My (Early) Week 1 Team
Ok - there's still 11 days still to go, plenty more signing to come & changes WILL be made before 15th August...but at the current time this is how my team is looking for Week 1.
Kirkland - Will stay as my keeper unless his brittle-bone syndrome kicks in again (*Not anymore! See here...)
Wilkinson - Starting status will be checked closer to kick off, but did well for me on numerous occasions last year.
Hreidarsson - Will probably stay as he is likely to start both games barring injury. Another who did well for me last season including 2 goals in a double week!
Carr - The fact I'm even considering him shows what a lack of 2 game defensive options there are. He'll probably be changed.
Lampard - Staying barring injury.
Jordi Gomez - Will stay unless I feel his starting status is at risk.
Valencia - Not sure. He costs almost £12 million so there's a good chance I could still go for a cheaper option & spend more on the 3rd striker or a slightly improved defence.
Milijas - Staying barring injury. Thanks for all the comments about him, I'd missed him off my radar but my research has confirmed he could be a star for Wolves this season.
Drogba - Staying barring injury.
Torres - Like Valencia, I can't decide if I want to spend that much on him. OR I could spend slightly more & get Rooney, but someone else would need to be dropped to free up the extra cash. I can see a lot of chopping & changing going on right up to the deadline
Rodallega - Likely to be changed in the Torres/Rooney/Valencia merry-go-round.
So that's how it looks right now, 11 double-gamers & I have £0.03 million remaining.
As I wrote my team out I'm already having doubts over 60% of my current choices, so a lot is going to change. It's going to be stressful making the final decisions as the first deadline gets closer, but you've gotta love it...it's what makes Yahoo's fantasy football game better than any other.
Please feel free to leave suggestions, or post your current line-ups in the comments section below - I've been really pleased with some of the banter we've got going in previous posts, so keep it going!
Cheers
AM
35 comments:
I have Lampard at the moment too but, just a thought, should chelsea sign Pirlo (& with left footed Zhirkov already there), do you think they will take some of the set pieces away from lamps?
Pirlo is nothing if not a set piece specialist, as is Zhirkov...
maybe Stevie G becomes the more attractive prospect??
OS
Hi OS
If Pirlo did sign I'd have a think about it, but I've got a feeling about Lampard in Week 1. Still, as I wrote above, things could change in the next 11 days!
With regards to Wilkinson.. What advantages does he have over the cheaper Sonko? Did'nt do yahoo last year so not really upto date with team like stoke, hull etc.
Thanks
@12:27pm
Last season Wilkinson played 20 out of the last 24 games for Stoke as they secured safety, while Sonko played most of the first half of the season but then got injured and was unable to regain his place. I feel Wilkinson will keep his place for Stoke, but again I'll be checking team news closer to the start of the season.
Nice blog. Had no idea some teams probably wouldn't have two games... guess that's what happens when you live in the U.S. :-)
Thanks for the comments Jeff, welcome to the blog! :)
Hello again AM
You may want to rethink the Herman pick as he's picked up a hamstring injury and is a doubt now for the opening match..
Nice blog I'm enjoying reading it..
Crazylegs Kev.
Thanks Kev - the initial report I read said he should've been out for 2 weeks & would be back, but it now seems it was a hamstring tear rather than pull so yeah, he may well miss it. Yet another defensive option removed for Week 1!
Great blog, this is my second year playing/following the premier league. Here is my early line up - obviously lots of tweaking possible... let me know
Kirkland, Wilkinson - Ricketts - Sonko
Gerard - Lampard - Milijas - Gomez - Mok
Drogba - Rooney
Any suggestions? Sonko and Rickets are biggest question marks but lack of 2 game defenders makes it tough
Griffin is back to full fitness for Stoke (according to Neal/Jeremy blog) and is cheaper than Wilk.
If Pirlo goes to Chelsea he would most likely take some of the set pieces, how he would fit into the midfield is a question mark, but Lamps wouldn't be changed. A 5.56mil Pirlo would be much better than Gomez ;D
As defenders go, I am sticking with the Bos and Griffin with Edgar. Bos has the best chance for pts + CS (now that I say that he won't :D)
There is a lot of question over Zhirkov. But he did score against AC Milan and so he stays for me aswell.
Forward line up for me is Drogs and Rooney. I want Torres but my gut feeling is being out weighed by the more sensible choice given matchups.
Cheers
Kellz
@3:00pm Anonymous
Any team with Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney & Drogba is going to do well but the only way to afford them all is to sacrifice elsewhere and I think you've balanced it well. Is there any other 2 gamers you could afford to swap Ricketts out for?
@Kellz
Good points as ever. Do you think Griffin will start? I'm pretty sure Stoke's form improved after he was injured/dropped, even though he was club captain. Edgar is still on my radar as a cheap option...and I could well be dropping Torres as mentioned above. So many choices still to make!
Good posts by everyone but im confident I have you beat in terms of points to cost.
