Winter is coming... and by winter I obviously mean Gameweek 31. Spurs' VictARy against Rochdale means they and Newcastle will join basically every team that matters in sitting out GW31. This means you'll probably have to adopt one of three strategies: 1. Keep your team as is and play your Free Hit in GW31; 2. Start shedding top players on a weekly basis until you (a) can field 11 eligible players in GW3; and (b) have no good players any more; 3. Jump figuratively balls first onto a Gary Neville zinger because you've already played your Free Hit and are now utterly screwed.
Is anyone else entering 'fuck it' mode?
How I feel about GW29/the Beast from the East
BUY LOW
Andrew Robertson (4.8) -- Liverpool | NEW (H)
If you haven't already got Robbo, now's the perfect time to get him in. The kid's playing out of his skin. It hasn't translated into Fantasy returns yet because Liverpool are so shithouse at defending but with a bit of help from VVD and a good run of fixtures, he's bound to start bringing points in soon.
Plus Liverpool are the only top team with a fixture in GW31, so unless you want to be furiously rifling through your transfer history in a few weeks wondering what the F you've done to yourself, get some Liverpool in your life.
SELL HIGH
Phil Jones (5.6) -- Manchester United | CPA (A)
Jones has missed two of the past three games and has averaged 0 points over the past four weeks thanks to his own goal against Spurs.
His upcoming fixtures are brutal for a defender - Palace away, Liverpool at home, BLANK, Swansea at home, City away. Even if he's fit for all those games, you can't happily start him in three of the five.
The only way to protect yourself is to reshape your defence.
FOOL'S GOLD
Glen Murray (5.8) -- Brighton | ARS (H)
There are three things everyone's been overly excited about over the past few weeks - Negging Arsenal, the snowy Olympics and Glen Murray. As much as I love curling, and dumping on Wenger, I consider it my role to piss on the bonfire a little bit when it gets out of hand so here goes:
GM foods is in a rich vein of form - four goals in four. Only problem is they've all come against village teams. Murray's only goal against top opposition all season was a consolation in the 5-1 drubbing by Liverpool (who, as we've established, can't defend for fudge). When your next three games are Everton, Arsenal and nobody, that doesn't count for much.
So don't get all bonerfide about an average striker for a below average team who doesn't bring it when it matters. That guy isn't fit to lace my curling boots.
