The Headline Pick: Mohammed Salah – Fulham (A)
It’s no surprise to see Mo Salah take an early lead for the most transferred in player ahead of Gameweek 12, with Liverpool the next side to have a favourable fixture against Fulham. His double digit haul against Wolves last weekend has only added fuel to the fire, as we race to transfer him in.
This transfer traffic is well deserved: only Bruno Fernandes has scored more fantasy points over the last four games among attacking players, with Salah absent for one of those last four fixtures. Salah hasn’t blanked on the road since Gameweek 2, with four goals and one assist in this time.
Crucially, he also has penalties in his locker to further boost his fantasy score. Fulham’s defensive record at Craven Cottage leaves a lot to be desired: they’ve conceded 11 goals in five matches, which bodes well for another romping Liverpool victory. Salah is a prime captain candidate for this fixture.
Liverpool are available to back at 4/6 to win and score over 2.5 goals against Fulham this weekend.
The Budget Pick: Diogo Jota – Fulham (A)
The trouble for managers trying to accommodate Mo Salah in their squads is that he’s the most expensive player in the game at £12.3 million, and when Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Bruno Fernandes, Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son are posting similar scores at a cheaper price, it’s hard to justify selling them for Salah.
That’s where Diogo Jota comes into the mix as an interesting enabler: he’s far from assured of starts, although there’s hope that Jurgen Klopp will be able to rotate his squad for their final Champions League game, ahead of this fixture at the weekend, in order to field a full-strength side.
Jota has four goals from his last six games, with two of those appearances coming as a substitute. His price makes him very attractive. Personally, I see him as an extra player to sit alongside Salah, rather than a replacement, as you wouldn’t trust him with the armband. He does represent great value though.
The VAR Pick: Jamie Vardy – Brighton (H)
Jamie Vardy is never far from the conversation, and his excellent form continues as Leicester City challenge the top spots in the Premier League table for another season. He’s had more shots on target than any other player over the last four games (7).
Vardy has an excellent record against Brighton, with four goals from six Premier League games. Opponents Brighton have just two clean sheets this season, conceding four goals in their last four games.
Leicester City have been awarded more penalties than any other club this season, converting seven of eight. Meanwhile, Brighton have conceded the joint highest number of penalties this campaign, with six. That bodes well for Vardy to add to his tally of nine goals this campaign.
You can back VAR and bet on Leicester City to score a penalty against Brighton at odds of 4/1.
The Sleeper Pick: Danny Ings – Sheffield United (H)
Danny Ings is now a differential for the first time in over two years, with his ownership dropping under 5% coinciding with a three week injury lay-off. However, he returned to the bench on Monday, and delivered eight points as a second-half substitute, converting a spot kick against Brighton.
He was in sensational form before his season was halted by a knee injury, with five goals and two assists coming from seven games. Up next it’s a home fixture against Sheffield United, which provides bags of potential: the Blades are the only side without a clean sheet this season, conceding 18 goals in 11 games.
The Wildcard Pick: Harry Kane – Crystal Palace (A)
Finally, Harry Kane keeps his place as our wildcard pick this week. He’s maintained much of his early season form despite tougher fixtures in recent weeks, and a trip to Selhurst Park is difficult to predict. He scored in this fixture last season, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Kane has a huge 18 fantasy attacking returns this season, and lies just two points off the 100 barrier. Crystal Palace haven’t kept a clean sheet since Gameweek 1, conceding one or two goals at home in every game. It seems unlikely Roy Hodgson will be able to keep this lethal Spurs attack from scoring.
Back Spurs to beat Crystal Palace at 8/11 in Gameweek 12.
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Source: Betfair Premier League
