| Rank | Player | Res | Cls | Exa | Slm | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 - |  | 33 | 55.5 | 63 | 12 | 163.5 |
2 1 |  | 31 | 72 | 42 | 12 | 157.0 |
3 1 |  | 38 | 46.5 | 60 | 11 | 155.5 |
4 1 |  | 33 | 61.5 | 48 | 12 | 154.5 |
5 3 |  | 28 | 51 | 63 | 8 | 150.0 |
I had a reasonably good week with my fantasy team too as I climbed marginally in the overall rankings to stay well inside the top two percent. My captaincy choice of Mohamed Salah paid off yet again and he was ably assisted by David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, Cole Palmer and Matheus Cunha. I still have some surgery to do on my team, but until the FA decides the fate of Cunha he will be staying with me.
Salah will have the armband yet again this week and the chances are I’ll be bringing Alexander Isak in with my one free transfer. The transfers I made last week didn’t pay off in the short term, but I still think they will over time.
Sunday December 29
Leicester City v Manchester City
2.30pm GMT, King Power Stadium, Leicester
Leicester lost 3-1 away to Liverpool last week and that defeat saw them drop into the relegation zone. They have only won once in their last five home games and they conceded 11 goals in those games, but three of their next four games are on their own ground. They have lost their last three games and they conceded 10 goals in those games with no other team conceding more goals.
I can’t see any Leicester players doing enough to interest fantasy managers at the moment.
City drew 1-1 at home to Everton last week and they are now six points off the top four and 14 points off the top of the table. They have only taken one point from their last five away games and they conceded 10 goals in those games, but their next three games on the road are against teams in the bottom half of the table. They have only taken five points from their last nine games, but their next four games are all against teams in the bottom half of the table.
Surely Erling Haaland will find some form soon and if he does he can still do very well for fantasy managers while Josko Gvardiol is worth considering too.
I think City will get a much needed win in this game with a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 1-3
Crystal Palace v Southampton
3pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London
Palace drew 0-0 away to Bournemouth last week and they’re only two places and three points above the relegation zone. They have only taken two points from their last four home games with only Ipswich scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only lost one of their last seven games, but they drew four of them with no other team drawing more games.
Daniel Munoz and Ismaila Sarr are the Palace players who can do well for fantasy managers at the moment.
Southampton lost 1-0 at home to West Ham last week to leave them stranded at the foot of the table. They’re one of two teams still without an away win and no other team has scored less goals on their travels. They have only taken two points from their last eight games with no other team scoring less goals and only Wolves and Leicester conceding more.
I can’t see any Southampton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Palace will manage a rare victory at home to the team at the bottom of the table.
Prediction: 2-0
Everton v Nottingham Forest
3pm GMT. Goodison Park, Liverpool
Everton drew 1-1 away to City last week and that point leaves them three points above the bottom three. They’re unbeaten in their last six home games, but they drew four of them and they kept clean sheets in four of them too. They have only lost two of their last 13 games, but they drew eight of them with no other team drawing more games.
Everton’s defenders and keeper are all good options for fantasy managers at the moment.
Forest won 1-0 at home to Spurs last week and that win kept them in fourth place and within two points of second place. They have won their last two away games and their next two games are both away to teams in the bottom seven. They have won their last four games and they have kept clean sheets in the last two with only Arsenal and Liverpool conceding less goals.
Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White are all looking like good options for fantasy managers at the moment with the Forest defenders and keeper worth considering too.
I think this will be a very close game and the chances are it will end with the spoils shared.
Prediction: 0-0
Fulham v Bournemouth
3pm GMT, Craven Cottage, London
Fulham came from behind to win 2-1 away to Chelsea last week and that win has them within one point of fifth place. They have only won twice in their last six home games, but their next two games are both on their own patch. They have only lost once in their last 10 games, but they drew five of those games.
Antonee Robinson and Alex Iwobi are probably the Fulham players who should be of most interest to fantasy managers at the moment.
Bournemouth drew 0-0 at home to Palace last week to leave them in sixth place in the table. They have won their last three away games and they scored nine goals in those games, but their next three games on their travels are very difficult starting with this one. They have taken 14 points from their last six games and they kept clean sheets in three of them with only three other teams conceding less goals.
Milos Kerkez and Antoine Semenyo are the Bournemouth players for fantasy managers to keep an eye on.
I think this looks like being another very close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Tottenham Hotspur v Wolverhampton Wanderers
3pm GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Spurs lost 1-0 away to Forest last week and they’re now closer to the bottom three than the top four. They have only taken one point in their last four home games and they conceded 13 goals in those games, but only Brentford have scored more goals on their own ground. They have lost four of their last five games and they conceded 12 goals in those games, but only Liverpool have scored more goals.
Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Son Heung-Min, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke all look like good choices for fantasy managers.
