Wednesday 8 September 2010

Week 4 - Player Picks

It's only Week 4, but I'm starting to get really frustrated with the organisation of Yahoo's Fantasy Football game this season...and I'm sure I'm not alone!

We've already had numerous technical issues with pricing, points and delays since the season began, and now we're having to deal with another ...the (non) addition of new players. I know we still have 3 days until the Week 4 deadline and there is a chance they could be added before then, but the transfer window closed 7 full days ago and there's still no sign of Van Der Vaart, no sign of Gyan, no sign of Squillaci, Hleb, Gallas etc. In my opinion it's just not good enough.

I'm aware this game has always had it's share of problems, but the scoring system always seemed to outweigh these to make it worth the occasional pain. However, I don't remember this many mistakes occurring in such a short space of time and it's trying my patience. I've had emails from a couple of regular readers from last season saying goodbye and wishing me luck as they are quitting the game and worryingly I've found myself less bothered about it, which is not good when you're trying to motivate yourself to write a blog about said game! It's such a shame because we know it has the potential to be the best fantasy football game of them all...hopefully Yahoo can turn it around, but they need to do it quickly.

Anyway, before I start crying let us move on to the Week 4 fixtures. Stand-outs appear to be Chelsea @ point-less West Ham, Man City at home to Blackburn, Newcastle at home to Blackpool and Arsenal (despite a mounting injury crisis) at home to Bolton. Honourable mention to Spurs @ West Brom, although the defeat at home to Wigan has certainly dented my early season optimism, and Man United @ Everton, but be wary that the Toffees have a habit of upsetting the big boys at Goodison.

Aside from these match-ups, Fulham will be aiming for 3 points at home to Wolves but could find it tough as McCarthy's squad look well up for a fight this season, and a draw is my prediction. Who knows what Wigan/Sunderland sides will show up at the JJB, could be 0-0, could be 1-0, could be 0-3, it's hard to know, so I'll guess a draw too. The remaining two games to be played on Sunday & Monday are also very difficult to call, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see score draws between both Birmingham v Liverpool & Stoke v Aston Villa.

So Chelsea, Man City, Newcastle and Arsenal players are the ones to go for, which leads me on to my recommendations...

KEEPERS
Harper
Hart
Stockdale  (injury confirmed)
Cudicini

Harper is undoubtedly the bargain keeper this week with a home game vs Blackpool so I'm probably going in that direction, but if you've hung on to Joe Hart and still have him around 8 then I'd continue with him vs Blackburn as I'd expect a clean sheet for Man City. I'm already regretting my decision to get rid after barndooring him in Week 2.

Alternatives are the in-form Stockdale for Fulham at home to Wolves (Update: injured - confirmed by Jeremy from FantasyEPL) or Cudicini at West Brom provided he's still set to start in Gomes' absence...although new loan signing Stipe Pletikosa could have something to say about that so keep an eye on team news.

As we've seen so far it's been very difficult to pick a keeper, with lots of negative scores flying around and ruining our outfield player's success, so I wouldn't blame anyone who goes for Kirkland @ 1.17 for a zero with Al-Habsi almost certain to continue in goal for Wigan.

DEFENDERS
Bale
Vermaelen
Boateng/Richards
Ferreira
Kompany
Koscielny
Terry
Kelly
Pantsil
Williamson
Enrique
Skrtel
Faye
Stam
Van Damme

I'm assuming Bale is now in everyone's team, so you'll be looking to fill 2 defensive positions. Now I reckon the majority of you will be looking at Harper in goal, meaning you'd already have the Newcastle clean sheet covered, so an Arsenal, Chelsea or City defender would be ideal to cover the possible clean sheets in these 3 games.

Vermaelen is the premium pick and he's certainly due a goal, but if he's too expensive then Koscielny offers a cheap alternative. However, as I write this I'm reading news that suggests Squillaci could be in line for his debut after Kos struggled at Blackburn - as always, Friday team news should make things clearer.

For Chelsea Ferreira is tempting if Ivanovic is indeed out, while John Terry should return from injury to face the Hammers after missing the England games and for Man City you'd be looking at Boateng if he's set to return at right-back (Richards if not) and Kompany, who's had a fine start to his season.

