| Rank | Player | Res | Cls | Exa | Slm | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 - |  | 25 | 43.5 | 51 | 10 | 129.5 |
2 - |  | 26 | 37.5 | 45 | 8 | 116.5 |
3 - |  | 31 | 37.5 | 39 | 7 | 114.5 |
4 1 | | 19 | 46.5 | 30 | 4 | 99.5 |
5 1 | | 29 | 45 | 18 | 5 | 97.0 |
Friday January 1
Everton v West Ham United
5.30pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool
Everton didn’t play in midweek after the COVID issue at City saw their game called off and they dropped to fourth place as a result, but they’re only four points off the top of the table with a game in hand. They have won their last two home games and only three other teams have taken more points at home with only two other teams scoring more goals on their own patch. They have won their last four games and they only conceded one goal in those games.
Everton’s defenders have done very well for fantasy managers in recent weeks while Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s output isn’t what it was a few weeks ago.
West Ham drew 0-0 away to Southampton on Tuesday night and that point was enough to keep them in the top half of the table on goal difference. They have taken seven points from their last four away games, but they didn’t score in the last two of those games. They haven’t won in four games, but they drew three of those games and United are the only team in the top half of the table to have conceded more goals.
West Ham’s defenders and keeper have done very well for fantasy managers in recent weeks while Jarrod Bowen is still worth a shout too.
I think this will be a very close game, but the new look Everton might just take the three points.
Prediction: 1-0
Manchester United v Aston Villa
8pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester
United won 1-0 at home to Wolves on Tuesday night and those three points were enough to move them up to second place, three points behind Liverpool with a game in hand. They have taken 10 points from their last four home games and they kept clean sheets in three of those games. They have taken 23 points from their last nine games and they scored 22 goals in those games with only Liverpool scoring more goals.
Bruno Fernandes continues to be the must have United player for fantasy managers while Marcus Rashford is making a good impression too.
Villa drew 1-1 away to Chelsea in midweek to move up to fifth place and they’re seven points off the top of the table with two games in hand. They have taken 15 points from their seven away games and they only conceded three goals in those games with no other team conceding less goals on the road. They have taken 11 points in their last five games and they only conceded one goal in those games with only City conceding less goals.
There are still a lot of Villa players to choose from for fantasy managers with Jack Grealish, Emiliano Martinez, Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi all worth considering.
I think Villa will make things difficult for United, but the home team will just about edge it.
Prediction: 2-1
Saturday January 2
Tottenham Hotspur v Leeds United
12.30pm GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Spurs didn’t play in midweek after the Covid issues at Fulham and they dropped down to seventh place as a result, but they’re still within touching distance of the top four. They lost their last home game, but they had won three in a row at home before that game and only City and Burnley have conceded less goals at home. They have only taken two points from their last four games, but only City and Villa have conceded less goals.
The only Spurs players making a real impact for fantasy managers are Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, but they haven’t done quite so well in recent weeks.
Leeds thrashed West Brom 5-0 away from home on Tuesday night and they’re now only in the bottom half of the table on goal difference. Only four other teams have won more away games and only two other teams have scored more away goals, but no other team has conceded more goals on their travels. They have won three of their last four games and they scored 13 goals in those games, but only three other teams have scored more goals and only one other team has conceded more.
There are quite a few Leeds players for fantasy managers to consider at the moment with Patrick Bamford, Stuart Dallas, Ezgjan Alioski, Illan Meslier and Jack Harrison about the best of them.
It’s not easy to predict how this game will go, but the chances are Spurs will get the win.
Prediction: 2-1
Crystal Palace v Sheffield United
3pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London
Palace drew 1-1 at home to Leicester in midweek and they fell down to 15th place in the table, but they’re still a healthy eight points above the bottom three. They haven’t won in their last four home games and only West Brom have conceded more goals at home. They haven’t won in their last five games with only West Brom and Leeds conceding more goals.
Wilfried Zaha showed against Leicester that he’s the only Palace player for fantasy managers to consider.
United lost 1-0 away to Burnley on Tuesday night and relegation is looking almost inevitable for them with less than half of the season gone. They have only taken one point from their eight away games with only Leeds conceding more goals on the road. They’re the only team without a win and they have lost 14 of their 16 games with no other team scoring less goals.
I can’t see any United players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Palace will put more space between themselves and the relegation zone by taking the three points in this game.
Prediction: 2-0
Brighton And Hove Albion v Wolverhampton Wanderers
5.30pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton
Brighton lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal on Tuesday night and they’re only one place and two points above the bottom three. They’re one of two teams without a home win and only four other teams have scored less goals at home. They haven’t won in seven games and they failed to score in three of those games with no other team drawing more games.
I can’t see any Brighton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
Wolves lost 1-0 away to United on Tuesday night, but they’re still only two points off the top half of the table. Only Sheffield United have lost more games away from home and only two other teams have scored less goals on their travels. They have lost four of their six games since Raul Jiminez’s injury and only four other teams have scored less goals.