Wolves won 2-0 at home to United last week and that win took them out of the relegation zone. They have won two of their last four away games, but only Leicester have conceded more goals on the road. They have won their last two games after losing the previous four and no other team has conceded more goals.
With the suspension of Matheus Cunha still not confirmed he’s the best choice in the Wolves team for fantasy managers while Jorgen Strand Larsen is an option too.
This is a tough game to call, but the chances are Spurs should make home advantage tell.
Prediction: 3-1
West Ham United v Liverpool
5.15pm GMT. London Stadium, London
West Ham won 1-0 away to Southampton last week and they’re now within three points of the top half of the table. They have only lost one of their last six home games with only two other teams conceding more goals on their own patch. They have taken eight points from their last four games, but they play two of last season’s top three in their next two games starting with this one.
Jarrod Bowen is still the West Ham player who can make a difference for fantasy managers.
Liverpool came from behind to win 3-1 at home to Leicester last week and they’re now six points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand on the teams chasing them. They have taken seven points and scored 12 goals in their last three away games with no other team taking more points on their travels and only Chelsea scoring more goals. They are unbeaten in 13 games and they took 33 points in those games with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.
Mohamed Salah is an absolute must have for fantasy managers with all of their defenders and keeper good choices too.
I think Liverpool will be too strong for West Ham and should win by at least two goals.
Prediction: 1-3
Monday December 30
Aston Villa v Brighton And Hove Albion
7.45pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham
Villa lost 3-0 away to Newcastle last week after John Duran’s harsh red card saw them play for an hour with 10 men and that defeat saw them drop to ninth place. They have won their last three home games and they have a very good run of games on their own ground coming up. Their home form has kept them in touch with the top five and they only play one of the big six in their next seven games.
Morgan Rogers is the Villa player most likely to perform for fantasy managers at the moment.
Brighton drew 0-0 at home to Brentford last week and they’re only two points and one place behind Villa going into this game. They have only lost one game away from home, but they have drawn five with no other team drawing more games on the road. They haven’t won in six games, but they drew four of them with no other team drawing more games.
I just can’t see any Brighton players doing enough at the moment to peak the interest of fantasy managers.
I think Villa are probably strong enough at home to take the three points in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Ipswich Town v Chelsea
7.45pm GMT, Portman Road, Ipswich
Ipswich lost 1-0 away to Arsenal last week and they’re now three points from the relative safety of 17th place. They’re the only team without a home win and no other team has taken less points or scored less goals on their own patch. They have lost five of their last six games and they failed to score in four of them with only Southampton scoring less goals.
I can’t see any Ipswich players doing enough to recommend them to fantasy managers at the moment.
Chelsea lost 2-1 at home to Fulham last week and that defeat saw them drop to third place in the table. They have taken 10 points and scored 11 goals in their last four away games with no other team taking more points or scoring more goals on their travels. They were unbeaten in nine games before losing to Fulham and they only play one of the other big six teams in their next 10 games.
Cole Palmer is an absolute must have for fantasy managers with Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Martinez good options too.
I think Chelsea should bounce back and win this game with a few goals to spare.
Prediction: 1-3
Manchester United v Newcastle United
8pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester
United lost 2-0 away to Wolves last week and they go into this game in 14th place in the table. They have lost their last two home games and they conceded six goals in those games, but they have a fairly good run of home games coming up. They have lost four of their last five games and they conceded 11 goals in those games with only four other teams scoring less goals.
With Bruno Fernandes suspended Amad Diallo is probably the United player who should be of most interest to fantasy managers.
Newcastle won 3-0 at home to 10 man Villa last week and that win moved them up to fifth place. They have taken seven points and scored 10 goals in their last four away games, but four of their next five games on the road are against big six teams. They have won their last three games and they scored 11 goals in those games.
Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy and Lewis Hall are all in great form for fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Newcastle are going to make things very difficult for United and I wouldn’t be surprised if they took the three points.
Prediction: 1-2
Wednesday January 1
Brentford v Arsenal
5.30pm GMT, Gtech Stadium, Brentford
Brentford drew 0-0 away to Brighton last week and that point left them one place and two points off the top half of the table. They lost their last home game, but no other team has taken more points or scored more goals on their own patch. They have only won once in their last five games and they play each of last season’s top three in three of their next four games.
Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa are the Brentford players to have for fantasy managers when they are playing at home.
Arsenal won 1-0 at home to Ipswich last week and that win moved them up to second place in the table, but they’re six points behind Liverpool and they have played a game more. They have taken eight points and scored 12 goals in their last four away games with only one other team conceding less goals on their travels. They have taken 18 points from their last eight games and they scored 17 goals in those games with no other team conceding less goals.
Arsenal’s defenders and keeper are very good choices for fantasy managers at the moment with Kai Havertz an option too.
I think this will be a very close game, but Arsenal should win narrowly.
Prediction: 1-2
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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