If you aren't going for Harper, or just want to double your cover on Newcastle then Williamson and Enrique are the two defenders I prefer, while Fulham also have a good defensive record at Craven Cottage so Stephen Kelly or our old friend John Pantsil offer decent value. Skrtel should continue at centre back (assuming Agger would be dropped for Konchesky?), while Faye, Stam & Van Damme could suit those looking to go in a slightly different direction.

MIDFIELDERS
Malouda
Arshavin
Walcott Rosicky/Eboue
Barton
A Johnson
Nolan
Nani 
Milner
Lampard
C Gardner
Etherington
Adam
Scholes
Y Toure
D.Jones
Etuhu

Again, Malouda will be in almost everyone's team, and I imagine it was the same for Walcott before last night, but it appears he's set to miss out for at least a week with his ankle injury (update: apparently 4-6 weeks now). This means looking at Arsenal alternatives - I feel it's still too early for me to recommend anyone spending £18m on Fabregas, but Arshavin has started the season in fine form so is certainly an option if you can stretch to 14. I doubt Wenger will rush Nasri back, so I expect Eboue and Rosicky to fight it out to replace Walcott and both cost under 7, but await team news on Friday.

You'll probably be wanting a Newcastle middie, so it's between Barton & Nolan (or both if you fancy it) with my preference being Barton, and Adam Johnson is another tempter and possibly a replacement for Walcott (funnily enough as he was vs Switzerland) under 8 at home to Blackburn and on a massive high after 2 goals in 2 games for England.

If you have a bit more money to spend then you could go for Milner instead, or even Nani who was outstanding vs West Ham. Speaking of West Ham, Lampard is expected to be back to face his old club and he almost always scores against them. Not many people will pick Frank up and you know a 30 pointer is only ever round the corner with him, so why not this weekend?

Craig Gardner has had a superb start to the season and is very reasonably priced, while Matt Etherington always scores well when Stoke play at home. I'm really not keen to drop Charlie Adam after his start to the season, Scholes is still dirt cheap, Yaya has been quite impressive with his bursts forward and should've scored at Sunderland, with Dave Jones & the recently more attacking Etuhu available as adequate filler options.

STRIKERS
Drogba
Carroll
Defoe  (injury confirmed)
Chamakh
Tevez
Dembele
Torres
K Jones

I think you have to spend the money on Drogba against West Ham, even though he needs big points to return his value, he usually does just that. I'd also be looking at Andy Carroll provided he's passed fit for the game against Blackpool - it's a must win game for Newcastle so I'm sure he'll play and you'd have to fancy him to notch up at least one goal.

Defoe has just had 2 great performances for England, including a hattrick and despite his knock I've seen that he's likely to be fit for the West Brom game, so he's in my thoughts for that (Update: Defoe is now out injured according to a few sources, Crouch/Pav/Keane come in to the reckoning). Another option is Chamakh - he's had a slow start to his Arsenal career but it's early days and he's guaranteed to get chances as he spearheads the attack in Van Persie's absence.

Balotelli is unlikely to feature as he continues to struggle with a knee injury (Update: now set for surgery and out for 6 weeks), so Tevez is a great pick assuming he starts after a long international trip, although he will set you back quite a bit of cash, as will Torres, who started to show his old form vs West Brom. Zamora is doubtful so the impressive Dembele could find himself pushed right upfront vs Wolves and after 2 assists last week he'll be looking to open his scoring account, as will Kenwyne Jones for Stoke.

That concludes my Week 4 Player Picks. The Walcott injury has thrown my team in to disarray so I have lots to think about over the next 48 hours, but my XI will come from the player lists above. Please note that many of the new signings mentioned in my opening rant (e.g. VDV, Gyan) would've been recommended, but they aren't available.

Please remember to vote in the Week 4 Player Poll: http://www.misterpoll.com/polls/499898

I've removed Bale, Malouda & Drogba from the poll this week because everyone always votes for them and they're likely to remain in the Blog Team for the foreseeable future, and I'm hoping it might give us a more even spread of votes for the remaining 8 positions.

That's it for now until we get more detailed team/injury news nearer the weekend...how's your Week 4 team shaping up? Anyone you feel I've missed from the lists above?

Cheers,
AM

p.s. Our Blog Facebook Group is approaching 800 members, please join if you've not done so already!

77 comments:

Jeremy Spitzberg said...