Wolves players haven’t done too much for fantasy managers recently, but Pedro Neto, Rui Patricio and Romain Saiss are all possibly worth considering.
I think Brighton’s home woes will continue with Wolves winning this game by the odd goal.
Prediction: 1-2
West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal
8pm GMT, The Hawthorns, Birmingham
West Brom lost 5-0 at home to Leeds in midweek and they’re still second last in the league five points adrift of safety. They have lost their last three home games and they conceded 13 goals in those games with no other team conceding more goals at home. They have only taken two points from their last six games with no other team conceding more goals and only two other teams scoring less.
I can’t see any West Brom players who might make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.
Arsenal won 1-0 away to Brighton on Tuesday night and they climbed to 13th place within three points of the top half of the table. They have only scored three goals in their last six away games, but only three other teams have conceded less goals on their travels. They have won their last two games after failing to win the previous seven, but only four other teams have scored less goals.
Hector Bellerin is the Arsenal player most likely to do well for fantasy managers while Bukayo Saka is worth considering on recent form too.
I think Arsenal will continue their resurgence by taking the three points in this game.
Prediction: 1-3
Sunday January 3
Burnley v Fulham
12pm GMT, Turf Moor, Burnley
Burnley won 1-0 at home to Sheffield United on Tuesday night to move five points clear of the relegation zone. They have taken 10 points from their last four home games, but only Sheffield United have scored less goals at home and no other team has conceded less goals on their own ground. They have taken 15 points from their last nine games and they kept five clean sheets in those games with only Sheffield United scoring less goals.
Burnley’s keeper and defenders have done very well for fantasy managers in recent weeks and some of them are still available at a very good price.
Fulham didn’t play in midweek due to an outbreak of Covid at the club which means they’re still in the bottom three and two points behind Brighton. They have taken four points from their last three away games after only taking one point in the previous four. They have only lost one of their last six games, but they drew four of those games and only three other teams have scored less goals.
I can’t see any Fulham players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
I think this will be a very close game with Burnley’s defensive record probably helping them to take the three points as long as it goes ahead.
Prediction: 1-0
Newcastle United v Leicester City
2.15pm GMT, St. James’ Stadium, Newcastle
Newcastle drew 0-0 at home to Liverpool on Wednesday night, but that point wasn’t enough to stop them dropping below Arsenal into 14th place. They have only lost once in their last five home games, but only two other teams have conceded more goals at home. They haven’t won in their last four games and they haven’t scored in their last two.
Callum Wilson is the only Newcastle player for fantasy managers to even consider at the moment.
Leicester drew 1-1 away to Palace in midweek, but they’re still in the top four and only four points off the top of the table. No other team has taken more points away from home and only United have scored more goals on their travels. They have only won once in their last four games, but only three other teams have scored more goals and they have a good run of games coming up.
Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes are the form Leicester players for fantasy managers at the moment with James Maddison worth considering too if he’s passed fit to play.
I think Leicester’s away record suggests they should take the three points in this game.
Prediction: 1-3
Chelsea v Manchester City
4.30pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea drew 1-1 at home to Villa on Monday and they moved up two places to sixth place with Spurs and City not playing. They have taken 15 points from their last seven home games with only Liverpool taking more points and scoring more goals at home. They have only taken four points from their last five games, but only Liverpool have scored more goals.
Chelsea haven’t been in good form recently, but Ben Chilwell continues to impress for fantasy managers.
City didn’t play on Monday due to an outbreak of Covid and the chances are this game might not go ahead either. They have only lost one of their seven away games and only Villa have conceded less goals on the road. They have taken 14 points from their last six games and they only conceded one goal in those games with no other team conceding less goals.
If City are OK to play then their defenders and keeper have done very well recently for fantasy managers while Raheem Sterling and Kevin de Bruyne are very good options too.
If this game goes ahead the chances are the spoils will be shared.
Prediction: 1-1
Monday January 4
Southampton v Liverpool
8pm GMT, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
Southampton drew 0-0 at home to West Ham in midweek and they’re still in ninth place, but they’re only three points off the top four. They have only won once in their last four home games and they failed to score in their last two, but only three other teams have taken more points at home. They haven’t won in four games, but they drew three of them and they haven’t scored in their last three games.
Southampton’s defenders and keeper have done very well in recent weeks while Danny Ings, Che Adams and James Ward-Prowse will surely all come good again very soon.
Liverpool drew 0-0 away to Newcastle on Wednesday night and they’re still three points clear at the top of the table while second placed United have a game in hand. They are unbeaten in their last six away games, but they drew five of them and no other team has drawn more games away from home. They’re unbeaten in 12 games, but they drew six of them and no other team has scored more goals.
Mohamed Salah is still the Liverpool player of choice for fantasy managers while Andy Robertson, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are in good form recently too.
I think Liverpool will just about get the better of a tight game and keep their lead at the top of the table.
Prediction: 1-2
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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