Week 13 - Player Picks

Finally Week 12 is over & the Blog Cup 2nd Round results are up, so I can now concentrate on Week 13 with my passage to Round 3 safetly secured! :)

After pretty much ending last week where I started it, just inside the Top 1500, I really need to push on. It's back to a single week for Week 13 which I think we all prefer & as always there are a huge number of picks to consider with a great variety of fixtures.

Here are the 40 or so players currently under consideration:

KEEPERS
Kirkland - Dirt cheap after letting in 9 & being credited with an unlucky own goal vs Spurs, but is at home & faces a Sunderland side missing Jones & Bent. A real possibility.
Given - Always lets me down but his price has now dropped & he's home to Hull (though they've started scoring goals). I'll personally be going with a cheaper option.
Robinson - Home to Stoke & Blackburn tend to do okay at Ewood Park. He was rubbish last night mind you.
Hennersey - A real outside bet if you don't fancy Kirkland or Robbo. He's home to Birmingham in a game Wolves MUST win in my opinion. Definitely a risk but you'd be going against the crowd, which always gives you a chance to claw back some points.

DEFENDERS
Vermaelen - The Verminator is running out of time. If I had him at £6m like many of you I'd be 100% keeping him, but I have him at over £7m which means I've started to look at alternatives. Do I have the guts to drop him? Chelsea isn't exactly a great fixture.
Evra - I can see United running out 3-0 winners at Portsmouth, I can see Evra getting forward a lot & getting clean sheet points, meaning I actually see him as a bit of a bargain, even at £11.85m
Nelsen - If you're still holding him at his old price of around £5m then he's worth keeping for his home fixture vs Stoke.
Givet/Jacobson - If you don't have Nelsen then one of these guys might be worth a punt at just £5.5m. If Givet is back he'll probably take his place back from Jacobson, so it's one to keep an eye on.
Konchesky - His price has risen after his showing last night, but home to Bolton is a great fixture so £8m is still a decent price if you have the funds lying around.
Bridge - Mr Average, but home to Hull
Zabeleta - Likely to keep Richards out of the team for another week, home to Hull.
Brown - The most affordable Man Utd defender likely to start the game at Fratton Park
Rafael - Bit of a risk but with injuries to Evans, O'Shea & Ferdinand he could continue at right back.
Alexander - West Ham isn't the worst fixture, he's playing midfield, he takes penalties & I have him at £5m
Upson - Home fixture & he's always a threat from set pieces.
Illunga - If he returns from injury
Baird - Tricky one. He's played a few games in a row in midfield now but we've all been wondering what happens when Murphy returns. I barndoored him at under £5m last night so I'd love to keep him if it looks like he'll start again.

MIDFIELDERS
Dempsey - In outstanding form, 2 goals last night & likely to be pushed to play upfront against a terrible Bolton side after Zamora's injury. I'd dropped him at the weekend but brought him back in last night. A must have for Week 13.
Dunn - Another player in blistering form, taking all set pieces & picking up points all over the place, even in 3-0 defeats. Home to Stoke.
Valencia - Really starting to find his feet after struggling initially. As mentioned earlier, Pompey could be in for a battering so Valencia is a very good pick, especially if you barndoored him for £10m at the weekend. Even at £12m he should return his value.
Giggs - He should play after being rested last night & he'll be on set piece duties. Always a tempting selection when United face weaker opposition.
Duff - Looked very dangerous last night & was unlucky not to be credited with 2 assists. Whether you want both him & Dempsey is another dilemma, one I'm currently working on!
J Cole - I'm keeping him in the list because I'm sure many of you are holding him at £6.6m, but with Lampard rumoured to be back plus Malouda & Essien on fire, there's no guarentee he starts vs Arsenal.
Billy - He returns from suspension & boy do Everton need him. I expect he'll come straight back in to the starting line-up after Everton lost their 2nd in a row last night. Bargain against an equally faultering Liverpool side.
Collison - The more I see of him the better prospect he appears. He's creating so much for his team, getting a few free kicks, getting forward to join Carlton Cole. Should do well vs Burnley.
Ireland - City's best player last season & the best player on the pitch vs Liverpool last weekend. I can't see Hughes dropping him after that performance & there could be good points for him vs Hull.
Reid - With no Bent & no Jones I expect Steve Bruce will be asking Andy Reid to offer an extra attacking threat for Sunderland. Expect lots of excellent set pieces & a shoot on sight mentality.
N'Zogbia - Massive talent who'll be looking to bounce back. Always plays better at home.
Jarvis - Wolves set piece taker at home to Birmingham
Gomez - My really huge hunch pick of the week. Jordi has been missing from the Wigan team in the last 6 weeks but after the 9-1 I expect he could find himself in the starting line-up. Now costs under £6m.
Bullard - Just makes the list due to the impact since his return, but doubts over his fitness (not making the bench llast night) means he's dropped from my team for Dempsey
Lennon - Only if you barndoored him

STRIKERS
Drogba - I feel pleased I kept Drogba now. He's still hovering close to the £16m mark & I hold him at £10.5m. Arsenal may look great when going forward but defensively they are still a mess & I think Chelsea will win an entertaining match, with Drogs (still the top scorer in the game by almost 50 points) causing them all sorts of problems.
Rooney - Has been a bit off form in the past month which makes it difficult to part with £16m for him. But it's Portsmouth, with a new manager, bottom of the league - no better way to get back on the goalscoring trail!
Adebayor - I hate him. But he's home to Hull.
Defoe - Hands up if you love chasing points? ME! I've grabbed Defoe on the barndoor, but when I think about it rationally...Would I pick him away to Aston Villa if he hadn't just scored 5 goals? No. Does that mean I shouldn't pick him now? Er...dunno!
Rodallega - Sure to want to fire vs Sunderland, he always scores decent points at home, joint 3rd highest "Shots on Target" with 20, could be worth a gamble.
C Cole - Carlton Cole is one of the few bright spots of West Ham's season so far (the other being Collison). He'll cause Burnley trouble, & thanks to his own goal he's a steal at under £10m
Campbell - Fraizer is bound to start for Sunderland, costs under £4.5m, vs Wigan. Bargain of the week.
Eduardo - A guarenteed starter for a team that create chances for fun at home & very very good value, even vs Chelsea.
Robinho/Bellamy - Problem is, Who will start? When you throw Tevez in too it makes it even trickier, but both players are capable of big points vs Burnley. If you're a risk taker then I'd maybe go for Robinho - he's fit & Hughes has to keep him sweet or he'll be off to Barcelona. Robinho may even see it as audition for that very move...?
Roberts - Did well last week when I choose Zamora over him. He has a nice home game but I'd only pick him if you have him at his inital £6m. Otherwise, if you're spending £10mish, go with Carlton Cole.
Nevland - Great fixture, goal in midweek, still reasonably priced
Ebanks-Blake - Wildcard

So there we have it - I'll be picking a team from this list of 45 players. I'll admit I've got a team picked now which I'm reasonably happy with, but I'm sure as injury news trickles through in the next 24 hours I'll be making some changes.

Keep checking back for Injury News, Week 13 Round-Up/Week 14 Preview looking at the barndoor (rememeber Week 14 is set to be Round 1 of the 600 team "AM Challenge Cup") plus any other bits & bobs that I feel might be of interest to you all.

Also, I really recommend you join my Facebook Group if you're one of the 600 teams in any of the 6 Blog Leagues. I may well be using Facebook to communicate with managers regarding the AM Challenge, with fixture reminders (which week each round falls on), notifications of results etc.

Let me know how your teams are shaping up! Anyone I've missed?

Cheers,
AM