The Premier League is back after a week of
FA Cup action. Most sides put out ‘experimental’ lineups in an effort to save
themselves for the rigours of a relegation battle, title race, European campaign,
or finishing 14th. (delete as appropriate) The return of league
action means the return of Fantasy Football and the IEFSA Fantasy League
brought to you by Fantrax. So check your sides for the latest injuries, or in
case anyone of your players have scuttled off to China, and lets begin the
Gameweek 21 preview.
A Leighton Baines goal helped my team
overcome @TRKingston two weeks ago. This result moved my team up to fourth in
the league. I would have lost to this week’s opponent if I had been playing him
though, @jasonuk17. I overcame Jason in Week 2 and since then our two teams
have been scoring pretty close points-wise. Six times in the following game
weeks our sides would have only been separated by less than five points, twice
by less than a point (0.1 and 0.35). This all points to a rather tight game,
but as usual, the IEFSA Fantrax fixture computer has organised it so that
@jasonuk17’s Forward is in his best form of the season. While my highest priced
Defender heads to the Injured Reserve list. Jason also picked up Claudio Yacob
not long after he was discarded to Free Agency. This sets the West Brom man up
nicely to come back and bite my side in the ass this week!
@jasonuk17’s Team
The in form Forward in Jason’s team is Frenchman
Olivier Giroud. The Arsenal front-man has scored three goals in as many games
and averages 24.4 points over the same period. Helping him out and pulling in
almost 18 points a game this season is Bournemouth’s Junior Stanislas.
Stanislas faces bottom club Hull on Saturday, so should have no problem getting
near his average again. Elsewhere in Midfield he has another inform player in
the shape of Michael Carrick. The Man Utd player should have plenty of work to
do, and therefore earn plenty of points, when United entertain Liverpool on
Sunday.
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| @jasonuk's secret weapon: Claudio Yacob |
In goals Jason has another Man Utd star,
David de Gea. Rested for the League Cup game midweek, de Gea has started all
twenty league games this season, keeping seven clean sheets. He will probably
not be the only one looking for clean sheets this week though, as all of @jasonuk17’s
Defenders have home fixtures. The toughest of these being Ben Chilwell of
Leicester City who host table toppers Chelsea. Conte’s men look like they will
be playing without top scorer Diego Costa for this game though, as reports out
of Stamford Bridge suggest he is unsettled and looking to move in January.
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| Will Costa be banging in goals at a sold out Workers Stadium in 2017? |
What I Need To Happen
Hector Bellerin joined Arsenal teammate
Santi Cazorla on my injured list this week after injuring his ankle. This
leaves only three fit defenders, but hopefully they will all get the starts for
their respective clubs and pick up a clean sheet or two. My goalkeeper Tom
Heaton of Burnley will face Southampton. A clean sheet here, as well as keeping
out Jason’s Oriol Romeu would be a good start on Saturday. Jason could also
have up to three Watford players in his squad starting at three o’clock on Saturday.
So, a Middlesbrough upset would be most welcomed in that game.
Another three-pm kick-off, this time
involving four players from my squad, is the fixture between Sunderland and
Stoke. Joe Allen has not been his usual self lately in regards gaining fantasy
points, but will not get many better chances to reverse this trend than against
third from bottom Sunderland. A high scoring affair with an effort or two from
Fabio Borini would entertain the neutral and make me very happy. This fixture
could also go a long way to seeing if the ‘Ibrahim Afellay Experiment’ will be
a success. Jack Wilshere has yet to score in 2017, but should knock in one or
two against bottom club Hull City, as he slowly forces his way into the England
squad for the crucial game against Lithuania in March.
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| Jack Wilshere should open his Bournemouth account against Hull |
Predictions
Six correct and three incorrect for the
second week in a row. Many of the managers are looking around trying to improve
their squads during the January transfer window. Perhaps @BenDinnery is sweating
the most as $65 of his budget is tied up in want-away Diego Costa. For the latest on this and all the other goings on in the league, please follow @THE_IEFSA on
Twitter. Here are this week’s predictions.
Good Luck Everyone
@jwl_15 over @TRKingston
@nikarg over @DFS_Hambazaza
@FuzzyWarbles over @TAMc10
@cjradune over @jforquer11
@wrigavin over @SmokeyLoogy