"England had hoped to include the 24-year-old Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale, but he injured an ankle at Blackpool on Saturday and it is now feared he may be out for up to 10 weeks."

- via Telegraph.co.uk

Anonymous said...

Frustrating but at least we're all playing with the same deck.

I'm glad Wolcott is out. It forces me and others to shake up the team and hopeful seperate from the pack. Currently 2513th.

Etuhu/Defoe
or
Scholes/Zamora.

I like Fulham's match up and with Scholes on rest I like him. However is Zamora a doubt? The second option also leaves me 2.32 to upgrade a defender or keeper.

BCB

Anonymous said...

rumours that dembele was injured last night !!

Anonymous said...

not willing to drop walcott at 8. haiz...

Anonymous said...

harper
bale boateng enrique
c.adam malouda barton nolan
chamakh drogba carroll

my team so far..any changes is depend on any news

Anonymous said...

AM, thanks for the post! You do a great job.

BCB, I'd say Etuhu / Defoe.

My team at the moment:

Kirkland
Bale / Koscielny / Skrtel
Malouda / Adam / Etuhu / Fabregas
Drogba / Carroll / Chamakh

I have 3.8 left in the bank. Kirkland, Kos, Skrtel, Fabregas are all potentially on the chopping block. Might downgrade Cesc to Arsh and use that money plus the 3.8 to upgrade Kirk and change out Kos and Skrtel. Still deciding...

-lfcinpa

Anonymous said...

I don't think Boateng will be a points scorer in D for Man City in fantasy. I just don't think he's the kind of player that will rack up fantasy points. Although at under 6 he doesn't have to do much to justify picking him.

J0J0

Saul said...

Walcott injured, damn damn damn!!! Yes, yes, yes!!! Sorry guys I have mixed feelings about this.

For one, I feel sorry for the kid...he just can't catch a break can he? A player who shows so much class and promise for the future but has the most unfortunate of luck.

On the other hand, yes!!! I was one who didn't BD him @8 and started to feel left out, so I am happy he's out for a few weeks since most will drop him and then it will be back to an even play field.

BCB - Definitely Etuhu/Defoe!!! I'm banking on Defoe to go nuts @West Brom, that's if he's even fit for the game. I would have him in my team if I was really desperate but I just like my team too much as is.

AM - Great picks for the week, happy to see all of my players up there.

Cudicini
Bale/V.Kompany/Ferreira
Malouda/Barton/Adam/Gardner
Torres/Carroll/Chamakh

I am seriously considering AJ but really like all my midfielders...Barton and Chamakh are candidates to be replaced by him, but it may not happen. Anyway's good luck to all!

Mike B said...

Excellent player picks AM.

I think i'll more than likely be bringing in Joey Barton, in a straight swap with Walcott.

Originally i thought i'd try Adam Johnson, but City aren't attacking much, and he has scored quite pathetically so far this season.

This is how it's looking at the moment...


Harper
Boateng, Vermaelen, Bale
Adam, Barton, Nolan, Malouda
Carroll, Drogba, Chamakh


Very boring, very predictable, very safe.

I am however not saving my changes untill Saturday morning, as i remember dropping Vermaelen last season after we had all thought he'd broken his leg, only for him to start the next game a few days later.

BinMudhaf said...

AM thanks for the great posts..its my 2nd year playing yff last year wasnt bad i think i finished 600+ ..but this year im at the top now its all because of the great tips u post every week..thanks again and ur the best Am :)

blah blah

Saul said...

Bin - There you are! I've been trying to figure out who blah blah belonged to for a while. Anyways just wanted to ask you if there's a method you'll be using for this season to try to stay at the top...such as playing it safe, or going with your gut everyweek.

I am 86th overall and plan maintaining and improving my position. Anyways good luck and hope you continue doing well! Of course I'll be trying my hardest to top you so watch out haha.

Saul said...

Mikey, good looking team!

Although if it were my team I'd make only one change...A.Johnson for Nolan, if you can afford it. You have enough Newcastle attack in Barton and Carroll who should do all the work.

I'd have to disagree on your comment about AJ being pathetic, so far he's barely had time to play for City. When given a chance, like he showed for England, he can score.

Mike B said...

Saul, i didn't say he was pathetic, i said he has scored pathetic points.

