So this time last week I was wondering about whether Diego Costa would be suspended and then, lo and behold, he got suspended the following day. Now, while last week was a disaster for Costa to miss for Chelsea fans, this week is arguably worse for fantasy owners in week 24. Chances were last week was unlikely to be a massive game against a team who has a top 5 defence but this week against Villa, who shipped five to a Sanchez-less Arsenal last week, Costa could easily have been a fantasy monster. In his stead I expect to see Loic Remy start again after a decent performance last week and Remy should be a must start in all leagues this week. However, don’t go dropping a long term contributor for one week of glory unless you are desperate.
The rest of the striking group is the same as always really with Aguero headlining followed by a very English group containing the returning Sturridge. The return of Cisse, Sakho and potentially Welbeck adds depth to a position that looked devoid of any depth just a week or so ago.
Midfield was tough this week with there being a lot of middle of the road contributors so splitting them really came down to their fakepremier league rating, which judges them compared to average on a per game basis. However, the top end is a little weakened with the loss of Sanchez and no return for Nasri or Toure this week.
In defence the big headline was the sending off of Ryan Bertrand and I expect the more than capable Matt Targett to step up and is a great plug and play if you need some defensive help. Clichy’s apparent strangle hold over the left back slot for City sees him jump up to the elite group, just watch Kolorov play now!
Courtois and Hart headline the goalkeepers and if De Gea had a slightly easier match up he would join them. It’s not surprise that the keepers for the top four defences are the top four keepers this week. Tim Krul is my plug and play for the given his decent match up against Stoke and Newcastle’s seemingly strengthening defence.
Goalkeepers
Elite
| Surname | Team | Opponent | YTD | FPR |
| Courtois | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 71 | 1.25 |
| Hart | Man City | Hull | 78 | 1.29 |
Near Elite
| De Gea | Man Utd | West Ham | 91 | 1.35 |
| Forster | Southampton | QPR | 91 | 1.26 |
Must Starts
| Ospina | Arsenal | Tottenham | 19 | 2.00 |
| Speroni | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 72 | 0.83 |
| Mignolet | Liverpool | Everton | 77 | 1.29 |
| Krul | Newcastle | Stoke | 57 | 1.00 |
| Fabianski | Swansea | Sunderland | 89 | 1.36 |
| Pantilimon | Sunderland | Swansea | 68 | 1.50 |
Should Hurt You
| Heaton | Burnley | West Brom | 79 | 1.00 |
| Robles | Everton | Liverpool | 18 | 0.83 |
| Begovic | Stoke | Newcastle | 71 | 0.96 |
| Lloris | Tottenham | Arsenal | 89 | 1.22 |
| Foster | West Brom | Burnley | 76 | 1.09 |
| Adrian | West Ham | Man Utd | 74 | 1.22 |
Could Hurt You
| Green | QPR | Southampton | 71 | 0.86 |
Will More Than Likely Hurt You
| Guzan | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 80 | 1.09 |
| McGregor | Hull | Man City | 61 | 0.67 |
Question Mark
| Hamer | Leicester | Crystal Palace | 31 | 1.00 |
| Schwarzer | Leicester | Crystal Palace | 2 | 1.00 |
Defenders
Elite
| Names | Team | Opponent | YTD | FPR |
| Ivanovic | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 114 | 1.55 |
| Terry | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 110 | 1.55 |
| Clichy | Man City | Hull | 80 | 1.24 |
| Clyne | Southampton | QPR | 96 | 1.50 |
Near Elite
| Azpilicueta | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 74 | 1.41 |
| Baines | Everton | Liverpool | 98 | 1.14 |
| Demichellis | Man City | Hull | 50 | 1.00 |
