We smell goals.
J-League
Considering the amount of points on offer this week, it was a fairly average showing by the leading lights in the J-League, with none of the top three managing to top 70 points.
Such has been their consistency before this week, however, that all of them managed to maintain their places in the table, with Ciaran Tracey’s Bacuna Mata-ta still holding a lead over Allan Johnson’s Comeback Kids in second and Crabby Joe’s Spleef Queens in third.
Keith O’Brien’s Hon D’Cabayes are only three points off third spot, while the top man in the top five this week was Tremendous Tom Mulholland, whose side, The Turbo Terrific, managed a very respectable 83 points.
J-League Top 5
- Bacuna Mata-ta – Ciaran Tracey: 1,492 points
- Comeback Kids – Allan Johnson: 1,477 points
- Spleef Queens – Crabby Joe: 1,436 points
- Hon d’Cabayes – Keith O’Brien: 1,433 points
- The Turbo Terrific – Tremendous Tom Mulholland: 1,432 points
Gameweek 25
The biggest game of the weekend is the first game of the weekend; the meeting of the top two at the Etihad on Saturday lunchtime.
Leicester’s dynamic duo, Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, have very much returned to form after briefly fading over Christmas and City’s main man Sergio Aguero is on a hot streak with six in his last five games.
It’s going to be a huge test of the Foxes’ title credentials, but even if they do taste defeat, the potential is there for lots of goals at both ends and lots of precious Fantasy Football points too.
It was around this time last year that Manchester United hit a rich, albeit fairly brief, vein of form and there were signs in their 3-0 win over Stoke that there could be a repeat this time around.
Stamford Bridge has never been a happy hunting ground for the Red Devils, but with Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney in the mood they are right now, it could be a different story on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Spurs are really doing the business for Mauricio Pochettino and for thousands of Fantasy Football managers and you’d really have to fancy the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli (fitness permitting) topping up their tallies at home to Watford.
Arsenal, meanwhile, could really do with a result away to Bournemouth, as could Liverpool at home to struggling Sunderland.
This week’s picks
Safe choice: Fraser Forster (£4.8 million). Since he’s returned in goal, Southampton haven’t conceded a single goal and he’s accumulated 30 points in four games, mostly down to his 10 saves, clean sheet and three bonus points against Arsenal in midweek.
Dark horse: Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (£4.0 million). The youngster has been thrown-in at the deep end in a midst of a defensive injury crisis at Old Trafford and has emerged with bucket loads of credit.
Manchester United haven’t conceded in the time Borthwick-Jackson has been on the pitch since his first-half introduction against Liverpool at Anfield and he provided his first assist against Stoke during the week.
Cheap as chips and an excellent solution for the short-term if nothing else.
Captain’s choice: Harry Kane (£10.0 million). If we’re guilty of returning to the same players again and again, it’s with good reason.
Since December 19, the Spurs striker has registered seven goals, two assists and nine bonus points for a grand total of 58 points in eight games. He’s flying it.
Potential to use chips
If you’ve managed to assemble a team of in-form players, especially those from Manchester City, Leicester and Spurs, then we reckon that this weekend might not be a bad-time to utilise the all-out attack option.
What do you reckon Lloyd Christmas?
Those gameweeks are running out after all.
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