Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 9 – The Strong

As always, our first look at the fixture ticker over the next four to six Gameweeks starts with those teams who have kind upcoming schedules. We see that Everton are handed an opportunity to make up lost ground, Southampton have every chance of keeping their crown as the best value team across the Fantasy games, whilst Man City and Tottenham both heave into view with an eye-catching run of opponents.

Everton

Marking the start of their excellent schedule with an emphatic victory over Aston Villa last week, the Toffees present a strong case for consideration. Their forthcoming fixtures look highly promising, with home fixtures against Swansea, West Ham and Hull, plus trips to Burnley and Sunderland, blighted only by a visit to Spurs.

Registering their second clean sheet of the season, Everton have struggled to repeat last term’s resilience but these fixtures could get them back on track. Phil Jagielka notched his second strike of the season but the wise money would seem to be on full-backs Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines, with the latter’s spot-kicks seeming to give him the edge.

In midfield, the return of Ross Barkley could see him kick on from his breakthrough season and become a genuine contender, though it’s concerning that not one attacking midfielder has played more than 120 minutes over the last two matches, suggesting that Roberto Martinez intends to continue with his rotation policy. Up front, Romelu Lukaku scored his third goal of the season and is starting to challenge Steven Naismith for top goalscorer, though the Scotsman’s budget price tag makes it a tough choice.

Tottenham

It’s widely accepted that the weekend’s scoreline flattered Man City somewhat, and though they were undone by the genius of Sergio Aguero, there was much to admire about the performance of Mauricio Pochettino’s side as he wrangles them around to his way of thinking. Tottenham now have the chance to show their progress as they prepare to face a more obliging set of opponents. The next four fixtures include home matches against Newcastle and Stoke, plus trips to Aston Villa and Hull.

Such fixtures ought to be prosperous for the Spurs defence and, at 5.6, Hugo Lloris sits atop the Fantasy Premier League keeper standings right now. If you’re looking to invest in defence, though, Younes Kaboul or Danny Rose both set you back 5.0. In midfield, Erik Lamela has failed to bear the fruit that his blossoming pre-season promised us, but Christian Eriksen has been steadily building in stature with back-to-back goals against tough opponents. The Dane was a Fantasy force to be reckoned with under Tim Sherwood and the signs are that he could be ready to do so again. Nacer Chadli’s star has waned slightly since his early-season successes but he still offers more close-range threat than the former Ajax man, and at 6.4 to Eriksen’s 7.8, teh Belgian remains excellent value. After his international exertions, Emmanuel Adebayor was dropped for Roberto Soldado against City, though both players look woefully out of form right now and it may be best to invest elsewhere.

Southampton

Delivering the talking point of the week with their merciless thrashing of Sunderland, Ronald Koeman’s team are Fantasy royalty at the moment, serving up elite points for mid-priced investment. The Saints still have four Gameweeks of good-looking fixtures to mine for points before the skies darken and their fixture ticker turns red. Home clashes against Stoke and Leicester combine with trips to Hull and Aston Villa to make a strong case for their assets.

Fraser Forster is second overall for goalkeepers, though for a similar price you can have the added goals, assists and bonus points of either of Nathaniel Clyne or Ryan Bertrand. In midfield, Dusan Tadic finally served up the goal he’d been threatening for some time and added four assists for good measure to record a mammoth 23-point haul for the Gameweek and it’s hard to look past him, though Sadio Mane, at 6.9, could be an alternative after also opening his account for the club last weekend. In attack, Graziano Pelle has picked up where he left off in the Eredivisie and has now equalled Diego Costa’s points tally – available at a mere 8.1, he looks irresistible right now.

Man City

The title holders are gradually moving up through the gears, and while last weekend’s scoreline against Spurs may not have been entirely reflective of the balance of play, it’s hard to see many of their upcoming opponents offering much resistance. City’s next six Gameweeks may include just a couple of home fixtures, but bearing in mind they host United’s leaky defence and pay visit to two of the current bottom four, Fantasy managers won’t be deterred.

The defence has yet to fully gel and for Fantasy purposes two clean sheets seems scant reward for top price-bracket players. With rotation blighting three of the four slots, only Vincent Kompany looks recommendable for those managers who see an upturn in defensive resolve. The City midfield is similarly troubling; both David Silva and Yaya Toure are toiling for Fantasy returns while rotation casts doubt over the value of other players – though James Milner, at 5.3, could be worth a budget punt. Up top, though, Sergio Aguero’s masterclass of a performance against Spurs has underlined his potential and, with doubts over Costa’s fitness, arguably labels him “essential” in some managers’ eyes.

Also Consider

Aston Villa
Rolled over by Everton, Paul Lambert will be hoping that a five-Gameweek stretch of heavyweight opponents hasn’t knocked all the belief and momentum out of his side. Certainly, trips to QPR, West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace would seem tailor-made for Villa’s counter-attacking style and Fantasy points could be flowing again. Brad Guzan could offer good value if they can regain their defensive form, while Alan Hutton is likely to do better than the one point per game he has averaged in the last four Gameweeks. Goalless since Gameweek 4, it’s hard to recommend any of Villa’s attacking assets, but as Christian Benteke returns to fitness following his long injury, his performances will be key to resurrecting the Villains’ fortunes.

Liverpool
Mired in a woeful rut of dire form, Brendan Rodgers does at least still have the fixtures on side to turn things around. Home matches against Hull and Stoke plus trips to Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Leicester could scarcely be kinder but faith in the defence is at an all-time low after conceding two goals to lowly QPR. With Mario Balotelli struggling and Daniel Sturridge injured yet again, Fantasy investment seems limited to the midfield. Raheem Sterling kept his legion of owners satisfied with an assist on Sunday but Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson aren’t as far behind as their ownership numbers would suggest and offer viable alternatives to the England starlet.

Arsenal
Held to a draw by Hull City, Arsene Wenger’s injury-riddled squad has still only been beaten by Chelsea so far. The Gunners have some decent-looking fixtures to come, with trips to Sunderland, Swansea and West Brom plus a home clash against Burnley to boost their prospects at both ends of the pitch. Arsenal’s defence has yet to bear fruit this season, with just a single clean sheet to show, but Calum Chambers (4.6) is back from suspension and could offer good value for would-be investors. In midfield, Alexis Sanchez is becoming hard to ignore – handed the full 90 minutes at the weekend, his form continued with a goal, assist and maximum bonus, though with Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott closing in on first-team returns, we won’t be short of options for long. Danny Welbeck’s second Premier League goal in an Arsenal shirt will help his confidence and his 7.3 price tag makes him an excellent-value prospect.