Frisking the Fixtures – The Strong – Gameweek 29

Our attention turns towards the next four-to-six Gameweeks this lunchtime as we assess those sides with some potentially profitable schedules on the horizon. Chelsea and Leicester’s double Gameweek 34 plays a part in our thinking, whilst Alan Pardew has reason for optimism as Palace look to bounce back from last night’s loss at St Mary’s.

Chelsea

With one trophy already in the bag, Jose Mourinho’s push for league glory now looks set to hit top gear. The Londoners are blessed with a favourable fixture list over their next four, including Stamford Bridge encounters with out-of-sorts Southampton and Stoke, and enticing away days at Hull and QPR. Subsequent back-to-back meetings with Man United and Arsenal should test their title credentials, though the latter is one half of a double Gameweek 34 for the Blues, which also pits them against bottom-placed Leicester, and managers are likely to load up on their assets in virtue of that.

As always, the Chelsea rearguard offers us a plethora of options to choose from, though Branislav Ivanovic’s attacking prospects – which have seen the Serb serve up two goals and three assists in his last seven outings – are justifying shelling out for his 7.4 price tag. On the other hand, for those without budget to spare, the 4.6-priced Kurt Zouma has now started ahead of Gary Cahill in the centre of defence in three of the Blues’ last four in the league, and having earned plaudits for his performance in a deep-lying midfield position in the Capital One Cup final on Sunday, also offers Jose Mourinho a back-up option to Nemanja Matic, given that John Obi Mikel is sidelined for another month.

The Blues’ attack affords us a similar wealth of assets, with Diego Costa and Eden Hazard the obvious routes in; the latter has scored or assisted and registered maximum bonus points in all but one of his last four displays. Indeed, with Cesc Fabregas having now failed to yield returns since Gameweek 22, managers are far more likely to be keeping tabs on the cheaper options of Oscar (8.1), Willian (7.7) and new boy Juan Cuadrado (8.1) if Costa and Hazard are out of their reach.

Leicester

Devoid of a win since Gameweek 21, a sense of desperation is starting to settle in at the King Power Stadium, with many already writing off the Foxes chances of avoiding the drop. That may be a little premature, however, with only seven points separating the Midlanders from safety and a generous schedule now ahead. Nigel Pearson’s men host three promising home fixtures in the next five (HUL, WHM, SWA) and will also be optimistic of returns from a trip to West Brom if they are to mount a late charge up the table. With a double Gameweek 34 also lying in wait, managers will be keenly monitoring Leicester’s main protagonists to see if a viable punt emerges.

Crucial to the Foxes lack of success thus far has been their defensive shortcomings, with just four clean sheets accrued the worst record in the league this season. Nonetheless, the 4.5-rated Jeffrey Schlupp’s role on the left flank earns him the tag of an ‘out-of-position’ prospect, though the Ghanaian international needs to raise his game after failing to earn returns in his last five appearances. The energetic Riyad Mahrez looks assured of starts on the opposite wing, and should he discover the form that delivered goal and two assists between Gameweeks 18-20, the Algerian could be a key figure in the Foxes’ relegation escape. Pearson will be hoping that the same can be said of winter signing Andrej Kramaric; the 5.5-valued striker opened his account against Arsenal in Gameweek 25, and should he profit from the kind schedule, could come into reckoning as a budget differential up top.

Crystal Palace

The Eagles may have sunk to a 1-0 defeat at St Mary’s last night, but with an eight-point cushion between themselves and the drop zone, and a superb next six on the agenda, Alan Pardew shouldn’t be reaching towards the panic button anytime soon. Home meetings with QPR, West Brom and Hull and trips to Stoke and Sunderland are all imminent, with only a Gameweek 31 encounter with Man City tarnishing the schedule.

The Londoners’ rearguard has now conceded more than a single goal just once in their last six outings, and should they endeavour for that little bit more solidity from here on in their budget assets could come to the fore. Over the course of the last four Gameweeks, the 4.9-valued Scott Dann has registered more touches in the opposition penalty area than any other defender, scoring once, with his threat from set-pieces making the centre back a tempting option for Fantasy managers. Julian Speroni, at 4.8, offers an alternative for those on the lookout for a goalkeeper.

Whilst an end product continues to evade Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha, our attention is unlikely to sway from Jason Puncheon in the Eagles’ midfield; fielded in a central role behind the striker, the 5.6-rated man’s dead-ball duties have helped him create more chances than any other player in the league since Pardew’s installation as manager, and he has been a little unlucky to only return four assists in that period. Up top, Glenn Murray could well make an instant return to the starting XI at the expense of Dwight Gayle in two weekends’ time having sat out through suspension last night, and the budget striker will be eager to push on after notching three goals in just 80 minutes of pitch time in his previous two appearances.

Swansea

Spirit-fuelling wins over Man United and Burnley have propelled the Swans’ assets back onto our radars at a time when the road ahead looks even more encouraging. After facing a trip to Spurs tonight, Garry Monk’s side then boast clashes with four of the bottom seven (avl, HUL, EVE, lei) in their next five, along with an equally enticing trip to Newcastle. With just nine points currently separating them from a guaranteed Europa League spot, the Swans may well prove the surprise package amongst the upper echelons come the end of the campaign if they can capitalise on the kind upcoming schedule.

