Welcome back to another Fantasy Championship five tips for Gameweek 42 article. Joe Dean returns with his top five tips ahead of Gameweek 42 in the English Championship. With just 5 games to play for most sides, the results seem just that bit more important for those fighting to stay in the league and fighting to get out of it. Bolton inevitably became the first casualties of the relegation battle as their fight came to an end with defeat at Derby. They return to England's third tier after an absence which had lasted over 20 years. Charlton are on the verge of joining them following losing to an injury time goal from Nasser El Khayati, leaving them 10 points adrift with only 15 left available. MK Dons are only a point better off and their capitulation at home to Rotherham has meant that they will also need a miracle to survive. The playoff picture also became clearer after Cardiff, Birmingham and Ipswich all failed to capitalise on Sheffield Wednesday's heavy defeat at Bristol City. The Owls are 5 clear of Cardiff and will be feeling very confident about their top 6 credentials. So for those looking for any last day drama, they will have to look towards the automatic promotion race…. Middlesbrough (82 points), Burnley (80 points) and Brighton (78 points) are all in fine form and all 3 picked up maximum points from last week's fixtures. Burnley laid down the marker with a lunchtime win over Leeds to go top of the table. Boro responded by seeing off Preston while Brighton needed a last gasp winner from Steve Sidwell to stay in the hunt against Nottingham Forest. Middlesbrough utilised their game in hand with their own stoppage time winner from Adam Forshaw against Reading. The Teeside team are in the driving seat with 5 games left but this is the Championship. It may all have changed again come Saturday evening.

FIXTURES

Friday 15th April Brighton vs. Fulham Hull vs. Wolves Saturday 16th April Bolton vs. Middlesbrough Birmingham vs. Burnley Blackburn vs. Huddersfield Brentford vs. Bristol City Cardiff vs. QPR Charlton vs. Derby Leeds vs. Reading Preston vs. MK Dons Rotherham vs. Nottingham Forest Sheffield Wednesday vs. Ipswich

Tip 1 � Wednesday to end Ipswich's playoff aspirations.

Ipswich's home defeat to Brentford last week has made this game a must-win if they are to replicate their 6th place finish from last season. The loss kept them 8 points adrift of Sheffield Wednesday so to stand any chance of making the playoffs, that gap must be reduced to 5 on Saturday. However Mick McCarthy's men have been stuttering of late and are without a win in their last 4 games. This form will do little to give fans heading to Hillsbrough optimism that their side can stay in the chase. Despite the setback at Bristol City, Wednesday had been in fantastic form and the defeat at Ashton Gate arrested a run of 4 straight wins. The Owls will be confident securing another victory here and going on to secure a playoff spot. Ross Wallace is a Championship veteran in midfield and has proved on many an occasion to be his side's creative spark. Fernando Foriestieri will hope to feed off Wallace while Tom Lees will hope to provide a solid foundation for a Wednesday win.

Tip 2 � Rotherham to all but secure safety.

When Nottingham Forest beat Leeds at Elland Road in early February, they were 12 places and 17 points clear of Rotherham. On the same day, Rotherham lost at bottom club Bolton, a result which saw Neil Redfearn sacked as manager. This proved to be the turning point in the Millers season as they appointed Neil Warnock who has guided them to a position of comfort above the relegation zone. The Yorkshire side have picked up an incredible 20 points from the last 24 available and a win at home to Forest would not only see them leapfrog their opponents but could see them mathematically secure survival with 4 games to spare. Forest on the other hand have been on a woeful run since that win at Leeds, collecting just 4 points in 11 games. Despite the Championship normally showing no respect to the form guide, I'm still expecting Rotherham's run to continue. Matt Derbyshire's goals have been vital to the run as has their defensive organisation. Lee Camp and Kirk Broadfoot have plenty of experience and that will certainly help on Saturday.

Tip 3 � Boro to widen the gap.

Saturday's lunchtime kickoff sees top of the table Middlesbrough visit the Macron Stadium to face already relegated Bolton. Aitor Karanka's side have won their last 5 and at this moment in time, the title is their's to lose. Should they beat Bolton, the Teeside club will have a 5 point lead over Burnley before the Clarets kickoff. This should provide enough incentive for Boro to put a professional performance against a side who have looked out of their depth all season, and even more so since the departure of Neil Lennon. Bolton are playing for pride at the moment and with question marks over nearly everyone's future at the club, Saturday's game is unlikely to be the clubs main focus. The Trotters have been woeful in all areas of the pitch so Dani Ayala and George Friend will be confident about a clean sheet while Jordan Rhodes and Albert Adomah will be relishing the chance to face the league's worse defence.

Tip 4 � Burnley to lost ground.

Burnley's narrow win over Leeds was vital in ending a 3 game winless run which had put their promotion prospects in jeopardy. Should Brighton win on Friday night, the Clarets will kick off outside of the top 2 and I can see them struggling to cope with that pressure. They'll need an early goal to calm their nerves but if they fail to get one, I think Birmingham will keep them out for the entirety of the game. Birmingham will still harbour hopes rather than expectations of a playoff place so will be able to play with a freedom Burnley can't afford. Gary Rowett has made the Midlands side tough to beat through defensive organisation and Burnley have struggled in terms of creating chances recently. Paul Caddis is always a solid pick due to his set piece ability and Ryan Shotton is also dangerous when going forward from defence. Kyle Lafferty struck on his debut against Brighton and would love a goal against his former employers.

Tip 5 � Hull to build some momentum.

In late February after Hull had beaten Ipswich, they sat top of the table and with arguably the best squad in the division and the most experienced manager in terms of getting promotion. These factors made the Tigers the clear favourites to secure an immediate return to the Premier League after suffering relegation on the final day last season. Less than 2 months on and with just 1 win in 8 games since, they find themselves out of the race for automatic promotion and still have some work to do to hold onto their playoff spot. Steve Bruce will be desperate to find some form going into the playoffs and will hope it can start when they host Wolves on Friday night. The visitors have been a typical mid table side all season but Kenny Jackett will be buoyed by his sides 6 game unbeaten run. However I'm expecting that to come to an end at the KC. Hull should take advantage of a Wolves side depleted by injuries and come away with the 3 points. The return of Robert Snodgrass has been a real blessing for the Tigers while Abel Hernandez's goals have been important for their promotion challenge. Wing back Andrew Robertson has points potential at both ends with his crossing capable of causing problems for any defence.