Gameweek 6 Preview

Gameweek 6 fixtures

Burnley v Sunderland
Arsenal v Wigan
Aston Villa v Portsmouth
Bolton v Stoke
Hull v Birmingham
West Ham v Liverpool
Man Utd v Man City
Wolves v Fulham
Everton v Blackburn
Chelsea v Tottenham

Sunday serves up a couple of epic derby matchups where as Saturday provides several opportunities for stronger teams to have some fantasy joy over weaker sides. I love Martinez's confidence and commitment to the beautiful game, but Wigan simply do not have the players to keep possession against Arsenal and often the teams who take on Wenger's men with such expectations are often the ones who get shot down. The trip to Burnley also provides a good game to gauge just how good Sunderland can be as Burnley have played well at home this year while Sunderland have managed just one goal on their travels. I also like Villa's chances against Pompey who have yet to gel all their new signings, and Villa should be good for a clean sheet and a few goals in that one.

Clean Sheet Rankings
1. Aston Villa
2. Sunderland
3. Arsenal
4. Fulham
5. Bolton

Not a bad week for clean sheet potential but like gameweek 5, several premium options are playing each other (Manchester derby and Chelsea-Spurs) so the top options are somewhat limited. Villa are my play of the week as they get Pompey at home, and this trend will continue until Portsmouth can prove they can score against anyone. Villa have kept two straight clean sheets and the arrival of Dunne and Collins appears to have been a success. Sunderland have conceded just once on their travels and Burnley only have two goals at home so this one should play out as a tight game. If Cattermole doesn't play I would downgrade this ranking slightly. I like but don't love the next three picks with Arsenal having the potential to score a few but then concede a silly goal and Bolton and Fulham are not in the best of form. That being said, if this was my back 5 I would be expecting 3 clean sheets as a minimum.

Captain Rankings
1. Steven Gerrard
2. Gabriel Agbonlahor
3. Tim Cahill
4. Didier Drogba
5. Robin van Persie

Gerrard is the the logical pick again this week after not disappointing this tip last week with a solid 7 point performance. Gerrard has scored in both away games for Liverpool this year and a trip to West Ham provides a decent chance to make this three in a row.
Agbonlahor gets the matchup of the week against Portsmouth at home and with goals in his last two games I like the speedy striker to make it three in a row.
Cahill is another player who scored last week and I again like his chances of doubling his seasons tally this week. Blackburn have some big men at the back but it seems no one can deal with Cahill's heading ability and with Baines swinging in some gems, the little Aussie has a decent shot of another goal this week.
Drogba doesn't have the best matchup, but he doesn't have the worst either. Spurs have conceded just 2 in 2 on the road this year but don't forget that last year they were very average defensively on their travels and I am not convinced those days are fully behind them. Drogba has 2 in his last 3 against Redknapp's men and I like him again this week, especially after missing out midweek in Europe due to suspension.
Van Persie hasn't started on fire this season but he found the net against City and has a good matchup this week. He should be on free kick and possibly penalty duties and I like him alot this week.
You might be wondering where Lampard is, but the fact he hasn't scored in the last 7 league meetings with Spurs and he isn't shooting as much as one would like these days. I'm sure that me considering dropping him from my squad and this dismissal of his chances will inspire Frank to bag a hattrick though so its probably safer to bet your house on him.

Strength of Schedule

Defenders - Buy
1. Stoke
2. Tottenham
3. Hull
4. Arsenal
5. Aston Villa

Looking ahead for those wishing to make changes the above 5 teams have the best looking schedules in the coming weeks for defenders. I think Stoke and Spurs are both legitimate sources of every week starters and I love Faye (4.6) and Assou Ekotto (5.1) from these sides. Hull players might provide decent bench fodder with Zayatte (3.9) the cheapest option. Arsenal and Villa have struggled a bit to start the year but I like both these teams to become every week plays though Arsenal are potentially a bit overpriced right now. I love James Collins (4.5) for Villa and rate his as one of the top 5 transfer targets in the league right now.

Defenders - Sell
1. West Ham
2. Fulham
3. Blackburn
4. Bolton
5. Sunderland

Strangely enough three of these teams actually have good fixtures this week so it might be worth delaying your sale for one week. However after week 6 all these teams have tough schedules and none of them are sturdy enough at the back to withstand that kind of pressure. Most players from these teams and priced in the 5m range and appear overvalued. If you have anyone for 4.5m, or less such as Michael Turner or Sam Ricketts then they might be worth stashing on the bench but be careful as if your frontline starters don't play, there will be few points to help your team coming off the bench.

Midfield/Attack - Buy
1. Arsenal
2. Everton
3. Tottenham
4. Aston Villa
5. Hull

Arsenal and Everton are someway ahead of the others here with Arsenal facing no red light games until week 14 and Everton free until week 13. Arsenal's team has okay depth for fantasy purposes with Fabregas, Arshavin, Denilson, Diaby, Eduardo and possibly Rosicky providing good value for money. I love Arshavin when he returns from injury and I recommend getting Fabregas now and upgrading when the Russian returns for the modest expense of 0.3m extra. If Diaby keeps his place (which is doubtful with the return of Rosicky) he is great value, though Rosicky himself could be a must own if he plays every week and stays fit (a leap of faith at this point, I know). Everton, Spurs and Villa all provide several attacking options for good value with Lennon, Young and Cahill potentially giving top tier production for a 8m range price. Defoe looks to continue to have success with this schedule while Agbonlahor also looks like a shrewd investment. In terms of budget options, I love Tom Huddlestone and Steve Pienaar's production should improve after a slow start. Hull players make decent bench warmers based on the schedule but the uncertainty up front make it hard to know who will play. Stephen Hunt is probably the safest option and the 5.3 midfielder looks like decent value.

