Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 2 – The Strong

This week’s first foray into the fixture list over the next four-to-six Gameweeks sees us focus on those sides with favourable upcoming schedules. Everton, in particular, are fancied by our season ticker, whilst the likes of Spurs, West Ham and Sunderland will be hoping to take advantage of four home fixtures in the following six.

Everton

(wba, STO, sun, MID, bou, CPL)

The Toffees got off to a fairly encouraging start under Ronald Koeman with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham and, with none of last season’s top eight to face over the next six Gameweeks, look a side worth considering.

Home fixtures against Stoke, Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace all appear capable of offering returns at either end of the pitch.

From an attacking perspective, those three opponents are perhaps unlikely to boast a huge threat, so providing Ashley Williams can settle quickly into the Toffees backline, the Merseysiders may offer solid clean sheet possibilities.

Although West Brom ground out an impressive 1-0 win at Palace, they’re not a side associated with scoring lots of goals, so Koeman’s men may be able to get something from their trip to the Hawthorns. Sunderland and Bournemouth both lost on the opening weekend, and look to have some defensive frailties.

From an attacking perspective then, Ross Barkley could be worth backing after getting on the scoresheet against Spurs, while new signing Yannick Bolasie is worth monitoring as a cheaper midfield option. Short-term at least, Gerard Deulofeu could continue to benefit as a “false nine” if Romelu Lukaku fails to recover from a heel injury.

Should Koeman stick with a three-man backline, Leighton Baines could offer plenty of appeal with added attacking potential as a wing-back, while the aforementioned Williams, and the goal threat of Ramiro Funes Mori, may also be worth considering.

West Ham

(BOU, mci, WAT, wba, SOT, MID)

With only a trip to Man City in Gameweek 3 looking difficult in the short-term, West Ham could provide us with some intriguing Fantasy options.

The Hammers face four home fixtures over the next six Gameweeks, and while it may take some time to settle into their new home at the London Stadium, the first four visitors don’t appear to offer the strongest opposition. Bournemouth, Watford and Southampton all failed to create a big chance in their opening fixtures, so defensive returns in particular appear possible over the coming weeks. The Gameweek 5 trip to West Brom is also a reasonable opportunity.

Injuries to Andre Ayew and Sofiane Feghouli may limit Slaven Bilic’s options, though we’re still backing Dimitri Payet and Andy Carroll to produce the goods. At the back, James Collins could be one to consider if he can keep his place in the starting XI, coming in at just 4.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL). Sam Byram’s minutes are also worth monitoring after he came on early for Michail Antonio in Monday’s loss at Chelsea.

West Brom

(EVE, MID, bou, WHM, sto, sun)

The Baggies are another team who don’t face any of last season’s top eight over the coming period. Full of confidence following their opening day victory, they could provide us with some interesting mid-price and budget options.

The three home fixtures do appear slightly tougher than the away matches but, as Saturday once again showed, it’s on the road where the West Brom defence appears to thrive, with six of their 11 clean sheets last season coming on their travels.

Bournemouth, Stoke and Sunderland were all among the bottom nine sides for total goal attempts on the opening weekend, so the likes of Ben Foster, Jonny Evans, Gareth McAuley, and -if you’ve got the funds- Craig Dawson, all appear solid picks.

At the other end of the pitch, Tony Pulis’ men managed a reasonable eight shots inside the box at Selhurst Park, and after scoring the winning goal and looking far fitter than he was last season, Salomon Rondon should be able to stay in the goals over the short to medium term. Matt Phillips is our one to watch out for on the flanks.

Tottenham

(CPL, LIV, sto, SUN, mid, MCI)
While Spurs do have four home matches in the next six, the clashes with Liverpool and Man City will offer difficult match-ups, particularly from a defensive standpoint.

Regardless, away trips to Stoke and Middlesbrough appear reasonable from that standpoint, with the Potters in particular looking short of firepower until they manage to bring in a new striker.

