We’ve taken the stress out of post-Christmas Fantasy Football shopping.
It’s the busiest period of the Premier League season and, with so much turkey and chocolate to consume, you can easily forget to change your team. We’ve done the work for you so you can get back to watching Back to the Future and Die Hard.
Three players to sign:
1. Andy Carroll
Fixture: West Ham V Arsenal
Price: 7.0m
Selected by: 1.8%
On Andy Carroll’s headstone it’ll more than likely read: ‘On his day, he was unplayable’. The term is constantly used to describe the West Ham forward by football pundits and, despite it now being a cliché, it’s kinda true. When Carroll’s in form he can an awful pain for opposition defences and so far this season he looks much improved on the player who flopped at Liverpool and struggled, even when fit, at his current club.
A rickety Arsenal defence looks ideal for the blunt object that is Carroll. The Gunners have only kept one clean sheet in their last five games and were perhaps fortunate not to drop points at home to QPR on St Stephen’s Day. The central defensive pairing that worked well last season, Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, have been broken up by the Frenchman’s injury and Arsenal’s soft centre could be exposed once again against the Hammers.
Carroll would be wise to try exploit makeshift centre half Nacho Monreal. And, to add to Carroll’s appeal for this gameweek, just 1.8% of players have him in their side.
2. David Silva
Fixture: Manchester City V Burnley
Price: 9.1m
Selected by: 12.6%
David Silva is possibly the most in-form player in the league at the moment, an impressive accolade considering the form of players like Alexis Sanchez, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa. In the absence of striker Sergio Aguero, the Spaniard has become Manchester City’s main man.
City are now playing a 4-5-1 formation, with James Milner the furthest forward and Silva in a more central, No.10 role, and the play-maker has been running riot. Silva put in a faultless performances in his last two games, scoring three and assisting one and at the heart of everything positive the champions have done.
With Burnley and Sunderland at home for City this week, Silva looks set to continue his excellent form and represents great value. The City star is currently selected by a surprisingly low number of players – the ninth most selected midfielder – giving players an advantage if they act now.
3. Nikica Jelavic
Fixture: Hull V Leicester City
Price: 5.8m
Selected by: 1.2%
Okay so Hull are aren’t exactly a great team, and Nikica Jelavic isn’t exactly the most prolific striker in the league, but there’s just cause to stick the striker in your side, for this week at least. Hull face bottom of the table Leicester City at home, one of the few teams currently worse than the Tigers, and go into the game on the back of a much needed win away to Sunderland.
Jelavic scored in the 3-1 win and four of his five Premier League goals this season have come against teams in the bottom half of the table. With just 1.2% selecting the Croatian, he looks an excellent punt for this gameweek.
Three players to sell:
1. Graziano Pellè
Fixture: Southampton V Chelsea
Price: 8.1m
Selected by: 20.3%
The Italian striker had an incredible start to life in the Premier League, scoring six goals in his first eight games, but his form has since seemingly gone off a cliff. Graziano Pellè has scored just two goals in his last 10 games and his side Southampton face a series of challenging games. Next up is Chelsea at home, followed by Arsenal and then Manchester United away. While the Saints will be competitive in these games, considering the amount of people who’ve selected him and his price, allocating the funds for Pellè elsewhere would represent a smart move.
2. Calum Chambers
Fixture: West Ham V Arsenal
Price: 5.1m
Selected by: 17.6%
Yeah he’s not expensive, he starts for a Champions League side and Calum Chambers has had a good debut season thus far for Arsenal. However, his side currently struggling defensively and the youngster could have a tricky afternoon against a revived Stewart Downing and Carroll (see above). A clean sheet against the Hammers looks unlikely, a booking for Chambers appears certain.
3. Leighton Baines
Fixture: Newcastle United V Everton
Price: 7.2m
Selected by: 21.6%
Leighton Baines was once the king of Fantasy Football, the ‘first name on the teamsheet’ and a points machine. However the defender, like his team, has struggled in recent weeks. Everton haven’t kept a clean sheet in nine games and Baines hasn’t scored or assisted in eight. This weekend’s game away to Newcastle could BE the ideal opportunity to break the duck, but the Toffees look a shadow of the team who performed so well last season. Considering Baines is expensive, and selected by a fifth of all players, making a temporary transfer could represent good value.
