Friday 30 January 2015 16:16, UK
The return of the Premier League is a welcome one for most, but the cup action has caused chaos for those with Sky Sports Fantasy Football aspirations.
Sky Sports Fantasy Football bosses are facing a selection headache with the game's most popular pick Diego Costa among a host of top players unavailable, while the clash between to the league's top two adds to the issue.
Swansea's assist machine Gylfi Sigurdsson also begins a three-match ban, while doubts surround Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez who, as we'll explore, is the perfect replacement for Costa.
Arsenal’s star man is the logical pick to replace Chelsea's leading scorer as captain with his side the shortest-priced favourites in the Premier League this weekend. The Gunners play host to strugglers Aston Villa on Super Sunday, with Sanchez odds-on to score according to the number crunchers at Sky Bet. However, the 26-year-old is a major doubt to play on Sunday, making Sky Sports Fantasy Football’s flexible transfer window an asset to bosses, who should wait on Arsene Wenger’s starting line-up before transferring him in. If Sanchez fails to make it then Olivier Giroud (£8.9m) is a solid alternative, having netted four goals in his last five league appearances.
The Brazilian could be thrown straight into the Arsenal backline this weekend and it looks the perfect chance to impress, with goal-shy Aston Villa visiting north London. Paul Lambert’s men are the lowest scorers in the Premier League, netting just 11 times in 22 games, while the Gunners already have a respectable defensive record despite their injury problems, conceding 10 times at the Emirates this season. Paulista caught Arsene Wenger’s eye as part of an impressive Villarreal backline, helping them concede less than a goal a game in La Liga this season, a better record than Diego Simeone’s infamously stringent Atletico Madrid. However, don’t expect too much from the 24-year-old going forward, given he has a solitary goal to his name since turning professional.
We’ll look at the other January transfer window signings in more depth in next week’s preview
The Brazilian is an unsung hero of Chelsea’s midfield but Fantasy bosses should be well aware of his offerings. He was in the team-of-the-week for a third time this season before the FA Cup break, having racked up 19 points thanks to a brace at Swansea. That haul saw him clear the 100-point mark thanks to six goals and seven assists in total.
The 33-year-old striker has the perfect opportunity to open his account for Sunderland when relegation favourites Burnley visit on Saturday. Defoe left White Hart Lane with an impressive goalscoring record despite often being used as a bit-part player and looks to be a first-choice option for Gus Poyet, starting both games since arriving from Toronto.
Di Maria is another player who has struggled since his return but has previous form to suggest he will rack up points. Yet again, this weekend looks the ideal opportunity with fellow relegation favourites Leicester heading to Old Trafford. The Premier League’s most expensive player racked up 70 points from 11 games before his lay-off, making him one of the highest scorers in terms of points per games.