He has started 2/3 for City so far this season and came on as a sub in the other, it's not like he's been getting 10 minutes cameos, he's had at least 180 minutes, totalling 6.5 points.

I actually rate him very highly, but City just haven't been much of an attacking force as yet.

This could well be the week it changes, and this could be the week to pick AJ (due to Silva playing in Argentina and Balotelli being injured), but Barton for me offers a higher chance of points (I have Nolan at 5.34 so no way to change him to AJ).

Of course i have a few days to change my mind still :P

Dave said...

What about Bosingwa? He's back in full training, and I could see Ancelotti ruining CS points for Ferriera by easing Bosingwa back into action sometime in the second half vs. West Ham. Thoughts?

Saul said...

Sorry Mike, completely misread your comment. Anyways, even though AJ has had low points so far he has been one of City's best players. I hope he brings his international form to the premier league and starts scoring goals for fun...definitely one player to consider as I see City improving soon as a team.

Who do you guys like, Gardner or AJ? I myself like AJ but can't ignore the fact that Gardner has scored 3 goals in the last 2 games. Comments would be greatly appreciated.

Saul said...

oh and Mike, Nolan at 5.34 is a great buy...keep him! Your team looks good, just keep an eye out on Boateng to make sure he starts.

Anonymous said...

As for this moment, my team will be:

Stockdale
Bale Stam Kompany
Adam FloMal Nolan/Barton Etuhu
Drogbazooka ChamWow Carrol

Gardner, VDV & Gyan are seems to be good additioner..Still confuse to choose between Nolan & Barton.

Any opinion?

-MySL-

Anonymous said...

guys, looking forward to your opinion:

stockdale/etuhu or any of these 4; cudicini/harper/gardner/a.johnson?

Kapoww12

AdmiraLord Nelson said...

I am the only one in the world with Ashley Cole @ 11.85?

Kellz said...

@Kapoww: Stockdale a doubt, i'd pick Cudicinni and AJ out of the 4 you have listed, cant see AJ returning paltry points this week and Cudicinni has a much better defensive line in front of him than 1 save Harper (yes Harper has 1 save and has let in 4 of 5 shots, thats shocking).

@MySL: Again seems Stockdale might be a doubt, I'd say on the Nolan v BArton front it depends on which you have discount for, and if you have no discount, Barton would be the likelier source of points with out a goal. Otherwise nice team.

@Dave: Bosingwa has been out for so long I doubt he will get any playing time in the Prem any time soon. If anything Ancelotti will play Bosingwa in Reserve games to up his fitness. I think right now the question is more of Ivanovic being healthy than Bosingwa back from injury. I'd stay away from Ferreria and Ivano both unless concrete evidence suggests one will start over the other.

@lfcinpa: I really really like your guts on Fabregas. In fact, I had him in a team I was fooling around with just yesterday. The only hard fact is that he hasn't done anything worthy of note in fantasy just yet. To top that, Fantasy Football Scout ran an article highlighting Chamakh's involvement was increasing chances for Arshavin/Walcott while pushing Cesc further back in midfield. If you watched some of the Arsenal games, Chamakh made many outside runs while allowed Walcott to drift inside almost as a central striker with Chamakh offset but behind him, forcing Cesc even further back in midfield. However with Walcott out and either Eboue/Rosicky on the wing, we may see this as the break out game for Fab4. If there was a game you decided to pick him, this is just about as good as any and we all known Fab4 can put up 30+ performances.

As per your other selections there are probably better options than Skertl and Kos might be benched in favor of the more experienced Squil. Otherwise your on the right track and I wish you good luck!

Doctor Teeth said...

Happy hump day, gents...is it Saturday yet?

So I guess we know now why Rooney has been a shadow of his former self since mid-spring. Certainly hasn't been misfiring in the bedroom! Certainly not a neutered performance away from the pitch! Seriously, I could go on with these distasteful puns for hours.

Current team:

Harper
Bale Verm Stam
Flomal Holden Nolan Adam
Drogs Cham Carroll

Interestingly, a lot of these players are holdovers from my last team (which scored reasonably well - 97.5 points) which always concerns me a bit (the old caution of holding on to players who performed decently last time around even if the performances may have been an aberration and/or the next match-ups are less than fetching). But, honestly, I'm ok with it. In particular, holding Adam, Nolan and Holden is just serious value in my eyes...I mean, I know at this point last season we probably would have said the same thing about Billy, Jordi Gomez and Milijas but I can't see me getting rid of any of these players anytime soon. Set piece takers (Adam on PKs too), all attack-minded, tons of crosses and corners, etc. Plus, you really need to entrench some players like that on your squad when, every week, nearly 50% of you budget is eaten up by three players that everyone is carrying.

