Last week was both the end of the summer transfer period and the first Fifa break for the season. Hopefully nobody made any trades too soon since these breaks can lead to player injuries and you don’t want to trade out someone underperforming for someone who is seriously injured. Or, you don’t want to make a trade only to discover another player in you lineup picked up an injury. It’s most important to have a full line up, so always consider that when making your trades.
You need to balance the decision of trading early for a better price. Players can lose value if they are dropped from a lot of fantasy teams and there is a higher chance of that happening the later you wait in the week. But the inverse is also true. If a player you want is picked up by a lot of fantasy managers their value could go up just enough to mess up your perfectly calculated trade.
You’ll need to decide if you’re going to risk value for picking someone who may get injured. During the season you’ll take some calculated risks in this regard, but generally, I like to wait out these break periods in case someone gets a serious injury. For instance, Frank Lampard is now listed as doubtful after the English friendlies, so is it worth it to trade him for someone else or sit on him and hope for a healthy return in a week? Depends on what Chelsea’s schedule is and whether or not I can get him back if I pull him out of the lineup this week.
Now, for the rest of the transfers. I have to say, there are some very exciting options now. Birmingham and Sunderland seem to have made some pretty big moves. Birmingham have brought in Alexander Hleb and Jean Beausejour, both of whom could prove worth a run in your team. They also picked up Charles N’Zogbia who can be a solid performer for this price point, but seems to have his mind elsewhere these days, so could be risky if he’s not focused on the game. Sunderland have picked up Asamoah Gyan, who had a breakout display during the World Cup, as well as young Danny Wellbeck who could play a part now that Kenwyne Jones is at Stoke.
The other two signings I’ve got on my watch list are Rafael van der Vaart now at Tottenham and Carlos Salcido at Fulham. Salcido really impressed me with his attacking play and having him in your lineup as a defender could payoff dividends throughout the season. While van der Vaart is just a proven performer at some very successful clubs, although Spurs seem to have a lot of excess players these days.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
With so many goals, who do you choose?
Because this is a completely biased and opinionated self-published project, let me just start by saying “WOOOOO, NEWCASTLE!” Who the bloody hell knew you had it in you? I clearly chose the wrong players from your side, and will remedy that soon. Also, if Richard Dunne doesn’t turn it around soon, he’s getting replaced too.
I feel a bit like Homer Simpson from the episode where he becomes Bart’s football coach, at this point. I look at the team I’ve selected longingly and painstakingly then start pointing at them and saying, “you’re cut, you’re cut, you’re cut, and yeah, you’re cut too.”
Now, it’s still early going so there isn’t much to really hand your hat on at this point other than you’d be foolish to not have at least two Chelsea players in your side. Picking up some Arsenal performers seems to be a good idea as well. Each fantasy team should try to have either Drogba or Anelka right now. In midfield, Flourent Malouda seems to be the man to beat, just be warned that he has a habit of being absolutely amazing then suddenly disappearing from the lineup for ages after a few dead-end performances. He’s a real feast of famine type of player in the fantasy game but if he’s gorging on the goals, then pick him up if you can.
James Milner seems to be keeping up the pace he had last season, even after the prolonged transfer to Manchester City finally went through. Personally, I’m thrilled that Gareth Bale is proving to be as effective in midfield as he was while listed as a defender.
I’m not entirely sure there’s much I can offer at this point in the season other than be patient with a few of the quality players. Cesc Fabregas hasn’t really had much time to prove himself but Steven Gerrard has. You might want to consider moving either of them out of your side for Frank Lampard, simply because of how well Chelsea are doing, although both Arsenal and Liverpool have teams they should beat coming up this weekend.
Aaron Lennon is having another strong start to the season, but with Champions League qualifying games and a list of knocks and injuries as long as your arm, you might want to consider waiting until Friday before taking any more Spurs players.
Worth considering before the weekend would be players from Newcastle and Birmingham if you consider last week’s performance and this week’s opponents.
I feel a bit like Homer Simpson from the episode where he becomes Bart’s football coach, at this point. I look at the team I’ve selected longingly and painstakingly then start pointing at them and saying, “you’re cut, you’re cut, you’re cut, and yeah, you’re cut too.”
Now, it’s still early going so there isn’t much to really hand your hat on at this point other than you’d be foolish to not have at least two Chelsea players in your side. Picking up some Arsenal performers seems to be a good idea as well. Each fantasy team should try to have either Drogba or Anelka right now. In midfield, Flourent Malouda seems to be the man to beat, just be warned that he has a habit of being absolutely amazing then suddenly disappearing from the lineup for ages after a few dead-end performances. He’s a real feast of famine type of player in the fantasy game but if he’s gorging on the goals, then pick him up if you can.
James Milner seems to be keeping up the pace he had last season, even after the prolonged transfer to Manchester City finally went through. Personally, I’m thrilled that Gareth Bale is proving to be as effective in midfield as he was while listed as a defender.
