| Rank | Player | Res | Cls | Exa | Slm | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 - |  | 26 | 79.5 | 60 | 16 | 181.5 |
2 - |  | 25 | 75 | 63 | 16 | 179.0 |
3 - |  | 23 | 79.5 | 60 | 13 | 175.5 |
4 - |  | 28 | 76.5 | 51 | 15 | 170.5 |
5 1 | | 32 | 69 | 51 | 14 | 166.0 |
My choice of Mohamed Salah as my captain paid off for me last week, but I would have done an awful lot better if I had made Dominic Solanke my captain. Thankfully I did bring him in though and his hat trick along with Salah’s points were the only points I managed besides an assist from Marcos Senesi. Despite eight of my 11 players not performing I still managed to move up in the rankings and hopefully I can continue in that direction.
Salah will probably be my captain again this week with Son Heung-Min a good option too. Erling Haaland is an injury doubt for City and I will most likely leave him out for another week and keep my free transfer from this week so I can have two next week.
Tuesday December 26
Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest
12.30pm GMT, St. James’ Park, Newcastle
Newcastle lost 1-0 away to Luton last week and they dropped to seventh place with seven points to make up on the top four. They have won their last seven home games with only Villa taking more points and no other team conceding less goals on their own ground. They have lost three of their last four games though and they play three of the teams above them in their next three matches after this one.
Anthony Gordon is the Newcastle player to have for fantasy managers at home in particular with their defenders and keeper good choices on their own ground too.
Forest lost 3-2 at home to Bournemouth last week and they’re now only two points above the relegation zone. They have only taken two points from their last six away games with only Sheffield United scoring less goals on the road. They have only taken one point from their last seven games with only Sheffield United scoring less goals.
Anthony Elanga might be the Forest player to interest fantasy managers and I still think Morgan Gibbs-White will come good sooner or later.
With Newcastle’s impressive home record I can’t see anything other than a win for them in this game despite their injury problems.
Prediction: 2-0
Bournemouth v Fulham
3pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Bournemouth got a very late goal to win 3-2 away to Forest last week and they’re now only outside the top half of the table on goal difference. They have taken seven points from their last three home games after failing to win the previous five, but no other team has scored less goals on their own patch. They have taken 16 points from their last six games and they kept clean sheets in three of those games, but only three other teams have conceded more goals.
Dominic Solanke has made himself a must have for fantasy managers with Marcos Senise worth considering too.
Fulham lost 2-0 at home to Burnley last week, but they’re only one point behind Bournemouth going into this game. They have lost their last three away games and they conceded 10 goals in those games with only Sheffield United conceding more goals on their travels. They have lost their last two games without scoring after winning three of the previous four and scoring 16 goals in those four games so it’s not easy to predict what will happen next with them.
The way their last two games have gone I’m not sure there are any Fulham players who will consistently return for fantasy managers, but Alex Iwobi and Andreas Pereira could possibly do something.
I think Bournemouth’s impressive run will continue with a narrow victory in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Sheffield United v Luton Town
3pm GMT, Bramall Lane, Sheffield
United drew 1-1 away to Villa last week to leave them rooted to the foot of the table. They have taken six points from their last four home games after only taking one in the previous five with only Burnley conceding more goals on their own ground. They have taken four points from their last three games, but no other team has scored less or conceded more goals.
If United’s improvement is going to continue then Cameron Archer is their player most likely to produce for fantasy managers.
Luton won 1-0 at home to Newcastle last week and they’re now only two points below seventeenth place. They have lost their last three away games and they conceded seven goals in those games with only Sheffield United taking less points and scoring less goals on the road. They had lost three games in a row before beating Newcastle and only Sheffield United have scored less goals, but they play the two teams below them in their next three games.
Andros Townsend has been in good form recently for fantasy managers with Alfie Doughty and Elijah Adebayo not doing too badly either.
I think this will be a very close game with Luton the most likely to take the three points.
Prediction: 1-2
Burnley v Liverpool
5.30pm GMT, Turf Moor, Burnley
Burnley won 2-0 away to Fulham last week to move within three points of seventeenth place. They have lost eight of their nine home games and no other team has conceded more goals on their own patch. They have taken seven points from their last five games after only taking four in the previous 13, but only Sheffield United have scored less and conceded more goals.
With Lyle Foster finally fit to play he might just be the Burnley player to have for fantasy managers.
Liverpool drew 1-1 at home to Arsenal last week to stay one point behind them at the top of the table. They have taken nine points from their last five away games with only Spurs and Arsenal taking more points on their travels. They are unbeaten in 11 games, but they drew five of them with no other team drawing more games or conceding less goals.
Mohamed Salah is a must have for fantasy managers at the moment with Trent Alexander-Arnold impressing too.
I can’t see anything other than a comfortable Liverpool victory in this game.