Midfield/Attack - Sell
1. Man City
2. Sunderland
3. West Ham
4. Wolves
5. Blackburn

Before you get too excited and cry hypocrite (I just picked up Shaun Wright Phillips) remember that these rankings are purely based on schedule and do not allow for the strength of an individual side. Would I sell Stephen Ireland and replace him with Matt Taylor? Absolutely not. Would I try and replace him with Fabregas though? Well that's a different story. I am not saying here that City players are a bad pick, more that better value could be found elsewhere. It isn't so easy with Sunderland and Darren Bent has no-one in his price range who can really replace him (except Kenwyne Jones!). I would therefore either stick with it or go in a different direction and get a much stronger striker like Defoe. West Ham, Wolves and Blackburn have few solid fantasy plays and are probably bench men for now. I do still like Jimenez, Jarvis, Keogh and Dunn to name a few but be prepared to stash them on the bench for the next few weeks.

As always I look forward to hearing your thoughts for the week, so please post below or tweet your lineup/captaincy/transfer headaches. And of course, thanks for reading.

Bonus Round

As the debate between expensive strikers and midfielders rages on, I thought I'd look at how bonuses affect this question. To date, midfielders have earned 105 bonus points where as forwards account for 82 (for the record defenders contribute 76 and keepers 13). The big difference is how these points are distributed with the forward's points going to just 22 players, where as 41 midfielders have gained the approval of the pundits to date.

At the top of each bracket, 11 players valued at 8m+ account for 30% of all midfield bonus points but for forwards this is even greater, with 10 8m+ players accounting for 55% of all forward points. This shows how the premium strikers are attracting a greater percentage of the points on offer. Taking the top three premium players at each position shows this in even harsher light:

Lampard, Gerrard and Fabregas - 13 bonus points (12% of midfield total)
Adebayor, Rooney and Drogba - 27 bonus points (33% of forward total)

Looking at the bargains available (sub-6m) shows that these midfielders have gained 53 points (50%) so far, where as cheap strikers account for just 22 points (27%).

The bottom line
Bonus points can be obtained from cheap midfielders where as it seems that you need serious investment to get bonus points from your forwards. This is another mark in favour of paying top-dollar for your forwards then picking up guys like Cattermole or Dunn who have shown they can be three-category contributors for a cheap price.

As always let me know what you think and if you predict this trend continuing into the future. Why not tweet your thoughts to me @plfantasy.

Wild Wild Week

As a few of you may have gathered from my tweeting and comments over the weekend, I playing my wildcard this weekend, as I am sure a few others are considering doing. Otis posted that it might be fun to run through my thoughts, so here is my old team, followed by the proposed new team:

Expired Juice

Thomas Sorensen
Second among all keepers (playing a game less than many) and first in PPMS (1.585), Sorensen has been this year's Schwarzer and pretty much a must own. Unfortunately most people identified this before the season so we haven't see a meteoric price rise for the former Villa man. He should return from injury this week and he will be staying in the Juice ranks as long as he remains fit.

Ben Foster
Fourth in points among keepers but only 10th in terms of PPMS, I am satisfied if not thrilled with Foster but with Vidic and Ferdinand back from injury the clean sheets should be more frequent for United, and with Van der Sar still a way from returning, and Foster aiming to hold onto the No.1 jersey, I am going to hold onto him for now. The long term strategy is to replace him with either Cudicini (4.5) if he wins the Spurs job full time, or if not another budget option, like Jaaskelainen, whose fixtures sync up very well with Stoke's.

Ashley Cole
The only defender to hold is place in the shakeup, thanks to the stability of his place in the team and his attacking play this year. At 6.5m he is probably the best value of the big four defenders and, at least until Zhirkov is fit, Ancelotti has no real alternative to rotate Cole with (unlike fellow full back Bosingwa who has been benched for Ivanovic on occasion this year). I wanted to keep at least one premium defender though the trend has been to sell defense and buy forwards due to the inconsistency of the 'reliable' defenses like Liverpool, Arsenal and dare I say, even United.

Patrice Evra
This was one of the harder decisions I made as I can't help but feel I am selling high a bit. However, despite the return of Vidic and Ferdinand, United to face City, Chelsea and Liverpool in the next 7 weeks though they are still third in my new defensive rankings. My main concern with Evra is that for 6.7m you only really get clean sheets, as exhibited by his 3 bonus points, 2 assists and 0 goals last (and 3 goose eggs in those categories this year). His chalkboards show he is getting into advanced positions but with no final product to show for his endeavour. I therefore opted to save cash here and invest in proven strikers instead.

Emiliano Insua
Liverpool's defense have underwhelmed this year and I feel much better about moving Insua on than Evra. With the return of Aurelio you must now invest 7m to get a Liverpool full back and only Johnson has adjusted he is worth that kind of investment. With 7 goals conceded against Spurs, Bolton and Villa and Carragher looking like he has a lost a step, I am unconvinced that Benitez's men can return to the defensive form that warrants a sizeable investment of cash.