I’m not entirely sure there’s much I can offer at this point in the season other than be patient with a few of the quality players. Cesc Fabregas hasn’t really had much time to prove himself but Steven Gerrard has. You might want to consider moving either of them out of your side for Frank Lampard, simply because of how well Chelsea are doing, although both Arsenal and Liverpool have teams they should beat coming up this weekend.
Aaron Lennon is having another strong start to the season, but with Champions League qualifying games and a list of knocks and injuries as long as your arm, you might want to consider waiting until Friday before taking any more Spurs players.
Worth considering before the weekend would be players from Newcastle and Birmingham if you consider last week’s performance and this week’s opponents.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
After the ball dropped: Rearrange, rearrange, rearrange!!!
Ah, gameweek one. How much do I love you? How much do I hate you? Now that we’ve all gone back and forth over balancing out the perfect team, the games happen and it turns out we pretty much got it all wrong. Well, everyone who didn’t have Didier Drogba anyway? Did you have him? I thought he was injured and now probably can’t afford to get him on my team. I hope you’re faring better.
The first week is always my favourite time because of this. You don’t know who will do well. Sure there are the people who just kept up with last year’s form, like Drogba. But other than that, you just don’t know. All information pointed to Fabregas starting the season and he didn’t hit the pitch. And then Blackpool goes and thumps Wigan 4-0 with Marlon Harewood notching a brace. Who the bloody hell saw that coming?
So, the million dollar question is, can they keep it up? I think it’s a safe bet to get and keep Drogba. And you should consider as many Chelsea players as you can when you look at their opening few fixtures. Lampard, Malouda, Ashley Cole – these are all people who should do well for your team. Heck even, Anelka would be a decent pickup if you can’t get Drogba and Lampard together. When you consider their next opponents are Wigan, you’d be foolish not to get as many of them on your team as possible.
If you’ve got your starting 11 solidly in place and can’t see where to improve, then try playing with your substitutes. You want to make sure they are likely to play, so cheaper players on bigger teams are usually not a great idea. Heck, it might be worth trying to get Harewood to see if he keeps up his form.
More interesting to me were the non-performances of day one. Where the heck was the consistency usually found in Everton? I generally expect them to get a bunch of points and that’s unlikely to change, but it was a disappointing first week. It’s probably a safe bet to stick with your Everton players but if this goes on too long, it could be time to let them slip from your lineup.
Tottenham and Man City were in a nil-nil draw but there were plenty of solid performances on the field. Both Defoe and Crouch were solid, although it looks like Defoe could be out next week with a groin pull. Gareth Bale has managed to keep his form from the end of last season going into the start of this season. But, by far the most outstanding performer on the pitch that day was Joe Hart. To the point where there’s a lot of transfer talk surrounding Shay Given after only one spectacular game.
Manchester United managed to get more from their old warhorse Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher proved again that he’s a good value pick in your fantasy team.
This week will be interesting to see how many people rearrange their lineups to include Drogba and how many people will captain him. Will he repeat that performance?
The first week is always my favourite time because of this. You don’t know who will do well. Sure there are the people who just kept up with last year’s form, like Drogba. But other than that, you just don’t know. All information pointed to Fabregas starting the season and he didn’t hit the pitch. And then Blackpool goes and thumps Wigan 4-0 with Marlon Harewood notching a brace. Who the bloody hell saw that coming?
So, the million dollar question is, can they keep it up? I think it’s a safe bet to get and keep Drogba. And you should consider as many Chelsea players as you can when you look at their opening few fixtures. Lampard, Malouda, Ashley Cole – these are all people who should do well for your team. Heck even, Anelka would be a decent pickup if you can’t get Drogba and Lampard together. When you consider their next opponents are Wigan, you’d be foolish not to get as many of them on your team as possible.
If you’ve got your starting 11 solidly in place and can’t see where to improve, then try playing with your substitutes. You want to make sure they are likely to play, so cheaper players on bigger teams are usually not a great idea. Heck, it might be worth trying to get Harewood to see if he keeps up his form.
More interesting to me were the non-performances of day one. Where the heck was the consistency usually found in Everton? I generally expect them to get a bunch of points and that’s unlikely to change, but it was a disappointing first week. It’s probably a safe bet to stick with your Everton players but if this goes on too long, it could be time to let them slip from your lineup.
Tottenham and Man City were in a nil-nil draw but there were plenty of solid performances on the field. Both Defoe and Crouch were solid, although it looks like Defoe could be out next week with a groin pull. Gareth Bale has managed to keep his form from the end of last season going into the start of this season. But, by far the most outstanding performer on the pitch that day was Joe Hart. To the point where there’s a lot of transfer talk surrounding Shay Given after only one spectacular game.
Manchester United managed to get more from their old warhorse Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher proved again that he’s a good value pick in your fantasy team.
This week will be interesting to see how many people rearrange their lineups to include Drogba and how many people will captain him. Will he repeat that performance?