Before Defoe's injury, I was fairly certain that I was going to try to fit him into my side because he is due for a brace and why not against the Baggies...if I get comfortable that he will still be starting, I could swap out Carroll for him which would also necessitate downgrading Verm to, say, Koscielny.

And, for what it's worth, I could be swayed into playing Kirk in GK this week...personally, I'm not opposed to that philosophical approach (punting on GK to invest in other players) but I just haven't found a winning combination of players that I can only afford with the extra 3mill or so that would result from dropping Harper.

I bid you all good night (with visions of VDV priced at 7mill in my head).

DT

Dave said...

@MySL and Kapoww12:

Stockdale is out injured, as AM noted in his revision to his initial post. I would drop him for Harper.

Kellz said...

My team:

Cudicinni,
Bale, Sagna, Boateng (if healthy)
Malouda, AJ, Barton, Nolan
Drogba, Chamakh, Carrol

But I still have unsaved changes of Arshavin at 13mil. I feel his form is still off, however he is still scoring, albiet, without a goal his point return would be less than desired. I think it might just be safer to take the set piece takers this early in the game. Bolton are Bolton, but they are showing that they can be tough.

Kavedas said...

Hi BinMudhaf,
Congrate to ur 1st Pos so far , hope you stay there for a while, i heard that you are from KUWAIT ,last year my friend Zizo was there for 2 months before falling down out of top 50 ..so KUWAITIS are leading this game so far :)
i guess by your nick name that you are a member of Mudhaf Family , my name is Yaqoub Altaher .. cheers mate

Dave said...

Any chance Mancienne will start? He's cheap and has an attacking component to his game.

Anonymous said...

Hi guys,

quick question, any news about defoe going for the surgery again?

Cheers,
DZ

Anonymous said...

defoe crocked for six weeks!

thesun.co.uk

harper
pantsil/williamson/bale
yaya/reo/abou/nolan
tevez/drog/carrol

NB

AdmiraLord Nelson said...

I am a Mancienne fan too Dave!
He started almost every match for Wolves in the second half of last season and basically stayed the same price throughout the campaign...however he did occasionally go into the red(maybe 2 to 3 times), but nonetheless he was as solid as any other filler if not better, because he seemed to get on the field almost always as a sub on the days he did not start. FFS has Fletcher, Edwards, Van Damme all listed as doubts for Wolves, perhaps Mancienne would be a go for Van Damme...

AdmiraLord Nelson said...

currently holding:

Cudicini
Bale Cole Perch
Malouda Adam Nolan Ward
Drogba Carroll Chamakh

No Barton :(

Stephen Ward @4.67 mil is my gamble this week, he had 9.5 points with no fouls in week 1 and only 2 points in each of his last two starts. He's only scored 3 goals for Wolves since 2007.
If he gets me 6 points or better this week I'll be very happy.

Unknown said...

Looks like I might be keeping a team very very close to my last one.

Harper (in for Cudicini)
Bale, Koscielny, Williamson (in for Skrtel)
Malouda, Adam, Nolan, A.Johnson (in for Lennon)
Drogba, Carroll, Dembele (in for Chamakh)

4.66 left in the bank to play with.

OK... maybe it isn't as close to my previous team as I thought! I've just had these picks made for so long that it feels like haha.

I'm wavering on my Dembele pick a little bit... kind of had a hunch with him at the end of Week 3. I might end up going back to Chamakh, especially with RVP out again.

I think my Midfield is pretty much set. Not many changes I'm too keen on yet. Always tempting to spend the money if you've got it... but I'm pretty happy with the midfield.

In defence I'll be waiting on team news and also for Yahoo to get their shit together. Neither Koscielny or Williamson are set in stone, and if there is anywhere I will do my upgrading, I think it's here.