Kirkland
K.Naughton-Evra-Wilkinson
Lampard-Valencia-Milijas-Gomez
Drogba-Defoe-EbanksBlake
As you can see, im betting liverpool will have a slow start by seeing their preseason results. 1-1 draw with spurs seems likely along with a 1-0 win against stoke
My goal for the first couple of YFF matches is too pick based on matchups and not so much on "hunches". Getting a solid score the first couple of weeks can leave room for error on hunch picks down the line.
@ToffeeDave: sure of Naughton to start? Almost say Evra is too expensive even with the matchups. Why not Bos slightly cheaper with better chances for attack/CS?
@AM: I think Griffin will start, speculation of course. Wilk did pick up a shoulder injury but shouldbe fine. However Griffin is they way I go due to my formation and funds.
@anonymous: I'd almost say pick one or the other on Gerrard/Lamps. I think if they both do well its a great gamble payoff. But if they don't, having that 20mil from either to spread around can get you the same points if not more. Remember not only the top premium players score big points but can still score well below their price. (For cost effectiveness you want Gerrard to score 40 pts, I don't think he will but thats my opinion).
AMgr - I wonder if you are missing out on the ManU angle with (only) Valencia..?? I think over two games Rooney will come up huge and is a pick not to be missed. Perhaps in the place of Torres in your currnt set-up. I like Valencia a lot and think he will be solid YFF-wise all year (he is reported to be taking some corners), but I get a gut feeling that he may have a hot & cold week 1, scoring well in one game and getting naught in the other. Another way of saying it is that I feel Roon's ceiling for points is higher over 2 games than Valencia's.
Re: Rodellaga - I think that's the riskiest pick you've got. For 90% of his season, he was a donkey really, and only went on a run for 2-3 games. I haven't heard anything in preseason that appeals him to me, and you've got the Wigan angle covered with Gomez (who should be safer as he will be taking set pieces likely). Hugo might give you back 2 games of 4 points each; it seemed that when he did not score, he returned squat LOL.
@ 9:15 - I know, I just can't resist a hunch pick! It's undoubtedly risky, but everyone will be picking similar players so it's good to try something different..it's worked for me in the past, but it's also gone horribly wrong!
Dave - I must admit I'm leaning towards Rooney, it'll just take some re-arranging!
As for Rodallega, he started slowly in a new country but he's only started 9 Prem games and has 3 goals. I saw him cause Man U all sorts of problems towards the end of last season (and he scored), he has pace, power, loves to shoot, he will have settled a bit more & has a pre season behind him. I think he'll have a good year, but he's still not a certainty in my team for Week 1.
@Dave: The United angle provides some difficulties. Of the assumed starters, beyond Valencia United's midfield doesn't have powerful YFF potential (maybe Nani and the off chance Carrick scores). This also includes United's defense beyond Vidic. Evans, Oshea, Ferdinand, and Evra scored relatively low points compared to other premium defenders.
Plus the rotation that Fergie conducts makes the United situation that much harder.
I think you nailed Rooney and Valencia with Vidic, possibly Evra/Nani and EvdS being the safest highest point returners for United
Kellz
I arrived at this lineup after long deliberation, I think it gives balance to price/point:
Kirk
Bos, Griffin, Edgar
Lamps, Zhirkov, Valencia, Milijas, Gomez
Drogs, Rooney
Only question is Zhirkov, but he has already scored for Chelsea and I think he will get some good crosses if not SOT against Hull/Sunderland. I can totally see a 0-0 draw for Stoke/Burnley, making Grif and Edgar the best bottom of the barrel defenders.
Thoughts?
Kellz
I like your picks but zhirkov is increasingly looking like a bit part player to me for chelsea. Notably as ancelotti wants pirlo moving essien out to a wide role. Essien will not be benched as he is wayyy too good leaving lampard pirlo (if bought and probably will) malouda and essien in midfield. I found a gem in defence who I believe is the next michael turner and will be huge the first week. I'll leave you guessing who it is though.
how happy is everyone that van der sar is injured!?!? An easy 12+ points for the week and only 6.30mil for foster. Solid!!!
I like your team Toffee Dave, although keep an eye on Naughton's starting status. There's a good chance King will be back for the Liverpool game, which means Spurs would have more options across their backline & you're left trying to guess whether Naughton, Hutton or Corluka will start at right back.
Kellz - Nice team, can't really add anything that hasn't been said about Zhirkov...I'm avoiding him in Week 1.
good blog. glad I found it. Its going to be helpful during the season. I run a league based in the usenet group rec.sports.soccer. which, if you don't know usenet you should check out. We were there before the web, 15 years running.
Last year I was top 1000 or so and won the RSS league. And I am an American which makes it sweeter. Secret of success is finding new transfers who start and produce or undervalued players. Last year, it was Bosingwa, Steven Ireland, Robinho, Arshavin and Vidic.
This year, I am going with Zhirkov, who is rumored not to have a work permit yet, Vermaelen the Arsenal defender, and Aquilani, just signed by Liverpool
Any info on Zhirkov's status will be appreciated. Assuming you guys don't try to screw up to the oppostion.
