As we reach our landmark 100th Gameweek preview we’ve been left wondering just what it is that keeps us going. Why are we so devoted to Fantasy Football? After a beer or two, and then one or two more, we decided that the answer is simple. It’s an addiction! We then came up with 27 […]
Blog Archives
Swansea’s Ki Sung-Yeung and The 5 #FPL Players You MUST Pick For GW27
Gameweek 27
DEFENDER: Craig Dawson – £4.4m (Home v Southampton)
West Brom defender Andre Wisdom was a popular early season Fantasy pick for many, but the on-loan Liverpool defender has been overlooked for the last three league games by Tony Pulis.
The Baggies have kept two clean sheets in their last two, and a key component to that has been the returning Craig Dawson, who costs exactly the same amount as Wisdom and would look to be a wise replacement for him ahead of a meeting with a Southampton side which have suddenly forgotten how to score goals.
MIDFIELDER: Ki Sung-Yeung – £5.0m (Away v Burnley)
Two goals in three games make Ki Sung-Yeung Swansea’s in-form midfielder, and the South Korean will again be looked to as the Swans head to Burnley off the back of their excellent win over Manchester United.
Ki is very good at arriving into the box late to get on the end of a move or cross, and in a match the Swans will expect to do well in he’ll be a crucial element.
FORWARD: Dame N’Doye – £5.5m (Away v Stoke)
We all know about the high-profile absences this week, and so it might just pay to trust in a new name.
Hull’s new arrival Dame N’Doye has scored in his last two games and will be the man Steve Bruce is trusting to get his side out of relegation trouble, and so ahead of an not entirely too taxing set of fixtures for the Tigers, go with the Senegalese forward for a bit of a curveball.
THE OUTSIDER: Cheikhou Kouyate – £4.9m (Home v Crystal Palace)
An impressive figure throughout his first season in English football, West Ham’s Cheikhou Kouyate suddenly seems to have added goals to his game judging by his two efforts in the past three games.
With no Andy Carroll around the midfielder seems to be charged with getting into the box and getting on the end of crosses, and you’d have thought that he’ll have plenty of chances to do that against Crystal Palace.
THE CAPTAIN: Alexis Sanchez – £11.3m (Home v Everton)
Following the debacle at home to Monaco in the Champions League, Arsenal will be determined to bounce back at the Emirates on Sunday as they welcome an Everton side who might just prove to be their perfect opponents.
With plenty of key Fantasy players either not turning out or locked in big matches, Alexis Sanchez is likely to be the popular pick for the armband despite some less than stellar form in recent weeks, and he’ll really need to deliver for the Gunners.
Manchester City’s Yaya Toure and the 5 #FPL Players You MUST Pick For GW26
Gameweek 26
DEFENDER: Alex Bruce – £3.9m (Home v QPR)
If you’re in need of a cheap addition to save money elsewhere then look no further than the apple of Steve Bruce’s eye, his son Alex.
The centre-back helped keep a clean sheet in Hull’s last game at home to Aston Villa, and you can back him to follow suit when the notoriously poorly travelling QPR head to the KC Stadium.
MIDFIELDER: Yaya Toure – £10.7m (Home v Newcastle)
He’s back, and he’ll be eager to make up for lost time.
Manchester City somewhat lost their way when Yaya Toure was away winning the African Cup of Nations, but the talismanic midfielder returns to a home clash with Newcastle which City will be determined to use as a springboard for success later in the season.
Given the fact that many will have got rid of him during his time away, an instant recall to your team could yield quick rewards.
FORWARD: Olivier Giroud – £8.4m (Away v Crystal Palace)
Chelsea don’t play a league game next week and so even though they are at home to Burnley, it might pay to hold off on bringing in Diego Costa following the forward’s return from a ban.
Instead, trust in Olivier Giroud to continue his FA Cup form and deliver both away to Crystal Palace and over what look to be a fairly kind set of fixtures for Arsenal over the next few weeks.
THE OUTSIDER: Christian Benteke – £7.4m (Home v Stoke)
Tim Sherwood has come through the doors at Villa Park, and in between the banter and the gilets he’s promised to get the best out of Christian Benteke, much in the same manner he did with Emmanuel Adebayor last season.
That is easier said than done, of course, but there is bound to be a fresh feel to the Villans home clash with Stoke, and with Benteke bound to get chances it could be worth taking a punt on him.