Harper I think is the best low cost option, however, his save % isn't amazing is it!? Fingers crossed for a clean sheet =)

How's everyone else coming along? The weekend can't come soon enough lol

Help/Upgrade Suggestions appreciated

Eric (Cesc in the City)

Doctor Teeth said...

Eric - I'm a diehard Spurs fan but that's one of the better team names I've heard in awhile...cheers.

Eddy E said...

OK--here are my two choices:
Foster & Etuhu
or
Harper & Gardner

AdmiraLord Nelson said...

If I were to add Kirkland I could afford Barton, If I were to add Kirkland and drop Cole I could add Tevez....I am just envious of any of those who have Tevez, I feel he can excel this week in YFF.

I actually have Tevez BDed from week 1!!! Saved with him are Bale, Malouda, Carroll, and Drogba on one of my other teams that I forgot about...

There is no way that anyone else who frequently reads this blog even has a chance of having a team like that. Hopefully I can continue to "forget" about my other teams...so that I can go back every few weeks and make the most impressive line-up around, and then hopefully pop up within the Top 50 in any week-to-week high score ranking.

peace ALN

Anonymous said...

my current team for week4:

Hart @8.83
Kos @5.32, Bale @13.3, Fereirra @6.6, Williamson @6.34,
Barton @7.27, FloMal @13.21, Etuhu @5.04
Carroll @5.96, Drog @21.26, ChamWow @6.87

That left me with 0 in the bank. Is it risky to hold on to Kosceilny and Fereirra, could both be subbed/benched and lost the CS point? Any better alternatives?
I haven't save my team yet but this could be the best i can get. Would love to replace Etuhu with AJ/Nolan/Gardner but lack of funds. Hope i can score a decent point in week4.

Cheers,
MRA

Anonymous said...

Hey Guys,

Any thoughts about Arshavin?

DeJ

Anonymous said...

Thanks Kellz & Dave for the opinion given...I'm going for Cudicini rather than Harper (only 1 saves throughout past 3 games, what a scream!)..

Now I have another 8.5million for one midfielder slot, since Etuhu selection is just a filler..The other 3 midfielders are Adam, FloMal & Nolan.

Guys, I really need ur opinions.

tqvm...
-MySL-

Anonymous said...

MySL - You could pick from AM's list of players. I think some of the premium picks are AJ, Nolan, Barton, Gardner, S.Davies, S. Larsson etc or you could wait and hope YFF updates the new players soon.

Cheers,
MRA

AdmiraLord Nelson said...

I thought Arshavin was dead to everyone who was here last year?!!.... yet AM has resurrected him!!!
I can't afford him, and I would rather keep Ca$hley instead!...But more power to you all! It would be a blessing to see Andrei return to his 2008-2009 form!

Anonymous said...

great article as usual. you sound a bit too down about the new players not being added. not ideal but if we're all in the same boat i don't really care. you summed up the confusion this week perfectly- who replaces walcott - wilshere, eboue, might nasri be rushed back, or rosicky ? just baffling. same with tevez- nice pick but with long trip back from arg..even if he plays is he gonna be fresh & lively. the koscielny/squill issue is also tough to read.
i saw a stat on optajoe that said about 70% of drogba's goals are at stamford bridge. kinda puts me off getting him at that price when he needs 2 goals to break even. even with 3 assists at wigan he only returned about half of his value. ( cue drogba hat-trick after i've said this ! ) .
S.P.

Anonymous said...

What about Hugo,he is not on the list!

Anonymous said...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3129875/Jermain-Defoe-Ill-be-OK-to-face-West-Brom.html

well, at least he has confidence in himself.

@MRA, Fereirra will definitely play

--neoncoffee

Anonymous said...

Any chance for Babel to start?? Kuyt is out

Anonymous said...

i see some silver lining here ..
"M. Dembélé
Fulham
Forward " -- @6.78

Cheers,
Fortunetellerz

Anonymous said...

look guys..everyone should seriously jump on dembele.. 2 years back he had a monster season at AZ who became the dutch champs..then after a small injury he put in his transfer request because of interest from chelsea and manu..due to that he didn't get any play time for that season and big clubs lost interest..this just goes to show the class this guy has and were it not for AZ being twats and benching him because he wanted a transfer he would be at one of the big 4 for sure.. I think they know what he can do down at fulham and that he will be a starter if hes spared of injuries..I picked him up at 5.77.. hes up to 6.78 and rising..
He will start scoring frequently..mark my words.. average of 10 pointys over the next three matches..and that is his average potential without great performances.. Pick him up wholme hes this cheap. he will be up to over 10 mil in 4-5 fixtures.