| Kompany | Man City | Hull | 46 | 1.21 |
| Fonte | Southampton | QPR | 91 | 1.38 |
| Targett | Southampton | QPR | 5 | 0.25 |
Must Starts
| Mertesacker | Arsenal | Tottenham | 74 | 1.10 |
| Koscielny | Arsenal | Tottenham | 61 | 1.25 |
| Monreal | Arsenal | Tottenham | 60 | 1.07 |
| Bellerin | Arsenal | Tottenham | 29 | 1.17 |
| Coleman | Everton | Liverpool | 78 | 1.11 |
| Skrtel | Liverpool | Everton | 78 | 1.05 |
| Moreno | Liverpool | Everton | 65 | 1.06 |
| Sakho | Liverpool | Everton | 46 | 1.20 |
| Jones | Man Utd | West Ham | 46 | 1.73 |
| Rojo | Man Utd | West Ham | 29 | 1.09 |
| Shaw | Man Utd | West Ham | 31 | 1.10 |
#3 Options
| Janmaat | Newcastle | Stoke | 80 | 1.14 |
| Muniesa | Stoke | Newcastle | 41 | 1.08 |
| Wilson | Stoke | Newcastle | 40 | 1.06 |
| Bardsley | Stoke | Newcastle | 40 | 1.00 |
| Wollscheid | Stoke | Newcastle | 8 | 2.00 |
| Williams | Swansea | Sunderland | 80 | 1.18 |
| Taylor | Swansea | Sunderland | 68 | 1.24 |
| Fernandez | Swansea | Sunderland | 47 | 1.42 |
| Naughton | Swansea | Sunderland | 7 | 0.75 |
| Walker | Tottenham | Arsenal | 18 | 0.67 |
Flex Options
| Dann | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 65 | 1.10 |
| Ward | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 53 | 0.86 |
| Jagielka | Everton | Liverpool | 79 | 0.95 |
| Stones | Everton | Liverpool | 30 | 1.13 |
| O’Shea | Sunderland | Swansea | 70 | 1.09 |
| Vergini | Sunderland | Swansea | 64 | 1.05 |
| van Aanholt | Sunderland | Swansea | 39 | 1.08 |
| Reveillere | Sunderland | Swansea | 38 | 1.29 |
| Rose | Tottenham | Arsenal | 54 | 1.00 |
| Vertonghen | Tottenham | Arsenal | 60 | 0.94 |
| Fazio | Tottenham | Arsenal | 30 | 0.83 |
Low End Flex Options
| Schlupp | Leicester | Crystal Palace | 55 | 1.00 |
| Simpson | Leicester | Crystal Palace | 22 | 0.89 |
| Wasilewski | Leicester | Crystal Palace | 36 | 0.73 |
| Coloccini | Newcastle | Stoke | 59 | 0.72 |
| Williamson | Newcastle | Stoke | 36 | 0.65 |
| Haidara | Newcastle | Stoke | 34 | 0.78 |
| Wisdom | West Brom | Burnley | 73 | 0.95 |
| Lescott | West Brom | Burnley | 67 | 1.06 |
| McAuley | West Brom | Burnley | 31 | 1.13 |
| Creswell | West Ham | Man Utd | 80 | 1.33 |
No Help to You
| Trippier | Burnley | West Brom | 65 | 0.95 |
| Shackell | Burnley | West Brom | 53 | 0.86 |
| Mee | Burnley | West Brom | 47 | 0.94 |
| Keane | Burnley | West Brom | 25 | 0.69 |
| Kelly | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 43 | 0.89 |
| Delaney | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 33 | 0.80 |
| O’Brien | West Ham | Man Utd | 13 | 0.40 |
| Demel | West Ham | Man Utd | 7 | 0.60 |
| Isla | QPR | Southampton | 48 | 0.88 |
| Hill | QPR | Southampton | 21 | 1.14 |
| Onuoha | QPR | Southampton | 12 | 0.25 |
| Dunne | QPR | Southampton | 27 | 0.47 |
| Hutton | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 61 | 1.22 |
| Okore | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 27 | 0.82 |
| Clark | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 41 | 1.00 |
| Davies | Hull | Man City | 47 | 1.00 |
| Dawson | Hull | Man City | 22 | 0.67 |
| Robertson | Hull | Man City | 31 | 0.44 |
Question Marks with Upside
| Cahill | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 80 | 1.43 |
| Zouma | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 11 | 0.50 |
| Johnson | Liverpool | Everton | 37 | 1.09 |
| Lovren | Liverpool | Everton | 30 | 0.87 |
| Enrique | Liverpool | Everton | 9 | 0.75 |
| Zabaleta | Man City | Hull | 56 | 1.06 |
| Kolarov | Man City | Hull | 31 | 1.09 |
| Sagna | Man City | Hull | 15 | 1.00 |
| Gardos | Southampton | QPR | 18 | 1.00 |
| Yoshida | Southampton | QPR | 34 | 0.64 |
Midfielders
Elite