THE CAPTAIN: Eden Hazard – £10.9m (Home v Burnley)
Remembering that Chelsea are in League Cup final action next weekend, Eden Hazard still looks to be the standout captain choice at home to Burnley regardless.
The Belgian has been excelling in games such as this one all season, and if he gets on the ball and gets Chelsea ticking then the goals are likely to flow.
Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil & The 5 #FPL Players You MUST Pick For GW25
Gameweek 25
DEFENDER: Phil Jones (£5.3m) – Home v Burnley
<span
There seem to be very few constants in Louis van Gaal’s constantly shuffled Manchester United pack, but defender Phil Jones has now started the last nine league games and played all but two minutes of them.
United are probably due a home clean sheet and should be backed to keep one at home to lowly Burnley, who whilst frequently potent at Turf Moor have often failed to find the net on their travels.
MIDFIELDER: Mesut Ozil (£8.9m) – Home v Leicester
Not always the most trustworthy of players during his time in English football, Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil has nonetheless bounced back into form since his return to the Gunners starting lineup, scoring against Aston Villa and Tottenham.
He picked up 21 Fantasy points in those two games, and at home to a struggling Leicester City side he should be in a position to help the Gunners bounce back from their North London derby loss in style.
FORWARD: Olivier Giroud (£8.4m) – Home v Leicester
This is the sort of game in which Olivier Giroud usually shines for Arsenal, and the Frenchman should be front and centre as the Gunners go for goals against Leicester.
Giroud has scored three goals in his last four home league appearances at the Emirates Stadium, and if he starts here then he really should be increasing that number.
THE OUTSIDER: Jermain Defoe (£6.0m) – Home v QPR
Two goals in three games since his return to the Premier League indicates that Jermain Defoe hasn’t lost any of his razor-sharp instinct since he’s been away, and the former England forward will have QPR in his sights as the Premier League’s most miserable away record comes to the Stadium of Light.
Defoe has the quality to pull Sunderland away from the likes of their opponents here, and the home fans will expect him to do just that.
THE CAPTAIN: Eden Hazard (£10.8m) – Home v Everton
This is Chelsea’s last game of Diego Costa’s suspension, and whilst it is true to say that that has affected the team’s potency as a whole, they will still get plenty of chances to find the net at home to an Everton side which still fails to convince.
Jose Mourinho’s side are now seven points clear at the top of the table and they won’t be in a mood to let that lead shorten, and Eden Hazard will be crucial to that effort as they host their visitors from Merseyside.
Manchester City’s Aguero Has The Eye Of The Tiger
Happy anniversary to us!
Yes, FantasyYIRMA is 100 Gameweeks old this weekend. No, we can’t believe it either. We don’t look it at all.
Thanks to everyone who has kept reading and enjoyi… well, thanks to everyone who has kept reading these previews for two and two-thirds of the seasons we’ve been producing them. They’re sometimes right, they’re sometimes wrong, but one thing that you can never accuse them of being is dull. Well, you could, but we’d stick our fingers in our ears and ignore you.
Anyway, as a tribute to ourselves (such a modest bunch), this week’s preview is going to be written in the style of the very first one way back in 2012, when the world was a much different place, Vines were still things that grapes grew on and European champions Chelsea faced a double Gameweek against Wigan and Reading to kick off their season.
Enjoy!
FantasyYIRMA Gameweek 24 Preview
Last weekend’s 1-1 draw between Chelsea and Manchester City was a somewhat disappointing affair.
Missing the banned Diego Costa (£11.0m), Jose Mourinho’s side seemed happy to settle for their lot once Loic Remy (£7.2m) had given them the lead, safe in the knowledge that they were only ever going to concede one goal given their defensive prowess, and just conceding one goal was fine by them.
It could have been more as City pressed, though, and key reason for that was the threat of Sergio Aguero (£12.7m). As the Argentinean steps up his route back to full fitness, City’s fixture at home to Hull this weekend looks perfect for him.
With a full week of training behind him, Aguero is likely to spring into battle against Steve Bruce’s men and he looks to be the obvious captaincy choice for many this weekend, although the brave amongst you might be tempted to give the armband to David Silva (£9.4m) after a run of five goals in his last seven games.
Aguero would be the smart and popular choice though, especially seeing as there are selection issues affecting the other one of the Premier League’s front-runners as they go to struggling Aston Villa.
