DREAM TEAM managers are spoiled for choice this time of year.
Come Friday morning, there is only one relevant European match (Chelsea v Shamrock Rovers in Gameweek 15) to consider until mid-January.
A break in continental competitions will level the Dream Team fixture list, boosting the viability of dozens of players from clubs not active in Europe this season.
Take Eberechi Eze (£5m) for example.
It is difficult for players to justify the choice of Crystal Palace's number 10 when he has only one match a week to express himself, while midfielders from Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United regularly play twice due to European commitments. .
We haven't included Chelsea in that list because Enzo Maresca tends to rotate almost his entire squad for Conference League games, minimizing double headers for his players.
However, no team has more games to fill than the Eagles between gameweeks 15 and 19 as it stands.
For that to still be the case after Gameweek 15, Oliver Glasner will have to engineer an unlikely upset against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, but the point is that Eze is not hampered by the same match deficit as of late.
The England international's return of four goals and four assists may seem modest compared to the figures of the likes of Cole Palmer (£6m) and Bukayo Saka (£6.7m), but the key statistic to focus on is his average of 7.6 points. per game.
Only three midfielders boast superior averages at the time of writing and the long list of those below Eze in the metric includes Bruno Fernandes (£6.2m), Brennan Johnson (£3.9m), Luis Diaz (£4, 1 million) and many other popular midfielders. selections.
Despite being limited to fifteen appearances in 2024/25, Eze has earned 19 bonus points, a number bettered by only seven other players in his position; he also achieved a lot last season.
His playing style almost guarantees successful dribbles, accurate crosses and winning mistakes, a reliable recipe for bonus points.
The 26-year-old collected just two points against Manchester City last time out, but he scored 13 points in Gameweek 13 on his return from injury.
Looking ahead, it would be a stretch to say that Palace's fixtures are favourable, especially with a double header against the Gunners on the horizon, but Eze should at least be considered as one of the possible options for the month ahead.
CRYSTAL PALACE FACILITIES FROM GAMEWEEK 15 TO GAMEWEEK 19:
Encouragingly, Glasner has emerged as his star player in the domestic cup competitions this season, while many of the top tier midfielders are rested, so minutes should not be an issue.
Even if Eze doesn't appeal, Dream Team bosses should take note of the pivot in the schedule and how it opens up other avenues for points during the festive period.
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