I looked through my crystal ball and saw Zhirkov scoring 5 goals in Chelsea's opener to Hull.
Okay jokes aside, no we are not here to screw up your team. The debat on Zhirkov is where he will fit into Ancoletti's formation.
With FloMo and A.Cole playing left side, where does he fit? Its not a question of if he will play, its where and when. Its a question mark, but worth a gamble.
Better wait until closer to Aug 15 to see team updates/possible starting XI's
Kellz
@ 10:42 - I'd have to agree with Kellz and wait on Zhirkov until we know how he fits in. However, I can confirm he has his work permit, it was granted on 24th July.
With short turnaround I think Kuszczak plays the 2nd v. Burnley.
FYI ... PhysioRoom says Hreidarsson out 1 week.
Congratulations on this fabulous resource! I expect to move way up the table this season with your help.
This is my first year doing YFF (first year doing any FF for a long time), so this blog is a great find for me!
I've spent hours looking at it so am expecting to make a lot of changes this week, but at the moment I've got:
Foster
Ferdinand-Boswinga-Naughton
Lennon-Milijas-N'Zogbia-Riera-Aquilani
Drogba-Rooney
What formation's best for points?
I've a feeling Foster could stay as no 1 for most of the season, so (in the kindest possible way) pleased with Van der Saar's injury.
The main reason I've picked Naughton is because I think his value will shoot up as the season goes on, but I'm doubtful of his starting status. Corluka will def start (probably at CB), but he desn't seem all that points-high.
I also think I'll have to change Lennon, that was sentimentality - I couldn't face picking more Liverpool players than my own!
I did have Lampard and would like to get him back in, but - considering the defender problem this week - I'm not sure where I could save the money.
Hi NBR - A fellow Spurs fan? :)
The best formation depends on the match ups...you'll want to try and use 3-4-3 when you can but don't be afraid to use 3-5-2 in week where you don't fancy the choice of strikers.
I like your team - it's different to many I've seen. You're the first person I've seen with Lennon, N'Zogbia & Riera plus you're defence is very good. I'm going for Lampard, but I can't see how you could get him without losing Rooney or gutting the rest of your team - don't do it if you don't think it's wise. Although I share your concerns about Naughton's starting status so I don't think i'll be picking him myself.
You actually have a better balance than my team, and it's certainly given me soemthing to think about too - good luck!
My first year in EPL ever. Have been reading you blog for about a week. Tell me what you think .
3-4-3:
Kirkland
McCartney-Griffin-O'Shea
Lampard-Benayoun-Milijas-Cattermole
Rooney-Drogba-Fuller
If I go 3-5-2 am going with Mascherano and dropping Fuller.
Comments are appreciated.
Hey there!
Kirkland = Good, although Foster better if he plays tomorrow
McCarthney = May not play
Griffin = May not play
O'Shea = Good, but watch out for Rafael & Wes Brown
Lampard = Brilliant
Benayoun = May not play (definitely not both games)
Milijas = Brilliant
Cattermole = Okay filler, but tends to get booked/give away fouls
Rooney = Brilliant
Drogba = Brilliant
Fuller = Okay, how much do you have spare? Could probably find better.
Not bad at all for a first attempt, far far better than mine when I first started!! :) Maybe try and get a few more players in who'll definitely start.
Changed 3-4-3 to following:
Foster
Bassong-Edgar-Sonko
Lampard-Milijas-Aquilani-Valencia
Rooney-Drogba-Kalou
.28 left
1st ever EPL season . From the U.S. How does this look?
Hi John,
Bassong is suspended for first 2 games.
Sonko probably won't start for Stoke.
Aquilani is injured apparantly, out for 4 weeks.
Kalou probably won't start.
Everyone else is good, try changing the 4 players above...good luck!
Update:
Zhirkov out of Community Shield friendly due to knee injury. Unknown how long he is out for but could make him a better choice game week 2 instead of this week.
Kellz
Great blog! Glad I've found it.
Would like some comments on my YFF picks
Kirkland
Bosingwa, Ferdinand, O'Shea
Lampard, Milijas, Mokoena, Carrick, Malouda
Ebanks-Blake, Drogba
Who is Jordi Gomez anyway and why should be on start for Wigan when there is already Sinclair and Zogbia
I think N'Zogbia should be a good replacement for Gomez, anyone ?
As for Mokoena, the cheapest player in YFF, he will surely start for both matches + at only 1.24, bet me he is worth a buy.
I also would recommend Carrick ahead of Valencia since the latter is a doubtful starter.
I would consider some late changes as well for the strikers
Totally like this blog.
Just finish my starting lineup and would like some comments on it.
Foster
R.Ferdinand, Wilkinson, D.Egar
milijas, Lampard, valencia, Mokoena
Drogba, Rooney, Ebanks-Blake
Any comments on my team? Thanks.
Hi there - thanks for visiting!
Looks good, similar to alot of others teams but should do well...good luck
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