| Rank | Player | Res | Cls | Exa | Slm | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 - |  | 39 | 93 | 66 | 19 | 217.0 |
2 - |  | 33 | 108 | 48 | 19 | 208.0 |
3 - | | 35 | 76.5 | 69 | 14 | 194.5 |
4 - |  | 31 | 79.5 | 63 | 12 | 185.5 |
5 - |  | 33 | 76.5 | 51 | 13 | 173.5 |
Last week promised so much with a double week for so many players, but cancellations ended three games which made a bit of a mess of my team. The big scorers were Bruno Fernandes and Jack Harrison with Bruno in particular looking like he could be back and United have a very good run of games coming up. Conor Gallagher was the cut price player to impress yet again while James Maddison is in a rich vein of form too.
I’m considering bringing Bruno into my team this week and if I do the chances are he’ll be my captain. With the addition of a second game for Watford and Burnley it makes Emmanuel Dennis an attractive option too, but it’s a big risk to pick a Watford player as your captain as they have failed to score in eight of their 19 games.
Friday 21 January
Watford v Norwich City
8pm GMT, Vicarage Road, Watford
Watford got a late goal to draw 1-1 away to Newcastle last week and that point was enough to keep them out of the relegation zone. They have lost their last four home games with no other team taking less points and only Newcastle conceding more goals at home. The draw with Newcastle was their first point in seven games and they’re the only team still without a clean sheet to their name.
Emmanuel Dennis is the best of the Watford players for fantasy managers and he will hope to do well in this game while Josh King could be considered too now that they play twice this week.
Norwich won 2-1 at home to Everton last week and that win lifted them off the foot of the table and they’re only one point behind Watford going into this game. No other team has lost more games, conceded more or scored less goals on the road. They had lost six games in a row without scoring a goal before beating Everton and no other team has conceded more or scored less goals.
Despite their win last week I can’t see any Norwich players to recommend to fantasy managers.
I think this is going to be a very close game between two teams fighting for Premier League survival and the chances are Watford might just take the three points.
Prediction: 2-1
Saturday 22 January
Everton v Aston Villa
12.30pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool
Everton lost 2-1 away to Norwich last week and that defeat cost Rafa Benitez his job and moved them a little closer to the relegation zone. They have only won once in their last six home games and they conceded 14 goals in those games. They have only won one of their last 13 games and they haven’t kept a clean sheet in eight games.
After last week’s performance Everton players probably aren’t a good idea for fantasy managers, but under Duncan Ferguson we might see the best of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Demarai Gray.
Villa came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home to United last week and they’re still within two points of the top half of the table. They have lost five of their last seven away games and only five other teams have scored less goals on their travels. They have only taken one point from their last three games and they conceded seven goals in those games.
With a good run of games coming up Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and maybe even Phillippe Coutinho might be good options for fantasy managers.
I think Villa will get back to winning ways with a narrow victory in this game.
Prediction: 1-2
Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers
3pm GMT, Brentford Community Stadium, London
Brentford lost 3-0 away to Liverpool and 3-1 at home to United last week, but they’re still only two points off the top half of the table and 10 points above the bottom three. They have won three of their last five home games, but only five other teams have scored less goals at home. They have lost their last three games and they conceded 10 goals in those games with only four other teams conceding more goals.
I’m not sure there are any Brentford players performing consistently enough to interest fantasy managers.
Wolves won 3-1 at home to Southampton last week and they’re still looking to close in on a top four race which looks very open. They have won their last two away games and no other team has conceded less goals on the road, but only the bottom three have scored less. They have taken 10 points from their last four games and they only conceded one goal in those games with only City conceding less goals and only Norwich and Burnley scoring less.
The Wolves defenders and keeper are all very good choices for fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Wolves will just about manage a narrow victory in this game.
Prediction: 0-1
Leeds United v Newcastle United
3pm GMT, Elland Road, Leeds
Leeds won 3-2 away to West Ham last week and that win was enough to move nine points clear of the relegation zone and within three points of the top half of the table. They have only lost one of their last seven home games and they will see this as a great chance to get another three points. They have won their last two games after losing the previous three and only two other teams have conceded more goals.
Raphinha is the Leeds player to have for fantasy managers while Jack Harrison is looking very good at the moment with four goals in his last two games.
Newcastle conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 at home to Watford last week, but they dropped to second last in the table as Norwich moved above them. They’re one of two teams without an away win with only Norwich scoring less goals away from home. They have drawn their last two games after losing the previous three and only Brighton have drawn more games with only Norwich conceding more goals.
Allan Saint-Maximin still looks like the Newcastle player most likely to make a difference for fantasy managers.
I think Leeds will make it three wins in a row in this game with a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 3-1
Manchester United v West Ham United
3pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester
United took four points from a 2-2 draw at Villa and a 3-1 win at Brentford last week and they’re now only two points off the top four. They lost their last home game after winning the previous three and they have taken more points away from home than they have at home. They have only lost once in their last nine games and they have a good run of games coming up.
Bruno Fernandes seems to have found some form again for fantasy managers and he could do well in the next few weeks.
West Ham lost 3-2 at home to Leeds last week, but they still held on to fourth place. They won their last two away games and they scored seven goals in those games with only the top three taking more points and scoring more goals on the road. They had won three games in a row before losing to Leeds with only the three teams above them scoring more goals.
Jarrod Bowen continues to impress for fantasy managers while Michail Antonio has found some form again in the last few weeks.