Tottenham’s attack should be able to flourish over the coming weeks, with Palace having struggled to keep clean sheets since the turn of the year, managing just two in their last 20 league matches. Meanwhile, Liverpool’s defensive vulnerabilities were very much in evidence at the Emirates.

Concerns remain surrounding Harry Kane’s ability to score goals in the continued absence of the suspended Mousa Dembele, but Erik Lamela, who took his pre-season form into the opening day clash at Goodison Park, scoring Tottenham’s only goal, could be worth considering. Both Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli should also thrive from that schedule, though the possible impact of Vincent Janssen on Mauricio Pochettino’s first-team plans also needs to be monitored.

In defence, Michel Vorm will be handed the chance in goal due to Hugo Lloris’ hamstring injury, though the Frenchman is expected back mid-September, making Vorm’s acquisition a very short-term move. The attacking threat of Kyle Walker down the right flank and the all-around ability of Toby Alderweireld to pick up points means they should remain good options.

Also Consider

Crystal Palace
A tough trip to Tottenham on Saturday aside, the Eagles do look to have a decent run of fixtures (BOU, mid, STO, sun, eve) over the following five Gameweeks.

Goals remain a concern until Alan Pardew manages to bring a striker through the door at Selhurst Park, but the likes of Andros Townsend should be able to come away with some attacking returns against teams who are expected to find themselves in mid-table this season. No side allowed more big chances than Bournemouth (four) over the opening weekend.

All five of those clubs scored exactly one goal in their opening fixture, and should offer up reasonable opportunities for Palace to accrue a clean sheet or two. Scott Dann’s set-piece threat makes him the standout target, with Pape Souare the cheaper alternative.

Middlesbrough
While ‘Boro face three away trips in the next four (sun, wba, CPL, eve), their budget options should be able to provide decent value, with a positive showing against Stoke on the opening day suggesting they’re capable of making an impact in the top flight.

Sunderland, West Brom and Palace struggled for goals last season, and the opening weekend performances failed to suggest that will change dramatically this time around. The likes of Victor Valdes and George Friend have a chance of delivering some defensive points, then.

The ‘Boro attack did reasonably well against Stoke, and while Aitor Karanka’s side may not be overly prolific this season, the next few matches should allow the likes of Alvaro Negredo and Gaston Ramirez a decent platform to build on their opening day returns.

Chelsea
Trips to Watford, Swansea and Hull, along with a home clash against Burnley, indicate we should be looking to Chelsea’s premium assets over the coming period.

The new-look Blues got off to a promising start under Antonio Conte, and appearing generally solid at the back. Cesar Azpilicueta is our preferred defender here, having earned an assist against the Hammers on Monday night.

With Eden Hazard and Diego Costa showing glimpses of their 2014/15 form, they could shine against some of the Premier League’s lesser lights.

Conte’s men also face a home clash against Liverpool and a trip to Arsenal in the next six, but with the defensive showings from both those sides on Sunday less than impressive, there’s little not to like about the prospects of Hazard and Costa in particular over the coming period.

Sunderland
The Black Cats face four home fixtures (MID, EVE, CPL, WBA) in the next six, and appear capable of banking both defensive and attacking returns in those matches.

David Moyes’ men defended admirably for long periods against Man City, so members of Sunderland’s backline may provide decent value over the next six Gameweeks, aside from the two away trips to Southampton and Tottenham. Patrick van Aanholt looks the likeliest to benefit at both ends of the pitch, having notched six times last term, though Vito Mannone’s save points should also come in handy.

Those four favourable home matches also add to the appeal of Jermain Defoe, who got off the mark at the Etihad, and he’ll surely fancy his chances of remaining among the goals during this kind run of fixtures. We’re also keeping an eye on Adnan Januzaj – he impressed as a sub at the Etihad and took all three corners Sunderland were awarded when he was on the pitch.