The winter snow has English shores, don’t let it freeze your FPL team!
(L-R) Chelsea winger Eden Hazard, Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Heung-Min Son (Photos: AFP)
As the first snow hit the English shores, fears of football getting suspended were unfounded and the Premier League continued unabated much to the delight of millions of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers worldwide.
With games coming thick and fast, injuries are bound to throw a spanner in the works of even the best of the best.
To ensure you don’t trip in the ultra-competitive FPL, The Statesman is at hand with an incisive article ahead of every gameweek.
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The indicators are:
Teams in BOLD are top 4 contenders.
Prices (in £ million) marked in Green indicates a rise in Base Price.
Prices (in £ million) marked in Red indicates fall in Base Price.
Team: Tottenham Hotspur
Fixtures: Brighton (H), Man City (A), Burnley (A), Southampton (H) and N/A
Price: 5.5
Score: 50
Ownership: 8.9%
Why yes: A revitalised Spurs are due a clean-sheet and against Brighton, who have been poor travellers, should be able to register a shutout.
Why no: Without Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld, Spurs don’t look impressive at the back and even Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet (£4.9 m) has matched Lloris this FPL season. The Lilywhites travel to Manchester City next game week and do not have a fixture in Gameweek 21.
Team: Manchester United
Fixtures: Bournemouth (H), West Brom (A), Leicester (A), Burnley (H) and Southampton (H)
Price: 5.3
Score: 59
Ownership: 6.4%
Why yes: The Red Devils will be hurting after their derby loss and expect them to hammer the Cherries at home. Jones is back in the squad after an injury absence and with Marcos Rojo a doubt, is almost guaranteed to start against the Cherries. Keeping two United defenders or a keeper and a defender is not the worst strategy as Jose Mourinho’s men are a lock to amass clean-sheets.
Why no: Jones has been in fine form this season, but so has Chris Smalling (£5.4m). Keeper David de Gea (£5.8m) is in sensational nick as well and worth a dekho. Jones’ injury record may put off most FPL managers.
Team: Everton
Fixtures: Newcastle (A), Swansea (H), Chelsea (H), West Brom (A) and Bournemouth (A)
Price: 4.3
Score: 22
Ownership: 1.4%
Why yes: ‘Big Sam’ has praised Kenny, who’s been starting in the Toffees defence for a while now, and for good reason. The young right-back has been a revelation and considering Everton’s fixtures, is a bargain. An excellent fourth/fifth choice defender, if nothing else.
Why no: Newcastle may be stuttering, but in front of their own fans won’t go down easily.
Team: Tottenham Hotspur
Fixtures: Brighton (H), Man City (A), Burnley (A), Southampton (H) and N/A
Price: 8.0
Score: 60
Ownership: 2.9%
Why yes: Last season’s 16-goal return was no flash in the pan for Spurs’ Korean recruit is going great guns at the moment. He ran the show in the 5-1 hammering of Stoke and against Brighton, expect a double-points haul again. At his price, is a steal and if one takes in the differential he possess, this is a no-brainer.
Why no: Spurs aren’t quite comfortable at home and their next game, away trip to Manchester City, has them pegged as the underdogs. If you already have Harry Kane (£12.9m), Son could be avoided. The Lilywhites don’t play in Gameweek 21.
Team: Chelsea
Fixtures: Huddersfield (A), Southampton (H), Everton (A), Brighton (H) and Stoke (H)
Price: 10.9
Score: 70
Ownership: 14.7%
Why yes: With Alvaro Morata ruled out of Chelsea’s trip to Huddersfield, Hazard stands to benefit the most as he is likely to be employed as a false-nine. The diminutive Belgian has been in fine form of late and after the Blues got stunned by West Ham in Gameweek 16, expect them to come roaring back against the Terriers. On the whole, Chelsea have the best fixtures from the ‘top sides’.
Why no: At home, Huddersfield have given the Manchester clubs a run for their money and aren’t going to make life easy for Antonio Conte’s men. Hazard is extremely expensive, close to 10 per cent of your overall budget.
Team: Liverpool
Fixtures: West Brom (H), Bournemouth (A), Arsenal (A), Swansea (H) and Leicester (H)
Price: 8.5
Score: 68
Ownership: 21.1%
Why yes: After getting benched for the Merseyside Derby, Firmino is bound to start against West Brom. The Baggies, who are on the brink of dropping into the relegation-zone, have an unconventional manager in Alan Pardew and may just get hammered by the Reds.
Why no: The problem with Liverpool is that they posses so many attackers and it’s almost impossible to predict who will score, apart from Mohamed Salah (£9.9m) of course. If you already have the prolific Egyptian, Firmino could be overlooked.
Team: Everton
Fixtures: Newcastle (A), Swansea (H), Chelsea (H), West Brom (A) and Bournemouth (A)
Price: 5.3
Score: 55
Ownership: 8.1%
Why yes: Everton’s young striker is putting the other expensive strikers in the shade (FPL-wise) and if you don’t have him already, now’s the time. Under Sam Allardyce’s direct style of football, Calvert-Lewin is released on a regular basis and the 20-year-old is thriving.
Why no: Fellow Everton forward Wayne Rooney (£7.4m) and midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson (£8.0m) are in top form as well. Don’t expect the Toffees to evolve in a free-scoring unit anytime soon.
PS: The Gameweek deadline is Tuesday, 18.45 pm GMT/ Wednesday, 12.15 am IST.
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