Fantasy Premier League preview – Gameweek 34
Blimey, what a weekend we had last time out! Manchester United halted Manchester City’s title run, with our tip Chris Smalling scoring the all-important goal!
We also suggested you picked up Crystal Palace’s Luka Milivojevic who scored yet again, whereas our other shout, Dele Alli, added an assist. Let’s not talk about Chris Wood who fired a blank…
The weekend was certainly a good one for Red Devils fans, with both Liverpool and Chelsea dropping points in the race for a top four slot. I’d imagine Newcastle United fans will be pretty happy, too, as they keep picking the points up, moving into the top-half of the table.
Anyway, onto this weekend’s action we go. The first thing to note is that there is a double gameweek for some teams, including the aforementioned Manchester United and Chelsea, so this is a prime opportunity for points.
Three players to buy
Ben Chilwell – Leicester City - £4.4million
The Englishman has emerged as a top talent this term, becoming a real mainstay in Claude Puel’s Leicester City team. In GW32 he picked up one goal and one assist, which is an excellent return for a cheap full-back.
He’s on a double gameweek, with The Foxes taking on Burnley this weekend before playing Southampton on Thursday. Chilwell is definitely worth the punt as he’s a shoe-in to play in both games.
Willian – Chelsea - £7.2million
I’m cheating here somewhat as I recommended you buy Willian just a few gameweeks ago, and although he’s struggled over the last two fixtures, I fancy him to end that slump over the next week.
Chelsea play both Southampton and Burnley and there is a real chance for some heavy scoring from the brilliant Brazilian. It’s worth noting that Willian has been Antonio Conte’s best offensive outlet during 2017/18, but if you have a tad more cash at your disposal, take a look at Eden Hazard too…
Romelu Lukaku – Manchester United - £11.6million
Manchester United’s star striker has had an excellent season, scoring goals aplenty while propelling his side up to second in the table. This gameweek, he takes on both West Bromwich Albion and AFC Bournemouth; a real opportunity for points.
It’s no surprise that his ownership has shot up to around 30%, but you fully expect him to bag at least a goal or two during GW34. He tends to thrive against teams down at the bottom, and I expect things to be no different here.
Three players to sell
Nicolas Otamendi – Manchester City - £6.4million
Manchester City haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last two Premier League fixtures (four in total) and their defence has looked shaky at best. Do I think they’ll concede against Spurs this weekend? Absolutely.
Over a quarter of managers have the expensive Nicolas Otamendi in their teams, and now feels like the perfect opportunity to sell him while his price is relatively high. There are far better options for a much cheaper price, take a look at Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger (£5.8) and Tottenham’s Ben Davies (£5.9).
Glenn Murray – Brighton & Hove Albion - £6.0million
The powerful striker has all-but guided Brighton to safety, but he’s in somewhat of a mini-slump at present after failing to score in his last three. I always like to chop and change my cheaper, third-striker option and it seems the right time to cash-out on Glenn Murray.
In-terms of a replacement, Burnley’s Ashley Barnes, who has scord four goals in his last five outings deserve a chance… He’s on a double GW too…
Roberto Firmino – Liverpool - £9.5million
Now, stick with me here before you start hammering me in the comments. I love Roberto Firmino, I think he’s an excellent player. However, Liverpool have the bigger, Champions League fish to fry, and they’ll be resting him from time-to-time, particularly with Danny Ings coming back.
I just cannot see the Brazilian starting many of Liverpool’s remaining fixtures and now is the time to sell while his price looks appealing. It’s all about getting out one GW early before getting out one GW late.
Don’t forget to play your triple captains if you haven’t already, preferably hand it to a striker who’s on a double gameweek, Romelu Lukaku would be an excellent candidate for this!
Good luck and we’ll see you next week.