Aaron Hughes
I wrote that I though Fulham might take a small step back this year but failed to heed my own warning and invested 5m in Hughes. Granted the fixtures have been fairly tough (Che, Ast, Eve) but its the manner of the goals conceded that concerns me. Fulham have fallen from a notch below the big four to just another mid level defence, and that makes 5m too steep of a price to pay. Plenty of solid players can be had for the 4.5m range and the likes of Villa and Spurs offer 5m players who should accrue more points over the season.

Sylvain Distin
I've turned against the Everton defense quicker than Leo Messi ghosting past Danny Shittu. I was hoping that the arrival Distin and Heitinga would turn the Toffees defense around though the performance against Fulham at the weekend did not inspire much hope. Everton surrendered 19 shots to Fulham, though admittedly Heitinga only played 26 minutes in that one. Despite their good looking fixture list, Everton rank last in the updated defensive rankings and I therefore couldn't hold out for them to turn it round any longer. Being valued below his teammates could make Distin worth a look in the future but until Everton can string together some decent performances I'd stay away.

Frank Lampard
I was a bit worried about Frank's production, as highlighted by this brilliant article over at FantasyFootballScout but he still leads all midfielders with 33 points and is third among all players with 7 bonus points. Lampard's only goal was from the spot in week 2 which is troubling but so long as the assists (3 in the last 2 games) continue along with the bonus points I maintain that Lampard is still the man to own (and captain) in the league. Needless to say Frank is going nowhere in this reshuffle.

Dirk Kuyt
Another tough decision as the Dutchman has done well in the four weeks I have owned him. Liverpool's fixtures are okay in the coming weeks but I wanted to upgrade my front line and therefore couldn't carry someone with Kuyt's cost. I am banking on my front men getting 18+ goals each, which means a midfielder would need 15 to match the points total. Kuyt had a great season last year and only managed 12 goals and his 14 bonus points are not worth getting excited about. I am counting on Benayoun to secure a place in the first team to offset to loss of Kuyt.

Ashley Young
Young has done well this year and was close to keeping his place but City's slightly better fixture list and his cheaper value pushed me towards Shaun Wright Phillips. Villa have a disastrous mid-season fixture run but I would certainly consider bringing Young late in the season if needed.

Luis Jimenez
My pre-season favourite has been a bit disappointing and I decided I couldn't carry him on the bench any longer. I will continue to monitor his progress but I think I backed him too soon to slot right into Premier League football. There are a number of good 5m range options - Huddlestone, Koumas, Dunn, Cattermole - which makes Jimenez expendable for now.

Lorik Cana
I love Lorik Cana as a player and I figured he would play a more advanced role with Cattermole holding back but its the former Wigan man who has gotten forward more often (leading to an assist and 6 bonus points). The Sunderland website have given the Albanian three man of the match awards this season, but the 'experts' over at premierleague.com don't agree and have yet to award Cana a single bonus point this season. For that reason I have had to move Cana on but again I will continue to monitor his progress and I'll be back on the bandwagon should he start pressing forward more often.

Fernando Torres
I thought Torres would lead the league in scoring, and to be fair he still might. However at 1.4 more than Adebayor, 1.5 more than van Persie and 0.6 more than Drogba I don't think he'll outscore them enough to justify the extra expense. Arsenal have by far and away the best attacking score for the next 8 games (best goals per game, best strength of schedule) so I've saved the 1.5m and gone for van Persie. I still love Torres and rate him as the best player in the league but that doesn't translate into fantasy value and I needed the cash elsewhere.

Jozy Altidore
He should be the best value striker in the game but a combination of a swine flu scare and international duty have upset him settling into the Hull side. Long term he should be an every week player but with the arrivals of Vennegoor of Hesselink and Ghilas mean there is competition for places and I'm unwilling to hold a player on the bench that isn't playing.

Cameron Jerome
On the shortlist to get back once he's fit as at 4.5 he could give you 6-9 goals and be a steal. However, he can't seem to get fit and so I've moved on to ensure my entire squad is fit and ready to go.

Freshly Squeezed Juice

Thomas Sorensen
Remains with the team. See above

Ben Foster
Remains with the team. See above
Also considered: Carlo Cudicini, Jussi Jaaskelainen

Ashley Cole
Remains with the team. See above

Micah Richards
City's defense is probably more improved than their impressive attack with three clean sheets in the first four games. This was going to be Bridge but with his price rising to 5.6 I have gone for Richards (5.5). A quick look at their chalkboards show that Richards (top) was actually slightly more attacking last week against Arsenal, gaining an assist in the process. Though neither have any to date, I also think that Richards is more bonus prone due to his all action style. City rank first in my new defensive rankings (which allow for both strength of opposition and goals conceded to date) which predict City to keep at least 3 clean sheets in the 7 games after the Manchester derby this weekend.