| Surname | Team | Opponent | YTD | FPR |
| Cazorla | Arsenal | Tottenham | 109 | 1.41 |
| Hazard | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 139 | 1.78 |
| Oscar | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 107 | 1.63 |
| Sterling | Liverpool | Everton | 107 | 1.55 |
| Silva | Man City | Hull | 97 | 1.59 |
Near Elite
| Henderson | Liverpool | Everton | 91 | 1.52 |
| Di Maria | Man Utd | West Ham | 75 | 1.47 |
| Tadic | Southampton | QPR | 97 | 1.52 |
| Eriksen | Tottenham | Arsenal | 121 | 1.43 |
| Downing | West Ham | Man Utd | 118 | 1.59 |
Great Options
| Ozil | Arsenal | Tottenham | 39 | 1.25 |
| Coutinho | Liverpool | Everton | 71 | 1.30 |
| Navas | Man City | Hull | 65 | 1.23 |
| Mata | Man Utd | West Ham | 83 | 1.35 |
| Larsson | Sunderland | Swansea | 79 | 1.39 |
| Chadli | Tottenham | Arsenal | 103 | 1.40 |
Must Starts
| Boyd | Burnley | West Brom | 67 | 1.19 |
| Matic | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 62 | 1.36 |
| Puncheon | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 70 | 1.00 |
| Barkley | Everton | Liverpool | 42 | 1.13 |
| Colback | Newcastle | Stoke | 72 | 1.23 |
| Sissoko | Newcastle | Stoke | 61 | 1.24 |
| Fer | QPR | Southampton | 78 | 1.27 |
| Ward-Prowse | Southampton | QPR | 50 | 1.54 |
| Mane | Southampton | QPR | 62 | 1.13 |
| Elia | Southampton | QPR | 20 | 1.67 |
| Walters | Stoke | Newcastle | 86 | 1.22 |
| Dyer | Swansea | Sunderland | 65 | 1.10 |
| Cabella | Newcastle | Stoke | 49 | 0.81 |
| Moses | Stoke | Newcastle | 41 | 1.42 |
| Lallana | Liverpool | Everton | 61 | 1.40 |
Flex Options
| Ramsey | Arsenal | Tottenham | 56 | 1.13 |
| Elmohamady | Hull | Man City | 68 | 1.22 |
| Arfield | Burnley | West Brom | 59 | 1.09 |
| Jones | Burnley | West Brom | 47 | 1.24 |
| Mirallas | Everton | Liverpool | 55 | 1.00 |
| Valencia | Man Utd | West Ham | 59 | 1.28 |
| Fellaini | Man Utd | West Ham | 45 | 1.15 |
| N’Zonzi | Stoke | Newcastle | 60 | 1.22 |
| Lamela | Tottenham | Arsenal | 55 | 1.05 |
| Brunt | West Brom | Burnley | 58 | 1.20 |
| Zaha | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 40 | 1.19 |
| Flamini | Arsenal | Tottenham | 41 | 1.11 |
Low End Flex Options
| Sanchez | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 36 | 1.00 |
| Ledley | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 50 | 1.26 |
| McArthur | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 50 | 1.33 |
| Davis | Southampton | QPR | 53 | 1.09 |
| Morrison | West Brom | Burnley | 55 | 1.22 |
| Livermore | Hull | Man City | 50 | 1.05 |
| Gouffran | Newcastle | Stoke | 53 | 0.90 |
| Gomez | Sunderland | Swansea | 50 | 1.00 |
| Sessegnon | West Brom | Burnley | 58 | 1.05 |
| Gardner | West Brom | Burnley | 50 | 1.05 |
| Markovic | Liverpool | Everton | 31 | 0.77 |
Solid Contributors with Limited Upside
| McGeady | Everton | Liverpool | 39 | 1.14 |
| Can | Liverpool | Everton | 32 | 1.27 |
| Blind | Man Utd | West Ham | 39 | 1.27 |
| Westwood | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 38 | 1.18 |
| Delph | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 27 | 1.15 |
| Abeid | Newcastle | Stoke | 9 | 1.25 |
| Shelvey | Swansea | Sunderland | 44 | 1.00 |
| Mason | Tottenham | Arsenal | 36 | 1.00 |
| McManaman | West Brom | Burnley | 1 | 0.00 |
| Noble | West Ham | Man Utd | 39 | 1.00 |
| Song | West Ham | Man Utd | 35 | 1.00 |
| Huddlestone | Hull | Man City | 37 | 1.00 |
Question Marks with Massive Upside
| Cuadrado | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 0 | |
| Walcott | Arsenal | Tottenham | 12 | 0.40 |
| Gil | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 2 | 0.00 |
| Sinclair | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 3 | 0.00 |