Bitsketchy said...

As a Tottenham faithful it hurts me to say this but Defoe is out

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11675_6366419,00.html

Who will take over?

I know I shouldn't but has anyone got any reason why I shouldn't chose Vela? With RvP and Bentner out AV only has two proper strikers so if he favours a 4-4-2 for example he should play and he's mega cheap!

Anonymous said...

Guys for someone thats new to Yff.. Is there any list of Set piece takers? it's basically a very important bit of info if you want to get big points I think..

Anonymous said...

@anon @1:36 .. here u go ..
http://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/premiership-set-piece-takers/

Fortunetellerz

Anonymous said...

anyone thinking of pavy. with defoe out he should get the start, right? Dembele is a classy striker and at 5.77 I will hold onto him for awhile.

saitogenetic

kooskoos said...

finally long waited week4!

my team so far,

harper
bale kompany hangeland
malouda nolan gardner a.johnson
carroll chamakh tevez

i really want drogba but he is too expensive.
why does no one recommend anelka? is he injured or something? or should i replace hangeland to koscienly and garner to barton to get drogba?

need some help here.

Kellz said...

@Rob: Wenger doesn't fancy the 4-4-2. The best you'll get out of Vela is a late 85+ min sub. So its not worth it.

Anonymous said...

Hi AM & thanks for the well thought-out picks.

Pauly's Fabulous Fillers - Week 4

Here we go with my top rated fillers for this week :
(A filler being a player priced at under 7.00 to complete your team)

GKeepers :

Robinson - Bbn - 5.98 A *
Carson - W Brom - 5.23 H *
Cudicini - Tott - 4.83 A **
Harper - NCastle - 4.54 H **

(Kirkland - Wig - Option for those who don't want to gamble on getting negative points with a cheap keeper. The Capt Kirk is sure to get you 0 for an investment (loss!) of only 1.17)

Defenders :

Pantsil - Ful - 6.79 H **
Enrique - NCastle - 6.75 H **
Ferreira - Chels - 6.60 A **
Skrtel - Lpool - 6.35 A **
Koscielny - Ars - 5.91 H ** ?/Squillaci/?
Boateng - MCity - 5.82 H * /Richards - 6.56 H *

MidFs :

Etuhu - Ful - 5.04 H **
Routledge - N castle - 6.46 H ** ?
Albrighton - Villa - 6.27 A **
Mikel - Chelsea - 3.99 A **(But Def Mf)
Dorrans - WBrom - 5.46 H *
Song - Ars - 4.86 H * (Def Mf)
Reo-Coker - Villa - 2.13 A **
Rosicky - Ars - 6.30 H **
No, I do not include Scholes

Fwards :

Chamakh - Ars - 6.87 H **
Ameobi - NCastle - 5.21 H *
Kalinic - Bbn - 3.71 A * ?
Dembélé - Ful - 6.78 H ** ?
Ebans-Blake - Wolv - 6.36 H *

A - playing away H - Home match
* - Rated pick
** - Top picks
? - doubt on starting - check team sheets!

Always check injury lists & team sheets before choosing your filler - obviously they are cheaper - so less certain to play in general than the more expensive players.
Anyone you think should be added as a Fab Filler?
Good luck this w-end!

Pauly

Ossington Mental Youth said...

why no crouch?

Anonymous said...

It's just ridiculous that Yahoo! hasn't added the sides' closing transfers, as yet. We're still missing names like:

Squillaci, Gallas (for Spurs), van der Vaart, Meireles, Ben Arfa, Hleb, Gudjohnsen, Beausejour, DJ Campbell, Salcido, Pennant...and a few more, I'm sure.

It's like those guys aren't bothered about the fantasy game, anymore.

-Bombay Blues

BinMudhaf said...