Also considered: Wayne Bridge, Sylvain Distin

James Collins
Loved this pick before Sunday, now I'm ecstatic about it. Villa kept their second straight clean sheet and Collins added two bonus points on his impressive debut alongside fellow new boy Richard Dunne. At 4.5m, Collins is half a million less than his teammates - a favourite strategy of mine when selecting defenders (see John O'Shea and Johan Djorou last year). Looking very long term Collins will probably lose his place when Curtis Davies returns but seeing as physio room report this to be in the new year, it shouldn't affect one's transfer dealings now. In my new adjusted average calculations (see above) Villa's defense rank fourth behind City, Chelsea and United - none of who carry defenders for anywhere close to 4.5m. Home games to Chelsea and City are to come in weeks 8 and 9 but aside from that the next 10 look pretty generous.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto
Love this pick. A lok at his chalkboard (left) shows the attacking role he played against United and the number of balls he played into the attacking zones. Spurs defense hasn't quite been what it was last season but they only conceded one goal per game in their first four and when the whole defense is fit the clean sheets should start to flow. Assou-Ekotto offers the best value of the Spurs backs, with only the oft-injured and rotated King (5m) being cheaper. After Chelsea this week, the only tester is the trip to the Emirates in week 11, with the rest looking pretty favourable.

Michael Turner
I thought Turner was overpriced to open the season as a Hull defender but now offers great value as a Mackem. Granted, Sunderland have only kept one clean sheet this year, but they have also only conceded 1 goal per game in the last 3. Sunderland's fixtures are up an down over the next 8 weeks but as a bench player Turner gives solid value and provides a goal threat from set pieces (3 goals last year) as an added bonus.

Frank Lampard
Remains with the team. See above

Also considered: Steven Gerrard, Cesc Fabregas

Yossi Benayoun
I jumped on the Benayoun bandwagon so fast that I almost broke an ankle. I rate the Israeli very highly (in fact I think he's Liverpool's third best player) and I could never work out why he didn't play every week. His hattrick this weekend should ensure more playing time in the coming weeks and with Babel and Riera out of favour, this will hopefully carry on into the distant future. If he can play most weeks he offers an uncomparable combination of potential and consistency and will be by far the best sub-8m option available from the big five (perhaps along with Rosicky who I discuss below). This is a gamble but with other options available for similar money (such as Modric) I can easily move Benayoun on if Benitez doesn't see sense.

Shaun Wright Phillips
I was slow to accept the fact that SWP was going to play consistenly for the new look City but now he proven this, his value is undeniable. I think he is in the same bracket as the likes of Young and Kuyt, but is available for several hundred thousand pounds less than each. Ireland isn't in great form at the moment and I have some concerns that when he starts firing the bonus points and assists will dry up a little but even then Wright Phillips will be good value. City's demolition of Arsenal on Saturday - in which SWP was heavily involved - show the potential of the Citizens, who are now equally valued (9-1) to finish in the top four with Arsene Wenger's side. There will be plenty of goals along the way and Wright Phillips style should allow for success away from home on the counter as well as at Eastlands where City are so strong.

Also considered: Aaron Lennon, Ashley Young

David Dunn
This is a late addition to the new look lineup and is subject to change in the next few days. Allardyce has been singing Dunn's praise, and the pundits agree having given him 4 bonus points in the last two games (his first action of the new season). He added a goal to those points this past weekend and with Allardyce suggesting a continued role just off the striker and making comparisons to fantasy legend Steven Gerrard, Dunn is a worthy bench/rotation player in the new side.

Also considered: Steed Malbranque, Thomas Rosicky

Matt Jarvis
Blogger reader NotoriousDre turned me on to Jarvis and I haven't looked back since. His chalkboards (right) show excellent positions in the danger zones as well as plenty of crosses and passes into the six yard box. For 4.5 all you ask is for a 90 minute man who has a chance to contribute in a couple of categories and Jarvis certainly ticks those boxes. Wolves schedule is pretty decent and gels with my first team players well (ie good fixtures when my first teamers have tough games). For a regular start at 4.5m Jarvis is also probably just a goal and man of the match display from a significant price rise.

Also considered: Jamie O'Hara, Jason Koumas, Lee Bowyer

Didier Drogba
This is the business end on where the big change comes. Gone are the bargain basement forwards and in come a dynamic pair that I plan to rotate with Adebayor (who was first choice until his suspension) and Defoe based on schedule. I think Drogba has only hit 80% of his form yet but has still managed four goals and leads the fantasy game is scoring. I love the fact that he is playing alongside Anelka, I love the fact he looks hungry under Ancellotti and I love the fact that he is suspended in Europe and so will be fresh in the league. Chelsea have the fourth best adjusted attacking schedule and games against Wigan, Blakcburn and Wolves have me (and hopefully Drogba) licking my lips. With two man of the match performances to date I feel Drogba probably has the highest bonus point potential of any premium striker, with the presence of Lampard the only downside here. I am a bit skeptical of investing 23.4m in two Chelsea players but even when they play good teams the big players tend to perform and so I'm happy to hitch my wagon to the league title favourites.

Also considered: Emmanuel Adebayor, Fernando Torres

Robin van Persie
This pick is of course dependant on the Dutchman shaking off the knee injury that kept him out of tonight's Champions League game. Assuming he is fit, Van Persie faces the best schedule in the league and should kick on after bagging his first of the season against City on Saturday. The 2 assist are very encouraging and hopefully when Arshavin returns from injury, the Arsenal team can become even more lethal and the goals will flow for Van Persie. Arsenal don't face another big four side until week 14 with only the derby with Spurs (week 11) looking like a tough game, and remember that finished 4-4 this time last year.

