Fantasy football transfer tips including in-form Benteke and Cech’s sure cleansheets

Benteke is 4/1 with Coral to net first in his encounter with Slaven Bilic’s outfit.

Cech sure to keep clean sheets

Arsenal have been on a run of four straight victories, each won with a clean sheet. This has seen Petr Cech’s points rocket and solidifies his place among fantasy league managers’ top choices.

Nearly 17 per cent of players have selected the Czech goalkeeper and that will soon increase thanks to some upcoming favourable fixtures.

First up after the international break is Swansea, a team hovering precociously above the relegation places thanks to a poor attacking record and are without a Premier League win since the season’s curtain raiser.

After that, Middlesbrough will take a trip to the Emirates. Boro are struggling for goals and a Gunners shutout looks likely.

To round off these favourable fixtures, David Moyes’ Sunderland will host Arsene Wenger’s men at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats are bottom of the league and look unlikely to challenge Cech’s rock solid goal.

Alternatively, instead of choosing £5.5m Cech, why not go for Laurent Koscielny? The Frenchman has amassed the most points of any defender so far this term and has forged perhaps the league’s best centre back pairing with new signing Shkodran Mustafi.

Van Dijk dominates defence

Claude Puel has continued Ronald Koeman’s fine work at Southampton and they are on a fantastic defensive run. The Saints are yet to concede in six games in all competitions and Virgil van Dijk has been a huge part of that extraordinary feat.

Van Dijk at just £5.4m is a fantasy bargain. He is not only collecting clean sheets and fantasy points for fun, but is also goal threat from set pieces.

The Dutch international arrived to the Premier League with a reputation of scoring at Celtic and has netted 18 goals in his last three seasons thanks to a dominating aerial presence and audacious efforts from direct free-kicks.

Towering over most at 6ft 4in, the Dutchman makes full use of it, recording 158 successful headers last term, 36 more than any other defender.

Southampton’s opponents bring the worst away record in the division to St Mary’s Stadium, a stat that should buoy both Saints fans and fantasy managers alike.

Saints are therefore 21/20 to win to nil at the weekend.

Sean Dyche’s side only have a single win in six games in all competitions and possess the league’s most blunt attack. With this in mind be sure to add Van Dijk or Fraser Forster to your line up.

Forster is a cheaper option to Cech at £4.7m, but is joint third highest scoring keeper in fantasy football with a defensively water-tight team.

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