Friday, August 13, 2010
Tower of Power - picking a keeper
And with a day before kickoff you should be considering your final position: The Keeper. If you’ve invested heavily in the rest of your team, don’t fret, there are a lot of top class keepers for decent prices. It’s always a good idea to pick up a quality keeper with a solid defense, like Van Der Saar, Cech or Reina, but two of them are getting on in years and could be missing from the first day action.
You want to invest in keepers that have a solid defensive line in front of them, and last year, that was Brad Friedel at Aston Villa. He’s more expensive this year but has been a consistent performer in the net and has the ability to make the saves when his defense leaks, which only gives you more points at the end of the day.
Thomas Sorensen at Stoke is almost a must pick at this point. Stoke were one of the most consistently defensive teams last year and even as he’s getting older, at only 5.0 he’s a steal. If you have him as your second choice, you’d almost be lost for who to take in your starting lineup.
When looking for a cheaper back up, you want a starter who can make the saves when his defense gives up the ghost. So you’re looking to guys like Jussi Jaaskelainen at Bolton or Mark Schwartzer at Fulham. Marcus Hahnemann at Wolves could be a good pick too if you think others are leaning towards the first two in this paragraph.
Picking from the newly promoted teams could be a risk that pays off, since you know they’ll be busy and if they steal a game or make a bunch of saves in a row they could push you up a place if they come in for your starter. Steven Harper at Newcastle is a quality player, but the fact that he shares a name with the Canadian Prime Minister sort of creeps me out – love one, can’t stand the other.
You want to invest in keepers that have a solid defensive line in front of them, and last year, that was Brad Friedel at Aston Villa. He’s more expensive this year but has been a consistent performer in the net and has the ability to make the saves when his defense leaks, which only gives you more points at the end of the day.
Thomas Sorensen at Stoke is almost a must pick at this point. Stoke were one of the most consistently defensive teams last year and even as he’s getting older, at only 5.0 he’s a steal. If you have him as your second choice, you’d almost be lost for who to take in your starting lineup.
When looking for a cheaper back up, you want a starter who can make the saves when his defense gives up the ghost. So you’re looking to guys like Jussi Jaaskelainen at Bolton or Mark Schwartzer at Fulham. Marcus Hahnemann at Wolves could be a good pick too if you think others are leaning towards the first two in this paragraph.
Picking from the newly promoted teams could be a risk that pays off, since you know they’ll be busy and if they steal a game or make a bunch of saves in a row they could push you up a place if they come in for your starter. Steven Harper at Newcastle is a quality player, but the fact that he shares a name with the Canadian Prime Minister sort of creeps me out – love one, can’t stand the other.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Strikers - worth the money?
I always find picking strikers the hardest part of the fantasy game. The highest cost players, Rooney, Drogba and Torres are guaranteed to get you points but are they worth investing in more so than a midfield player of the same cost? They get less points per goal and are much more of a feast or famine type of investment. Add on top of that the fact that all three of them get injured from time to time, Torres more so than the others, and it gets to be a risky investment. Then again, some people live or die by these guys and if they’re the captain on a day they light up the scoreboard you’ll easily see yourself on top of your league. The simple fact is, when these three guys are in shape they are capable of running riot through any game.
If you can’t get any of these three you could always look for their strike partner to get a few goals or assists. Man United picked up the exciting Javier Hernández but whether or not he’ll start in front of Dimitar Berbatov. Both can score goals but who is likely to be on the pitch is anyone’s guess. Nicolas Anelka has proven to be a good deputy for Chelsea when Drogba’s gone to pasture in the past but after his primadonna performance at the World Cup who knows who will show up for Chelsea. And at Liverpool, really, you’re looking for Torres or Gerrard as N’Gog could play a part, but he’s still an unknown quantity in the fantasy game.
Once you move past the big three you’ll find a whole bunch of fun strikers to choose from. I, personally, find that Jermain Defoe starts the season’s really strongly. He may fade a bit after the first month or so, but he tends to come flying out of the gate. Last year, Sunderland’s Darren Bent was the man to have. He was affordable, and still is at 8.5 but was probably the most consistent performer all season long. It’ll be interesting to see if he can repeat even half that performance this year.
Man City gave its share of strikers to fantasy managers as well. Emmanuel Adebayor started strong, but had some injury trouble and was just not as impressive for the rest of the year. He’d show up and do well then disappear for ages. Craig Bellamy was a solid performer but unless he gets picked up by another club he could very well be dropped from Man City’s 25 player list. But without a doubt, Carlos Tevez was the man to have at Man City and remains so this year. He had an exceptionally strong season and carried it through to the World Cup this summer. There’s no reason to think he’d slow down when the ball drops on day one. His price has gone up accordingly, but he could definitely be the dark horse to have if everyone else is thinking of picking up Rooney, Drogba or Torres.
The last striker valued in the double digits is Arsenal’s Robin van Persie, who is again, worth the value. He still managed to place high enough in last year’s standings despite missing the vast majority of the season. He’s just a prolific player for the Gunners, but if you can’t afford the asking price you may want to try out Wenger’s newest young striker, Marouane Chamakh who will take over from Eduardo who left this summer.