Andy Keogh I really want this pick to be Jozy Altidore but Phil Brown doesn't seem to rate the American star as a starter and the arrival of Vennegoor of Hesselink only muddies these waters further. I have therefore gone for Matt Jarvis's teammate Keogh whose 19 shots to date look very promising (Anelka 10, Bent 16 and Berbatov 14). Granted, he has only converted one of these to a goal but the 5 bonus points are also encouraging and like Jarvis above Keogh is a genuine 3 category player who will give solid contributions off the bench when required.

Also considered: Jozy Altidore, James McFadden

Gameweek 5 Wrapup

We were treated to a great weekend of action with 36 goals and big wins for City, United and Liverpool. A huge performance by Yossi Benayoun dominated the fantasy headlines, though Adebayor was also in the limelight for good and bad reasons. As predicted, clean sheets were hard to come by with only 3 on offer all weekend. For me, the weekend confirmed something I have been thinking since the season started, and threw up a new group of players that could play into a new strategy:

Premium Strikers are for real
In previous years the consensus strategy has been to spend big on midfield and plug in mid range or budget strikers, with the likes of Carlton Cole, James Beattie, Kevin Davies etc being popular choices. This year is shaping up very differently. The six most expensive strikers available are all in the top eight at their position, with four in the top five (Defoe being the odd man out). Rooney and Defoe have five goals, Drogba, Adebayor and Bent have four and Torres has three. Only four other players have scored more than once this season and only two of these can be had for less than 8m (Kenwyne Jones and Hugo Rodallega).
Contrast this with the midfield where, although Lampard and Gerrard lead the league, twelve of the next fourteen midfielders can be had for less than 8.2m. I am not advising moving away from Lampard and Gerrard but I do think the best strategy is now to have one of this pair with two premium strikers and then fill in the midfield with mid priced players (discussed below). Defenders are simply not reliable enough at the moment and good value can be had by playing the schedule and loading up with cheap-mid range talent when an easy team comes to town. Consider that United's best defender (Evra) is t14th, Arsenal's best (Gallas) is 30th and Liverpool's best after the impressive (and expensive Johnson) is t14th among defenders this year. Chelsea have been more impressive but with Carvalho and Bosingwa both being rotated this year, and Zhirkov due back at some point to threaten Cole's position even they aren't guaranteed to give value for money.

The arrival of the mid range midfield
Last year I loved plenty of 7m range midfielders, of whom you could afford a couple to lineup alongside studs like Lampard and Gerrard. Until now all these apart from Lennon have had their question marks this season. This week three mid range midfielders either confirmed the legitimacy of their early season success or emerged as new options:

Shaun Wright Phillips (8.1m 6.7%)
I have been sleeping a bit on City this year, but their 4-2 victory over Arsenal proves that they are a fantasy force and it would be wise to get in on their goals if you can. This is easier said than done due to the likely rotation of Tevez, Bellamy, Petrov, Santa Cruz and Robinho though three names - Adebayor, Ireland and Shaun Wright Phillips - stand out as legitimate fantasy stars. I did not think Wright Phillips would play every week for Hughes' side but to date he's played every minute for the Citizens, adding a goal and three assists in the process. I generally prefer players who are involved in the action all the time for their teams (ie Ireland) but Wright Phillips' production is unarguable. City's upcoming fixtures are good but not great but this is offset by the almost certain profit you will make on SWP whose value could rise by 0.1 or 0.2 this week. Three proven wingers stand out in the league - Lennon (7.9), Young (8.3) and SWP (8.1) - and I would not like to pick between them for the season. Young has the best fixtures, Lennon is in the best form while SWP is in the best team. I'd recommend picking all three if it weren't for the two players below . . .


Yossi Benayoun (7.4m 2%)
I rate Benayoun as Liverpool's third best player and I never understand why Benitez insists on playing Riera and Babel ahead of him. His hattrick yesterday might change this and the Israeli playmaker might be given an extended run in the first team. If that is the case then Benayoun is a must buy and his price will rocket this week after his 24 point performance. A look at Benayoun's chalkbaord shows how heavily involved he was down the right flank:

For 7.4m his value cannot be beaten and I even like him if he plays in just two thirds of Liverpool's games for this value. My advice now is to jump on the bandwagon now and reap the immediate rewards (price rise this week) and if he drops back to the bench in a few weeks then Modric should be back from injury and will be a ready made replacement. If he gets an extended run in the first team then Benayoun will be this season's Ireland, so why not get on the bandwagon early? His 7 seven shots cannot be ignored and so I expect Benayoun to reach double figures for the season so long as he can start 25+ games.


Thomas Rosicky (6.9m 0.9%)
The talented Czech playmaker has been cursed by injuries since arriving at the Emirates, to the point where he is largely a forgotten man in the Premier League. However, his performance in just 39 minutes on Saturday should change this and the fact he was given a run out so soon after returning from injury shows how highly he is rated by Wenger. Rosicky contributed a goal and an assist at City, passed the ball well and looked sharp coming off the bench. Normally I would recommend waiting a couple of weeks until he establishes himself in the first team but with Arshavin out with injury I think Rosicky might come straight into the side (replacing Diaby or Bendtner) and his price will almost certainly rise to 7m this week.

