It was good news for Manchester City and Liverpool fans in midweek as they breezed through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but Tottenham went crashing out at the hands of Juventus. We don’t care about European football here at FPL Best Picks headquarters however, especially being Wigan fans, because winning our Fantasy Premier League titles is all that matters. Part two of the article will help you pick a goalkeeper and defenders for this gameweek.
Midfielders
Budget Option: Andre Ayew (6.8m)
Swansea have had an incredible resurgence under new manager Carlos Carvalhal and have now climbed to 13 spot in the table thanks to their record of just one defeat in their last 13 games across all competitions. One component of the Swans’ new-look success is Andre Ayew, who re-joined the club from West Ham in January. The Ghanaian, who now plays alongside his brother Jordan, registered two assists in the last game against his former team, and will be looking to continue his good form this week as Swansea take on Huddersfield. The Terriers are without a clean sheet in their last 12 games across all competitions, and have conceded a whopping 50 league goals during this campaign. Both Ayew brothers could feast here, and Andre could be a good differential this week.
Premium Option: Kevin De Bruyne (10.5m)
Arguably the best midfielder in world football on current form, De Bruyne has been one of the main catalysts behind the ridiculous success of Manchester City this season. The Belgian has contributed seven goals and 16 assists in this campaign, which is a brilliant return, and he is one of the most reliable FPL options around. The Cityzens get a great matchup against the Premier League’s worst defence in Stoke City this weekend, and the results could be quite frightening considering that Guardiola’s men have netted ludicrous 83 league goals this season.
Premium Option to AVOID: Alexis Sanchez (11.7m)
I don’t know what it is about Manchester, maybe the weather, but Alexis Sanchez really isn’t settling in. Presumably he brought his dogs with him, so who knows what’s going wrong, but he just isn’t a goof FPL option at present. £11.7m is a huge price to pay for a player that has provided a goal and an assist in five games, especially when Lukaku at £11.2m is a more reliable threat. This weekend the Red Devils face their bitter rivals Liverpool, which compounds the issue because this will undoubtedly be a tough game. Maybe Sanchez will nick an assist, maybe he won’t, but there are far better options out there.
Forwards
Budget Option: Ashley Barnes (5.2m)
I really don’t like recommending Burnley attackers as regular starters, simply because the Clarets score so infrequently (24 in 29 games). Barnes however seems to have hit a bit of a purple patch when it comes to goal scoring form, with goals in back-to-back games, and this weekend he faces West Ham. The Irons are the joint worst defensive side in the league having conceded a crazy 54 goals this season, including 13 in their last four matches. I’d back any striker to score against West Ham at the moment, even myself, which means that Ashley Barnes should have little trouble getting his name on the score sheet.
Premium Option: Harry Kane (12.9m)
You probably don’t need me to tell you that Harry Kane is a good fantasy option, but with Lukaku and Salah tied up in a tricky derby, the England striker could be the standout captain option for this week. Kane has six goals and an assist in his last seven games and has 24 goals for the season, making him one of the most in form strikers in Europe. A trip to Bournemouth, who have just one clean sheet in their last 19 games across all competitions, should provide the perfect way for the forward to bounce back from a disappointing midweek performance against Juventus.
Premium Option to AVOID: Alvaro Morata (10.4m)
For some players confidence is absolutely everything, and when they’re not in form it really shows. Daniel Sturridge is probably the best example, but Alvaro Morata seems to be going down that same road. The Spaniard has registered 10 goals and five assists this season, which seems like a good return, but he has been far too sporadic to be a reliable FPL striker, especially at his £10.4m price tag. Injury and a lack of form have also seen his minutes drop, so he may not even start against Crystal Palace this weekend. If he does feature it is difficult to see him lighting up the game.
Bonus Tips
On paper Manchester United vs Liverpool takes away some of the best defenders and attackers in FPL, but I still fancy both sides to get on the score sheet. That means that the likes of Mohamed Salah should still be decent options, but consider captain choices elsewhere.
There are a lot of matchups between lower table sides this weekend which can be exploited with the right picks, and the cheap options from these teams will be the players that help you win you league. Keep an eye on team news to make sure you maximise the advantage.
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