There were a lot of value strikers last season, and they could very well be worth a run in your side to start the season. Wigan’s Hugo Rodallega was consistently getting points and at only 6.5 he’s remains good value as your second striker. So does West Ham’s Carlton Cole, Fulham’s Bobby Zamora and Bolton’s Kevin Davies. All three will play every game they are fit, even if you’re unsure about their team.
Then there are the consistent performers who are in the middle price range. While I find it amazing that Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) is always ranked highly, points wise, at the end of the season, there he is again. He just seems so inconsistent whenever I see him play but you might have to use cold blooded logic on this rather than follow your heart. Peter Crouch (Spurs) will also get you points whether he’s starting of coming off the bench. Kenwyne Jones at Sunderland can also produce long stretches of good form, but just as easily disappear from sight. You could always throw caution to the wind and try an injury prone striker like Everton’s Louis Saha. He’ll do well when he’s healthy, but that lasts about half a game it seems.
And if you’re looking to round out your subs bench, then either Kevin Doyle or Steven Fletcher, of Wolves, should be your go to players. If you’re tight on budget then any of the promoted sides could have a striker to take a gamble on, but who knows if they’d play or not.
If you can’t get any of these three you could always look for their strike partner to get a few goals or assists. Man United picked up the exciting Javier Hernández but whether or not he’ll start in front of Dimitar Berbatov. Both can score goals but who is likely to be on the pitch is anyone’s guess. Nicolas Anelka has proven to be a good deputy for Chelsea when Drogba’s gone to pasture in the past but after his primadonna performance at the World Cup who knows who will show up for Chelsea. And at Liverpool, really, you’re looking for Torres or Gerrard as N’Gog could play a part, but he’s still an unknown quantity in the fantasy game.
Once you move past the big three you’ll find a whole bunch of fun strikers to choose from. I, personally, find that Jermain Defoe starts the season’s really strongly. He may fade a bit after the first month or so, but he tends to come flying out of the gate. Last year, Sunderland’s Darren Bent was the man to have. He was affordable, and still is at 8.5 but was probably the most consistent performer all season long. It’ll be interesting to see if he can repeat even half that performance this year.
Man City gave its share of strikers to fantasy managers as well. Emmanuel Adebayor started strong, but had some injury trouble and was just not as impressive for the rest of the year. He’d show up and do well then disappear for ages. Craig Bellamy was a solid performer but unless he gets picked up by another club he could very well be dropped from Man City’s 25 player list. But without a doubt, Carlos Tevez was the man to have at Man City and remains so this year. He had an exceptionally strong season and carried it through to the World Cup this summer. There’s no reason to think he’d slow down when the ball drops on day one. His price has gone up accordingly, but he could definitely be the dark horse to have if everyone else is thinking of picking up Rooney, Drogba or Torres.
The last striker valued in the double digits is Arsenal’s Robin van Persie, who is again, worth the value. He still managed to place high enough in last year’s standings despite missing the vast majority of the season. He’s just a prolific player for the Gunners, but if you can’t afford the asking price you may want to try out Wenger’s newest young striker, Marouane Chamakh who will take over from Eduardo who left this summer.
There were a lot of value strikers last season, and they could very well be worth a run in your side to start the season. Wigan’s Hugo Rodallega was consistently getting points and at only 6.5 he’s remains good value as your second striker. So does West Ham’s Carlton Cole, Fulham’s Bobby Zamora and Bolton’s Kevin Davies. All three will play every game they are fit, even if you’re unsure about their team.
Then there are the consistent performers who are in the middle price range. While I find it amazing that Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) is always ranked highly, points wise, at the end of the season, there he is again. He just seems so inconsistent whenever I see him play but you might have to use cold blooded logic on this rather than follow your heart. Peter Crouch (Spurs) will also get you points whether he’s starting of coming off the bench. Kenwyne Jones at Sunderland can also produce long stretches of good form, but just as easily disappear from sight. You could always throw caution to the wind and try an injury prone striker like Everton’s Louis Saha. He’ll do well when he’s healthy, but that lasts about half a game it seems.
And if you’re looking to round out your subs bench, then either Kevin Doyle or Steven Fletcher, of Wolves, should be your go to players. If you’re tight on budget then any of the promoted sides could have a striker to take a gamble on, but who knows if they’d play or not.
Monday, August 9, 2010
The midfield, or how I learned to type a lot.
Ah, the midfield. Here’s where things just kind of get extremely nutty for your team. While I like to think of the defenders as the back bone of the team, this is where you’ll likely make or break your fantasy standing. These are the players who will get the bonus points, get assists and goals and while defenders may have a whale of game from time to time, you’re much more likely for a midfield player to bring in the lion’s share of points on any given week.
