I’ve provided the following stats to support the player choices and to guide you in your decisions.  I’ve now moved this to this year’s stats:

1.  Goals and assists this year.

2.  Time per point scored this year.  This is how many minutes it takes for a Barclays fantasy premier league point to be scored over the course of the season.  The lower the better obviously.   I’ve now moved to this years stats

3.  Rotation risk.  High, medium or low.  High is the greatest risk of rotation.

4.  Fixture ease ranking:  The link is at the bottom of the article but essentially I’ve ranked all the teams by the ease of the first 6 fixtures.  The team with the best ranking ie 1 will have the easiest next fixtures of any of the fantasy premier league teams over the next 6 games.

5.  Consistency:  The % of times that the player got a goal or assist   as a % of games played

6.  I’ve also ranked them in their categories as who I think is currently the best choice

7.  I’ve added a new feature.  The last 5 return consistency rate.  This will show the amount of games in the last 5 played that have resulted in a goal or assist

8.  I’ve also added how many of the top 10 fantasy premier league managers I’ve followed.

Forwards

• Goals and assists: 23 goals and 19 assists:     Time per point scored:  9.2  mins .  Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 12th.  Consistency 19/23   83%               Last 5 return consistency rate:  4/5    How many times in top 10 fantasy premier league managers I follow:  10

It was only a matter of time before the goals returned.  A goal and 2 assists showed him back at his best in the win over Saints.  Fantastic all round striker who can score and create chances for others as well as pens for  Gerrard

Has a blank in GW29 but DGW31

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Gameweek 29
Man Utd (A)
Cardiff City (A)
Sunderland (H)
Tottenham (H)
West Ham (A)
Man City (H)

2.  Sturridge (£10.5m)

• Goals and assists:  16 goals 5 assists.  Time per point scored:  10.2 mins  .  Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 12th.  Consistency 15/18  83%          Last 5 return rate:  4/5    How many times in top 10 fantasy premier league managers I follow: 7

Just when you thought he couldn’t stop scoring he blanks in GW28 away to Saints.  Takes nothing away from him though.  Incredible finisher and consistency.  Blank in GW29 but DGW31

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Gameweek 29
Man Utd (A)
Cardiff City (A)
Sunderland (H)
Tottenham (H)
West Ham (A)
Man City (H)

3.  RVP (£13.6m)

• Goals and assists:  11 goals 2 assists.  Time per point scored:  13.6 mins mins .  Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 1st.  Consistency  10/16  63%          Last 5 return rate:  4/5    How many times in top 10 fantasy premier league managers I follow: 1

4 goals in 5 games and 4 returning games since back from injury.  You really can’t argue with the stats. They’re all very good.   Body language and the “standing centrally until a chance comes to him” role doesn’t help the perception of his committment. However the central positioning and lack of set piece involvment has taken away his ability to get assists and this is hurting his returns.   Has retained pens though.  One of the few real captain options though for GW29.  DGW31.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

West Brom (A)
Liverpool (H)
West Ham (A) DGW31
Man City (H) DGW31
Aston Villa (H)
Newcastle (A)
Hull City (H)

4.  Adebayor (£8.6m)

• Goals and assists:  8 goals 5 assists.  Time per point scored:  12.8 mins mins .  Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 19th.  Consistency since Sherwood 8/ 12   67%          Last 5 return rate:  3/5    How many times in top 10 fantasy premier league managers I follow: 7

Had a relatively quiet game home to Cardiff when given a lot of hype before.  Did manage an assist but alot more expected.  Does have a GW29 fixture although away to Chelsea.  Still has been a consistent performer since getting back into the team.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Cardiff City (H)
Chelsea (A)
Arsenal (H)
Southampton (H)
Liverpool (A)
Sunderland (H)

5.  Lambert (£7.2m)

• Goals and assists:  8 goals 7 assists.  Time per point scored:  17.4  mins mins .  Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 4th.  Consistency 9/27  33%          Last 5 return rate:  2/5    How many times in top 10 fantasy premier league managers I follow: 0

3 games without returning now and it requires alot of patience given the inconsistent returns.    One really for good fixture streaks and there are some good fixtures coming up. To show his consistency even more he  has gone 4 games without returning twice and 5 games without returning once this season.    Does have direct free kicks and pens.