Cesc Fabregas (£9.6m) is still doubtful and Costa is still banned, so other than the knowledge that Eden Hazard (£10.8m) will probably have a stormer at Villa Park, it might pay to focus your attention on Chelsea’s defence against a side who have scored only 11 league goals all season.
The recent introduction of Kurt Zouma (£4.6m) back there might be one to keep an eye on, but at the other end of the expense scale it is still impossible to look past Branislav Ivanovic (£7.2m) as the daddy of all Fantasy Premier League defenders, and he looks a safe bet for the weekend.
Elsewhere, there are huge derbies taking place in North London and on Merseyside, but with such fixtures often close to call they don’t offer too much to the Fantasy manager.
Having said that, were Harry Kane (£6.1m) to continue his goalscoring record against the club he represented as a boy then he’d become even more of a hero to the Spurs fans, whilst any unlocking of the Everton defence by Liverpool is likely to be done by the quickly improving Philippe Coutinho (£7.6m), who has a goal and five assists in his last seven Premier League games, and got that brilliant winner in the FA Cup at Bolton on Wednesday.
Manchester United face a tricky trip to West Ham, with their selection issues only seeming to increase now that Louis van Gaal has got almost everyone back fit again, but Daley Blind (£5.1m) might be someone who is worth keeping an eye on after picking up two assists last weekend.
The suspended Ryan Bertrand (£5.8m) is a big miss for Southampton as they go to managerless (for now) QPR, but the Dutch winger Eljero Elia (£5.6m) has looked lively for the Saints in recent weeks and he could exploit any space left by the home defence.
However they do on Saturday, the R’s players are likely to have more than one eye on the big clash between Burnley and West Brom at Turf Moor on Sunday lunchtime, and given all the rumours linking him with a summer switch to Liverpool, Clarets forward Danny Ings (£5.7m) will be desperate to show that he’s still committed to the cause.
Ings has scored in his last two home matches, and you wouldn’t back against him adding to that tally.
–
For the 100th time, thanks for reading.
#COMPETITION 100th Gameweek Preview and we’re giving away a @CampoRetro shirt! RT & follow both to enter #100YIRMA pic.twitter.com/3kGRni6M6e
— FantasyYIRMA #FPL (@FantasyYIRMA) February 4, 2015
Arsenal’s Tomas Rosicky & The 5 #FPL Players You MUST Pick For GW23
Gameweek 23
DEFENDER: Ryan Bertrand – £5.8m (Home v Swansea)
A hiccup in the FA Cup won’t derail the Southampton train too much, and they’ll have the perfect opportunity to get back on track at home to Swansea City on Sunday.
The visitors will be missing the suspended Gylfi Sigurdsson and so much of their creativity will be absent, allowing for left-back Ryan Bertrand – who is now owned by more FPL bosses than teammate Nathaniel Clyne – to get forward even more than he usually does.
MIDFIELDER: Tomas Rosicky – £4.7m (Home v Aston Villa)
‘If you love football, you love Rosicky’ said Arsene Wenger after the win over Brighton, and the Frenchman is back loving the Czech midfielder after his return to the team.
The Gunners are bound to get chances at home to Aston Villa, and if you’re in need of a cheap midfielder then you could do a lot worse than a punt on the veteran.
FORWARD: Daniel Sturridge – £11.1m (Home v West Ham)
Brendan Rodgers is happy that he’s got his main forward back, and should you be too?
Daniel Sturridge really should be getting a mention in our ‘Outsider’ section, but you need to be below 5% ownership for that, and the number of players who pick a team at the start of a season and then never log into it again ensures that he’s still on 7.3%. With Diego Costa looking likely to miss three games, the return of the Liverpool man could hardly be better timed.
THE OUTSIDER: Dwight Gayle – £5.0m (Home v Everton)
The likes of Charlie Austin, Danny Ings and Harry Kane have found favour as cheap forward options this season, but what about Dwight Gayle?
The Crystal Palace man has scored three goals in Alan Pardew’s two league games in charge so far, and he’ll fancy his chances of grabbing more against an Everton side who have frankly been awful in recent weeks.
THE CAPTAIN: Alexis Sanchez – £11.5m (Home v Aston Villa)
It feels like a weekend in which the ownership of one or two key players will be crucial, and Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez is certainly one of those.
The Chilean takes on Aston Villa at the weekend in just the sort of Emirates match he has been dominating this season, and with the absences or potential absences of others he looks to be the man to trust.
