This article is part of our FPL Best XI series.
Since this past weekend was designated for fourth round FA Cup play, the Premier League's newest installment is set to take place over Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
With a full slate of games ahead, fantasy owners can join any number of Mondogoal's Week 24 contests to potentially earn cash while enjoying the midweek action.
In hopes of maximizing winnings, let's unveil this week's Best XI side under Mondogoal's $100M budget:
Goalkeeper:
Lukasz Fabianski (£5.6M)
Although Swansea City has certainly been one of this season's more disappointing teams, the Swans have somewhat improved lately, losing only two of their past seven matches. That stretch has included four clean sheets from Fabianski, giving him six such outings on the campaign. With 60 saves as well, Fabianski ranks eighth in Mondogoal points among goalkeepers slated to play Tuesday, yet his £5.6M salary pales in comparison to his superiors. This week, he'll have a good opportunity to improve his tally, as he's paired against a West Brom side that's failed to score in back-to-back league outings.
Defenders:
Kevin Wimmer (£7.0M)
In wake of center back Jan Vertonghen suffering a knee injury in Tottenham's last Premiership tie, there's suddenly a hole in the heart of Spurs' league-leading defense. Wimmer, who replaced Vertonghen after he was injured at Crystal Palace, could very well fill that opening, and his average of 7.76 fantasy points from his last two FA Cup starts shows decent fantasy potential. Should he indeed be promoted to Spurs' stingy starting unit, Tuesday's matchup versus Norwich City doesn't seem too daunting, as the Canaries have scored just once from their last three tries against Tottenham.
Simon Francis (£6.9M)
Despite playing for a Bournemouth defense that's allowed more goals than all but three Premiership outfits, Francis' 131.53 total Mondogoal points place among the top 20 defenders in Tuesday's contests. That standing comes largely thanks to Francis' 58 passes intercepted and 41 tackles won, but the Englishman has a fantastic shot at his fifth clean sheet of the campaign at Crystal Palace this week. That's because the Eagles' lone goal scored over their past six league games was actually an own goal, evidencing just how much they've struggled offensively of late.
Jonas Olsson (£4.8M)
Under defensive-minded manager Tony Pulis, only four teams have posted more clean sheets than West Brom's eight this term. Due to an early injury, Olsson has been involved in just three of those performances, but one came in the Baggies' last league game, which figures to earn him another start Tuesday versus Swansea City. As previously mentioned, the Swans have generally been poor this season, especially in attack, as only one team has scored fewer goals than them thus far. At merely £4.8M, Olsson is the absolute cheapest defender on Mondogoal that actually plays fairly regularly, so this week's matchup presents a low-risk, high-reward situation.
Midfielders:
Dimitri Payet (£11.8M)
Another player unfortunately sidelined earlier this season, Payet's sublime skill has been on full display when fit, as his 9.67-point average on Mondogoal suggests. In fact, only three midfielders slated to play Tuesday top Payet's mark in that category, putting the Frenchman among the elite ahead of this week's visit from Aston Villa, the Premier League's worst team. In addition to having shipped four goals at home in their FA Cup match over the weekend, only two teams have surrendered more goals on the road than the Villains thus far. Such futility should have Payet and West Ham prepared to pounce, particularly as they keep aim at a top-five finish.
David Silva (£10.4M)
With teammate Kevin De Bruyne facing an extended injury absence, Manchester City will likely turn to Silva to reclaim his position as their chief creative catalyst in the coming weeks. Considering Silva's eight assists in 15 games this season, he's definitely a man for the job, and he has been among the Premiership's best fantasy midfielders in recent seasons. Although he's only scored once this term, Tuesday's matchup at Sunderland's league-worst defense couldn't come at a better time for Silva, whose stock appears to be on the rise in wake of De Bruyne's injury requiring someone to step up for the five goals and nine assists absent from City's squad.
Oscar (£8.4M)
Along with his team riding a nine-match unbeaten streak across all competitions since firing manager Jose Mourinho, Oscar carries significant momentum from a weekend FA Cup hat-trick into Wednesday's match at Watford. Including that whopping 31.83-point performance, Oscar has averaged 10.57 points per game on Mondogoal since Mourinho's dismissal. With he and his teammates clearly revived, Watford's four losses in their last five league games creates a contrast that could benefit the Brazilian. Moreover, the fact that the Hornets have leaked 18 goals from their past six meetings with Chelsea gives further reason to include Oscar in lineups come Wednesday.
Nacer Chadli (£7.9M)
While teammates Dele Alli and Harry Kane have deservedly gotten most of the headlines this season, a fit-again Chadli has arguably been Tottenham's hottest player of late, notching four goals and two assists in his last 197 minutes of action. That not only includes his brace in the FA Cup on Saturday, but also his one-goal, one-assist cameo at Crystal Palace in Spurs' last league game. An attacker that proved his streaky capability while scoring 11 Premiership goals last season, Chadli has averaged over 18 fantasy points per game in his last three appearances across all competitions. Now rounding into form, the relatively inexpensive Chadli should earn a start for Tottenham's Tuesday visit to Norwich City, who presently sport the Premier League's second-worst defense.
Forwards:
Sergio Aguero (£14.8M)
Don't look now, but last season's leading goalscorer has caught fire since the calendar turned to 2016. In fact, in seven January games, Aguero bagged seven goals and handed out a pair of assists. That searing stretch includes back-to-back braces in Premier League play, putting Aguero on top of his game heading into February, when Manchester City's schedule starts with a date with Sunderland, the league's worst defense. Given that Man City has racked up 20 goals from its past six contests with the Black Cats, it would hardly be a surprise if Aguero continued his tear on Tuesday.
Alexis Sanchez (£10.9M)
Speaking of South American stars, Alexis returned Saturday for his first start in over two months, yet hardly showed any rust in Arsenal's FA Cup win versus Burnley. As a matter of fact, the Chilean not only set up the Gunners' opener, he also scored the eventual winner, resulting in 18.35 fantasy points. Perhaps now recharged following an injury to end his tireless 2015 schedule for club and country, Alexis will be eager to make up for time lost Tuesday at home versus Southampton, an opponent he scored against in both of their league and cup encounters at the Emirates Stadium last season.
Romelu Lukaku (£10.8M)
Even though he hasn't scored in four games, Lukaku remains just one goal shy of the Premier League lead in the category, with 15 thus far. Such production has allowed Lukaku to score 236.11 points on Mondogoal, giving him the third-best tally overall. While the ascent of that sum has slowed lately, Wednesday's home game versus Newcastle marks a golden opportunity for Lukaku to bounce back. Currently the Premiership's third-worst defense, the Magpies have lost 14 of their last 17 away matches, and Lukaku boasts four goals from Everton's past five games against them.
