DREAM TEAM gaffers should focus their attention on Old Trafford if they’re after an asset specifically for Game Week 20.
Manchester United and Southampton are the only teams with two fixtures to fulfil this coming week but since Saints are currently languishing at the foot of the Premier League table it’s probably best to stay clear of their players at present.
Erik ten Hag’s side welcome Reading in the FA Cup on Saturday night before hosting Nottingham Forest in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
All things considered, those are two favourable match-ups for the Red Devils which look ripe for healthy returns.
Saying that, it wouldn’t be wholly surprising if some key players were rested, especially given Man United hold a 3-0 aggregate lead over Steve Copper’s men.
Mountains of Dream Team points between themgetty
Marcus Rashford (£5.7m) is in a rich vein of form having scored ten goals since returning from the World Cup.
The England international scored a brilliant long-range strike against Arsenal before cashing in with another goal against Forest to take 16 points from Game Week 19.
It could be argued that the 25-year-old is playing the best football of his career right now and so if he’s unleashed upon the Royals, currently mid-table in the Championship, his backers will surely be confident of more returns.
He’s the player who has been transferred into the most teams this month with his ownership now at 31.7%.
Rashford’s form has been so extreme that more casual observers may not realise the extent of Bruno Fernandes’ (£5.8m) success in recent weeks.
The Portuguese midfielder has registered 67 points over the last seven Game Weeks.
This prosperous spell has propelled him up to second in the rankings among assets in his position, only Kevin De Bruyne (£7.2m) has more points than Fernandes’ 112 – 23 more to be precise.
Even more notably, he’s earned three Star Man awards since the restart, no mean feat given he’s been in direct competition with a rampant Rashford.
The nuclear option
A double header against Reading and Forest also raises the possibility of back-to-back clean sheets.
Lisandro Martinez (£4.4m) was the joint-best defender last Game Week thanks to his goal at the Emirates and a 13-point haul in midweek.
And the Butcher, as he’s known, looks a good bet for the forthcoming week again, assuming he’s selected to start.
Finally, if you really want to target Man United’s two upcoming fixtures with a view to snatching some short-term gains then Wout Weghorst (£3.2m) may be worth a whirl.
The Dutchman scored his first goal for his new club in midweek and he will probably be given his fair share of minutes in the cups with Ten Hag keen to fully integrate the target man into the squad as quick as possible.
Although if you do opt for this slightly rogue strategy then you’ll probably want to switch him out again in February, given the array of top-tier options up front in Dream Team this season.