Liverpool, Manchester United and Fulham make the Preview?!

Jan 17

Fantasy Football – Gameweek 23 Preview – Written by @NiallHawthorne

Things are starting to unravel badly. The ideas and plans you worked on for ages have now been proven to be a total folly. Your peers are mocking, laughing and jeering at you. Your opponents are saying you shouldn’t even be allowed to stay in charge of your own team anymore! Time is running out. This all ends soon, and if you don’t get it right, it’s game over.

Yep, this FPL game is a real pain.

Defender: Aymeric Laporte, Manchester City

Last week I tipped a Cardiff City goalkeeper because he was facing Huddersfield, and that yielded 10 points.

This week I’m backing against Huddersfield again, but this time they’re manager less, hopeless, and are facing Manchester City who have the joint 2^nd best defence in the league.

Aymeric Laporte is the most immediately affordable City defender if you haven’t already got one at £5.9m and an ownership of just over 10%.

Midfielder: Ryan Fraser, Bournemouth

While Bournemouth as a team are not getting great results of late, Ryan Fraser has been consistently churning out FPL rewards despite this. Fraser has 5 double-digit hauls this season, four of them coming at home, and this week he faces a West Ham team in a match that screams goals to me.

If I’m right, I’d expect Fraser to chip in with a goal or assist.

Forward: Marcus Rashford, Manchester United

Brighton travel to Old Trafford this weekend having conceded 11 goals in their last 6 away games, which featured ties against Burnley and Huddersfield, so to say that they’re susceptible to defensive issues away from the Amex would be an understatement.

This week they face a newly motivated and attack-minded Manchester United, spearheaded by young Marcus Rashford who now has 4 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 games. He’s also been adopted by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who is training him in a similar fashion to how Yoda taught young Skywalker. Wait until he finds out that Cyril Regis is his father though…

Anyway, with the ‘Premium Striker’ slot in FPL something of a poisoned chalice this season, young Rashford seems to be a no-brainer at £7.5m and less than 30% ownership. In fact, what the hell are the other 70% of players doing?

Captain: Mo Salah, Liverpool

Kane is broken, finally.

Aubameyang faces Chelsea.

Chelsea don’t have a striker.

Aguero could be benched.

Jesus could be benched.

Hazard is as consistent as Boris Johnson.

Salah faces Crystal Palace at home on the back of 7 goals and 3 assists in his last seven games, featuring 10 bonus points in that same timescale.

This is an easy decision folks. Anything else is a real gamble.

Outsider: James Milner, Liverpool

I know this may seem a bit LFC heavy, but the logic is sound. (Ed: Shocker)

Milner is expected to cover at right back, which in this team is essentially a winger role. He’ll take on set-piece duty at corners and free kicks, and will also assume penalty taking duties.

He’s £5.6m and under 3% owned.

He’s the best potential outsider I’ve tipped this season.

Draft: Ryan Babel, Fulham

Fresh meat! Fresh attacking meat!

You snooze, you lose.