Fantasy Premier League 2016-17: Players to pick for gameweek 5

09/15/2016

Gameweek 4 turned out to be a mixed bag with high scores from the forwards and extremely low scores from the midfielders. Pep Guardiola once again got the better of Jose Mourinho, as Kevin de Bruyne ran riot in the Manchester Derby. Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton dismantled their respective oppositions, while Romelu Lukaku’s 11-minute hat-trick has put him back in the spotlight after a string of poor displays.

The English clubs also had a mixed outing in the Champions League. Manchester City and Leicester City put on fine displays, whereas North London clubs Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur struggled on the night.

Gameweek 5 fixtures:

Chelsea vs Liverpool

Hull vs Arsenal

Leicester vs Burnley

Man City vs Bournemouth

West Brom vs West Ham

Everton vs Middlesbrough

Watford vs Man Utd

Crystal Palace vs Stoke

Southampton vs Swansea

Spurs vs Sunderland

Forwards

1. Christian Benteke(7.5): The Belgian who scored a goal last gameweek, combined wonderfully with Zaha and should be Crystal Palace’s first choice striker. The forward faces Stoke City, who are currently placed last on the table, and Benteke should make the most out of this opportunity.

2. Romelu Lukaku(9.1): Hattrick hero Lukaku is up against Middlesbrough who have failed to impress till now. The Belgian was in fine form against Sunderland as he scored thrice and rattled the crossbar once. The striker should deliver good returns against the newly promoted team

3. Harry Kane(10.9): The Spurs striker has an easy run of games and with Dembele returning, the Englishman becomes a top pick for managers. Kane will be leading the Spurs' attack line against Sunderland who are yet to win a single game.

Midfielders

4. Dimitri Payet(9.4): The Frenchman is well and truly back as he assisted twice against Watford. The beautiful rabona assist showed us yet again how skilful the midfielder is. With a host of easy fixtures coming up, West Ham’s Payet should definitely be accommodated in your team.

5. Yannick Bolasie(6.0): The winger was a constant menace for the Sunderland defence and yet again showed that on his day, he can be a threat. Priced at a measly 6m, the player could turn out to be a steal.

6. Raheem Sterling(8.3): The Englishman did not have a great outing against Manchester United but this does not diminish the threat he poses. Manchester City plays Bournemouth at the Etihad, and the winger has potential to offer great returns.

7. Riyad Mahrez(9.4): The Algerian hasn’t been in the best of forms, but the prospect of him facing Burnley is too enticing. The skilful winger can turn out be a serious headache for Burnley and should deliver the goods.

Defenders

8. Antonio Valencia(5.6): Manchester United has till now been a reliable and trustworthy defensive unit and Valencia has been a big part of the team. Valencia is also a strong contender for bonus points due to the number of crosses that he puts inside the box.

9. Kyle Walker(5.7): The fullbacks stock continues to rise, as he has proven himself to be a wonderful provider and an integral part of the Spurs backline. Facing a weak Sunderland team at White Hart Lane, Walker should fit in perfectly with your team.

10. Ashley Williams(5.0): The Wales defender has added a lot of steel to the Everton backline. Everton face Middlesbrough at Goodison Park and there is no reason not to trust Williams, who has helped Everton keep clean sheets in both the matches he has started till now.

Goalkeeper

11. Adrian(5.0): The Hammers have been a little dodgy defensively but do not underestimate their defense. West Ham are up against West Brom who have till now scored only 2 goals in 4 games and have very little firepower upfront.

Differentials

Callum Wilson(6.4): The Cherries striker will be facing Manchester City, who have an unsettled backline after the arrival of Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

Robert Snodgrass(5.6): The Tigers will be playing Arsenal who can boast of having a strong backline on paper. Surprisingly, Arsenal haven’t been convincing as a defensive unit and the Scottish winger could well be on the scoresheet.

Scott Dann(5.5): Strong in the air and up against a weak Stoke side, Dann could provide good returns this gameweek and is a part of under 7% of all teams.

The Writer’s Team