The less said about the Gameweek 22 differentials the better. The week was summed up by goalkeeper Vicente Guaita going off injured with Crystal Palace on for a potential clean sheet at the time. Hopefully the Gameweek 23 picks will offer some redemption:
LUKE SHAW – £5.0m – TSB: 7.0% – Brighton (H)
With the news that popular Liverpool pick Trent Alexander-Arnold has picked up an injury, fantasy managers are hurriedly looking for a replacement. A standout pick at a similar price is Manchester United’s Luke Shaw. United have now picked up two consecutive clean sheets as they continue their resurgence under new boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and will now face Brighton, Burnley and Fulham in three of their next four. Victor Lindelof comes in at a slightly cheaper £4.8m and offers similar potential.
SAMIR NASRI – £5.5m – TSB: 1.3% – Bournemouth (A)
Since his last appearance for Manchester City in 2016, Samir Nasri has been better known for the ‘Drip Doctors’ scandal, where he received a six month ban for using an IV drip, than his performances on the pitch. However, after his release by Turkish side Antalyaspor, Manuel Pellegrini has given him a chance to reignite his career at West Ham. Nasri surprisingly started against former club Arsenal last weekend, looking impressive and picking up an assist for Declan Rice’s winner. He looks to have displaced Robert Snodgrass from the side, and at a similar price could be a great straight swap ahead of a game against a Bournemouth defence that have conceded a staggering 22 goals in their last seven fixtures.
FERNANDO LLORENTE – £5.6m – TSB: 0.5% – Fulham (A)
Fernando Llorente was a solid fantasy option at Swansea a couple of years back, scoring 15 goals and helping the Welsh club survive relegation. However, his opportunities have been limited since his move to Tottenham, with the Spaniard having to play second to fiddle to Harry Kane. With Kane confirmed out until March, this might be Llorente’s one chance to prove his worth to boss Mauricio Pochettino ahead of Spurs’ nice fixtures over the coming weeks. At such a cheap price, Llorente could be worth the risk, at least short-term.
DELE ALLI – £8.9m – TSB: 3.0% – Fulham (A)
An interesting stat was provided by @awesomoFPL on Twitter this week regarding the attacking contributions of Spurs assets when Harry Kane has been out of the side, dating back to the 2016-17 season. Of fourteen games, Spurs won ten, drew three and lost just one, with Dele Alli scoring 10 goals over that period. Son scored 8 and he too will be missed, but the evidence suggests Alli steps up in Kane’s absence. If Llorente doesn’t get the nod up top, Alli could find himself positioned further forward too. Spurs face a leaky Fulham this week ahead of their great run of fixtures.
GABRIEL JESUS – £10.1m – TSB: 2.5% – Huddersfield (A)
Gabriel Jesus’ impressive goal scoring in the domestic Cup competitions has given Pep Guardiola something to think about in recent weeks. Jesus started Manchester City’s home game against Wolves on Monday night, scoring twice in a decent performance. The threat of rotation with Sergio Aguero is always there, but with City facing managerless Huddersfield and a struggling Newcastle side shortly after, he could do the business regardless of minutes.
Good luck all!
Written by FPL Forum (@FPLForum)
