Transfer recommendations ahead of Gameweek 17 – Ezri Konsa, Bruno Guimaraes and more

MAKE sure you confirm your Dream Team transfers before Friday’s 7pm deadline to make the most of the festive period.

With almost daily Premier League action from now until the new year, it’s imperative your XI is set up to capture as many points as possible.

Let’s start with transfer suggestions for Gameweek 17, though we’ll spare you the usual names who go without saying: Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m), Son Heung-min (£4.6m), Bukayo Saka (£6.6m), etc.

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Dream Team

Dream Team ownership of 5.7%[/caption]

Ezri Konsa (£3.3m)

Dream Team bosses should target the first fixture of Gameweek 17 as it’s a big mismatch.

Aston Villa boast the best home record in the Premier League this season (averaging three goals per game) and this Friday they’ll host Sheffield United, the side currently propping up the league table in 20th.

The Blades have conceded the most goals and scored the fewest – it really should be one-way traffic in the hosts’ favour.

Ollie Watkins (£4.6m) is first in line to benefit but he’s in that obvious category.

Backing multiple Villa assets certainly wouldn’t be overkill and Konsa is among those worthy of serious consideration.

The 26-year-old is one of just seven defenders to have reached 100 points this season and the main reason for that is his ability to earn bonus points.

Villa’s No4 has 29 bonus points to his name, putting him at the top of the podium among defender, just above Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.7m) and Kieran Trippier (£5.2m).

Friday’s fixture is Konsa’s best chance of a substantial haul but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he added a few more to his tally at Old Trafford on Boxing Day – Manchester United have scored fewer league goals than Bournemouth, Wolves and Everton this term.

Bruno Guimaraes (£3.7m)

AFP

Bonus ball![/caption]

Newcastle face Luton and Nottingham Forest in Gameweek 17 – that screams points.

The problem is that there are question marks over usual suspects Kieran Trippier (£5.2m) and Anthony Gordon (£4m).

The former’s form has fallen off a cliff this month while the latter is once again a doubt having taken a “nasty knock” in midweek.

Perhaps Guimaraes is the man for the task?

The Brazil international has earned the most bonus points among all assets this season and he gets through plenty of tackles.

Granted, he’s only scored one goal in all competitions this campaign but he’s amassed 116 points and that’s what ultimately matters.

The main takeaway from this suggestion should be that somewhere in the Magpies’ squad there is a player who will do very, very well against Luton and Forest – it’s just a matter of finding him.

Cole Palmer (£3.2m)

EPA

Palmer has hit the ground running[/caption]

Chelsea are not a team to be relied upon this season but four of their players have passed the 100-point mark – the same number as Liverpool, Manchester City and Aston Villa.

Palmer is among that crop having pocketed 17 points in Gameweek 16.

The 21-year-old has quickly become a key player for the Blues with six goals and six assists in his first 17 appearances for the club.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side play Wolves on Christmas Eve before hosting Crystal Palace three days later.

Nottingham Forest are the only side below the Eagles in the form table right now so Chelsea’s double header has to be considered favourable, despite the fact they’re only tenth in the league themselves.

Palmer is the man in form but it may be wise to opt for a defensive asset instead, given Wolves and Palace’s respective struggles in front of goal lately.

Levi Colwill (£2.5m), Thiago Silva (£2.9m) and Axel Disasi (£2.9m) are all coming off double-digit hauls in Gameweek 16 and are very affordable.

Dominic Solanke (£3.6m)

EPA

Punching above his weight[/caption]

Bournemouth’s No9 appeared to have notched his tenth goal of the season last weekend before the fixture against Luton was rightfully abandoned because of Tom Lockyer’s medical emergency.

Given that only six Dream Team players have reached double figures for goals in all competitions at this stage of the season, Solanke deserves to be thought of as strong option.

The Cherries have been in fine form of late, in stark contrast to Saturday’s opponents, Forest, who were forced to part with Steve Cooper after a dismal run of results.

Barring a sizeable New Manager Bounce, Andoni Iraola’s men should make most of the running this weekend and the stats suggest Solanke is most likely to benefit.

Bournemouth then host Fulham on Boxing Day, a tougher proposition on paper but hardly a match-up to swerve.

With many gaffers ditching Erling Haaland (£7.9m) and Julian Alvarez (£4.2m) this week, Solanke should be considered a potentially smart option, at least in the short term.

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