Budget defenders
Okay so you might be wondering who exactly I am going to get in defense having recommended you keep Lampard/Gerrard, add a load of 7.5m midfielders and then grab the likes of Drogba and Adebayor. Well, three players stand out here and I think the drop off from the big boys to these players will be alot smaller than the drop off from the aforementioned premium strikers to the mid-range players available:

James Collins (4.5m 1.1%)
Collins slotted straight into the Villa side today and looked very composed grabbing a clean sheet and 2 bonus points in the process. He is at least half a million cheaper than his teammates and he is playing for a side that has notched back to back clean sheets and will have a double gameweek in the future due to their bye in week 2. Dunne (5m) will probably get more attention and may well keep his place in the team when Davies returns, but until then Collins is great value and will free up cash to spend elsewhere.

Michael Turner (4.5m 9%)
Turner is priced like a Hull defender but is playing for a Sunderland team that is pretty good at the back and have been unlucky to only have kept one clean sheet this season. Turner also brings an added threat from set pieces which although I don't recommend paying extra for, if you can get it for 4.5m then take it while you can. Although widely held, I think Turner's value will rise and for whatever reason he is a bit of a bonus magnet, which will continue going forward in this Sunderland team.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto (5.1m 5.3%)
Due to Spurs' favourable upcoming fixtures I was all set to grab Bassong (5.2) who I rate very highly. However, Assou-Ekotto stood out on Saturday against United with his attacking play, and his chalkboard shows that he played seven balls into the danger zone. He has yet to notch an assist this year though did manage a screamer in week one, which is the reason why so many owners currently have him. In the long run I would not be surprised to see Assou Ekotto have Patrice Evra-like numbers as Spurs get their defense fit and the clean sheets start to come. Spurs face the unenviable task of going to Chelsea this week but then get Bur, @Bol, @Por, Sto, @Ars, Sun and Wig, with only the derby at Emirates looking threatening for Redknapp's team.

As a side note, Cudicini played very well against United and with Gomes due back from injury soon, it will be worth checking if the Italian can keep his place, as that schedule plus this defense would make Cudicini great value at 4.5m.

Needless to say I am considering using my wildcard to get some of the aforementioned players with my main concern as to who are the best premium strikers to anchor my revised team. I will post a new entry on this later in the week. How are your teams fairing? Has anyone used their wildcard yet and are they considering it? Why not tweet me or post your thoughts below.

Gameweek 5 Preview

There's a change of pace for this week's preview as I feel the game-by-game run-through often just tells you what you already know (Gerrard is a good play against Burnley - no kidding) and doesn't give you what you really want. I will therefore focus on 4 categories to help you make your decisions:
- best clean sheet bet
- captain rankings
- game predictions
- long term strength of schedules (for forward planning).

Let me know what you guys think and if any of the features are particular useful or if you could do without them. With that in mind, let the weekly preview begin . . .

Gameweek 5 fixtures

Blackburn v Wolves
Liverpool v Burnley
Man City v Arsenal
Portsmouth v Bolton
Stoke v Chelsea
Sunderland v Hull
Wigan v West Ham
Tottenham v Man Utd
Birmingham v Aston Villa
Fulham v Everton

Clean Sheet Rankings
1. Liverpool
2. Blackburn
3. West Ham
4. Sunderland
5. Bolton

I don't like that many teams this week for clean sheets with Liverpool looking like the only odds on bet. Blackburn-Wolves looks like it has 0-0 written all over it, much like Rovers' stalemate with the Hammers in week 4, who themselves look like they might be involved in a low scoring affair at the DW Stadium. Check the long term strength of schedules below before picking players from these teams though as the fixtures aren't easy enough to warrant burning two transfers on.

Captain Rankings
1. Steven Gerrard
2. Fernando Torres
3. Wayne Rooney
4. Ashley Young
5. Nicholas Anelka

As with clean sheets above, there aren't a great array of captain option this week due to United, Arsenal, City and Spurs going at it in two titan contests. Chelsea's trip to Stoke is also tough which might limit Lampard and Drogba's effectiveness this week. Of the Chelsea players, Anelka's pace could expose the Stoke defense who might deal better with the power of Drogba. I love the pair of Gerrard and Torres this week and the Liverpool captain will hope to round out a great week after his midweek brace against Croatia. United always play Spurs well though did fail to score in the corresponding fixture last season. Rooney has been in hot form of late and I would back him over all non-Liverpool players this week. After a quiet week 1 followed by the bye, Young has been largely overlooked this season but a goal, two assists and three bonus points in the last two games suggest good things to come for Young. I like him to shine in the Midlands derby this week and is a good outside bet for your armband this week.

Game Predictions
Blackburn 1-0 Wolves
Liverpool 3-0 Burnley
Man City 1-2 Arsenal
Portsmouth 0-0 Bolton
Stoke 0-1 Chelsea
Sunderland 1-1 Hull
Wigan 0-1 West Ham
Tottenham 1-2 Man Utd
Birmingham 1-2 Aston Villa
Fulham 2-2 Everton

The two headline games are the clashes at Eastlands and White Hart Lane where two pretenders - City and Spurs - face off against two European football giants. I am backing against them both (just!) and neither game is likely to provide a fantasy windfall for any single player. Adebayor against his old team looks like a tempting bet as does the aforementioned Rooney. I would avoid all defences in these games if possible.
A few games on the flip side look fairly dull which normally means they either (a) end up very dull or (b) surprise everyone and dish out 4 goals or so. Of the four predicted boring games at Blackburn, Portsmouth, Sunderland and Wigan, the most potential probably comes at Wigan where Martinez and Zola both encourage good football from their respective sides.

