Fantasy Premier League Tips Gameweek 33

Fantasy Premier League Tips Gameweek 33

Welcome to Fantasy Premier League Tips Gameweek 33. Here we go, then – it’s been two months since my last article and it’s great to be back! The last piece I wrote actually turned into a bit of a beast that needed to be split in two, so sorry about that! Whilst it is a crucial time for us in fantasy football, with double gameweeks fast approaching, you’ll be pleased to read this one is a bit shorter!

The gameweek just gone was, for many, business as usual – Spurs carried on with their fantastic run, with Alli, Eriksen and – in particular – Son bringing home the points, whilst Lukaku got another two goals and the likes of Aguero and Hazard found the back of the net. Oh and Sunderland lost, even to the draw specialists of Manchester United and Arsenal carried on greatly disappointing their fans. There were a few surprises, however, with Coutinho playing a half of football with a goal (after a large number of managers had sold him), whilst Walker, Simpson and De Gea – among others – left a few headaches and looks to the substitutes bench as they missed their matches.

Before I properly get started, though, I just feel the need to provide a reminder that you can only use one chip per gameweek. So, if you’re raring to get your wildcard activated to pack in the double gameweek players, just bear in mind you’ll need to do it at least the gameweek before so you can then use the triple captain or bench boosts for the players (hopefully) on the pitch for 180 minutes.

Goalkeepers
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First on my list is Hugo Lloris. He is owned by just 7.6 per cent of managers, as a lot of people no doubt choose one of the Spurs defenders, yet he is the third highest point scoring goalkeeper. The French shot stopper kept his 12th clean sheet of the season in the demolition of Watford, a game that he wasn’t massively involved in. That is Tottenham’s 14th of the season, the best in the league.

Looking to Spurs’ opposition this week, it’s a home tie against Bournemouth. There is a rather limited head to head record for these two teams – their first Premier League clash saw a 5-1 victory, the second finished 3-0 and the most recent encounter was a 0-0 draw. Sure this is a team who have Afobe and King, but you then look at the Tottenham defence and you can see Lloris has got some excellent protection – even if with various changes in personnel in front of him. The fact he has only had to stop 60 shots this season speaks volumes.

Next up on the list is Everton’s Joel Robles who costs just £4.7m and is owned by an incredibly low 1.3 per cent of managers. It may seem a bit odd I’m including a goalkeeper who has scored only one point in each of his last three games, however he was away at Liverpool and Manchester United, so you can’t be too harsh on him! The Toffees are now looking forward to some good fixtures, with Burnley coming to town, followed by an away trip to West Ham. I think this fella would be a nice buy for the next few games, especially if you have another good goalkeeper who can step in when Everton host Chelsea.

Everton are now fourth in the table (of clean sheets, that is, with 11) and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get their twelfth against a Burnley side who really don’t travel very well – the last time they scored away was the last time they were in Liverpool, albeit in Anfield. Indeed, The Toffees’ past two games at home to Burnley have ended with clean sheets.

I’ll admit that those are two pretty expensive goalkeepers. So, having looked at the Waitrose and Tesco options, let’s have a little look in Aldi for a couple of bargain basement shot stoppers, starting with Lee Grant (£4.4m). I’ll be honest that Stoke have not been particularly great defensively recently, with seven goals conceded in their last four games. However, The Potters do have a better run of fixtures with Hull coming to the Bet365 Stadium, followed by an away trip to Swansea who are failing to find the back of the net at the moment. You can’t look past the fact they have registered nine clean sheets this season, the ninth best in the league, with Grant making an impressive 89 saves to date.

On Aisle 13 is another goalkeeper at a great price who is also playing twice next gameweek, even if he does have to face the likes of Vardy and co. in this one. I am, of course, talking about Wayne Hennessey, the Crystal Palace man between the sticks. Costing just £4.3m; owned by just 2.7 per cent of managers, the goalkeeper has enjoyed a good bit of form recently, with clean sheets against Watford, West Brom and Middlesbrough and a ridiculous amount of saves against Chelsea that provided damage limitation. After the Foxes come to Selhurst Park, it’s a double gameweek against Liverpool and Spurs, followed by the badly-travelling Burnley boys.

Defenders
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Following on from the tip to take a look at Joel Robles, it may come as no surprise that it’s an Everton defender I’ll recommend for their home game against Burnley. There may be a bit of a shock when you read my recommendation is Phil Jagielka. Costing just £4.7m, this guy was a bit of a thorn in my side initially as I was a Funes Mori owner who lost out on game time when he came back! He then scored that goal against Manchester United losing De Gea’s clean sheet. Yet it’s that goal scoring that has caught my attention, as he’s scored in his last two games and has a points haul of 37 in just five games. With Williams returning from his suspension after that great save at Old Trafford, Jagielka will no doubt continue to hold his place thanks to the injuries that have blighted Funes Mori and Coleman. Jags is the most transferred-in defender this gameweek and you could do a lot worse than join the 28,000 people who have signed him up.