For the past few years the choice in midfield is the same choice that has trouble every England manager. Do you go with Lampard or Gerrard, or better yet, how do you get them to work together if you choose to forgo an expensive striker. The trouble with them this year is that they’re both coming off pretty dismal World Cup performances although Gerrard notched a goal in the first game and Lampard is now the poster boy for video replay. Lampard is still coming off one of his best seasons last year and was far and away the best midfield choice. There’s little to think he won’t repeat that performance again this season. Gerrard was in and out of the side with injuries and while Liverpool has a pretty miserable go of it last time out, things might just be turning over there.
On the flip side, you have Cesc Fabregas. He was second in points only to Lampard (who tends to be given random bonus points throughout the season by the Premier League Fantasy Game) and is coming of an impressive World Cup. I always found it amazing that he was a Spanish substitute, but each time he came on he was inches from scoring within minutes of his inclusion. The ever more common “will he, won’t he” saga of a summer transfer may be a distraction now but as soon as the whistle blows I think he’s a classy enough player to be on top of the tables again.
If you can get two of these three players, you’re guaranteed points. I tend to think of them as much better investments than expensive strikers who can be feast of famine and you don’t want to sink twelve or thirteen points in a player bringing in 2 points every week for simply being on the pitch for more than 60 minutes. The real deciding factor is who will have the easier start to the season and that is by far Chelsea (West Brom, Wigan, Stoke) while Arsenal and Liverpool meet up on day one. Arsenal then follow up with games against Blackpool and Blackburn while Liverpool go up against Man City then West Brom. So use that to help you choose who to invest in.
The one caveat is that Chelsea has so many damned players that when they play weaker sides, they’re just as likely to rest half of the team you’ve chosen. Frustrating, if you’ve got someone like Flourent Malouda or Michael Essien who are likely to be in and out of the side depending on how things are going and who Chelsea is playing, but Lampard is the most likely to retain his place regardless of the opponent.
After the expensive three, there is just a plethora of good value midfield players. Honestly, you’re spoiled for choice and I feel almost foolish trying to pick out a few that you aren’t likely to already choose. On the other side, there are just so many damned players, how do you choose? Especially with the summer signings?
Since I’m on Chelsea right now where you could easily see players like Malouda or Essien on the bench, their new signing Yossi Benayoun is a player I’m almost always considering for my side. When he’s on the pitch he’s almost always likely to find the back of the net. The trouble is, he’d almost always be coming off the bench at Liverpool and I have no idea how he’ll be used at Chelsea. For me, he’s a wait and see type of player. If he’s in the side regularly, I’ll take him. Then again, will you miss out on a lot of points in Ancelloti decides to give him a solid run at the start of the season against weaker sides?
And on the flip side, how will Joe Cole fare in Liverpool? I always like his play on the ball, and he’s never someone to just sit back and let the game wash over him, so he could be a great choice if you’re a bit short on getting one or two of the top three.
Last season was James Milner’s break out year – by far the best value for money in midfield. I’d say he’s another player to certainly consider but his transfer saga seems more likely to be akin to Gareth Barry’s in that it seems much more acrimonious than the Fabregas saga. When Barry went to Manchester City, his form took a considerable dip in the fantasy tables compared to the year before and I’d be wary on Milner doing the same. Particularly since Man City seems to have so many first choice players sitting on the substitute’s bench. Still, if he’s still with Aston Villa he’d be worth the choice with an opening game against West Ham who don’t look particularly different from last season’s weak sauce.
Man City has the same problem for me as Chelsea. They have so many damned quality players that choosing the starters before the season is a mind melting nightmare. They're likely to stick with their known quantities like Gareth Barry. After that I have no clue who might start. Shaun Wright-Phillips can break open a game if he sees the pitch, Stephen Ireland has had some great runs throughout the last two seasons but seems to be on the outs, David Silva was just brought in but will he suffer the same fate as Nigel De Jong and be a sub? Just close your eyes and choose a player since that seems to be their selection policy, and really, can you blame them?
In the 8-9 price range, I’d be choosing between Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill of Everton. Injury played a part in their last season but they both ended with respectable tallies and I can’t see any reason they wouldn’t do so again. Andrey Arshavin at Arsenal can always notch a few for you as well, but I’ve had nothing but bad luck in selecting him and while I try not to be superstitious I find whenever I have him in my team his form dips so I drop him and BANG he gets a brace.
For players in the 6-7 price range I’ve tended to stick with players like Clint Dempsey, Aaron Lennon, or either of the Spurs Croatian midfield players, Niko Kranjcar or Luka Modric. I’ve found that Lennon will have big bursts of top form, usually at the start of the season and then will have long lulls either through injury or just natural progression. If you have him don’t dump him after one game, but don’t wait more than three if he’s not performing. Wait and see if he’s picking up the pace before bringing him back into your side. Last season also saw Ryan Giggs prove that he’s really an ageless wonder as he started strong and just wouldn’t stop getting fantasy league points. Man United was an enigma in midfield last year and I can’t see them being overly different this season. The old war horses Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes both had great runs, and while Antonio Valencia lead them in points, I’d say Darren Fletcher was the better value for your team.