| Lennon | Everton | Liverpool | 17 | 0.75 |
| Young | Man Utd | West Ham | 30 | 1.08 |
| Ameobi | Newcastle | Stoke | 48 | 1.20 |
| Milner | Man City | Hull | 56 | 1.00 |
| Gerrard | Liverpool | Everton | 78 | 1.20 |
Strikers
Elite
| Surname | Team | Opponent | YTD | FPR |
| Aguero | Man City | Hull | 112 | 1.44 |
Near Elite
| Sturridge | Liverpool | Everton | 15 | 1.50 |
| Rooney | Man Utd | West Ham | 85 | 1.42 |
| Austin | QPR | Southampton | 114 | 1.48 |
| Pelle | Southampton | QPR | 99 | 1.35 |
| Kane | Tottenham | Arsenal | 103 | 1.32 |
Great Options
| Giroud | Arsenal | Tottenham | 52 | 1.25 |
| Ings | Burnley | West Brom | 83 | 1.35 |
| Remy | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 29 | 0.75 |
| Lukaku | Everton | Liverpool | 82 | 1.22 |
| van Persie | Man Utd | West Ham | 91 | 1.29 |
| Defoe | Sunderland | Swansea | 11 | 2.00 |
Must Starts
| Sakho | West Ham | Man Utd | 72 | 1.50 |
| Ulloa | Leicester | Crystal Palace | 80 | 1.04 |
| Falcao | Man Utd | West Ham | 54 | 1.07 |
| Berahino | West Brom | Burnley | 89 | 1.09 |
| Cisse | Newcastle | Stoke | 71 | 1.00 |
| Gomis | Swansea | Sunderland | 35 | 0.53 |
Low End #2’s/Flex Options
| Benteke | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 38 | 1.07 |
| Sanogo | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 11 | 0.80 |
| Gayle | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 56 | 0.63 |
| Naismith | Everton | Liverpool | 74 | 1.05 |
| Jelavic | Hull | Man City | 60 | 1.17 |
| Vargas | QPR | Southampton | 49 | 1.00 |
| Fletcher | Sunderland | Swansea | 53 | 0.72 |
| Valencia | West Ham | Man Utd | 66 | 0.90 |
Lower End Flex Options
| Weimann | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 58 | 0.77 |
| Agbonlahor | Aston Villa | Chelsea | 52 | 0.76 |
| Barnes | Burnley | West Brom | 57 | 0.85 |
| Hernandez | Hull | Man City | 40 | 1.00 |
| Vardy | Leicester | Crystal Palace | 54 | 0.68 |
| Krameric | Leicester | Crystal Palace | 3 | 0.50 |
| Crouch | Stoke | Newcastle | 65 | 0.76 |
Questions Marks with Big Upside
| Welbeck | Arsenal | Tottenham | 68 | 1.11 |
| Drogba | Chelsea | Aston Villa | 39 | 0.35 |
| Balotelli | Liverpool | Everton | 22 | 0.67 |
| Borini | Liverpool | Everton | 17 | 0.50 |
| Jovetic | Man City | Hull | 56 | 0.86 |
| Dzeko | Man City | Hull | 32 | 0.54 |
| Wilson | Man Utd | West Ham | 15 | 0.63 |
| Perez | Newcastle | Stoke | 64 | 0.86 |
| Diouf | Stoke | Newcastle | 62 | 0.95 |
Question Marks with Limited Upside
| Nugent | Leicester | Crystal Palace | 42 | 0.80 |
| Akpom | Arsenal | Tottenham | 5 | 1.00 |
| Vokes | Burnley | West Brom | 4 | 0.00 |
| Campbell | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 42 | 0.88 |
| Sagbo | Hull | Man City | 3 | 0.00 |
| Lambert | Liverpool | Everton | 35 | 0.61 |
| Zamora | QPR | Southampton | 41 | 0.65 |
| Seager | Southampton | QPR | 1 | 0.00 |
| Oliveira | Swansea | Sunderland | 3 | 0.50 |
| Barrow | Swansea | Sunderland | 12 | |
| Soldado | Tottenham | Arsenal | 27 | 0.57 |
| Anichebe | West Brom | Burnley | 35 | 0.85 |
| N’Doye | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 0 |
Question Marks with Very Limited Upside
| Jutkiewicz | Burnley | West Brom | 35 | 0.78 |
| Murray | Crystal Palace | Leicester | 5 | 0.25 |
| Riviere | Newcastle | Stoke | 21 | 0.46 |
| Zarate | QPR | Southampton | 25 | 1.29 |
| Adebayor | Tottenham | Arsenal | 38 | 0.91 |
| Ideye | West Brom | Burnley | 23 | 0.62 |
| Cole | West Ham | Man Utd | 23 | 0.46 |
| Vaz Te | West Ham | Man Utd | 6 | 0.50 |
Good luck with Week 24 and any specific questions that these rankings don’t address then shoot me a question over on twitter!
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