FPL Transfer Watch: Preparing for Gameweek 31

FPL Transfer Watch: Preparing for Gameweek 31

This article is part of our FPL Transfer Watch series.

After last weekend saw just five matches thanks to the FA Cup, we're treated to a full slate this weekend. Saturday has a pair of key matchups, including Everton v. Arsenal and Chelsea v. West Ham, while Sunday features the Manchester derby (Manchester City vs. United), the Tyne-Wear derby and Southampton v. Liverpool. This week also features title contenders Leicester City playing Crystal Palace and Tottenham facing off against Bournemouth - both chances for plenty of goals to be scored by the teams in the Champions League places.

Let's take a look at three players who are being brought into many teams who we haven't covered recently and three who are being transferred out:

Transfers In

Ashley Williams (DEF)
9,982 transfers in (eighth-most overall, highest defender)

After back-to-back stellar performances against Arsenal (when he scored) and Norwich City (when he kept a clean sheet and picked up three bonus points for his fantastic effort), Williams and the rest of the Swans' defense let Bournemouth score three times, making this an interesting time for him to be one of the top-10 most-added players. The team has picked up just seven clean sheets in 30 Premier League matches, but have a good chance for their eighth against light-scoring Aston Villa in Wales. Regardless, Williams wouldn't be the first player I'd choose if looking for a new defender, but he's certainly not worth dropping just because they conceded three times last week.

Salomon Rondon (FWD)
9,241 transfers in (ninth-most overall, third-highest forward)

Welcome back Mr. Rondon, who has been on a tremendous run of form since the start of February. After scoring three goals in the team's first 23 matches, Rondon has four goals and an assist in his past six, including goals in back-to-back matches against Leicester City and Manchester United. With an upcoming game against Norwich City, a team he scored against back in October and who have a dubious defensive record to begin with, you're not going to find many better forwards, much less at a £6.5 price.

Kasper Schmeichel (GK)
6,028 transfers in (18th-most overall, second-highest goalkeeper)

The start of Leicester's season was marked by outscoring teams, putting up at least two goals in seven of the team's first nine matches while keeping zero clean sheets. In the 21 matches since, they've still scored at least two goals 10 times, but they have also kept 11 clean sheets. With no other competitions to worry about, Schmeichel and the rest of the Foxes' defense has really clamped down of late and that's paid major dividends from a fantasy perspective. With Crystal Palace on the docket this week and a bottom-half team every other week for the rest of the season, Schmeichel is an excellent choice between the sticks if you need one.

Transfers Out

Diego Costa (FWD)
36,366 transfers out (most overall)

While we have written about him in the past month, with a violent conduct suspension coming thanks to his tussle with Gareth Barry in the FA Cup, Costa once again let his emotions get in the way of his play. He'd already been suspended for violent conduct in late-September when he got tangled up with Gabriel of Arsenal and picked up a suspension for yellow card accumulation. When healthy and playing, there are few better strikers in England, but his lack of discipline comes back to bite once again. Drop him from your squad, as his price won't rise between now and April 9 when he's eligible to return.

Christian Eriksen (MID)
13,182 transfers out (sixth-most overall, third-highest midfielder)

Eriksen has had a particularly inconsistent season, ripping off two stretches of two goals and two assists in three matches, but scoring just one goal outside of those two braces. He still has five goals and nine assists on the year, but at £8.7, you hope for more consistency than short bursts of goal-scoring prowess. His greatest skill is as a free-kick taker and has a keen ability to create chances, racking up a whopping 88 over the course of the season. However, after creating eight chances on Feb. 6 against Watford, he's created 12 over the past five matches and has looked a bit sluggish. With a match upcoming against Bournemouth, who Spurs hung five on in the first fixture, there's every reason to stick with the Great Dane.

Yaya Toure (MID)
11,909 transfers out (seventh-most overall, fourth-highest midfielder)

Toure sat out against Norwich last weekend and City's offense collapsed, with Sergio Aguero looking like he was playing 11 v. 1. Toure's had an up-and-down year, with his goals and assists coming in bursts - like his three-match assist streak to open the season and scoring goals in back-to-back matches surrounding Christmas - but his ability to change the match with just one flick makes him worth owning. City seems to play as he does, and when he's dialed in, they're tough to beat. With the Manchester derby being as big a match as any, look for a plugged-in Toure to be a good play this week. While I wouldn't recommend picking him up, if you already have him, there's no reason to drop him ahead of this big match.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Weidy
Brian is a former RotoWire contributor.
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