This article is part of our FPL Transfer Watch series.
After what must have been an exhausting Leap Day for everyone, we are now confronted with two more gameweeks in the next six days. With five matches Tuesday, five Wednesday, eight Saturday and two Sunday, we're going to take a look at players' outlooks for the entire week. Some teams might have one favorable matchup and one less-than-ideal (Liverpool getting Man City and then Crystal Palace), others might have two tough tests (Spurs go up against London rivals West Ham and Arsenal) and a lucky few might get a pair of cupcakes (Southampton against Bournemouth and Sunderland).
With that in mind and with the ability to make changes between games, make sure to look at the matchups for Week 28 first before shooting your transfer on an uphill climb a week later. With the aforementioned Liverpool vs. Man City matchup highlighting the first round of matches while the bright and early North London derby (Spurs vs. Arsenal at 7:45 a.m. EST) highlighting the second set of matches, let's take a look at three players who are making their way onto squads and three that have worn out their welcomes.
Transfers In
Marcus Rashford (FWD)
72,382 in (first overall, first forward)
What a week it was for Rashford, who followed up a brace in his first senior-level appearance in the Europa League with a massive double (and an assist for good measure) against Arsenal in his first Premier League action. Priced at an insanely cheap £4.6, Rashford is coming off a 16-point performance and is showing no signs of slowing down.
With a pair of fixtures against lower-tier teams - Watford have just eight points in their last eight matches and West Brom sit in 13th overall - Rashford may not be the next great United striker, but it would be a shame at this price to not ride the hot hand.
Willian (MID)
28,614 in (fourth overall, second midfielder)
In a season when inconsistency has reigned supreme at Stamford Bridge, Willian has been the (arguably lone) exception. His goals in five of six Champions League group stage matches helped send them through to the knockout round. His four goals (second on the team) and eight assists (leads the team) in Premier League has helped get Chelsea through the rough patch that lasted far too long for a team of this talent level.
Now that they are rounding into form, Willian and the rest of the Blues get matchups against a pair of weak foes. First up is relegation fodder Norwich City, who have conceded a whopping 19 goals over their past eight matches en route to collecting just four points over that span. Over the weekend, they get Stoke City, whose position in the table in eighth belies their recent form, which has seen them post a minus-five goal differential over their past eight matches. Bring Willian onto your squad for a steady diet of crosses, many of which have started to find their target.
Jose Fonte (DEF)
27,711 in (fifth overall, first defender)
While their remarkable streak of clean sheets ended after six matches - and more than halfway through the seventh for good measure - Southampton's defense, anchored by Fonte and goalkeeper Fraser Forster are as stout as any in the Premier League. Fonte's value is limited solely to clean sheets, as his 15 goals and eight assists in 256 career matches with Southampton hardly pop out as noteworthy. With Southampton facing Bournemouth and Sunderland this week, Fonte and the rest of the Saints' back line has a good chance to pick up at least one if not two clean sheets this week.
Transfers Out
Dele Alli (MID)
26,700 out (fourth overall, first midfielder)
After a strong run of form that saw him selected to tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of teams, Alli hasn't scored or picked up an assist in either of his past two matches after scoring two goals and tallying three assists in his three previous games. While this may be something of a correction for people who wanted to strike while the iron was hot, this might not be the worst time to drop him from your squad.
With West Ham and Arsenal on the schedule this week - a pair of teams he had nothing but a yellow card to show for in his first matches against them - Alli might be worth dropping in favor of someone with an easier pair of fixtures. He's shown himself to be something of a bottom-feeder, having scored or assisting against teams exclusively in the bottom-half of the table at the time for five of his seven goals and four of his five assists.
Alexis Sanchez (MID)
16,671 out (ninth overall, fourth midfielder)
Ever since returning from injury, Alexis hasn't looked like the same player. Five Premier League matches and no goals nor assists to show for it, while wasting numerous choice opportunities against Manchester United last week and few looks at the goal otherwise. With Swansea next up, people might be tempted to "buy low" on the Chilean superstar, but at £11.0, a price that hasn't budged during this slump, and a derby showdown against Spurs on Saturday, wait for him to prove himself before adding him.
Jack Butland (GK)
6,477 out (19th overall, first goalkeeper)
Butland has been the unfortunate keeper on a team on a backward slide, collecting just 10 points from their past eight matches while conceding 14 goals over that span. However, they have won two in a row, albeit against Bournemouth and Aston Villa. While he's conceded at least one goal in five straight, including a trio of consecutive three-nil defeats, Butland has nine clean sheets this season including against top competition like Arsenal and both Manchester clubs. With Newcastle and a suddenly-resurgent Chelsea up next, Butland has shown the quality to keep even the best offensive squads off the scoresheet and probably merits keeping.