Now for the padding and subs. If you’re looking for decent players in the 6 points or less category that are guaranteed to be playing and likely to get goals and assists, then look outside of the bigger teams. Matthew Etherington at Stoke, Charles N’Zogbia at Wigan are obvious choices. But you should also consider players like Lee Chung-Yong at Bolton who had a terrific end of the season and World Cup performance. Gareth Bale is also listed as a midfield player now after being listed as a defender last season so while his point total is likely deceiving he was pretty damned impressive during the run down last year. David Dunn at Blakburn and Scott Parker at West Ham are also both quality players that will always be giving their most and playing every game they are fit for.
For your bench players you still want guys who are likely to be in the lineup, so going with known quantities could be preferable to picking any of the promoted sides, but for 5 or 4.5 price this is a place to just have fun with your roster. Barry Ferguson of Birmingham is likely to get a hell of a lot more time on the field than someone like Nigel De Jong at Man City, and his point total last year proves it. Blackpool is a pretty unknown quantity to me, but I hear Jason Euell is a young player with quality. Whether or not that transfers into Premiership performances could be interesting to find out and lucrative for your bottom line if it works out. Any of the Newcastle midfield would be decent choices for your bench since they’re all cheap and most are likely to see some action. Jonas Gutierrez simply doesn’t stop running when he’s on the pitch, but Kevin Nolan is a likelier threat on goal. Wayne Routledge is meant to be the next young exciting player to land there. Graham Dorrans and Chris Brunt were tops at West Brom last season so are going to be on the pitch this year in the Premiership and when you’re filling your roster, should be worth a consideration.
For the past few years the choice in midfield is the same choice that has trouble every England manager. Do you go with Lampard or Gerrard, or better yet, how do you get them to work together if you choose to forgo an expensive striker. The trouble with them this year is that they’re both coming off pretty dismal World Cup performances although Gerrard notched a goal in the first game and Lampard is now the poster boy for video replay. Lampard is still coming off one of his best seasons last year and was far and away the best midfield choice. There’s little to think he won’t repeat that performance again this season. Gerrard was in and out of the side with injuries and while Liverpool has a pretty miserable go of it last time out, things might just be turning over there.
On the flip side, you have Cesc Fabregas. He was second in points only to Lampard (who tends to be given random bonus points throughout the season by the Premier League Fantasy Game) and is coming of an impressive World Cup. I always found it amazing that he was a Spanish substitute, but each time he came on he was inches from scoring within minutes of his inclusion. The ever more common “will he, won’t he” saga of a summer transfer may be a distraction now but as soon as the whistle blows I think he’s a classy enough player to be on top of the tables again.
If you can get two of these three players, you’re guaranteed points. I tend to think of them as much better investments than expensive strikers who can be feast of famine and you don’t want to sink twelve or thirteen points in a player bringing in 2 points every week for simply being on the pitch for more than 60 minutes. The real deciding factor is who will have the easier start to the season and that is by far Chelsea (West Brom, Wigan, Stoke) while Arsenal and Liverpool meet up on day one. Arsenal then follow up with games against Blackpool and Blackburn while Liverpool go up against Man City then West Brom. So use that to help you choose who to invest in.
The one caveat is that Chelsea has so many damned players that when they play weaker sides, they’re just as likely to rest half of the team you’ve chosen. Frustrating, if you’ve got someone like Flourent Malouda or Michael Essien who are likely to be in and out of the side depending on how things are going and who Chelsea is playing, but Lampard is the most likely to retain his place regardless of the opponent.
After the expensive three, there is just a plethora of good value midfield players. Honestly, you’re spoiled for choice and I feel almost foolish trying to pick out a few that you aren’t likely to already choose. On the other side, there are just so many damned players, how do you choose? Especially with the summer signings?
Since I’m on Chelsea right now where you could easily see players like Malouda or Essien on the bench, their new signing Yossi Benayoun is a player I’m almost always considering for my side. When he’s on the pitch he’s almost always likely to find the back of the net. The trouble is, he’d almost always be coming off the bench at Liverpool and I have no idea how he’ll be used at Chelsea. For me, he’s a wait and see type of player. If he’s in the side regularly, I’ll take him. Then again, will you miss out on a lot of points in Ancelloti decides to give him a solid run at the start of the season against weaker sides?
And on the flip side, how will Joe Cole fare in Liverpool? I always like his play on the ball, and he’s never someone to just sit back and let the game wash over him, so he could be a great choice if you’re a bit short on getting one or two of the top three.
Last season was James Milner’s break out year – by far the best value for money in midfield. I’d say he’s another player to certainly consider but his transfer saga seems more likely to be akin to Gareth Barry’s in that it seems much more acrimonious than the Fabregas saga. When Barry went to Manchester City, his form took a considerable dip in the fantasy tables compared to the year before and I’d be wary on Milner doing the same. Particularly since Man City seems to have so many first choice players sitting on the substitute’s bench. Still, if he’s still with Aston Villa he’d be worth the choice with an opening game against West Ham who don’t look particularly different from last season’s weak sauce.