Having enjoyed more than the golden 60 minutes of football in the last eight games, it’s fair to say that Ben Davies has finally found himself a spot in the Spurs defence, through Danny Rose’s absence by injury. The White Hart Lane fans seem to have taken to him, as he has turned out to be a good stand in for the role. Indeed, the Welshman has already picked up four clean sheets and an assist in the last 708 minutes of play. Costing just £4.9m, he’s a really cheap way to get into Tottenham’s defence.

With expensive forwards and midfielders no doubt on your shopping list, you’ll probably be looking at some good value defenders too. Super cheap defenders who are actually going to play a good amount of game time are still hard to come across, though. You could think of Everton’s Mason Holgate, however the return of Ashley Williams could jeopardise his place. Then, of course, there’s Nathan Ake at Chelsea who isn’t getting a single minute in the Premier League with Chelsea. Such a waste. Anyway, take a look at Stoke’s Geoff Cameron at £4.2m, owned by a mere 0.7 per cent of fantasy managers. Hull have only scored 33 goals all season, putting them 17th in the goalscoring table of Premier League teams – one more than Burnley and, funnily enough, one less than The Potters. They’re also 17th when it comes to the amount of shots with 331. This means this’ll probably be one of those 0-0 draws (now wait for it to be a goal fest, now I’ve said that).

Another defender to look at around the same price range as Cameron is Watford’s Jose Holebas at £4.6m. As mentioned in the case for Grant, Swansea’s attacking threat has been rather diminished as of late, with Llorente injured and Sigurdsson not scoring more than three points in a single game since their 2-1 win away at Hull. Most recently, of course, Watford did concede four at Spurs, however that was Spurs who are rather good at the moment, it’s fair to say. Previous to that, the guys at Vicarage Road enjoyed two consecutive clean sheets against Sunderland and West Brom, the first time they have managed that since gameweeks nine and ten. So, after they welcome Swansea, the Hornets are then off to Hull – not bad fixtures to rotate with other players.

Finally, one last shout is Ben Gibson or Antonio Barragán of Middlesbrough, costing £5.0m and £4.4m respectively. They face Arsenal this gameweek, who, as I type this, have just lost 3-0 at Crystal Palace. Whilst Middlesbrough have the worst record when it comes to attacking – 20th place of 20 for shots and goals – they aren’t bad defensively with the sixth highest amount of clean sheets in the league. So, as recent times have shown, a home game against Arsenal could actually be favourable, whilst a double gameweek in the shape of Bournemouth and Sunderland the next round could also prove to be a good earner when it comes to earning those all too precious points.

Midfielders
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With Spurs and Everton featuring so heavily, I didn’t want to seem biased and so have therefore picked Philippe Coutinho as my first pick. Costing £8.4m, the Brazilian surprised a lot of fantasy managers when he came on at half time and scored that goal against Stoke. Flu? Cold? Well, Klopp wasn’t having any of that for any longer than the first half – not with the amount of injuries bringing down the team. So, that was eight points, which followed seven against Bournemouth and 13 against Everton – it’s fair to say he’s enjoying some good form. The Brazilian has scored nine so far this season and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him score a good few more between now and the end of Gameweek 38, as the Reds try and push for Europe. His next opponent? West Brom, who seem to have surprisingly called it a day the past two games, having beaten Arsenal and drawn at Old Trafford. After that? Crystal Palace at home. Not bad.

So, Liverpool score goals. Lots of them, in fact – they’re top of the charts when it comes to the ball finding the back of the net, with 68 so far this Premier League campaign (actual league leaders Chelsea are second with 65). Coutinho also benefits from the fact that he is joined in midfield by the likes of Firmino, who – bar his absence against Burnley – has found a good bit of form since Arsenal came to Anfield in Gameweek 27.

Next in line is Heung-Min Son. As many of you know, Harry Kane ran on to the pitch and almost immediately made an impact in the Watford match. While Kane was injured it was of course Son who deputised for him and it was widely assumed that once Kane returned Son would be back on the bench. However, against Watford Spurs went to four at the back and should they continue with this they can accommodate Son, Alli, Eriksen & Kane in a mouthwatering quartet. This guy’s form is fantastic, having scored 19 points at home to Watford, seven away at Swansea and six away at Burnley. Or four goals and one assist, if you prefer. This week, he will be facing Bournemouth who have conceded 59 times so far this season – only Hull and Swansea have let in more.

Of course, Son benefits from some excellent colleagues like Dele Alli (53 points in the last six games), Christian Eriksen (44 points in the last six games) and now Kane. If they’re not bagging in the points themselves, they’re providing the assists. Seriously, if you still don’t have at least one of those players, get that sorted! Such great form, coupled with the fact Spurs have great fixtures in Gameweeks 34, 36 and 38 (and an extra fixture that needs to be fitted into the schedule), means that Son is a great player to have in your team – especially considering how cheap he is at a mere £7.1m.