At the back, the south Wales outfit have conceded just four goals in their last five league outings, in an upturn of resilience that seems to have been sparked by their 5-0 humiliation at the hands of Chelsea back in Gameweek 22. Should they manage to maintain that defensive form, the impressive Lukasz Fabianski looks well worth a spot between the sticks, though Kyle Naughton’s meagre 4.3 price tag is likely to sway the majority of attention in the right back’s favour.

Further forward, the obliging fixture list should hand Gylfi Sigurdsson the chance to reignite his season after a drab 2015, whilst Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-Yeung present us with in-form budget options in the middle of the park. Bafetimbi Gomis was a little fortunate to notch his second league goal for the Swans in their win over United two weekends ago, but the Frenchman will now be hoping to press on from that and finally prove that he can fill Wilfried Bony’s boots in the spearhead of the Swan’s attack.

Also Consider…

Man City
The Champions lost a significant chunk of ground in the title race in their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at the weekend, and many are expecting a backlash against Leicester this evening. With the bottom half trio of Burnley, West Brom and Crystal Palace then to come, Manuel Pellegrini’s side are certainly offered the chance to remount in their charge for the trophy. Much may depend on whether they can solve the defensive frailties exposed by both Liverpool and Barcelona recently; should they get their affairs in check, the 5.7-valued Aleksander Kolarov has started the last three in the league and tallied as many attempt on goal as any other defender in that period. If he is selected ahead of Gael Clichy this evening, the Serbian may yet come into consideration, though in terms of security, Vincent Kompany remains the most reliable.

Further forward, the creative duo of David Silva and Samir Nasri have delivered two goals and two assists apiece in the past three Gameweeks, with the latter’s mere 2.4% ownership making him an outstanding differential right now. Meanwhile, the irrepressible Sergio Aguero continues to top our forwards Watchlist after registering returns in each of his five appearances since returning from injury and, with the fixture list in mind, is unlikely to budge for a good while yet.

West Brom
The Baggies failed to flatter in their 2-1 loss to Aston Villa, scoring from what was their only shot on target over the course of the 90 minutes. However, with three kind home fixtures in their next four (STK, QPR, LEI), and a visit to Crystal Palace lying in wait beyond that, Tony Pulis will nonetheless be positive over his side’s chances of getting themselves clear of the relegation scrap before a horrendous run-in in the final weeks of the campaign. The likes of Ben Foster, Joleon Lescott and Craig Dawson should remain popular picks, then, with Pulis’ philosophy earning them three consecutive shutouts before last night’s blip. Meanwhile, with a lack of creativity tainting their midfield, the Midlanders continue to be reliant on Saido Berahino’s goal scoring instincts, which have seen the 5.5-priced forward strike in three of the past four Gameweeks. Brown Ideye’s owners may also be reluctant to twist, despite the Nigerian blanking in his last three.

QPR
Plenty of managers have turned to the Hoops’ chief attacking options prior to the current double Gameweek, and they may be advised to think twice before offloading them straight away. The R’s now boast four promising clashes in their next five, with trips to Crystal Palace, West Brom and Aston Villa married with Everton’s visit to Loftus Road. Charlie Austin’s longer term prospects look encouraging, then, whilst if Matty Phillips can preserve his starting role and continue his recent fine form this Gameweek, his 4.6 price tag could tempt many more to acquire his services. Likewise, those who have punted on budget defender Yun Suk-Young ahead of the double may be inclined to hang on to the Korean.

Tottenham
The same principle applies to Gameweek 28’s other double Gameweek providers. Having loaded up on Spurs’ assets, we can take comfort in the fact that Mauricio Pochettino’s side face the current bottom three of the bottom four clubs in the space of the next four Gameweeks. A trip to Old Trafford in Gameweek 29 is the fly in the ointment, although we can cling to both Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen with some expectation that the pair will continue their outstanding form on the road and trouble United’s fragile rearguard. Following that, Spurs will Leicester and Villa at the Lane, with a trip to Burnley providing the meat in the sandwich. Things stiffen rather severely following that, with three away trips in four and a home tie with Man City but, for now, we can extend the stay of our Gameweek 28 assets with the prospect of returns.

Sunderland
Last night’s stalemate with Hull ensured that the Black Cats remain firmly entrenched in the relegation battle. In fact, Gus Poyet’s men have now failed to forge a winning performance since Gameweek 23, and with a less than appetising final six matches of the season in waiting, taking advantage of their next four – in which the Wearsiders entertain Aston Villa, Newcastle and Crystal Palace at the Stadium of Light and travel to West Ham – looks essential.

With Patrick van Aanholt benched once again last night, Anthony Reveillere remains our Black Cats defender of choice, having averaged 4.0 points per appearance so far. Offered a start against the Tigers yesterday, Jack Rodwell grabbed his second goal in his last three appearances, and, at just 4.7, could come into contention as a budget midfield option if he can preserve his starting role. Jermain Defoe has now failed to deliver returns in his previous four outings, but should still be looked to by Poyet as the focal point in attack as the Wearsiders look for inspiration in the final third.