The Wildcards are flying out of their holsters like carcass shrapnel from Adam Richman's cheeks at an all-you-can-swallow buffet (tactical chunders allowed). Whether you're sitting toight as a toiger or splurging in a Dale Winton-inspired January shopping spree, we're on hand to distinguish for you the sale of the century from the mistake of the Millenium.
Today in Man V.S. Spurs, nobody won
Buy Low
Yohan Cabaye (7.1) -- Man City
A big yellow storage unit warning label accompanies this suggestion - Cabaye's Achilles injury means he may not be fit to face City. Nevertheless, he's movin' on up the field, having been deployed in a more defensive role previously, and takes charge of set-pieces. Newcastle's upcoming fixtures are scrumptious INCLUDING the upcoming game against City, who concede goals away from home safe in the knowledge that they are so prolific it won't matter. The Toon have failed to score in their last two games, though, and only put 5 past Stoke because they had a two man advantage but Cabaye is seldom on the periphery of the action when the scoring commences so may be a risk worth taking.
Christian Eriksen (7.2) -- Crystal Palace
Spurs' monumental (but increasingly annual) win at Old Trafford was largely down to trickery and brilliance from Eriksen. His surging run, Cruyff-esque cutback and cross supplied Adebayor for a precision header before he capitalised on slack United defending to produce a headed finish of his own. Paulinho, Sigurdsson and Sandro are out and will one day return but Sherwood knows what he likes and likes what he knows so even when Tottenham return to full strength, he won't necessarily prefer a traditional 4-4-2 with one defensive and one attacking centre-mid. He'll ostensibly pick whoever is playing well, irrespective of the opposition. Now that I've convinced you he'll start, let me tell you about how he scored 13 goals from midfield last season for Ajax and has two goals in his last three. Don't let the fact that his name translates as "obsolete mobile technology" put you off. He does, in fact, get about pretty seriously and has well above-average tekkers.
Raheem Sterling (5.3) -- @Stoke
I'm a big fan of things that come in threes. The only thing better than a chicken sandwich is three chicken sandwiches; De La Soul are the best thing to happen to noise since the coconut bra; and everyone secretly wishes they could order a triple instead of a double without looking like an alcoholic. Sterling plays in a front three, has 3 goals, 3 assists and currently costs 5.3, not adjusting for post post inflation. Liverpool have only failed to score twice this season and Raheem has started every game since GW 13. His 4.7 points per game over the last 7 weeks is immense given he costs about half as much as Silva and Toure. Henderson (6.4) is probably more consistent but is slightly pricier and less explosive. In 1778 minutes this season (literally all of the minutes so far minus 22) Henderson has only scored 4 or more points 4 times. Sterling has scored 4 or more points 4 times in the last 7 weeks, 5 overall, and has only played 880 minutes all season. Higher ceiling, lower price - that's what babies are made of.
Matija Nastasic (5.1) -- @Newcaste
If you MUST put a Man City defender in this winter, be a bit daring and go for Nastyitch. He's cheaper than the other lot and, now he's fit, looks set to partner Kompany at every available opportunity.
Sell High
Samir Nasri (8.4) -- @Newcastle
Having looked a dead cert to cement himself in Pellegrini's team a few weeks ago and give you the bantasy points you deserve, Samir has become a bit part player - and less influential. Scores of 2,2,1,1 in the last four weeks is all you need to look at really. Good upcoming fixtures and City's form makes it hard to drop him but if you're playing your wildcard, have no compunction about trashing his sorry behind. Maybe his FPL profile pic should have been a clue of his fantasy production to come:
Nasri, bored of City scoring sans his involvement, decides it's time for a nap
Buy Anyway
Man City Coverage -- @Newcastle
If you've binned Aguero and haven't yet replaced him with Negredo (9.8), Silva (9.3) or Toure (10.1) what are you for? As I write, Man City are 3-0 up at half time, admittedly in the Milk Cup against Wham but hey, goals is goals and let's face it - there are gonna be more goals. Turning in a team sheet without a City midfielder is like turning up to a machine gun fight with a butter knife, two sticks of incorrectly wired dynamite and a Zippo that's run out of juice.
Fool's Gold
Adnan Januzaj (5.1) -- Swansea
Owned by 11.4%, hundreds of thousands of people are forgetting the cardinal rule of fantasy football - no Manchester United midfielders (at least not since Ronaldo went to Madrid). Moyes is even more elusive than Ferguson was in press conferences re: who he's starting and his team plays considerably worse football. A strong team couldn't even manage a draw with Sunderland on Tuesday. Forget all the pomp and that United should beat pretty much everyone; they don't anymore. Since his brace in week 7, Januzaj has scored only once. He isn't a definite starter and, despite his low price, is still worse value than Charlie Adam (5.6; more likely to see red for trying to murder someone's legs than get an assist), Mile Jedinak (4.3; hoo?) and Nathan Dyer (5.2; has been injured for the last 4 weeks). Steve Sidwell (5.0) and Pete Whittingham (5.3) are also capable of scoring, won't be replaced by a last minute January transfer window panic buy and won't give you a heart attack every time you check the line-ups.
11.4% of teams appear to be managed by Richard Ayoade
Surprise Package
Clint Dempsey
The history books aren't bursting at the seems with pages of players who set the Premier League alight having been boomeranged back to their old club on a short loan. The Gunners got all hot and bothered about Terry Henry coming back for a few fortnights and a goal in the FA Cup against Leeds was about the only highlight in an otherwise relatively inconsequential return spell for the French star. Klinsmann, on the other hand, famously returned to Spurs in a fruitful loan deal for 1997/8 producing 9 goals in 15 appearances and saving Tottenham from the ignominy relegation.
Dempsey was electric for Fulham and, despite not receiving a hurricane of praise at White Hart Lane, did score some key goals for the North London side (including a winner at Old Trafford and a pivotal strike in their win against Man City). In his last season with the Cottagers (does that sound dirty to you?) he scored more FPL points than any other midfielder (and that was when Gerrard and Lampard were proper wicked). Dempsey has struggled to find the net for Seattle but back on familiar ground it's hard to see him not recreating the old magic. Available for 7 matches, Meulensteen will look to utilise his first Premier League signing to the fullest. He's short term alright but then so was Walcott as it turned out and I'd do it again, by Jove.