Next in line is Wilfried Zaha, the Crystal Palace midfielder who has really found some form under Sam Allardyce. His barnstormer of a game against Arsenal, where he got two assists and three bonus points, followed on from 11 points in their win at Chelsea and eight points in the match at The Hawthorns. This gameweek, Leicester arrive at Selhurst Park who lost their first game under Craig Shakespeare after six straight wins. Admittedly there were quite a few changes in the team for their trip to Goodison Park, but four goals conceded showed that there is potential for Zaha to also punish them. Also consider Andros Townsend who is also £5.8m and has enjoyed two assists and a goal in his last two games. Of course, with such good results against the likes of Arsenal and – most surprisingly – Chelsea, you shouldn’t be put off by Crystal Palace’s next two fixtures. What’s more, the trip to Liverpool and home game against Tottenham are actually a double gameweek.

My next recommendation is Eden Hazard. I remember that, earlier in the season, it was very much the dilemma of who to have in your team between him and Alexis Sanchez – unless you did manage to fit both in, of course – however it’s fair to say that Hazard is the premier choice now. He has the highest form behind Son, Alli and Eriksen (which just shows how essential having at least one of them is at the moment, but I digress), having enjoyed ten points away at Bournemouth and 13 when he scored both of Chelsea’s goals in their 2-1 win over Man City. Chelsea have some challenging fixtures coming up now, as they go to Old Trafford this week and Goodison Park in Gameweek 35, however this guy is fixture proof and is the main man for the team at the moment.

Bournemouth don’t have a particularly great fixture this gameweek. In fact, you could say it’s probably one of the most difficult fixtures, with Spurs’ dangerous form at the moment. However, do still consider Joshua King. Since the 2-2 draw against Watford back in Gameweek 22, this guy has only scored less than four points in only three games, with the 6-3 loss at Everton and 3-2 win over West Ham the biggest points hauls with 13 and 18 points respectively. Add to that the fact nine points were earned away at Manchester United, seven at Liverpool and nine at home to Chelsea, this guy isn’t afraid to take on the big boys. After the game at White Hart Lane, King and the rest of the Bournemouth squad welcome Middlesbrough, Stoke and Burnley to the Vitality Stadium, with travel to Sunderland also on the cards. Certainly not bad fixtures.

A good one-week punt could be Manuel Lanzini (£6.4m). I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t think I would be including him before I did my research, however this guy is up against a Sunderland squad that is feeling sorry for itself at the moment. You wouldn’t put it past him to either assist or find the back of the net to start to ease the worries of West Ham fans as they see their team close to the relegation spots.

Forwards
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My first pick has actually been really difficult. Kane or Lukaku? Well, it was tough but my premier choice is Harry Kane. When he went off injured, we all feared the worst – that’s his season gone. Well, after missing just three games, the number 10 managed to play 30 minutes against Watford and, instantly, you could see he was fired up. Sure he didn’t score, but he could easily have and, no doubt starting against Bournemouth this weekend for his first full match, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him back to his best. At £11.3m at the time of writing, I would buy him up as soon as possible because the player’s price will only go one direction – up. Already, 47,000 people have signed him up. As previously mentioned, Spurs have some great fixtures up – their match against Arsenal could be very interesting given the contrasting fortunes of the two teams.

It’ll come as no surprise that my next pick is Romelu Lukaku. I noticed a good few people sold the striker the last two gameweeks, however the match against Leicester really showed what he is capable of. The last six games have seen 51 points for Lukaku owners and Burnley coming to town could also be lucrative – 11 goals have been scored in Everton’s last three home matches. Quite an incredible stat. If you’re reading this and thinking smugly that you do have him in your team, you’re not short of company, he’s in a whopping 45.5 per cent of teams – the highest percentage of any forward.

Another forward you should consider is the shy and retiring Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Since his return, he has managed two goals and an assist and so you wouldn’t be surprised to see him manage something against Chelsea, as tricky as the fixture will be for the Red Devils. That said, the Londoners haven’t kept a clean sheet since Gameweek 22 when they beat Hull 2-0 (quite the disappointment to owners of the Chelsea defence) and so Zlatan may just find the back of the net once more. After this, Manchester United enjoy a double gameweek away at Burnley and Manchester City, making the Swedish player a good triple captain candidate.

With Kane costing £11.3m, Lukaku setting you back £10.4m and a high £11.4m pricetag for Zlatan, I thought I would finish with a forward who isn’t too expensive. I would recommend Christian Benteke at £7.1m. Unfortunately, he was a bit of a let-down when it came to the Arsenal game – the midfield pretty much stole the show leaving him to his standard two points for showing up. Two goals and an assist in the two matches before that have, however, put the Belgian on the radar of a good few fantasy managers. Before the Chelsea game, in fact, he hadn’t reached double figures since Gameweek 14 when they beat Southampton 3-0. Being at home against Leicester, you wouldn’t put it past him to get on the scoresheet once again. If nothing does happen in that game, though, just remember that Crystal Palace have a double gameweek next up.

Thanks for reading Fantasy Premier League Tips Gameweek 33. This article was written by Swirly

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