Strength of Schedule

Defenders - Best
1. Everton
2. Hull
3. Portsmouth
4. Aston Villa
5. Tottenham

Looking forward a few weeks for those wanting to move players on, the key target is Everton defenders, as I wrote about earlier in the week. After this week they get Bla, @Por, Sto, Wol, @Bol, Ast which all look pretty nice. All these games should also be helpful to the Everton forwards who have struggled a bit this year, and with the return of Yakubu, the Nigerian striker and Cahill look like decent pickups. Even with the favourable matchups, Hull and Portsmouth are too weak to consider right now though Villa and Spur are more intriguing. With a decent fixture this week, Villa might be a good source of talent though it isn't crystal clear who will play. Young and Davies look set to miss out with injury which leaves five defenders to fight for four spots. Warnock (4.9) is the assumed choice at left back and might be the best best. The sleeper pick is Collins (4.5) who is very cheap and showed midweek that he can even add the odd goal. The more likely partnership in the middle is Dunne and Cuellar though so perhaps Collins is too risky for now.
As for Spurs, after next weeks trip to Chelsea the fixtures look pretty great with only the derby trip to the Emirate looking scary until mid season. Bassong (5.2)is struggling for fitness now but should be healthy by the time you would to bring him in for week 7. Asou Ekotto (5.1) and Corluka (5.4) are also worth consideration for this favourable run of games.

Defenders - Worst
1. Fulham
2. Bolton
3. West Ham
4. Blackburn
5. Chelsea

The middle three teams enjoy good fixtures this week though any production is likely to go downhill soon so unless I would not advise bringing these boys in unless you can spare another transfer to move them on soon. Despite the fixtures Chelsea defenders will always carry some value, and although some tricky opponents lie in wait (Spurs, Liverpool and United), they all come at home so I wouldn't run away from in form players like Ashley Cole just yet.
Fulham worry me a bit and I've been thinking about the future of Aaron Hughes (4.9) in my team all week. They have conceded four in the last 2 games but both were quality opponents - Villa and Chelsea - so its harsh to abandon them just yet. The fixture don't get really nasty until week 7 so I advise given the Cottagers two more weeks to prove their worth after which you might want to move them on anyway (Ars, @WH, Hul, @MNC, Liv). Note though that from week 12 on Fulham have great fixtures and a double week so if you can afford the luxury it might be worth holding out until then through the aforementioned sticky patch.
Midfield/Forwards - Best
1. Everton
2. Portsmouth
3. Arsenal
4. Hull
5. Birmingham

I mentioned Everton and Portsmouth above, so lets focus on the other three teams here. Hull and Birmingham lack top level talent but I rate both Altidore (5.0) and Jerome (4.5) very highly, though Jerome's injury status rules him out of fantasy consideration. If Phil Brown would just play Altidore, I am sure he can be a 12-15 goal a season player but until he gets regular minutes he is a major risk. As for Arsenal, the player I liked best to benefit from this run of games was Arshavin, but he now looks likely to miss a couple of games. Fabregas played with and scored for Spain in midweek and looks to be gaining full fitness ready for this favourable schedule. I therefore expect Lampard/Gerrard like production over the next 2 months and with Chelsea's tough fixture list some Lampard owners (including myself) might want to look at Cesc as a way of freeing up some cash for the next few gameweeks. Van Persie's (10.0) value has been hurt somewhat by the 4-3-3 as he is yet to find the net despite Arsenal scoring 11 in the first 3 games. He has added 3 assists though and I think he can generate big time points in the coming weeks and would rank him ahead of similarly priced players such as Adebayor, Anelka and Drogba in that period.

Midfield/Forward - Worst
1. West Ham
2. Sunderland
3. Stoke
4. Man City
5. Fulham

These rankings are a blow for mid range striker believers as Bent, Cole, Jones and Beattie all appear to be risky bets in the coming weeks. West Ham's schedule is particularly brutal with trips to City, Stoke and Sunderland compounded by the visits of Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton and Fulham - all at least solid team. These rankings wouldn't scare me off the likes of Jimenez, Malbranque, Lawrence or Murphy as you are better having the central point of a team against a tough opponent that an average player on a weak team playing Portsmouth. I am scared off with City a bit though and any plans I had to bring Adebayor in have been shelved for now. Ireland owners might consider upgrading to Fabregas or switching to a Young or Lennon and using your cash elsewhere.

I hope you found the above useful in picking your team for the week/making transfers and please post any comments or suggestions below. Also, for those on Twitter, why not tweet your lineup decisions to @plfantasy and I'll post them with answers here before Saturday's deadline.

International Roundup

England 5 -1 Croatia
Braces from Lampard and Gerrard along with a goal for in-form Rooney served to underline the strength of the top fantasy players available. Lennon also played well and has all but convinved me that he is the logical choice to replace Modric for those with the extra bit of cash - 0.3m - to spare. The main thing is that there were injuries and a goal for Eduardo will also be welcomed by the Arsenal fans.

