Both Liverpool and Everton play twice in this round of fixtures, so it’s time to use that to your advantage.
There is one thing that stands out in this week’s fantasy football fixtures, the two words every manager wants to hear ‘double gameweek’.
With a bit of luck and some good choices they represent a great chance to catch up or overtake your rivals, especially those who didn’t see it coming, or failed to get around to changing their team on time.
Liverpool play away at Sunderland on Saturday, and then host Merseyside rivals Everton on Tuesday night.
Everton also see action twice, hosting Tottenham in Saturday’s late kick-off.
So who should you select? It’s a tough choice with a maximum of three per team, and the prospect of transfers costing valuable points.
Liverpool players should offer the most value, with Everton never winning under David Moyes at Anfield.
I was fortunate enough already to have Jose Enrique in my squad, and the defender has been one of the most consistent performers this season, providing an assist and keeping a clean sheet in Liverpool’s earlier trip to Goodison Park.
Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany was injured last night and will miss the club’s trip to Swansea, so anybody who owns him would be advised to swap him out for goalscoring centre-back Martin Skrtel. In fact if you own any City defenders such as Micah Richards, you should replace them with Skrtel or Enrique as City look unable of keeping clean sheets without Kompany.
Everton have the most expensive defender money can buy in Leighton Baines. He has not really produced with the same consistency from last season, but if you can work him into your side then this could be the gameweek he finally pays dividends.
In midfield a good value tip could be Jordan Henderson. He has struggled this season but is still Liverpool’s highest scoring midfielder behind Charlie Adam, and is facing his former club Sunderland.
He is only priced at 6.0, and if you were like myself let down by Stephane Sessegnon‘s red card last weekend, he could be the ideal man to switch him out for, for a 1.1 profit.
Sessegnon is suspended and Sunderland will be a weaker side without him, strengthening Liverpool’s chances of success in the fixture.
Charlie Adam has a point to prove after his comments Liverpool do not need strengthening, and came up trumps last season for Blackpool in a double gameweek so could be your man.
There are still questions over Steven Gerrard‘s fitness, while Dirk Kuyt‘s good scoring record against Everton bodes well, but again he is no guaranteed starter.
The man to put your trust in, is the misfiring striker Luis Suarez. Despite needing 15 chances to score a goal, he is Liverpool’s biggest threat and a good choice of captain for this week, also scoring in the Merseyside derby earlier this season.
On Everton’s side, a key man could be Royston Drenthe. He is priced only 5.3 and bagged a goal against QPR last week, with manager David Moyes suggesting after the game he was ready for a starting run in the side. Steven Pienaar will be unavailable for the Tottenham game as per conditions of his loan deal so should not be considered.
Up front Everton have been a poor proposition all season. Denis Stracqualursi will be their biggest threat, priced only at 5.1 he could be a bargain, scoring against Chelsea last month showing he is a man for the big games.
Ideally you will want to have at least three of these men in your side, essentially giving you 14 starters this week if players play both games.
Our top five suggestions are: Jose Enrique, Jordan Henderson, Luis Suarez, Royston Drenthe and Denis Stracqualursi.
See part two for our tips for the rest of the weekend’s fixtures…
image: © Ben Sutherland
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