This week we’re tipping a player you’ve probably never heard of, a bargain defender who’s only going to get better, more expensive and popular, and the return of Yaya Toure.
We’re also advising getting rid of one the best players in the Premier League and Spurs’ cultured playmaker, so these tips could go anyway.
What’s for certain though, if still have him in your team, ditch Graziano Pelle.
Three players to sign
Dame N’Doye
Fixture: Hull City v QPR
Price: 5.5m
Selected by: 0.2%
We know what you’re thinking, ‘Who the hell is Dame N’Doye?’ You’d be hard pressed to find a Premier League striker with a lower profile than N’Doye, and that’s exactly why you should stick him in your team for this weekend’s game.
Not only is the Hull striker a virtual unknown, selected by essentially no players on the game, he’s also in good form.
Since joining Hull on transfer deadline day, N’Doye has a goal and an assist in his two games and will be confident of adding to that this weekend against QPR, the Premier League’s worst away side.
N’Doye is such an obscure striker, this is the best picture we could find of him. (He’s on the left).
Kurt Zouma
Fixture: Chelsea v Burnley
Price: 4.6m
Selected by: 1.3%
Kurt Zouma was dropped for Chelsea’s mid-week Champions League tie away to PSG. But Gary Cahill’s performance may have boosted the young defender’s chances of a permanent starting spot more than if Zouma had played himself.
Cahill has been a good defender for Chelsea, but he looked nervy and off the pace against PSG, and was partly culpable for Edinson Cavani’s goal. Zouma was already pushing strong for a regular spot alongside John Terry and could easily return for the visit of Burnley.
Zouma has started Chelsea’s last three home games, keeping two clean sheets and you should expect another one this weekend.
Yaya Toure
Fixture: Manchester City v Newcastle United
Price: 10.7m
Selected by: 6.1%
Manchester City fans rejoice, Yaya Toure is back. While the Ivorian was off winning the African Cup of Nations, City struggled in his absence, winning just one of their five Premier League games. But, now he’s back, Toure will looking to pick up where he left off.
In the five games before he left for international duty, Toure scored four goals, is owned by just six per cent of Fantasy Football managers and has an excellent record against Saturday’s opponents.
Toure has scored five goals in his last six appearances against Newcastle and, with Barcelona coming to the Etihad on Tuesday, City will look to dispatch their opponents quickly so expect a fast start.
Three players to sell
Graziano Pelle
Fixture: Southampton v Liverpool
Price: 7.7m
Selected by: 14.6%
If Gaziano Pelle is still in your Fantasy Football team, we’re going to assume you’re not doing too well at the game, or you lost interest a while back. But, since you’re reading this, we’ll assume it’s not the latter, and you want to do better. Start by ditching the Saint’s striker.
Pelle has two scored two goals since October and none this year, despite starting every game. Southampton’s unlikely push for a Champions League spot could be undone by Pelle’s lack of goals, and your Fantasy Football team definitely will.
Christian Eriksen
Fixture: Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham
Price: 8.5m
Selected by: 24.7%
Unlike Pelle, the decision to ditch Christian Eriksen from your team is not to do with poor form. The midfielder has been, with the exception of Harry Kane, Spurs’ best player this season, with seven goals and nine assists.
However, he’s selected by almost of a quarter of all players, is relatively expensive and Spurs’ form after Europa League games has been mixed. The side have won four and lost four directly following a European tie, and it’s no surprise their best run of form has come while the competition has been on a break.
Erikson also played the full game against Fiorentina, leaving him little rest time for the visit of West Ham in the early kick-off on Sunday. Mauricio Pochettino’s side appear to be among the fittest in the Premier League and have recovered the joint-highest amount of points from losing positions this season, 15 alongside Crystal Palace.
However, playing a derby game so close after a European fixture could test the energy levels of the players. With Erikson selected by so many players, it’d probably be wise to sell him, if not this week, then if the side progress in Europe.
Alexis Sanchez
Fixture: Crystal Palace v Arsenal
Price: 11.3m
Selected by: 30.9%
Sell Alexis Sanchez… there’s something we never thought we’d say, but there are a number of reasons why it’d be wise to ditch Sanchez. Firstly, despite his brilliant form since joining Arsenal, the Chilean has shown signs in recent weeks of slowing down.
Niggling injuries have forced Sanchez to sit out two of Arsenal’s last three games, and he looked subdued in his last start against Leicester. Arsene Wenger has said he’s ‘concerned’ with Sanchez’s fitness, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he chose to rest him ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League game against Monaco.
Speaking after Arsenal’s FA Cup win over Middlesborough last weekend, Wenger said that Sanchez had: ‘got a knock on his knee and he was not feeling himself like he was before. There was not the same intensity as before’.
‘He has not trained since because he knee is very swollen. If there is any medical risk he will not play. Don’t worry, we will not risk him if he is not ready. He is the type that you have to hold back because he wants to play every game, but he still has a problem’.
In addition to his fitness woes, Sanchez is expensive and selected by almost a third of players. Selling him would be risky, but a calculated gamble.
