Week 28 Fantasy Premier League Player Picks

With a quick return to FPL action, I'm taking a bit of a different approach to our recommendations this week. I'll look at each fixture below to fill you in on team news and also look at some players who should be in your plans for your Week 28 teams, listed in my order of preference.

Aston Villa v. Everton

Neither team comes into this match with too many injury concerns, though Jordan Ayew will return from suspension for Villa and could send Gabriel Agbonlahor to the bench. Jack Grealish is a doubt with an ankle sprain, but Remi Garde has an otherwise clean bill of health outside of his long-term absentees.

Roberto Martinez will have his full squad to choose from, and they will be well-rested after their week 27 bye. Leighton Baines and Bryan Oviedo will continue to duke it out for the left back role, while the wide midfield spots are also contested with Aaron Lennon, Gerard Deulofeu, Oumar Niasse, Kevin Mirallas and even Stephen Pienaar available for selection.

Top Pick: Romelu Lukaku - With how long we've been speaking his name, it's often easy to forget that the Belgian is just 22 years old. He's having a breakout season in terms of consistency and should have plenty of chances to further stake his claim on the Young Player of the Year award at the end of the season.

Also worth considering: Ross Barkley, Joel Robles, Seamus Coleman

AFC Bournemouth v. Southampton

Junior Stanislas will likely miss out midweek after sustaining a hamstring injury in the 0-0 draw against Watford, but Eddie Howe will have no other injury concerns. Juan Iturbe will most likely deputize.

Shane Long's hamstring injury will probably sideline him for the away trip, but Ronald Koeman does have both Charlie Austin and Graziano Pelle to call on. Victor Wanyama remains suspended, though you probably weren't looking at him or his stand-in as an option.

Top Pick: Fraser Forster - After setting a club record for minutes without conceding, Forster let in two in quick succession against Chelsea. However, the Blues have been on their own impressive run and that shouldn't negatively affect your view of the Saints goalkeeper. Look for another potential clean sheet and win here.

Also worth considering: Cedric Soares, Charlie Austin

Leicester City v. West Bromwich Albion

N'golo Kante will miss the midweek match with the hamstring injury he sustained in the dramatic 1-0 win over Norwich, so Andy King should fill in next to Danny Drinkwater. Danny Simpson will return from suspension and likely oust Daniel Amartey from the right back role. Leonardo Ulloa may get a chance to start after his winning goal, with Shinji Okazaki the most likely to drop to the bench if Ranieri switches things up. Jeffrey Schlupp also returned from long-term injury at the weekend and could put pressure on Christian Fuchs or Marc Albrighton, although a start seems unlikely just yet.

Jonny Evans should be fit to return to the starting lineup for Tony Pulis' side, and could slot in at left back with a knee injury likely to keep Chris Brunt out of the lineup for some time. The front three of Saido Berahino, Stephane Sessegnon and Salomon Rondon was very effective against Crystal Palace and could keep their places, though James McClean will be pushing for a start.

Top Pick: Christian Fuchs - It's been the attacking play of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy that has drawn attention throughout the majority of the season, but Leicester's defense has been massively improved since the start of the calendar year, in large part due to the form of Fuchs. He's capable of contributing on both sides of play, and I expect a solid score this week.

Also worth considering: Jamie Vardy, Kasper Schmeichel

Sunderland v. Crystal Palace

Jeremain Lens remains sidelined for the Black Cats, while Billy Jones should be fit and will challenge DeAndre Yedlin for the right back berth.

Pape Souare is still suspended, so Martin Kelly will continue to deputise at fullback. Bakary Sako could return to the bench, but is not ready to start, but Yannick Bolasie could force his way into the starting lineup after making an impact off the bench midweek. Yohan Cabaye should shake off a knock, though midfield partner James McArthur remains out long-term.

Top Pick: Wahbi Khazri - There's no denying the impact the newcomer has had on Sunderland since arriving in January. Although he can have some disciplinary issues, he's a constant menace to the opposition and should have plenty of chances to make an impact against a woefully out-of-form Crystal Palace team.

Also worth considering: Yannick Bolasie, Patrick Van Aanholt

Norwich City v Chelsea

Sebastian Bassong wasn't fit enough to take part in the loss to Leicester and is still rated as doubtful, so Timm Klose and Russell Martin could continue as the center back pairing. Wes Hoolahan is similarly rated a doubt and will most likely sit this one out.

The early thigh injury Pedro sustained against Southampton will keep him sidelined, so Oscar should continue in his place, though Nemanja Matic is another option if Hiddink wants to push Cesc Fabregas further up the pitch. John Terry will remain out for midweek so Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic should continue centrally, though the hapless Baba Rahman could be supplanted by Kenedy at left back. Alexandre Pato still lacks match sharpness, but may be ready to play some part from the bench.

Top Pick: Diego Costa - Guus Hiddink has hinted at giving the Spaniard a rest, but with no other fully fit options at striker it seems likely that it'll be another game week at least before we see Costa start from the bench. He has been revitalized since Jose Mourinho's dismissal and will give nightmares to the Canaries' back line.