Scotland 0-1 Hollland
De Jong, van Persie and Kuyt all played a part here and got through the game unscathed. Kuyt should have scored at least once where as van Persie was largely quiet. Kuyt looks like a great bet this week at home to Burnley and he will take confidence from another good performance here, though his booking for diving was not good to see. Hutton, Alexander and Fletcher were all in action for Scotland with, again, no injuries noted. Elia's goal was brilliantly taken and I think we might here more than that boy in the future.

Serbia 1-1 France
Eventful game in Serbia involving a whole host of Premier League players including Vidic, Ivanovic, Milijas and Tosic for Serbia and Evra, Gallas, Sagna, Anelka, Malouda and Clichy for France. Milijas added a goal from the spot for Serbia, while the French boys were largely restricted having been reduced to 10 men when keeper Lloris was sent off after just 10 minutes. No injuries to note which is great news for Arsenal, Chelsea and all the other teams watching this one on the edge of their seats.

Wales 1-3 Russia
Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko played for the Russians tonight while the Welsh side featured Hennessey, Ricketts, Gabbidon, James Collins, Ramsey and Bellamy. Arshavin failed to find the net but the ran the game all day, showing the kind of pace, power and composure that convince me he can join Gerrard and Lampard in a new big three. He grabbed an assist for the first goal with a lovely through ball. Villa new boy James Collins (4.5m) responded with a header from a Ramsey cross, and with Davies out for O'Neill's men, it could get better for the Welshman as he looks to establish himself in the Villa first team.

Spain 3-0 Estonia
Premier League stars Fabregas and Torres played here and enjoyed distinctly different nights. Fabregas was excellent on his way to a man of the match display, and even added a goal to complete his evening. Torres however was very quiet and failed to impress again for La Furia Roja. The main thing for fantasy players is that they both got through the game without injury as Fafbregas will go to back alongside Diaby instead of Xavi and Torres will get his old friend Steve Gerrard back, so don't read too much into these displays. Torres is probably the top captain pick alongside Gerrard this week as Liverpool welcome Burnley to Anfield.

Elsewhere
- Michael Ballack converted a penalty in Germany's 4-0 win over Azerbaijan
- Rosicky played his first game in 20 months, playing just shy of an hour in the Czech's 7-0 demolition of San Marino.
- Martin Skrtel played 90 minutes for Slovakia in there 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland. With his fitness confirmed he should be the logical choice to replace Insua if you cannot afford Aurelio.
- Bendtner scored as Denmark drew with Albania though don't get the idea that this makes him a legitimate fantasy option just yet.

Sweet Toffee

In prior years, many fantasy players' defensive strategy has been to pick 4 players from the big four and watch the points role in, with very little need for tinkering. Three factors have conspired to reduce the effectiveness of this strategy:

- the big four's defenses have not been excellent this year with Liverpool and to a lesser extent Arsenal looking vulnerable at the back
- injuries and rotation have lessened the number of every week starters who are guaranteed to suit up for their respective sides. Arsenal look settled with Clichy, Gallas, Vermaelen and Sagna but each of the other big four sides have seen some form of rotation due to injury of to rest players.
- several middle tier sides have emerged with improved defenses, most notably City, who are yet to concede this season and Stoke, whose home form is again stellar.

Defensive points are the consistent lifeblood of any fantasy team as no striker can match the consistency of a 8 game clean sheet run, or the 25 total clean sheets kept by United last year. It is becoming increasingly necessary to play the schedule, picking in-form defensive teams with weak opponents, rather than just plugging in the likes of Carragher or Terry and waiting for the massive points haul to come in.

Right place, right time
Everton have struggled a bit so far this season with a devastating home 6-1 loss to Arsenal followed by defeat at Burnley in week 3 (after a bye in week 2). However, the defense is showing signs of turning round and the arrivals of Distin and Heitinga should speed up this process. Their upcoming six games are simply mouth watering with three of their opponents having failed to score a goal this season at the location Everton face them (Fulham at Craven Cottage, Portsmouth at Fratton Park and Stoke on the road). The other three at home to Blackburn, home to Wolves and away to Bolton look like they could bear defensive fruit as well.

The slight sticking point is who will play in the coming weeks, a situation that will be muddied further with the return of Phil Jagielka. Two players stand out here as both look relatively assured of a first team place and offer good value for different reasons:

Sylvain Distin
One of my favourite strategies when picking defenders is to simply pick the cheapest player available in a defensive unit, as you are generally benefiting from a team's success rather than an individual. On this basis Distin (4.9m) is a steal and will surely be due for a price rise once Everton's clean sheets start to come. The new arrival from Portsmouth is all but guaranteed a starting spot until Jagielka returns, and even then might be able to keep his place. Although not really an attacking threat, for 4.9m he could offer top 6 value for a bottom 6 price.

Leighton Baines
Baines' penalty at the weekend could make him one of two defenders in charge of spot kicks, with Graham Alexander of Burnley being the other. Baines had a great season last year, leading the league in PPMS and would surpass 150 points this year even if he only featured in 30 games and scored at the same rate. Baines' 7 assists last year are also appealing though his lack of bonus points are a bit disappointing. Everton's slow start has caused Baines' value to fall to 6.3m and now could be a good time to bring him in. He looks like a perfect replacement for those moving Insua on or anyone who has lost faith in Liverpool or Arsenal's defense.

Based on the ease of fixtures I would recommend considering both of these players and would certainly get a least one in before next week's home game against Blackburn.