West Ham United return to domestic action against Burnley on Sunday afternoon, looking to build on back-to-back wins in the Premier League against Brentford and Everton, and bounce back from defeat in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie with SC Freiburg on Thursday night.
The Hammers have seen a return to their best form in the league in recent weeks, with Tomáš Souček and Edson Álvarez striking in injury time to seal a dramatic victory at Goodison Park last weekend.
David Moyes’ charges will be wary of the threats posed by the visitors despite a run of poor form in 2024, as time is quickly running out for Burnley if they want to save themselves from falling through the proverbial relegation trapdoor.
With so much at stake, both sides will be full of individuals looking to provide the touch of magic required to make the difference on the day, meaning there are a number of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) decisions to be made in the lead up to kick-off.
The Gameweek 28 transfer deadline is set for 11am on Saturday 9 March, ahead of a feast of weekend and midweek action that begins just over 24 hours before the meeting at London Stadium.
While we will be giving you FPL tips and tricks throughout the remainder of the 2023/24 season on whufc.com, see below for some of our picks for the upcoming round…
Duh, Duh, Duh, Duh, Areola!
It’s fair to say we were all singing like Vladimír Coufal after yet another standout performance from our No1 Alphonse Areola last weekend.
Areola (£4.2m) justified his place as the most popular goalkeeper in Fantasy Premier League with an outstanding penalty save to deny Beto, along with a string of other top-class saves that kept Sean Dyche’s side out in the opening 45 minutes.
The 31-year-old Frenchman claimed a 13-point haul, which was achieved in spite of him failing to keep a clean sheet, and he will be key this weekend as the Hammers aim to extend their winning run.
Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m) registered his first professional hat-trick against Brentford almost two weeks ago, and has provided two assists in his last five matches, while Mohammed Kudus (£6.8m) is a decent alternative if the purse strings are tight, with the midfielder returning to his best form after the CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
Opposition watch: Burnley
Forward Zeki Amdouni (£5.3m) will be looking to lead the charge for the Clarets as they chase a first Premier League victory of 2024.
The 23-year-old has scored four of Burnley’s 25 league goals this season, and could be the man to provide that much-needed magic in their bid to avoid relegation. He has registered 71 points this season, more than any other player for his side.
Other forward options include David Datro Fofana (£5.0m), who has been a welcomed breath of fresh air at Turf Moor following his loan move from Chelsea in January.
He lifted himself off the bench to inspire Vincent Kompany’s side to a late draw against Fulham at the start of February, with an impressive return of eleven points for his two goals.
Teenager Wilson Odobert (£5.0m), meanwhile, registered 14 points against Fulham in December, which was in fact Burnley’s last Premier League win, with a goal and an assist, showing he has the capabilities of a very dangerous player.
Join Hammers’ supporters’ league!
Don't forget to join the Official West Ham United FPL League by clicking HERE and entering the code 5ycfoa.
Also, congratulations to Billy Green, who is top of the West Ham supporters’ league with 1,809 points heading into Gameweek 28.
