Gameweek 17 Replacements

Gameweek 17 is fast approaching, and for the unprepared may cause something of an issue as four teams do not play. And as the four teams represent some of the more popular value players, there is a risk your team may contain several players who earn no points that week. Now is the time to make some strategic use of transfers to plan ahead.

The teams that do not play in Gameweek 17 are Stoke, Fulham, Everton and Hull. All have some key players that may need replacing - today we will look at a couple of the most popular from each team and who suitable replacements might be. If your team only features one or at most two of these players then as long as you have a strong bench, you can probably get by without changing them. However, if you have 3 or more from these teams, it may be worth considering a timely transfer to avoid a dreaded 0 points return.

The two most popular players at Stoke are keeper Sorenson and defender Shawcross. It is no surprise given their excellent returns so far this season, and their absence will be noticed by many managers. At Fulham, Hangeland in defence, Dempsey in the mids and Zamora up front are the most commonly used players. For Hull, cheap options Zayette in defence and Hunt in the midfield see regular points returns while Everton are best represented by Saha in attack.

So the data above in easier-to-read list form:

Key players missing Gameweek 17.

Keeper:
Sorenson

Defenders:
Shawcross
Hangeland
Zayette

Midfielders:
Dempsey
Hunt

Forwards:
Zamora
Saha

Sorenson is having a fine EPL fantasy football season despite difficult conditions, so if you have a second keeper who will definately be taking the field, then consider benching Sorenson for the week. However, if you need to make a change then the best choice for a replacement keeper at a similar price point is Hart of Birmingham. Hart is also accruing big points this season, and Birmingham have a relatively useful match of Blackburn at home.

For replacement defenders, Alexander is an excellent choice. As we mentioned earlier in the year, he plays every game and also takes penalties. Burnley are doing well at home keeping several clean sheets. Alexander makes an excellent addition who will add value to the team if you do not have him already. However Burnley face Arsenal in GW 17, a tough test at the best of times. Other Burnley options include Cladwell and Mears, both whom will play 90 minutes, but against Arsenal may not be the best option.

Birmingham defenders have a better shot at home against Blackburn as mentioned above. Ridgewell is the pick of defenders, but Dann and Johnson R will also do the job. Dont be tempted by Craddock, who is in excellent form for Wolves at the moment - in gameweek 17, Wolverhampton face Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Cheaper midfield choices are probably Sunderland's Reid at £6.0m. Reid is a workhorse in the midfield and also somewhat of a bonus point magnet; in the last 9 gameweeks he has earned bonus points in every game bar one. Ohara may also represent a replacement at Portsmouth. This young bloke has been getting more gametime and racked up a decent tally ina short period of time, and at £4.5m is well priced. However, Portsmouth face Chelsea away so while he may accrue a useful 2 points, a larger points tally may be elusive that week.

Up front Wigan's Rodellega has proved popular and may be scouted by several managers with an eye on bringing him into their team. However, gameweek 17 is Liverpool at Anfield, and the chance of many goals is not good. Conversely, Ngog has been getting more gametime with Liverpool due to their current raft of injuries. It is a risk to bring him in this week as there is no guarentee he will still be first choice come mid-December, but if Liverpool's injury crisis has not subsided then he will represent excellent value, currently priced at £5.2m. Keep an eye on the Liverpool team news and consider him strongly if things do not improve.

Remember, if you have a strong bench you may not need to make changes. However, many popular, cheaper players will miss gameweek 17; dont let these absences impact your points tally.