I think this will be a very close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Southampton v Manchester City
5.30pm GMT, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
Southampton lost 3-1 away to Wolves last week, but they’re only one point off the top half of the table. They are unbeaten in their last seven home games, but they drew four of them and no other team has drawn more games at home. They were unbeaten for four games before losing to Wolves, but they haven’t kept a clean sheet in 10 games.
James Ward-Prowse is in great form for fantasy managers at the moment while Armando Broja is worth considering too, but maybe not in this game.
City won 1-0 at home to Chelsea last week and they now have an 11 point lead at the top of the table. They have won their last seven away games with only Liverpool scoring more goals away from home and no other team conceding less. They have won their last 12 games and they kept seven clean sheets in those games with no other team conceding less goals and only Liverpool scoring more.
Joao Cancelo and Kevin de Bruyne are the City players to have for fantasy managers with the rest of their defenders looking pretty good too.
I can’t see anything other than another inevitable City win in this game.
Prediction: 0-3
Sunday 23 January
Arsenal v Burnley
2pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London
Arsenal didn’t play last week and they dropped to sixth in the table as others took advantage of their inaction. They had won five home games in a row before losing to City in their last home game with only the top two conceding less goals on their own patch. They had won four games in a row before losing to City and don’t play any of the other big six teams in their next nine games.
Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are probably the best options in the Arsenal team for fantasy managers at the moment.
Burnley didn’t play last week either and other results saw them fall to the foot of the table, but they have games in hand on all of the teams directly above them. They’re one of two teams without an away win with only Newcastle taking less points away from home. They haven’t won in seven games, but they have had five games called off due to Covid in their team and other teams and this is the first of three very tough games in a row.
Even with two games this week it’s difficult to see any Burnley players to recommend to fantasy managers at least until Maxwel Cornet returns from international duty.
I think Arsenal should manage to take the three points in this game as long as it goes ahead.
Prediction: 2-0
Crystal Palace v Liverpool
2pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London
Palace drew 1-1 away to Brighton last week, but they’re still only one point off the top half of the table. Only four other teams have scored more goals at home, but only Southampton and Newcastle have drawn more games on their own ground. They have only won two of their last 10 games, but no other team in the bottom half of the table has scored more goals.
Conor Gallagher continues to impress for fantasy managers while Odsonne Edouard isn’t doing too badly either.
Liverpool won 3-0 at home to Brentford last week to move above Chelsea into second place, but they’re 11 points behind City and they have a game in hand. They have only taken two points from their last three away games, but no other team has scored more goals on their travels. The win against Brentford was their first win in four games, but no other team has scored more goals with only City and Wolves conceding less.
With Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane on international duty the Liverpool players to have for fantasy managers are Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Diogo Jota.
I think Palace will make a real game of it, but Liverpool should manage a narrow victory.
Prediction: 1-2
Leicester City v Brighton And Hove Albion
2pm GMT, King Power Stadium, Leicester
Leicester conceded two added time goals to lose 3-2 at home to Spurs last week, but they just about held on to their place in the top half of the table. They had won three home games in a row before losing to Spurs and they have scored 11 goals in their last four home games. They have only won three of their last 10 games and they conceded 21 goals in those games with only four other teams conceding more goals.
James Maddison is the Leicester player to have at the moment for fantasy managers while Harvey Barnes could be considered too.
Brighton played twice last week and their games at home to Palace and Chelsea both ended up as 1-1 draws. They have only lost one of their 10 away games, but they drew six of them and no other team has drawn more away games. They’re unbeaten in five games, but they drew three of them and no other team has drawn more games.
As well as Brighton play at times I just can’t see any of their players who can make a real difference for fantasy managers.
This isn’t an easy game to predict, but the chances are the spoils will be shared.
Prediction: 1-1
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur
4.30pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea played twice last week, but they lost 1-0 away to City and drew 1-1 away to Brighton to drop 12 behind City and they have played a game more than them too. They have drawn five of their last six home games with only City scoring more goals at home. They have only won once in their last seven games, but they drew five of those games with only Liverpool and City scoring more goals and only City and Wolves conceding less.
Chelsea’s players haven’t done an awful lot for fantasy managers recently and with no game in three of the next five weeks it might be a good time to avoid them.
Spurs grabbed a dramatic 3-2 win away to Leicester last week and that win was enough to move them up fifth place in the table. They have taken 11 points from their last six away games, but only five other teams have scored less goals on the road. They’re unbeaten in nine games and they kept five clean sheets in those games, but they have some tough games coming up.
With Heung-Min Son injured it looks like Harry Kane could be the Spurs player to have for fantasy managers while Sergio Reguilon doesn’t look too shabby either.
I think Chelsea will get a much needed win in this game by at least a couple of goals.
Prediction: 2-0
Saturday 5 February
Burnley v Watford
6pm GMT, Turf Moor, Burnley
Burnley get to play one of their many games in hand and it’s a very big game for them in their attempt to climb out of the relegation zone. No other team has taken less points at home and only Norwich have scored less goals on their own patch, but they have only played seven home games so far. If they’re going to move towards safety this is a must win game for them.
Despite having two games this week I still can’t see any Burnley players to interest fantasy managers.
Watford play their second game of the week and both games are against two of the only three teams below them in the table. They drew their last away game after losing the previous three and they have conceded a lot less goals on their travels than they have at home. They have a great chance to give themselves some breathing space at the wrong end of the table if they can win their two games this week.
As I mentioned above both Dennis and King could be of real interest to fantasy managers this week with two games which look favourable on paper.
I think Burnley will get a much needed win in this game, but it will be very close.
Prediction: 2-1
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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