West Ham’s Andy Carroll & The 5 #FPL Players You MUST Pick For GW22
Gameweek 22
DEFENDER: Alberto Moreno – £5.0m (Away v Aston Villa)
What’s this? A Liverpool defender? Will wonders never cease?
Well the Reds are facing an Aston Villa side who seem to have the same attitude to scoring goals as the rest of us do to getting our teeth pulled at the dentist, and Alberto Moreno has started the last three and also shown a willingness to get forward on the left side of Brendan Rodgers’ midfield four, so it’s not too crazy is it?
MIDFIELDER: Angel Di Maria – £9.5m (Away v QPR)
Manchester United will be eager to bounce back from their Southampton disappointment when they go to struggling QPR on Saturday, and luckily for them they’ll have Angel Di Maria on their side when they do so.
The Argentinean got 71 minutes under his belt in last Sunday’s defeat, and although things didn’t quite go to plan for him and his teammates there he’ll have plenty of chances to put things right in a match United really need to win.
FORWARD: Andy Carroll – £6.9m (Home v Hull)
His stunning goal against Swansea earned Andy Carroll all three bonus points last weekend, and he’ll be eyeing another impact at home to a Hull City side who look ripe to be beaten by West Ham.
On his day Carroll can be very difficult to stop, and if he can get the right service on Sunday afternoon then the big man could be a huge addition to your side.
THE OUTSIDER: Danny Ings – £5.7m (Home v Crystal Palace)
There are signs of life at Burnley, and after his fine goal against QPR last week the main source of that life is the forward Danny Ings.
Throw in the fact that he’s out of contract in the summer and could well be playing for a move should the Clarets end up going down, and you’ve got a pretty strong mix and one which could end up with a goal against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
THE CAPTAIN: Diego Costa – £11.2m (Away v Swansea)
Sergio Aguero is back in action and will fancy finding the net against Arsenal, but if you’re playing the percentages then it’ll surely pay to go with Diego Costa again.
After what seemed like a mini-slump the Chelsea man has scored in his last two, and that has every chance of becoming three as the Blues go to Swansea on Saturday.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane & the 5 #FPL Players You Must Pick For GW21
Gameweek 21
DEFENDER: Marcin Wasilewski – £3.9m (Home v Aston Villa)
Giant Polish defender Marcin Wasilewski has played the full 90 minutes in each of Leicester’s last 11 league matches, and whilst their largely awful form doesn’t make that anything to write home about, he could be a useful cheap addition ahead of the home clash with an Aston Villa side which struggles to score goals.
After a win (and clean sheet) at Hull and comeback point at Liverpool the Foxes will be high on confidence, and if Wasilewski can blunt out Benteke and co then they will be feeling even better about themselves.
MIDFIELDER: Jordan Henderson – £6.0m (Away v Sunderland)
All the talk may be about another Liverpool midfielder at the moment, but with the next five months effectively being preparation to become the club’s captain, Jordan Henderson will have to assume an even greater responsibility in the Reds side.
He’s already one of Brendan Rodgers’ main men, and as he visits former club Sunderland in Saturday’s early kick-off he’ll be eager to prove why, and to add to his two goals and six assists so far this season.
FORWARD: Harry Kane – £5.6m (Away v Crystal Palace)
He’s the talk of the Premier League after his New Year’s Day heroics against Chelsea, and Tottenham’s Harry Kane has quickly become one of those Fantasy players that you really can’t be without.
The forward’s price and ownership percentage continue to rise, and there’s every chance that his goal count will too as Spurs go to Crystal Palace on Saturday evening.
THE OUTSIDER: Olivier Giroud – £8.2m (Home v Stoke)
No doubt desperate to make up for his red card against QPR on Boxing Day, Olivier Giroud is ready to return from suspension for Arsenal as they host Stoke on Sunday, and the Frenchman can make a positive impact this time around.
These are sort of fixtures which Giroud cleans up in, and if you can afford it then he could be worth a gamble this week.
THE CAPTAIN: Eden Hazard – £10.7m (Home v Newcastle)
Make no mistake, the dramatic reversal at Tottenham really wasn’t in the script for Chelsea and Jose Mourinho, and thee Portuguese will be plotting his side’s recovery against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.
Eden Hazard sat out the Watford fixture in the FA Cup but he’ll return here, and is likely to be the main man for the hosts yet again in a fixture he scored a hat-trick in last season.