Also worth considering: Willian, Thibaut Courtois, Branislav Ivanovic, Robbie Brady

Arsenal v. Swansea City

There are no fresh injury concerns for Arsene Wenger following the defeat against the Red Devils, though rotation is likely to be a factor. Olivier Giroud and Per Mertesacker may come back into the starting lineup ahead of Theo Walcott and Gabriel Paulista, respectively.

Francesco Guidolin has a fully fit side to call on yet again, and could keep the faith in the same side that performed admirably against Tottenham at the weekend.

Top Pick: Mesut Ozil - The best Arsenal player on the pitch against United, Ozil weighed in with a goal and an assist, and is now just three assists shy of the record for a single season. The German's quality has kept him in the conversation for player of the season, and there's no reason to think he'll fall off in terms of production now.

Also worth considering: Olivier Giroud, Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey

West Ham United v. Tottenham Hotspur

Sam Byram will serve a two-match suspension for yellow card accumulation, with Joey O'Brien the most likely to take the right back spot. Enner Valencia and Winston Reid are on the verge of a return from injury as well, and could displace Emmanuel Emenike and Angelo Ogbonna, respectively. Cheikhou Kouyate returns from suspension as well.

Mousa Dembele is rated as 50-50 for this one. Mauricio Pochettino may opt to bring Erik Lamela back into the starting lineup, with Son Heung-Min possibly heading the other way, though Dele Alli is also a slight doubt after limping off against Swansea. Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies may feature as rotation in the fullback spots has been a regular feature for Spurs when facing fixture congestion.

Top Pick: Harry Kane - The young striker ran into an in-form Lukasz Fabianski on Sunday, but on another day could have had a hat-trick. The broken nose doesn't appear to be limited his ability to get into dangerous areas or his willingness to attack the ball. His performance will be vital to Spurs' ability to keep the title within their grasp.

Also worth considering: Dimitry Payet, Christian Eriksen, Michail Antonio, Kieran Trippier

Stoke City v. Newcastle

Ryan Shawcross is edging closer to a return, though Mark Hughes has admitted he needs to be cautious with the defender's back injury to avoid reaggravation. Glen Johnson is still out, so Phil Bardsley will start again at right back. There shouldn't be too many changes otherwise to the team that beat Aston Villa in Week 27.

The Magpies are finally beginning to emerge from their injury crisis, with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Jack Colback, Fabricio Coloccini, Vurnon Anita and Siem de Jong all returning to training. The lack of a fixture at the weekend should mean we see the first team lineup chosen for an important match.

Top Pick: Marko Arnautovic - Two goals on his return to the starting lineup underscored the Austrian's importance to his side. The wide man has been the catalyst for the attack on many occasions throughout the season, particularly at home, and he will be high on confidence heading into the match against Newcastle.

Also worth considering: Xherdan Shaqiri, Phil Bardsley, Andros Townsend, Jonjo Shelvey

Liverpool v. Manchester City

Both sides are likely to face rotation after playing 120 minutes on Sunday. For Liverpool, Daniel Sturridge will likely get the evening off, with Adam Lallana potentially coming in from the start and Roberto Firmino pushing up into the lone striker role. Christian Benteke is also an option, but does not appear to be in Jurgen Klopp's plans moving forward. Mamadou Sakho may return after a head injury, though both Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel are returning to fitness should extra precautions be taken.

David Silva was replaced on Sunday with a slight knock and could be doubtful for midweek, while Yaya Toure appeared to be completely out of energy and could start from the bench. The fullback positions could also see rotation, with Kolarov and Zabaleta waiting in the wings. Joe Hart should also return ahead of cup final hero Willy Caballero.

Top Pick: Roberto Firmino - Klopp's decision to withdraw the Brazilian before extra time in the League Cup final signaled his intent to start him up top for the midweek rematch against City. Firmino was sublime in the first Premier League match against City and he'll need to be at his best again if Liverpool are going to get their revenge.

Also worth considering: Sergio Aguero, Aleksandar Kolarov

Manchester United v. Watford FC

Marcos Rojo could be kept out of the starting lineup after picking up a knock against Arsenal. Tim Fosu-Mensah seems likely to continue in his place, though Cameron Borthwick-Jackson could recover from injury in time to be considered as well. Anthony Martial, Chris Smalling and Marouane Fellaini are all nearing returns, but Louis van Gaal may opt to continue with the side that claimed a big victory over the weekend.

The Hornets have no new injury concerns heading into this match. Quique Sanchez Flores may be tempted to make a few changes at the back, with Juan Carlos Paredes perhaps the likeliest to make way. Allan Nyom would be the man to step in at right back should that change take place.

Top Pick: Marcus Rashford - What an unbelievable start to life in the first-team for the 18 year-old. The youngster has taken his chance perfectly and gives the United fans the lift they've been looking for. He's a known quantity now, but should still have the quality to cause problems for a faltering Watford team.

Also worth considering: Jese Lingard, Juan Mata, Troy Deeney