Man City has the same problem for me as Chelsea. They have so many damned quality players that choosing the starters before the season is a mind melting nightmare. They're likely to stick with their known quantities like Gareth Barry. After that I have no clue who might start. Shaun Wright-Phillips can break open a game if he sees the pitch, Stephen Ireland has had some great runs throughout the last two seasons but seems to be on the outs, David Silva was just brought in but will he suffer the same fate as Nigel De Jong and be a sub? Just close your eyes and choose a player since that seems to be their selection policy, and really, can you blame them?
In the 8-9 price range, I’d be choosing between Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill of Everton. Injury played a part in their last season but they both ended with respectable tallies and I can’t see any reason they wouldn’t do so again. Andrey Arshavin at Arsenal can always notch a few for you as well, but I’ve had nothing but bad luck in selecting him and while I try not to be superstitious I find whenever I have him in my team his form dips so I drop him and BANG he gets a brace.
For players in the 6-7 price range I’ve tended to stick with players like Clint Dempsey, Aaron Lennon, or either of the Spurs Croatian midfield players, Niko Kranjcar or Luka Modric. I’ve found that Lennon will have big bursts of top form, usually at the start of the season and then will have long lulls either through injury or just natural progression. If you have him don’t dump him after one game, but don’t wait more than three if he’s not performing. Wait and see if he’s picking up the pace before bringing him back into your side. Last season also saw Ryan Giggs prove that he’s really an ageless wonder as he started strong and just wouldn’t stop getting fantasy league points. Man United was an enigma in midfield last year and I can’t see them being overly different this season. The old war horses Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes both had great runs, and while Antonio Valencia lead them in points, I’d say Darren Fletcher was the better value for your team.
Now for the padding and subs. If you’re looking for decent players in the 6 points or less category that are guaranteed to be playing and likely to get goals and assists, then look outside of the bigger teams. Matthew Etherington at Stoke, Charles N’Zogbia at Wigan are obvious choices. But you should also consider players like Lee Chung-Yong at Bolton who had a terrific end of the season and World Cup performance. Gareth Bale is also listed as a midfield player now after being listed as a defender last season so while his point total is likely deceiving he was pretty damned impressive during the run down last year. David Dunn at Blakburn and Scott Parker at West Ham are also both quality players that will always be giving their most and playing every game they are fit for.
For your bench players you still want guys who are likely to be in the lineup, so going with known quantities could be preferable to picking any of the promoted sides, but for 5 or 4.5 price this is a place to just have fun with your roster. Barry Ferguson of Birmingham is likely to get a hell of a lot more time on the field than someone like Nigel De Jong at Man City, and his point total last year proves it. Blackpool is a pretty unknown quantity to me, but I hear Jason Euell is a young player with quality. Whether or not that transfers into Premiership performances could be interesting to find out and lucrative for your bottom line if it works out. Any of the Newcastle midfield would be decent choices for your bench since they’re all cheap and most are likely to see some action. Jonas Gutierrez simply doesn’t stop running when he’s on the pitch, but Kevin Nolan is a likelier threat on goal. Wayne Routledge is meant to be the next young exciting player to land there. Graham Dorrans and Chris Brunt were tops at West Brom last season so are going to be on the pitch this year in the Premiership and when you’re filling your roster, should be worth a consideration.
Friday, August 6, 2010
In the beginning, the back four were built
Well another season of the Barclay’s Premier League is just about upon us. That means it’s time to gather up the usual suspects, register that online league and spend an inordinate amount of time putting together that perfectly balanced team that you’ll change about every hour and half until the first gameweek deadline. Come, join the fun by registering a team on the Premiership's website. You can find the details for my "public" league on the sidebar.
I’m going to try and post weekly, although I’m going to aim to have a few more in the lead up to the season kick-off where I explore who to take in each of the positions.
I find the first week to be one of the hardest times to pick a team, followed closely by the second and third weeks. The simple matter of it is that before a ball is kicked, nobody has any idea how well any of the players will play. Will the old war-horses manage to pick up where they left off, even after a terrible (or fantastic) run at the World Cup? Should you go with the newly signed strikers popping up around the league? Should you line your substitutes’ bench with players from the recently promoted sides?
I guess the big decisions to make before you start looking up who to pick, is where do you want to focus your efforts? Do you want to try and rack up points by loading up on expensive strikers who hit the net a lot, consistent midfield players, or a solidly defensive back line? I’ve tried pretty much all these approaches, and personally, I prefer to concentrate the bulk of my cash in the midfield and defense, hopefully with a decent and consistent striker.
The simple fact of the matter is, clean sheets get a lot of points and if you have a defender who gets forward (even just on set plays) they get a lot more points for scoring than the rest of your team. The defenders from the top four are almost always a good investment, and any defender with a good goal tally is worth a pick. The easy route in picking these guys is to simply look at the top of the player ranking and take who you like.