Liverpool’s Adam Lallana & The 5 #FPL Players You MUST Pick For GW20
You can read the GW18/19 Review HERE
Gameweek 20
DEFENDER: Ron Vlaar – £4.4m (Home v Crystal Palace)
‘Concrete Ron’ has returned to the Aston Villa side for the last three matches, and Paul Lambert’s men have only conceded twice in those games as a result.
The Dutchman picked up the full three bonus points in the Sunderland game last time out, and at home to a struggling Crystal Palace on New Year’s Day he could well do the same again.
MIDFIELDER: Adam Lallana – £8.3m (Home v Leicester)
We highlighted Adam Lallana’s growing influence on this Liverpool team last week, and he underlined that with two goals and a fantastic performance in Monday night’s win over Swansea.
Leicester are the next visitors to Anfield and on the form they’ve shown recently then you’d expect the hosts to have more chances to try and climb the table, and their summer signing will be central to everything they do.
FORWARD: Danny Welbeck – £7.1m (Away v Southampton)
Update 30/12 – Ed… Welbeck is now an injury risk for the New Year’s Day fixture
An away game against Southampton isn’t the easiest fixture for any side in the Premier League, but the loss of the suspended Morgan Schneiderlin might just play into Arsenal’s hands ahead of their trip to St Mary’s.
Another suspension – that of Olivier Giroud – means that Danny Welbeck will play in a central role for the Gunners, and as he showed in the defeat of West Ham he can be pretty effective from there.
THE OUTSIDER: Stevan Jovetic – £7.8m (Home v Sunderland)
With Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko still out and the James Milner false 9 experiment not exactly working against Burnley, Manuel Pellegrini must be tempted to start with Stevan Jovetic at home to Sunderland.
The Montenegrin got half an hour in the Burnley game and scored in the win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light earlier this month. City need a result after their disastrous draw on Sunday, and he can provide it for them.
THE CAPTAIN: Charlie Austin – £6.3m (Home v Swansea)
In the mood for a bit of a gamble?
Injuries and difficult fixtures for the usual suspects mean that it could be time to roll the dice, and after failing to fire against Crystal Palace then a home game against Swansea could be the perfect chance for Charlie Austin to bounce back.
It would be a brave choice, but it might well be a weekend when brave choices are needed.
@Mark_Jones86
You can read the GW18/19 Review HERE
QPR’s Charlie Austin & The 5 #FPL Players You MUST Pick For GW19
Gameweek 19
DEFENDER: Erik Pieters – £4.6m (Home v West Brom)
The Dutch left-back Erik Pieters has been a quietly effective force at Stoke City ever since signing in 2013, and despite the inconsistent form of the team he’s still managed to impress pretty much everyone at the Britannia Stadium.
A home clash with West Brom is just the sort of game that Mark Hughes’ side need to be winning if they are to make their way back towards a top-half finish, and Pieters can help with that.
MIDFIELDER: David Silva – £8.9m (Home v Burnley)
Not always the most consistent of goalscorers, David Silva did nonetheless find the net twice in the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in Manchester City’s last home game.
In the continued absence of Sergio Aguero he’s being asked to get into more and more dangerous positions, and although Manuel Pellegrini is managing him carefully as he seeks to recover from damaging injuries, he is still as important as ever.
FORWARD: Charlie Austin – £6.0m (Home v Crystal Palace)
Remember QPR’s crazy 3-2 defeat to Liverpool in mid-October? Well that was the last Loftus Road match which Charlie Austin didn’t score in.
He’s managed a stunning eight in five home matches ever since, and as Crystal Palace come calling to West London then he is sure to be a huge threat again.
THE OUTSIDER: Christian Benteke – £7.9m (Home v Sunderland)
Now back to full fitness and making a huge difference to the Aston Villa side, Christian Benteke might view the next few weeks as a chance to impress potential suitors and earn a January move.
Either way, he’ll be a vital cog in Paul lambert’s machine in the home game against Sunderland, when the hosts will expect a win to try and inject some enthusiasm into a season which has often been flagging.
THE CAPTAIN: Yaya Toure – £10.8m (Home v Burnley)
It took him a while to warm up this season, but Yaya Toure finally looks to be firing on all cylinders ahead of a very winnable home clash with Burnley for Manchester City.
Toure scored in the champions’ last home victory over Crystal Palace, and in Pellegrini’s fluid formation he’ll be asked to get forward and help out in attack, whilst he’ll also be on penalty and free-kick duty too.
@Mark_Jones86
FantasyYIRMA - Fantasy Football FPL 