Matchweek 30 will be the shortest of the Premier League season, as just 10 clubs will take the pitch due to scheduling conflicts with the FA Cup, which is reaching its latter stages. The majority of fantasy Premier League managers will be on the top names this time around, as several big clubs draw juicy matchups this weekend, so finding hidden value in this truncated slate is crucial to creating that differentiation that can set one's lineup apart from the crowd. As is tradition, last week's occurrences unearthed some new value that we will explore in the latest edition of the FPL Barometer.
RISING:
Nacer Chadli (MID)
Although Chadli has failed to replicate his excellent 2014/15 campaign to this point due to the emergence of Dele Alli, he could be in line to make a spot start this week after news surfaced that the latter has been playing through painful knee and ankle injuries. Manager Mauricio Pochettino could take this opportunity to rest Alli versus the league's basement dwellers, and Chadli is a like-for-like fill-in at the attacking midfield position. If the Belgian were to crack the starting XI, he would represent one of the top value plays of the week.
Wilfried Bony (FWD)
Bony entered the starting lineup alongside Sergio Aguero versus Aston Villa last week, as manager Manuel Pellegrini shook things up following an embarrassing loss to Liverpool, and he responded with an assist to go along with five shot attempts. City will draw another soft matchup this week against a Norwich side that have dropped eight of their last nine, and Bony could well retain his starting spot after his previous performance.
FALLING:
Aleksander Mitrovic (FWD)
Mitrovic has scored just once in the last two months, and he found himself on the bench to begin last week's match versus Bournemouth. The 21-year-old's inconsistency has seen him in and out of the Magpies' starting lineup all year, but his leash could be even shorter after the club acquired several established players during the transfer window. Mitrovic has to contend with the likes of Ayoze Perez, Papiss Cisse, Emmanuel Riviere and Seydou Doumbia for minutes, and he appears to be on the outside looking in.
Andre Ayew (MID)
Ayew has moved out of the lone striker's role he occupied for much of the first half of the season, and as a result, he has failed to score in the last six matches. Swansea as a whole have managed just six goals during that span, which hardly inspires confidence in their ability to breach a Bournemouth defense that has allowed just one goal in the last three matches.