Richard Dunne has been a solid pick over the last few seasons but his value has steadily increased to reflect this. Patrice Evra, Leighton Baines, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson are all worth while defenders to have in your team if you want someone to go forward and pick up goals and assists. Conventional wisdom says to pick Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, but after last season where both of them spent more time broken than on the pitch you may not want to rely on them as your core of defense. Vidic looks to be starting the season but Ferdinand is already on the treatment table and you don’t want to be stuck dealing with transfers for injured players after week one. So, it’s a tough call. The discovery of the season, last year, was Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen. I think he scored in the first game and went on to get 7 goals last season. He’s nowhere near as cheap as he was and he’s unproven but he’s young and likely to be hungry to continue his form so if you think nobody else in your league has him, he could be worth a run.
The wild cards (in that others in your league may or may not pick them) that I think anyone should consider are any of the Aston Villa defenders – James Collins, Stephen Warnock and Carlos Cuellar (who is doubtful for the first gameweek but could be worth the longer term investment). Tottenham defenders would also be a good choice to include or at least have on your watch list if you’re unsure and want to see them play a game or two before going for them. Michael Dawson got a lot of deserved good press at the end of the season and in the lead up to the World Cup while Verdan Corluka seems to be one of those players always involved in the play going forward. If you're looking for mid-value defenders any of these players should be considered.
And, finally, to fill out any “cheap spots” you can look for the players valued at 4.5 or 4.0 and choose from last year’s performers or give a promoted player a run. This is a bit like Russian roulette though as any of them could be amazing or simply terrible. I’ve been sticking with Stoke defenders as my cheap options but Wigan’s Maynor Figueroa is someone who plays a lot and can get forward when afforded the opportunity. Of the new sides, West Brom’s Marek Cech is worth a look, and while I love them, my head just can’t let me pick any Newcastle defenders until I see them play a few games. Stephen Taylor has done well in the past but he starts this season injured and while Coloccini was the big signing a few years ago he’s also guilty of some real clangers defensively.
I’m going to try and post weekly, although I’m going to aim to have a few more in the lead up to the season kick-off where I explore who to take in each of the positions.
I find the first week to be one of the hardest times to pick a team, followed closely by the second and third weeks. The simple matter of it is that before a ball is kicked, nobody has any idea how well any of the players will play. Will the old war-horses manage to pick up where they left off, even after a terrible (or fantastic) run at the World Cup? Should you go with the newly signed strikers popping up around the league? Should you line your substitutes’ bench with players from the recently promoted sides?
I guess the big decisions to make before you start looking up who to pick, is where do you want to focus your efforts? Do you want to try and rack up points by loading up on expensive strikers who hit the net a lot, consistent midfield players, or a solidly defensive back line? I’ve tried pretty much all these approaches, and personally, I prefer to concentrate the bulk of my cash in the midfield and defense, hopefully with a decent and consistent striker.
The simple fact of the matter is, clean sheets get a lot of points and if you have a defender who gets forward (even just on set plays) they get a lot more points for scoring than the rest of your team. The defenders from the top four are almost always a good investment, and any defender with a good goal tally is worth a pick. The easy route in picking these guys is to simply look at the top of the player ranking and take who you like.
Richard Dunne has been a solid pick over the last few seasons but his value has steadily increased to reflect this. Patrice Evra, Leighton Baines, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson are all worth while defenders to have in your team if you want someone to go forward and pick up goals and assists. Conventional wisdom says to pick Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, but after last season where both of them spent more time broken than on the pitch you may not want to rely on them as your core of defense. Vidic looks to be starting the season but Ferdinand is already on the treatment table and you don’t want to be stuck dealing with transfers for injured players after week one. So, it’s a tough call. The discovery of the season, last year, was Arsenal’s Thomas Vermaelen. I think he scored in the first game and went on to get 7 goals last season. He’s nowhere near as cheap as he was and he’s unproven but he’s young and likely to be hungry to continue his form so if you think nobody else in your league has him, he could be worth a run.
The wild cards (in that others in your league may or may not pick them) that I think anyone should consider are any of the Aston Villa defenders – James Collins, Stephen Warnock and Carlos Cuellar (who is doubtful for the first gameweek but could be worth the longer term investment). Tottenham defenders would also be a good choice to include or at least have on your watch list if you’re unsure and want to see them play a game or two before going for them. Michael Dawson got a lot of deserved good press at the end of the season and in the lead up to the World Cup while Verdan Corluka seems to be one of those players always involved in the play going forward. If you're looking for mid-value defenders any of these players should be considered.
And, finally, to fill out any “cheap spots” you can look for the players valued at 4.5 or 4.0 and choose from last year’s performers or give a promoted player a run. This is a bit like Russian roulette though as any of them could be amazing or simply terrible. I’ve been sticking with Stoke defenders as my cheap options but Wigan’s Maynor Figueroa is someone who plays a lot and can get forward when afforded the opportunity. Of the new sides, West Brom’s Marek Cech is worth a look, and while I love them, my head just can’t let me pick any Newcastle defenders until I see them play a few games. Stephen Taylor has done well in the past but he starts this season injured and while Coloccini was the big signing a few years ago he’s also guilty of some real clangers defensively.
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