The Premier League season enters the home straight this weekend.
With just eight games left, there’s not long to climb your respective Fantasy Football table. So forget about Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero or Alexis Sanchez, we’re focusing on the bargain buys that’ll score you valuable points.
These will either be strokes of genius, or complete flops, but here goes.
Thank/curse us later.
Three players to sign
Boaz Myhill
Fixture: West Brom v QPR
Price: 4m
Selected by: 12.9%
West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster is injured, and will be out for up to a month. So what? You’re probably thinking. Well, Baggies boss Tony Pulis is the king of clean sheets and the goalkeeper’s replacement is a bargain buy. Boaz Myhill costs just 4 million, and although he’s selected by a relatively large amount of players, represents great value until Foster’s return.
West Brom host QPR this weekend, the side with the worst away record in the history of association football (almost), before relegation certainties Leicester City visit the Hawthorns, and Pulis takes his side to Crystal Palace. At least two clean sheets, and 12 points, should be on the cards from these three games.
Glenn Murray
Fixture: Crystal Palace v Manchester City
Price: 5.1m
Selected by: 0.1%
There’s only eight games left this season, and if you’re trailing in your league, then it’s time to take a punt on an outsider. Glenn Murray is the man for the job.
The Crystal Palace forward is selected by essentially no-one on the game, 0.1 per cent of players have him in their line-up and he’s a cheap option. You’d imagine this is with just cause, but Murray is in great form.
The forward has four goals and an assist in his last four appearances, and Monday’s opponents have been leaking goals away from home.
Manchester City have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight away games, and, judging by Vincent Kompany’s recent performances, it wouldn’t be a surprise if it became one in nine after the trip to Shelhurst Park.
Jermain Defoe
Fixture: Sunderland v Newcastle United
Price: 5.2m
Selected by: 1.2%
If Murray is too much of a gamble for you, maybe the proven Premier League record of Jermain Defoe will sway you to take a risk on the Sunderland striker.
Like Murray, Defoe is an inexpensive option, selected by few players, but he has an infinitely greater scoring tally in the top flight, and the Black Cats have a good recent record against Newcastle.
Sunderland may be without a win since January, but they’ve beaten their north-east rivals in their last four games and, if they are to score, Defoe is likely to be the man to do so. Newcastle are also in poor form recently, losing four of their last six away ties.
Three players to sell
Raheem Sterling
Fixture: Arsenal v Liverpool
Price: 8.5m
Selected by: 30.1%
This one is kind of self-explanatory. The player’s future is uncertain, he’s being played out of position recently and Liverpool have only once in their last eight visits to the Emirates. We’re ditching Sterling, but don’t worry Raheem, we just want to concentrate on getting points, we’ll reassess your situation in the summer.
Tim Howard
Fixture: Everton v Southampton
Selected by: 9%
Price: 5.1m
We can’t believe almost one in 10 players still have the Everton goalkeeper in their teams. He’s been awful this season, keeping just four clean sheets and is, statistically, the worst shot stopper in the league.
Angel di Maria
Fixture: Manchester United v Aston Villa
Selected by: 10.2%
Price: 9.5
The Premier League’s record signing looks to have missed the cut as Louis van Gaal stumbled upon his best team. Di Maria is expensive, selected by a substantial number of players and is no longer a guaranteed starter.
Although he got a assist in Manchester United’s last game, away to Liverpool, the smart move would be to ditch the winger as he looks unlikely to regain a starting spot this season.
