Gameweek 22 – Super Sunday

Arsenal vs. Manchester United.  Manchester City vs. Spurs.  Super Sunday.  Ouch.  In Gameweek 22;  7 of the 11 players in the team season so far will be on show against each other.  A tough call for fantasy premier league managers.  Do you go with the big boys or call in the differentiators?

Fantasy Premier League - Team of the Season

Gameweek 22 Shortlist

James McLean
Who?   The Sunderland winger has risen to fame since Martin O’Neill took over at the Wearside club.  His bonus points / starts ratio is immense with 6 bonus points in only 3 starts, plus 1 goal.  He is direct, confident and most importantly for fantasy premier league he is cheap at £4.5 million.  Get him in now there is only one way his price is going.

Joey Barton
The QPR midfielder does wind me up but I must say I agree with Joey Barton’s comments about Neil Warnock.  In his last days the  QPR boss (with no eyebrows) seemed to blame anyone but himself for his demise.  Barton has just served a 3 game ban and at home to Wigan I can see him coming in and getting some points.  This season his stats have been solid if not spectacular with; 2 goals, 4 assists and 6 bonus points and I expect them to improve in Gameweek 22.

Ryan Shotton
He’s a gamble.  Ryan Shotton; a) doesn’t start every week and b) is having a fitness test ahead of Stoke’s match vs. West Brom.  If fit I think he’ll play and at £4.1 million he is an absolute steal.  Not only is he down as a defender (despite playing in midfield) he is also Stoke’s reserve long thrower (when Delap is injured).  Shotton has 1 goal and 4 bonus points to date and at home to West Brom if he passes his fitness test I expect more points.

Whoever you pick good luck and enjoy Super Sunday.

Gameweek 21 – The January Wildcard

This is a big week in Fantasy Premier League.  Not only is it the first point this season that you can play your free January wildcard but it also sees a few of the Premier Leagues big boys off to the African Cup of Nations; Bye Bye Demba.  Bye Bye Gervinho.  Bye Bye Cheicks.  Add to that a a red card for Vincent Kompany and injuries galore – who is left to pick?

John Ruddy

Did you know Norwich are still yet to keep a clean sheet this season?  Pretty amazing for a team sitting 9th in the table.  Never the less Big John Ruddy’s value has gone up to £4.2 million.  Gameweek 21 could be a good opportunity for Ruddy and Norwich to get their first clean sheet away at West Brom.  The Baggies have not scored a goal in their last 3 games, including 2 at home and with Shane Long potentially missing and Chris Brunt injured it is hard to see where the goals will come from.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto

TFL’s biggest fan had a dream double gameweek; 2 clean sheets, 1 assist, 1 goal and 3 bonus points.  Woof.  It has propelled Benoit to 2nd highest scoring defender in the league and in Gameweek 21 another clean sheet is surely on the cards at home to Wolves.

Steven Gerrard
The Liverpool captain and England international is back and could be a good shout if you are looking for a galactico differentiator.  At £10.5million he is a decent price and is a bonus point magnet if he can keep himself fit.  With Stoke at home (gameweek 21), then Bolton and Wolves I can see Stevie G getting a decent score plus plenty of bonus points.  Saying that Gerrard is one of those Fantasy Premier League players that have never done the business when given the chance in my team.  Obviously couldn’t handle the pressure.

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Gameweek 20 – What has happened to Wayne?

Fantasy premier league gameweek 20 had it all;  Double gameweeks, shock defeats and ridiculous goals.   Spurs and Everton are playing twice, Manchester United got hammered and Tim Howard scored from a goal kick.  This week also pitted 2 of fantasy premier league top scoring strikers against each other, in Wayne Rooney and Demba Ba.

Demba Ba has been on fire this season and has a monumental; 15 goals, 4 assists and 21 points.  21 BONUS POINTS.  A record only beaten by Robin Van Persie.   He has been remarkably clinical and has an amazing trait for a fantasy premier league striker.  He is greedy.

Rooney on the other hand is having a rough time of it.  With 4 goals in 3 games in early December home games against Wigan, Blackburn and then away to Newcastle surely meant one thing for Wayne.  Goals.   But it didn’t happen.  He was rested against Wigan (playing only 27 minutes), dropped against Blackburn and it didn’t really happen for him against Newcastle.

Wayne Rooney vs Demba Ba Gameweek 20 Fantasy Premier League performance

Both strikers were relatively well shackled and limited to only 5 shots between them (Rooney with 2 and Ba with 3).  The big Senegalese striker was remarkably clinical; scoring 1 with a great finish, narrowly missing another and having another saved.

For Rooney however it just wasn’t happening.  He was given little room all night and despite seeing quite a bit of the ball, only made 32/40 passes.  The Manchester United managed 2 shots; one blocked on the line and the other blocked from outside the area.

So where does this leave Wayne and Demba?  Sadly for 25% of fantasy premier league managers who have Ba in their fantasy premier league team, he is off to the African nations and this is his last game for Newcastle United for a while so he needs replacing.

As for Rooney; at £12million he is expensive but is one of the only fantasy premier league players who can score at will.  At home to Bolton for gameweek 21, if you have Rooney in your fantasy premier league team – give him 1 more week.

You can subscribe to “about the bonus points” at the bottom of the home page to get a weekly email to your inbox and follow me on twitter @mjmaxwell.