This article is part of our FPL Barometer series.
Matchweek 24 was the lowest-scoring week of the season, as just 19 total goals were scored and 10 teams failed to find the back of the net. While these types of weeks generally suppress fantasy point totals, targeting players who can generate value in a variety of ways can help soften the blow. Defenders who join in the attack and midfielders with versatile skill sets are among the safest fantasy Premier League plays from week to week, as they are not reliant on any one facet of their game to make an impact. This week's FPL Barometer illustrates how pursuing these types of players can help make the best of even the craziest of this unpredictable season.
RISING:
Gylfi Sigurdsson (MID)
Sigurdsson was an exceptional fantasy option last season when he scored seven goals and contributed 10 assists, and despite his dreadful first half of the season, he appears to be rounding back into form. Over the last five matches, the 26-year-old has scored four goals in addition to averaging three shots and over six crosses per game. Sigurdsson is extremely unlikely to match his impressive assist total from last season, but the uptick in scoring has him easily on pace to set a new career-high. He is currently in the midst of his best run of the season and should have every opportunity to keep it rolling this weekend against a Crystal Palace side that has won just once in their last five league matches.
Michail Antonio (MID)
Antonio capitalized on multiple injuries to stake his claim to a starting role in December, and he has been in fine form over the last seven matches, with three goals and an assist after Saturday's winner versus Aston Villa. The 25-year-old has also been deployed in a number of positions of late, allowing him to take plenty of shots and put in crosses to pad his fantasy point totals. Although the Hammers are set to get some of their attacking players back healthy in the coming weeks, Antonio should continue to start given his recent run of productivity.
Scott Dann (DEF)
Dann volleyed home the opening goal in Tuesday's match versus Bournemouth, giving him four goals this season, tops among Premier League defenders. The 28-year-old has been a terror on set pieces, and his latest finish illustrates that he is capable of more than just heading the ball. Dann makes for a worthy value play when given the right matchup due to his ability to score and pitch in hustle stats for the Eagles' defense, and this should remain the case versus Swansea on Saturday.
FALLING:
Cameron Jerome (FWD)
Jerome was intriguing heading into the season after racking up 18 goals and seven assists in the Championship last season, but he appears to be on the verge of losing his place entirely in the Norwich setup. The 29-year-old has just three goals and two assists in 24 appearances this season, and the recent acquisitions of Steven Naismith and Patrick Bamford combined with the emergence Dieumerci Mbokani could impede his attempt to break out. Jerome has come off the bench in five straight matches and will seemingly be hard-pressed to win his spot back if the aforementioned players begin to perform.
Marc Albrighton (MID)
Albrighton registered on the fantasy radar with a goal and six assists in the opening portion of the season, but he has failed to factor into a goal in his last 10 matches after being held off the scoresheet versus Liverpool on Tuesday. Leicester have begun to show signs of snapping out of a team-wide offensive funk, but the 26-year-old continues to struggle and has been substituted in each of the last four. Albrighton is unlikely to lose his starting place in the short-term, but Saturday's matchup with Manchester City doesn't look like an inviting opportunity to break out.
Ayoze Perez (FWD)
Perez has flashed at times this season in something of a rotation between himself, Aleksander Mitrovic and Papiss Cisse, but the acquisition of striker Seydou Doumbia at the deadline could severely cut into his playing time. The 22-year-old and Doubmia are very similar players, and his return of just one goal in the last nine matches, combined with Newcastle's current position in the relegation zone, could force them to make changes sooner rather than later. Doumbia was on the bench for Tuesday's loss to Everton, and he could enter the starting lineup as early as this Saturday's match versus West Brom.
