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Fantasy Football Advice: Week 38

Sports Mole looks ahead to the 38th and final round of Premier League encounters from a fantasy football point of view.

After 37 weeks of attempting to provide you with suitable fantasy football advice, we have finally reached the concluding week of this season's Premier League campaign.

As anyone who has ever created a fantasy team will appreciate, it's been nine months of inconsistency from us at Sports Mole, but with each team having one more fixture remaining, we are taking another shot at providing you with the necessary information to finish the season on a high.

Below, we have suggested three players who could be in line to accumulate a significant total at the weekend while advising you on those players who could be at risk of earning a minus points total.

Who to pick

1. Yaya Toure: After his swashbuckling run from the halfway line brought a cool finish in the final minute against Aston Villa on Wednesday evening, is there a more obvious pick than Yaya Toure? The Ivorian has enjoyed a stunning campaign at the Etihad Stadium, scoring 24 times in 48 appearances from midfield, and you wouldn't put it past him netting a couple more as Manchester City look to secure the league title against West Ham United. The 30-year-old is prone to a yellow card, but that's little sacrifice to pay with City expected to dominate from start to finish against the Hammers.

Yaya Toure of Manchester City celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Stoke City at the Etihad Stadium on February 22, 2014© Getty Images

2. Luis Suarez: There was arguably no-one more disconsolate than Luis Suarez when Liverpool surrendered a three-goal advantage to Crystal Palace on Monday which potentially ended their hopes of a first league title in 24 years. With the Reds requiring assistance from West Ham, Suarez and his teammates could be fighting a lost cause but it is unlikely to stop the Uruguayan playing like a man possessed in the hope of scoring a bucket-full of goals against Newcastle United.

3. Connor Wickham: The past month has seen perhaps the most surprising run of form imaginable from a player who was seemingly on the wrong road when it came to fulfilling his undoubted potential. Connor Wickham was one of the frontrunners to be first out of the exit door at the Stadium of Light in the summer, but five goals in five games and his overall contribution in helping the Black Cats avoid relegation has made him one of the first names on the team sheet and he could add to his tally when Sunderland host Swansea City.

Who to avoid

1. Adrian: Given that his team are travelling to a team that has taken their goal tally into three figures, it's a pretty obvious choice when we say that Adrian needs to be avoided at all costs. The Spaniard contributed positively last weekend when he kept a clean sheet against Tottenham Hotspur, but after already succumbing 6-0 at Manchester City in the League Cup, the Hammers are almost sure to have their backs against the wall from the opening whistle, and unless the West Ham backline produce the performance of their careers, they are unlikely to keep a clean sheet on their trip to the Etihad.

2. Fabricio Coloccini: Like with Adrian, including a Newcastle United defender in your fantasy team probably isn't the smartest thing to do this weekend. Liverpool are hurting after their setbacks against Chelsea and Crystal Palace respectively, and in front of a passionate Anfield crowd, it's unlikely that an out-of-form team will be able to stop the likes of Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling for 90 minutes when they need a win to give themselves any hope of overtaking Manchester City.

Newcastle's Fabricio Coloccini stands dejected with his side two down at Man City on August 19, 2013© Getty Images

3. Ron Vlaar: For 60 minutes on Wednesday evening, Aston Villa - lead by Ron Vlaar - kept Manchester City at bay at the Etihad Stadium, but once their defences had been breached, the floodgates began to open. Tottenham Hotspur have been hit-and-miss in front of goal since the arrival of Tim Sherwood, but they are one of the few teams who have something to play for on Sunday, and with a Europa League place at stake, expect Spurs to heap more misery on Villa at White Hart Lane.

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Sunderland's Connor Wickham celebrates after scoring his team's first goal against Cardiff during the Premier League match on April 27, 2014
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
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8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
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12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
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14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
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18Crystal Palace121561017-78
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20Southampton121110924-154


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