GAMEWEEK 25 is not done yet with a full round of Premier League fixtures still to come but Dream Team managers should already have one eye on Gameweek 26.
That’s because the upcoming Gameweek features both double headers and blanks, creating an imbalance that can be worked to one’s advantage.
Fernandes will be busy while Mbeumo rests[/caption]
Gameweek 26 features seven FA Cup games and six European fixtures spread across the three Uefa competitions.
The two teams still active in the cup and Europe are Aston Villa and Manchester United.
Therefore, the Villains and the Red Devils are the only two sides with TWO fixtures in Gameweek 26.
Unai Emery’s side will host Cardiff on Friday night before flying to Belgium to face Club Brugge in the Champions League round of 16.
Amid a busy spell for Villa, extensive rotation is probably to be expected against Championship opposition in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
It would be a surprise if popular assets such as Morgan Rogers (£3.8m), Ollie Watkins (£5.2m) Youri Tielemans (£4m) and Lucas Digne (£3m) were given substantial minutes against the Bluebirds.
Will Watkins feature against Cardiff on Friday night?[/caption]
Even so, Villa’s relatively favourable European match-up means their best performers are certainly viable.
As for Man United, their double header comes in the form of Fulham (h) and Real Sociedad (a).
Not even the most partisan members of the Old Trafford faithful will be feeling particularly confident during this increasingly disappointing campaign but Bruno Fernandes (£6.2m) continues to thrive in Dream Team nonetheless.
The Portuguese playmaker earned 16 points against Everton at the weekend to take his overall total for the season to 260.
At the time of writing, only Mohamed Salah (£8.3m) and Erling Haaland (£8.1m) are above him in the rankings.
Fernandes banked 16 points at Goodison Park[/caption]
Such is Fernandes’ importance to Ruben Amorim’s side, he will surely be required to start both fixtures in Gameweek 26.
Dream Team’s leading midfielder is therefore an excellent option at this point in time, despite his team’s broader struggles.
Some gaffers might be able to identify another Man United player with the potential to cash in against Fulham and Real Sociedad but we certainly wouldn’t feel confident putting any other names forward at this stage.
In contrast to the double headers, the following teams will all BLANK in Gameweek 26: Brentford, West Ham, Everton, Southampton and Leicester.
Mbeumo is the fourth-most selected midfielder in Dream Team[/caption]
First and foremost, this should prompt Bryan Mbeumo’s (£4.7m) owners to take action.
The Bees’ talisman has scored 15 goals on his way to 243 points in what has been a sensational campaign to date but he’ll be watching the cup action from his sofa this weekend.
Jordan Pickford (£4.1m) ranks fourth among Dream Team goalkeepers at present but he too is without a fixture in Gameweek 26.
As are in-form forwards Beto (£2.7m) and Jarrod Bowen (£5.4m) – Dream Team bosses keen on these tempting differentials should keep their powder dry for now.
The other 13 teams have one fixture each, split between the FA Cup and the European competitions.
GAMEWEEK 26 FIXTURES:
FRIDAY
- Aston Villa v Cardiff
SATURDAY
- Crystal Palace v Millwall
- Bournemouth v Wolves
- Manchester City v Plymouth
SUNDAY
- Newcastle v Brighton
- Manchester United v Fulham
MONDAY
- Nottingham Forest v Ipswich
TUESDAY
- Club Brugge v Aston Villa
- PSV v Arsenal
WEDNESDAY
- PSG v Liverpool
THURSDAY
- AZ Alkmaar v Tottenham
- Real Sociedad v Manchester United
- Copenhagen v Chelsea
Make sure you take the schedule into consideration when making your transfers for Gameweek 26.
The fact Fernandes plays twice while Mbeumo is without a fixture could result in some decisive swings in Mini Leagues worldwide.
