It’s not every day Stoke City signs a player the calibre of Xherdan Shaqiri.
The Swiss international made a name for himself at Bayern Munich, and by scoring a hat trick at the 2014 World Cup. He also played for Inter Milan before landing at the Britannia.
Sure, there were questions. Why are such big teams giving up on a young talented player? Questions like this were certainly valid, especially after Shaqiri failed to make an impression in Italy last season. However, no one has ever questioned his talent or ability.
Shaqiri is no doubt an enigma, but his display against Manchester City last week gives reason to believe that his arrow is trending upward. Was it his breakout game in the Premier League? Only time will tell, but after last week’s display we can confidently say he has the ability to be a game-changer in this league.
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Here’s what I’m looking for on Matchday 16….
GOALKEEPER
Heurelho Gomes (4.7M) – Watford: He is the second highest point-earning goalkeeper in fantasy football this season. Good match-up with Sunderland this week, too.
DEFENDERS
Toby Alderweireld (5.6M): Tottenham: – He’s been one of the more unheralded signings of the summer, and has brought stability to the Tottenham defence that has been missing for years.
Erik Pieters (4.9M) – Stoke City: The Potters visit West Ham United this weekend, and while I don’t like promoting mid-table teams on the road, the Hammers’ injury list is just too much for the London club to overcome.
Leighton Baines (6.1M) – Everton: The English left fullback is returning from a lengthy injury, and when fully healthy he is a difference maker. Get ahead of the game.
MIDFIELDERS
Junior Stanislas (4.2M) – Bournemouth: The options don’t come much cheaper than this, but it’s warranted. Stanislas has been a part of the Cherries’ uptick in form as they’ve amassed the most shots at goal over the last four games. That’s a recipe for fantasy goodness.
Yann M’Vila (5M) – Sunderland: He is quietly very effective for the Black Cats and your fantasy squad.
Christian Eriksen (8.5M) – Tottenham: Seriously, a home match with Newcastle is like God’s gift to fantasy players.
FORWARDS
Arouna Kone (4.9M) – Everton: He’s had some big games this season, and is flying under the radar while Romelu Lukaku has been scoring regularly. It’s not a bad idea to get more shares of the Toffee offence right now.
Connor Wickham (5.5M) – Crystal Palace: The schedule is favourable to the Eagles in the coming weeks, and I’m betting on Wickham.
Harry Kane (9.7M) – Tottenham: Prior to be shutting out the last two weeks, Harry Kane had seven goals in four matches. This week, he gets Newcastle at White Hart Lane.
MY STARTING XI: Butland; Cresswell, Sagna, Moreno; Hazard, De Bruyne, Deulofeu, Mane; Lukaku, Kane (c), Ighalo