Our Fantasy Football Tips are back for Gameweek 5, here to either boost your title challenge or completely undermine it.
Who’s to say how these things will work out? There are, after all, so many variables in football. The aim of our Fantasy Football Tips is to have a ruddy good guess.
We’re basing our advice on the official Premier League version of the game, but the principles should apply across the board.
Now, on with the tipping…
Fantasy Football Tips, Gameweek 5 – Goalkeepers and Defence
Don’t forget, clean sheets = points! That’s why you might want to look at Everton at the moment.
Roberto Martínez’s Toffees have kept three on the spin, and given the attacking prowess of Séamus Coleman – ie. the potential for even more points through goals and assists – we’d still recommend him at £5.5m.
Tim Howard (£5.5m), Phil Jagielka (£5.5m) and Sylvain Distin (£5m) are all reasonably priced as none of them look like losing their places any time soon. Distin in particular seems to be always available – consider this.
This weekend sees Everton travel to West Ham United, who haven’t exactly been banging them in of late. Consider that also.
Tottenham Hotspur kept a third clean sheet in four games with a 2-0 win over Norwich City on Saturday, and Michael Dawson still represents outstanding value at just £5.1m.
Keep an eye on whether Younes Kaboul manages to force his way back in, as he’s valued at just £4.8m. Spurs go to Cardiff City this weekend, and we reckon they’ll concede at least one. You might disagree.
Stoke City have kept back-to-back clean sheets, shipping just two in the opening four games all in all, so you may be wise to consider Asmir Begović, Ryan Shawcross or Robert Huth (all £5.5m).
Or even gamble on Marc Wilson (£4.5m), Erik Pieters (£5m) or Geoff Cameron (£5m). However, Stoke travel to Arsenal this weekend, so you wouldn’t fancy their chances of another shut-out.
West Ham United have yet to concede from open play, typically solid Sam Allardyce outfit that they are now.
None of their back line cost more than £5m other than Jussi Jääskeläinen and Joey O’Brien (both £5.5m), with James Collins representing the best value at just £4.6m owing to his apparent first team place and his potential, at 6ft 4, to get on the end of set pieces at the other end.
This weekend sees the Hammers welcome Everton, who aren’t exactly free-scoring but will likely be giving a debut to Romelu Lukaku.
Although they lost at Everton, you’d still imagine that Chelsea would keep their fair share of clean sheets under Jose Mourinho.
Branislav Ivanovic (£6.5m), John Terry (£6m) and Gary Cahill (£6m) all weigh in with goals too, so may be worth shelling out that little bit extra for.
Chelsea are at home to Fulham this weekend, so they’ve a decent chance of a clean sheet.