MARCH’S transfers will be available from Friday and Dream Team gaffers will therefore be debating which players are well placed to bank loads of points this month.
Having trawled through the fixtures as they stand currently, we’ve identified four players we think could enjoy a fruitful few Game Weeks.
We’ve deliberately overlooked assets who fall under the category of blindingly obvious: Erling Haaland (£8.9m), Marcus Rashford (£6.5m), etc.
Gabriel (£3.6m)
GETTYAn omnipresent figure for Arsenal[/caption]
William Saliba (£2.7m) may be the most-popular Arsenal defender but the Frenchman’s centre-back partner is the top performer in his position among the squad.
Gabriel has 106 points to Saliba’s 71 and is an ever-present for Mikel Arteta in the league this season.
The Gunners host Bournemouth and Crystal Palace this month, two teams unlikely to cause the league leaders many problems on current form.
A trip to Craven Cottage isn’t a straightforward task given Fulham’s lofty position upon their return to the top flight but two legs against Sporting CP in the Europa League ensures Arsenal will be one of the busier teams in the coming weeks, something Dream Team bosses should always note.
Premier League glory remains the primary goal and so it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see some rotation against the Portuguese outfit but given that Gabriel is seen as the leader of the back four he may well feature in every available fixture in March.
It should go without saying that Bukayo Saka (£4.8m) is a great option this month for similar reasons – the Emirates’ resident ‘starboy’ is already super popular.
Solly March (£3.4m)
GETTYSuggesting March in March? A bit on the nose…[/caption]
A kind FA Cup quarter-final draw would give Brighton a very favourable month indeed.
The Seagulls face West Ham, Leeds and Crystal Palace in the league, two teams threatened by relegation and one mid-table outfit without a win since December.
In terms of Dream Team points, it’s all about Roberto De Zerbi’s attack-minded midfielders and, truth be told, there’s a cigarette paper between March and Kaoru Mitoma (£3.5m), who are separated by just one point.
Without wanting to bore you with spreadsheets, the underlying numbers suggest the Englishman has been the marginally more threatening option in recent outings.
This possibility would increase in viability if Brighton were handed lower-league opposition in the FA Cup last eight.
Emerson Royal (£4m)
Hear us out
Okay, so this is a deliberately rogue selection.
Naturally, if you want back Tottenham this month then Harry Kane (£8m) is your man.
However, it may surprise you to learn that the club’s widely-criticised right-back has plundered 30 points in his last two games thanks to back-to-back Star Man awards.
And if that’s too small a sample size for you then how does 66 points in his last ten outings sound?
The arrival of Pedro Porro (£2.3m) seems to have given Royal a boot up the backside.
Looking ahead, Spurs face Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Southampton (all in the bottom half) around a Champions League round of 16 second leg against Milan.
Bruno Fernandes (6.1m)
GETTY160 points rich[/caption]
Possibly too obvious a proposition here but we need something to balance out Emerson Royal, don’t we?
Manchester United’s No8 has amassed 79 points in the last seven Game Weeks (with a game still to play this evening) which is a massive influx, one cruelly overshadowed by Rashford’s rampant form.
If the Red Devils edge out West Ham tonight then they’ll have five fixtures to fulfil in March: Liverpool, Real Betis (x2), Southampton, FA Cup quarter-final (TBC).
Fernandes and company will be licking their lips at the thought of a visit to Anfield this Sunday given the up-and-down results of Jurgen Klopp’s mob this term and Saints look destined for the drop.
The Portugal international is back to his best under Erik ten Hag as evidenced by his healthy tally of 16 goal involvements.
For what it’s worth, Man United have racked up more points collectively than any other team at the time of writing.