Four games to go eh? Where does the bloomin’ time go?
We’re setting out our stall for the highly anti-climactic end to this season during which almost everything is already sewn up.
But we’ve got some big ties this gameweek that could spell points for the cannier fantasy football players among you.
Three players to sign
Sergio Aguero
Fixture: Spurs v Man City
Price: 12.6m
Selected by: 26.6%
A lil fella by Sergio Aguero, ever heard of him?
Well he might not be enjoying the most fruitful season of his Premier League career in terms of consistency but he’s something of a must-buy this week just based on his inconceivably good record against Spurs.
In their last three league meetings Spurs have conceded an incredible 15 goals against City with ol’ Sergio Aguero chipping in with seven.
The Argentine sent four past Hugo Lloris (see below) earlier this season and Spurs’ defence don’t look the steadiest this season, keeping only two clean sheets in the league since the turn of the year.
We’re backing Aguero to continue his Spurs smashing streak on Sunday so get on him!
Esteban Cambiasso
Fixture: Leicester v Newcastle
Price: 4.8m
Selected by: 2.7%
We’re pretty confident that, if given the chance, we’d be able to dominate the midfield against Newcastle.
For our money, Newcastle are one of the worst teams in the league and they’ve not won a Premier League game since 2002 (we’ve done the research, don’t look it up).
But seriously John Carver’s side are atrocious and against Leicester, who are up there with the most in-form teams in the league, they could be in for some trouble.
Leicester have won four out of five and showed serious quality at stages in their defeat to Chelsea so we think that they’re bankers for the win.
In terms of fantasy football points scoring, we plumped for Cambiasso because he’s cheap, he’s selected by few and he is arguably Leicester’s best player so expect him to punish the Magpies with either a goal or assist to accompany an almost guaranteed clean sheet.
Nathaniel Clyne
Fixture: Sunderland v Southampton
Price: 6.1m
Selected by: 34.8%
For those of you who forget how this fixture panned out when the sides played before Christmas, we hasten to tell you that Saints edged an 8-0 victory.
Sunderland are currently stuck in the relegation zone and don’t look like they have the self-belief to claw their way out.
If only they could pretend that the candystripes of Southampton’s jersey were actually the black and white of Newcastle, they might be able to get a result.
Southampton could let Kelvin Davis join the action after 20 minutes and Sunderland would still likely have failed to score so a Southampton clean sheet looks likely.
We’ve selected Nathaniel Clyne because he’s the most attacking Saints defender so he could pop up with an assist against a Sunderland side who look more terrified of crosses than a nervous vampire.
Three players to sell
Hugo Lloris
Fixture: Spurs v Man City
Price: 5.4m
Selected by: 8.8%
Just in case you skimmed over our reasons for selecting Sergio Aguero, we’d like to clarify that Spurs have shipped 15 goals over their last three clashes with City so Hugo Lloris will be dreading this encounter you’d imagine.
Over the last six gameweeks the Tottenham stopper has only contributed a point every two games so we don’t know what took us so long to give him the ol’ boot.
But that time is now because he is as big a liability as anyone in the Spurs defensive set-up when City come to town.
John Stones
Fixture: Villa v Everton
Price: 5.2m
Selected by: 1.3%
As critical we are of Hugo Lloris, we have nothing but good things to say about John Stones but that won’t stop us from giving him the heave ho from our fantasy football team this week.
He played a blinder against a United side showing significant passion deficiencies last week but a trip to Villa Park is an entirely different prospect.
This game has goals written all over it, with both sides hitting their attacking stride at the business end of the season.
While that’s a fantastic notion for the neutral, it’s a nightmare for fantasy football managers with defensive investments in Everton.
Nothing good can come from having Stones in the team this week so this is more of a benching than a permanent transfer away.
Yannick Bolasie
Fixture: Chelsea v Crystal Palace
Price: 5.7m
Selected by: 6.7%
A fan favourite that breaks our heart to show the door but can you really see Crystal Palace raining on Chelsea’s title parade?
The Blues can wrap up the Premier League on their own turf on Sunday so will be adamant on continuing their party trick of shutting down the attack of their opponents.
Yannick Bolasie is a bag of tricks who can trouble any defence but Chelsea’s back four are too well organised to fall for any of the DR Congo international’s skills.
Palace have also come off the boil in recent weeks, losing their last two matches 2-0, and an away trip to Stamford Bridge does not seem like the best place for Bolasie, who’s returned just three points over those two games, to show off his footwork.
Expect Chelsea to close out Pardew’s men and celebrate their fourth league title in 11 seasons.