Game in GW29 but no DGW31

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Crystal Palace (A)
Norwich (H)
Tottenham (A)
Newcastle (H)
Man City (A)
Cardiff City (H)

6.  Jelavic (£6.9m)

• Goals and assists:  3 goals 2 assists.  Time per point scored:  21.4 mins mins .  Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 11th.  Consistency since Hull  2/7  29%          Last 5 return rate:  2/5    How many times in top 10 fantasy premier league managers I follow: 0

The man who has lots of shots and until 2 games ago just couldn’t score.  Fixtures are mixed overall but the DGW31 has reasonable fixtures.

Blank in GW29.  DGW31

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Gameweek 29
Man City (H)
West Brom (H) DGW31
West Ham (A) DGW31
Stoke City (A)
Swansea (H)
Man Utd (A)

7.  Benteke (£8.8m)

• Goals and assists:  9 goals 2 assists.  Time per point scored:  20.0 mins mins .  Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 16th.  Consistency  8 /22  36%          Last 5 return rate:  2/5    How many times in top 10 fantasy premier league managers I follow: 0

No game in GW29 and no DGW31.  Only a postponed fixture away to Man City to look forward to.  Also a ridiculous miss for Belgium midweek.  However it seems a little churlish to take him out of the “ones to watch” articles when he’s just scored twice.  Still has 2 good home games to Stoke and Fulham to look forward to.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Gameweek 29
Chelsea (H)
Stoke City (H)
Man Utd (A)
Fulham (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
Southampton (H)

Budget Strikers

Here’s a few strker options if you want to go cheap and invest further in your midfield

1.  Rodriguez (£6.6m)

10 goals and 3 assists this season but no returns in his last 4.  1 goal  in his last 5.    Fantasy premier league time per point scored of  19.1 minutes which is still  respectable for the price.   Apart from at the beginning of the season before he got his place he hasn’t gone more than 3 games without scoring prior to this.

No blank in GW29 and reasonable fixtures to come

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Crystal Palace (A)
Norwich (H)
Tottenham (A)
Newcastle (H)
Man City (A)
Cardiff City (H)

2.  Long (5.7m)

Looks a certain starter for Hull and the cheaper partner to Jelavic.    2 goals and and 1 assist in 3  returning games in last 5 fixtures with Hull.  Fantasy premier league time per point scored  of 22.6 is pretty ordinary but you’re banking on regular starts instead of rotation at WBA improving returns.    3 attractive home games in the next 6.

Blank in GW29.  DGW31

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Gameweek 29
Man City (H)
West Brom (H) DGW31
West Ham (A) DGW31
Stoke City (A)
Swansea (H)
Man Utd (A)

3.  Peter Crouch (£5.6m)

2 goals and 2 returning games in his last 5.   Fantasy premier league time per point scored   of 23.0 which is pretty ordinary.  But good fixtures and GW29 coverage

No blank in GW29 but no DGW31

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Norwich (A)
West Ham (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Hull City (H)
Chelsea (A)
Newcastle (H)

4.  Glen Murray (£5.2m)

3rd game for Palace and 1st goal with a pen against Swansea.  Good pedigree though with 30 goals and 9 assists in 42 matches in the Championship last season. Will probably continue to take pens although both Puncheon and Chamakh were off the pitch at Swansea so not absolutely clear.  Obviously gametime risk so early after coming back from an injury.     Will also play up top forcing Chamakh into a midfielder when Palace are out of possession.

No blank in GW29 and a postponed game away to Everton yet to be rescheduled.  Fixtures aren’t that easy.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Southampton (H)
Sunderland (A)
Newcastle (A)
Chelsea (H)
Cardiff City (A)
Aston Villa (H)

Follow us on twitter @fantasyfoot20 or facebook at www.facebook.com/fantasyfootballgeek.co.uk