Week 15 - Player Picks

The double week we've all been waiting for is almost upon us & if you play Week 15 correctly if could help turn your season around.

You'll find that a lot will change over the Xmas & New Year period. We have 2 double weeks coming up in the next month, but people are always busy at this time of year so it often means they don't have the time to do much research on their team. If you can find the time you'll find yourself rising up the rankings as we enter 2010.

So who should you be looking at for Week 15? This is what I wrote in my preview last week

Week 15 Fixtures
Saturday, 12 December 2009
Birmingham v West Ham, 15:00
Bolton v Man City, 15:00
Burnley v Fulham, 15:00
Chelsea v Everton, 15:00
Hull v Blackburn, 15:00
Man Utd v Aston Villa, 17:30
Stoke v Wigan, 12:45
Sunderland v Portsmouth, 15:00
Tottenham v Wolverhampton, 15:00

Sunday, 13 December 2009
Liverpool v Arsenal, 16:00

Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Birmingham v Blackburn, 20:00
Bolton v West Ham, 20:00
Man Utd v Wolverhampton, 20:00
Sunderland v Aston Villa, 19:45

Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Burnley v Arsenal, 19:45
Chelsea v Portsmouth, 19:45
Liverpool v Wigan, 20:00
Tottenham v Man City, 20:00

Week 15 is double week for everyone except Hull, Stoke, Everton & Fulham which means I'll probably rid myself of players like Duff & Baird (if I keep them for Week 14). In a week like this I feel you need all double gamers.

The teams playing 2 home games are: Chelsea, Tottenham, Man Utd, Liverpool, Sunderland, Birmingham, Bolton & Burnley. I wouldn't be getting excited about any of the away teams, including Arsenal & Man City, as they all have at least one very tough fixture. Wolves are surely the most unlucky as they travel to Old Trafford & White Hart Lane.

Leading on from that, here are my Week 15 Player Picks...

KEEPERS
Hart - If you're spending he's the best choice. I'd say Birmingham have the easiest fixtures & their defence has been outstanding.
Kuszczak - If Van Der Sar is out, 2 very winnable home games.
Gomes - 2 home games but 1 against City could be tough.
Fulop - 2 winnable home games.
Jensen - 2 home games, tricky 1 vs Arsenal, but he makes saves at home.
Jaaskelainen - 2 home games, Bolton are dire could lose both BUT he makes a lot of saves & he's cheap.

Quick note on GKs for Week 15; I think in a double week when you have so many "double home game" Keepers to choose from, you should take that opportunity, which is why I'm not listing Green/Almunia etc. You have a choice from £10m down to £4m. Unfortunately I'm currently stuck with Kirkland @ 1.64 & I'm finding it very difficult to decide which outfield player to downgrade to upgrade my keeper. I will find a way, even if it means going with Duke/Myhill for Hull's 1 home game, as I thinK Wigan will lose both away games heavily.

DEFENDERS
Evra - 2 home games to bomb down the wing, he'll give big points but you'll pay a premium price.
A Cole - See above.
Vermaelen - Just because.
R Johnson - Having an outstanding season for Birmingham & wouldn't be surprised to see him pop up with a goal.
Bassong - No sign of a King or Woodgate return so a bargain with 2 home games.
Brown - If Wes is back then he's still very good value.
Turner - Always a good points scorer when Sunderland are at home.
Mears - Consistent but on the yellow card tightrope (along with Carlisle)
Ridgewell - If you can't afford Johnson but want a Birmingham defender.
Alexander - 2 home games, penalty taker, value has dropped to an affordable level.
Carragher - I know lots of people barndoored him at £6m-ish & at that price he's worth it, but beware the yellow card situation
Steinsson - Seems to have stolen his place back from Ricketts & he's another who loves to fly down the wing.
Hreidarsson - If you have him at last week's price then keep the big man.
Givet - Consistent in victory or defeat.
Berra - Cheap & decent scoring for a Wolves team who almost never keep a clean sheet.
Samuel - Cheap, but beware a yellow card in the 1st fixture would rule him out of the 2nd.

MIDFIELDERS
I've split midfielders this week - firstly you'll see a list of the top options, followed by a list of midfield "fillers" under £5.5m who will play in at least 1 game, possibly 2 & will enable you to spend more of your cash on premium double gamers. No prizes for guessing which list is which.

Arshavin - Pushed further forward & showed glimpses of his best form vs Stoke. Remember what happened last time he played at Anfield...
Lampard - Expensive & not in great form, but you can't completely ignore him given Chelsea's fixtures.
Lennon - In the form of his life at the moment so 2 home games are tempting.
Gerrard - A bit like Lampard, you just know you'll get performance soon & we all know he saves his best for Anfield.
Valencia - Starting to show that there is life without Ronaldo.
M Taylor - Always scores points & has 2 home games. I'd probably go with him ahead of Lampard or Gerrard.
Giggs - The problem is there's a chance he'll be benched in the 2nd game.
Kranjcar - Can't see Modric being rushed back so Niko should continue his good form on the Spurs left.
Reid - Hasn't been playing too well in recent weeks but that makes the dead-ball specialist more affordable. I can see Sunderland winning both home games & Reid will be involved.
Larsson - Not really points chasing as he'd been consistent before his monster week. If you got him at £9m he should stay.
Benayoun - If I knew he's start both I'd seriously consider him, but nobody knows with Rafa.
J Cole - Similar problem. Joe is a bargain if he's set to play both, but he played 90 minutes last night so it's tough to know.
O'Hara - For me he's be a no-brainer in a double week BUT he's 1 yellow card away from suspension for the 2nd game so I may have to jump ship.
Huddlestone - In the same boat as O'Hara, 1 more yellow...
Cohen - Handy knack of scoring goals from midfield
Gibson - Ditto, but will probably only get 1 start
Richardson - Good price, but has been employed at full back recently.
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Elliot - Will start both for Burnley.
Ferguson - Ditto for Birmingham.
Anderson - With United midfielders playing in defence he'll start 1, possibly both.
Song - Arsenal will need him with 2 away games.
Andrews - Will play both for Blackburn.
Mikel - Should play both now Essien is out with a hamstring injury.
Grella - Should play both for Blackburn.
Brown - Pompey Captain will play both.

STRIKERS
Drogba - If he's booked in his 1st game he'll miss the 2nd game, but the damage could already be done by then. I think we'd all agree that we'll be disappointed with anything less than 2 goals from him vs Everton & seeing as I hold him at £10.66m, he stays without question.
Rooney - When I heard the news he was a "major doubt" for this weekend I was actually pleased as I could downgrade him & spend the money elsewhere. The news he's now likely to be fit changes that, although from my premium strike-force he's the most likely to go.
Defoe - If he'd scored his penalty vs Everton it would've been a 30 point week for him. I can see huge points for him again, especially vs Wolves.
Bent - Having a dry spell, but I expect that to end in Week 15
Benitez - Fantastic value this week, you get the feeling he could go on a scoring streak; he's certainly settled in England now.
Anelka - If you can't afford Drogba, but I wouldn't be picking both.
McFadden - Like Benitez, great value.
Rodallega - He'll still score points if you decide to keep the faith.
Berbatov - If you can't afford Rooney & you're confident he'll be back.
Owen - if you're in the gambling mood  after his hattrick last night.

That's it - I'm exhausted after writing all this so I'll leave you lot to discuss it in the comments section! :)

Cheers,
AM