With the hectic winter schedule now over, it’s back to making team changes just once per week which is much easier to manage.
The business end of the Premier League campaign is now upon us and there are some mouthwatering fixtures in the offing over the next few weeks. This Sunday sees Liverpool host Manchester City – and the eyes of the world will be watching, with he majority hoping that Pep Guardiola’s team will finally lose a game.
Anyway, onto our Fantasy Premier League tips. Don’t forget that you now have another wildcard that you can play, so if you need to make wholesale changes, perhaps this is the time to use that.
Three players to buy
James Tarkowski – Burnley - £4.7million
The centre-half returned from injury last weekend, and I fully expect him to regain his place in the starting XI immediately. The Englishman has been an underrated centre-half this term, having played a major part in Burnley’s success this season.
I love a good FPL bargain and at £4.7million, Tarkowski represents excellent value for money. He’s also relatively low on the ownership side with just 4.7% of managers having him. Whether a bench player or a regular starter, he seems like a great little option to have.
Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool - £5.4million
Virgil van Dijk has been up there amongst the best defenders in the country for at least twelve months now, and Liverpool have themselves an absolute star in the making. Some may baulk at the transfer fee, but honestly, who really cares about that stuff?
Coming in at £5.4million, Van Dijk is extremely cheap and that Liverpool defence will improve markedly when he’s in it. Don’t forget, he’ll also chip in with the odd goal, too. I fully expect his value to rise in the coming weeks so take advantage of his low price while you can.
Sergio Aguero – Manchester City - £11.7million
I’ve been extremely cautious when it comes to Manchester City players, but now seems like the perfect time to bring Sergio Aguero in. With Gabriel Jesus injured, it gives Guardiola a problem when it comes to rotating his forwards – with the Argentine likely to start games aplenty.
He’s owned by 22% of FPL players, but he’s a whole lot cheaper than Harry Kane and he did score last time out against Watford. Expect him to make a huge impact over the next month or so.
Three players to sell
Xherdan Shaqiri – Stoke City - £6.0million
I like Xherdan Shaqiri and I think he’s up there amongst the best attackers in the Premier League on his day. The problem? It’s not his day anywhere near often enough. He hasn’t contributed to a goal in eight gameweeks, which is a horrendous return for a player with his talents.
That’s just the nature when you’re playing for side like Stoke City, though. It’s worth keeping an eye on the Swiss international when The Potters hire a new manager, but for now, it makes sense to bin him off.
Philippe Coutinho – Liverpool/Barcelona - £9.1million
This may seem glaringly obvious to many, and while Coutinho is the most transferred out player this gameweek, there is still 9% of managers who own the Brazilian. As we all know, he’s completed a move to FC Barcelona and doesn’t play in England anymore. Sell before his value drops.
This now presents Jurgen Klopp with the dilemma of replacing Coutinho, but, for us FPL bosses there are options aplenty. Check out Riyad Mahrez (£8.6m), Leroy Sane (£8.5m) and if you want a cheaper option, Jesse Lingard (£6.3m).
Alexandre Lacazette – Arsenal - £10.3million
Arsenal’s big-money signing has been hit and miss in his debut season, but his last Premier League goal came way back in week fifteen against Manchester United – an underwhelming statistic that goes a long way towards explaining The Gunners’ poor form.
I’d much prefer to spend the money on Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino (£9.1m) or even Alvaro Morata (£10.5m). But, I’d suggest saving money elsewhere and spending big on either Harry Kane (£12.9m) or the aforementioned Sergio Aguero (£11.7m).
Good luck in your respective leagues and we’ll see you at the same time next week.