Prediction: 0-3
Manchester United v Aston Villa
8pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester
United lost 2-0 away to West Ham last week and that defeat saw them drop to eighth place. They have already lost four home games and only three other teams have scored less goals on their own ground. They have only taken four points from their last five games and they failed to score in four of those games with only Sheffield United scoring less goals.
United’s defenders and keeper are probably their best players for fantasy managers at the moment.
Villa drew 1-1 at home to bottom of the table Sheffield United last week and that cost them the chance of going to the top of the table. They have taken seven points from their last three away games and they have conceded more goals than they have scored on the road. They have taken 17 points from their last seven games with only City scoring more goals.
Ollie Watkins, Douglas Luiz, Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby are the Villa players most likely to do well for fantasy managers.
I think United’s woes will continue with Villa narrowly winning this game.
Prediction: 1-2
Wednesday December 27
Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers
7.30pm GMT, Gtech Community Stadium, London
Brentford didn’t play last week as they were due to play City who had more important things to do in Saudi Arabia. They have lost two of their last three home games and they have a couple of good home fixtures in a row before they get a lot tougher. They have lost five of their last six games and they failed to score in three of those games.
I’m not sure there are any Brentford players doing enough to interest fantasy managers at the moment.
Wolves won 2-1 at home to Chelsea last week and they’re only outside the top half of the table on goal difference. They have lost their last four away games and they conceded 10 goals in those games. They have only won two of their last six games, but they have only failed to score in one of their last 17 games.
Until a couple of games ago Hwang Hee-Chan and Matheus Cunha were looking very good for fantasy managers,
I don’t think there will be too much between these two teams and the chances are the spoils will be shared.
Prediction: 1-1
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
7.30pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea lost 2-1 away to Wolves last week, but they managed to stay in the top half of the table on goal difference. They have taken seven points from their last three home games and they scored nine goals in those games. They have lost three of their last four games, but five of their next six games are against teams below them.
With both Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling suspended this week I can’t see any Chelsea players to recommend to fantasy managers.
Palace drew 1-1 at home to Brighton last week, buy they’re only four points behind Chelsea going into this game. They have only lost one of their last four away games and they have taken twice as many points on their travels as they have at home. They haven’t won in seven games, but they drew three of them and no other team has drawn more games with only Sheffield United scoring less goals.
Despite Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise being very good players Palace just don’t have enough attacking returns to be of real value to fantasy managers.
I think Chelsea might just manage to take all three points despite their injury and suspension absentees.
Prediction: 2-1
Everton v Manchester City
8.15pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool
Everton lost 2-1 away to Spurs last week to put an end to a very good run of results and leave them four points above the bottom three. They have taken 10 points from their last five home games and they kept clean sheets in three of those games. They had won four games in a row before losing to Spurs and they kept clean sheets in each of those victories with only three other teams conceding less goals.
Everton’s defenders and keeper are their best options for fantasy managers, but maybe not in this game.
City were busy winning the Club World Cup last week and they’re now in fifth place with six points to make up on the leaders and a game in hand. They have only won two of their last six away games with only Spurs scoring more goals on the road. They have only won once in their last six games, but they drew four of them and no other team has scored more goals.
If Erling Haaland is fit to play he’s the must have City player for fantasy managers with Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez and Bernardo Silva good options too.
I think City will be too strong for Everton and should win by at least a couple of goals.
Prediction: 1-3
Thursday December 28
Brighton And Hove Albion v Tottenham Hotspur
7.30pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton
Brighton drew 1-1 away to Palace last week, but they’re still within three points of sixth place. They’re unbeaten in seven home games, but they drew four of them and no other team has drawn more games on their own ground. They have only won two of their last 12 games, but they drew six of them and no other team has drawn more games.
Kaoru Mitoma and Pascal Gross are the Brighton players who can make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.
Spurs just about held on to win 2-1 at home to Everton last week and they moved back into the top four after that victory. No other team has taken more points or scored more goals away from home. They have won their last three games after failing to win the previous five with only City and Villa scoring more goals.
Son Heung-Min, Richarlison, Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski are the Spurs players looking good for fantasy managers at the moment.
I think this is a game which could go either way and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end all square.
Prediction: 2-2
Arsenal v West Ham United
8.15pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London
Arsenal led early away to Liverpool last week, but they had to settle for a 1-1 draw and they kept their place at the top of the table. They have won their last five home games and they scored 13 goals in those games with only Villa scoring more goals on their own patch. They have taken 16 points from their last seven games and no other team has conceded less goals.
Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard are the Arsenal players to have at the moment with their defenders and keeper good choices too.
West Ham won 2-0 at home to United last week to move up to sixth place in the table. They have won two of their last three away games, but only Sheffield United have conceded more goals on the road. They have taken 16 points from their last seven games and they scored 13 goals in those games.
Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta are all in great form for fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Arsenal should have enough at home to take the three points, but West Ham won’t make it easy for them.
Prediction: 2-1
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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