen over 40,000 managers jump ship since the weekend.

Subject to a mass exodus and a subsequent price drop to 8.9 last week, Juan Mata came back to haunt those who traded him out with a 10-point display against Sunderland – with the fixtures in his favour, the Spaniard could now cement himself as a key midfield option in the weeks ahead, though it remains to be seen how the potential signing of Angel Di Maria would affect the playmakers role in the side. Faith in United’s rearguard assets is understandably low, though Phil Jones’ displays in the first couple of Gameweeks have been reassuring, with an assist against Swansea indicative of his superior appeal over his defensive team-mates.

SOUTHAMPTON

An opening-day defeat to Liverpool may not have been the ideal start for new manager Ronald Koeman, but the Saints performed well enough to convince many of their doubters that the season ahead may not be as doom-and-gloom as many had predicted. Whilst last Saturday’s 0-0 stalemate with West Brom was hardly full of attacking verve, a clean sheet and first point of the campaign for Koeman’s side should give them some momentum ahead of a strong set of upcoming fixtures. Home matches against Newcastle, QPR and Sunderland hold plenty of promise for further defensive returns, with trips to West Ham, Swansea and Tottenham also featuring in their next six.

Currently the fifth highest scoring defender in FPL, Nathaniel Clyne burst onto radars with a goal against Liverpool on the opening weekend, though it was Jose Fonte and Maya Yoshida who were the main beneficiaries on Saturday, after picking up three and two bonus points respectively. Fonte may be the most expensive of the trio at 5.5, but his penchant for acquiring bonus points, allied with his threat from set pieces, make him the most attractive asset in the Saints’ backline right now.

In midfield, James Ward Prowse will be looking to make the most of a share of set pieces, and at 5.0 the youngster could be a steal, whilst new signing Dusan Tadic will be hoping to build upon his debut assist against Liverpool. Up top, Koeman will be eager to see new boys Shane Long and Graziano Pelle build an understanding in the coming weeks – the former is up for grabs for just 6.0, and has the fixtures to cement his place in the side whilst Jay Rodriguez remains sidelined.

NEWCASTLE

Two games and no goals for the Tyneside team doesn’t bode too well, but home fixtures against Crystal Palace and Hull City in the next three should provide them with a chance to get their tally up and running. On the other hand, a clean sheet against Aston Villa at the weekend has seen a number of their defensive options climb our Watchlist and, should they take advantage of their favourable fixture list, they may climb further still.

Between the sticks, Tim Krul is available for a mere 4.5 after a leaky campaign last time out and currently rests at the summit of our goalkeeper Watchlist. In defence, Fabricio Coloccini is available for the same price as Krul and picked up maximum bonus points in Saturday’s 0-0 draw to ensure he remains our defender of choice for Alan Pardew’s side.

Further up the field, Remy Cabella and Emmanuel Riviere have offered plenty of creativity and drive over Newcastle’s opening two fixtures without any returns to show for it, suggesting that Siem De Jong may be the attacking asset du jour. Returning from a calf injury at Villa Park for the final 20 minutes of the encounter, the 7.0-priced midfielder came closest to netting for his side and gave Fantasy managers an impressive first taste of his talents.

Also Consider

Crystal Palace
Managerless, surrounded by controversy off the field, and with two defeats in their first two matches, Palace’s fortunes aren’t looking too great at the moment. Nonetheless, the Eagles have home encounters with Burnley and Leicester in their next four to turn things around, whilst this weekend’s trip to goalless Newcastle won’t hold too much fear. Joel Ward and co will be confident of clean sheets, then, whilst Jason Puncheon – now back from a one-match suspension – has the platform to find the form that saw his popularity surge towards the end of last season.

Stoke
A late equaliser from Ryan Shawcross against 10-man Hull City on Sunday brought the Potters their first point of the season, and once they are on the other side of this weekend’s trip to Man City on Saturday, Mark Hughes’ side will be looking to kick on as their fixture list (LEI, qpr, NEW, sun, SWA) picks up immensely. In goal, Asmir Begovic remains a popular pick with 9.4% ownership and could be primed to prove his worth, whilst Bojan Krkic’s legion of owners will be hoping the forward can shake off a knock and live up to his pre-season form by delivering the points.

Liverpool
Monday night’s defeat at the hands of Man City will have a few minds wondering whether Brendan Rodgers’ side really can maintain last season’s quality without a certain Uruguayan on board. Encounters with Tottenham and Everton in their next six will put the Merseyside outfit under the spotlight once again, though trips to West Ham and QPR, allied with the visits of Aston Villa and West Brom to Anfield hold promise for the attacking fortunes of Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge, both of whom will be eager to press on after their opening weekend goals against Southampton. With injury worries at the back, few will be willing to invest in the Reds until they show some signs of resilience.