@Saul asu can see im didnt change 6 players in the last 2 weeks ..lets say there is 3 players i cant drop them down drog malo and bale ...u should take gamble in 1 or 2 players like i did with Etuhu he had some shots on target and for 3.17 he is a good pic i was sure he gona score but whem i dont know i was lucky he did last game ..and ofc AM posts are more better than what im saying ..goodluck wish u the best Saul & all AM fans :)

@Kavedas thx alot oo 3eedik embaraak oo taQabal alah esyamik oo sali7 al a3mal inshala (arabic post )
yeah he did great last year ..for me top 50 is fine ..its hard to stay first but ill try and enjoy my self in this game man :)
and yes im from alMudhaf famly my name is RAzi nice to know u YA3goob goodluck yaa el7abeeb :))

Dave Collier said...

Chamwow or Routledge?

I already have Williamson, Barton & Nolan, so feeling a bit Newcastle heavy, but i've been really unimpressed with ChamWow.

How long is VP out for, especially with Walcott out, i'm expecting Chamwow to get more playing time.

Dave Collier said...

Actually, better question:

ChamWOW & Ferreria (with Routledge & Nolan)
OR
Barton & Williamson (with Routledge & Nolan)?

Anonymous said...

I always enjoy the filler section... Nice Work.

Here is my team:

Harper
Bale-Kompany-Perch
Malouda-Scholes-Nolan-Barton-A Johnson
Drogba-Chamkah

Perch at 5.29 was my last filler, leaving me .02. I am feeling nervous about being too heavy on Newcastle any suggestions for replacing Perch? someone under 5.31 Faubert? Elokobi? Smalling? or move someone else around?

A1

Saul said...

@A1 - Perch would be your best option out of all your suggestions imo. Home to Blackpool will allow him to get SC's and blocked shots for a fraction of your budget. If I were you though I'd be worried about Scholes in your team, away to Everton is not the best match-up...could be an ugly encounter with yellows and possible reds. How about C.Adam? He's been one of the best 'fantom' points producers lately and I can forsee a penalty coming his way, definitely worth a spot and a better gamble than scholes as he takes Corners, free kicks, and penalties.

My team for week 4 atm...

Cudicini(waiting on news)
Bale/Kompany/J.Enrique
Malouda/Adam/Barton/Johnson
Torres/Carroll/Chamakh

Oh man I just noticed that the prices on players went up, crap! Anyways if I click save now on that team guess how much I have to spend...wait for it...0.00!!! Perfect! There's my team, better hurry before Yahoo pulls another Yahoo on me. Done!

Assistant Manager said...

Yep some player prices have randomly gone up, Verm above 10, AJ up to 8, Harper up above 5...

BinMudhaf said...

@ Raconteur if ur sure about Ferreria go for it..

@ Saul we allmost have the same mid and fw hehe i have drog u have torres hope he gona take u high mate good luck :)

Saul said...

AM and informed bloggers - I noticed on the Yahoo! Injury and Suspension post that A.Lennon is out and Bentley doubtful, would that make Giovanni Dos Santos their only replacement at right wing? I was thinking about making him my hunch pick but hey, I'm not greetty and this blog is about sharing info. Anyone got news about this?

Anonymous said...

To add to Pauly's fillers:

I like Al-muhamaddi as a filler, and I noticed after the price re-juggling his cost is even lower @ 5.60. He gets crosses in, has been starting every match, and returning his value pretty much.

I am wondering why his price went lower--do people have some info on him and Sunderland's MF? (e.g. Andy Reid coming in to take his starting place?)

-JJOKBOB

Anonymous said...

BBC SPORT

"Arsenal winger Theo Walcott will be out of action for up to six weeks after injuring his ankle playing for England"

His replacement?.....simple,easy,no debates, no discussions.

Enter...............Mr Adam Johnson

Anonymous said...

Y not ashley cole??

Anonymous said...

wat abt j.cole....

Saul said...

@anon 4:12 - J. Cole is serving his 3rd game of suspension in the weekend.

Anonymous said...

Saul,

Congrats on beating the yahoo clock. Thanks for the advice, I like Adam, but I have been priced out. I may stick with Scholes and take the risk or look at switching him out for Etuhu or D Jones. Good luck all!

A1

Anonymous said...

Harper
Bale Koscielny Skrtel
Adam Malouda Barton AbouDiaby
Drogba Carroll Chamakh

SUYT said...

gallas pennant hleb on game!! no sign of VDV yet...

Kavedas said...

@binMudhaf Kel 3am went b'7eer watagabal allah 6a3teek
I see Barton in many teams , second thought IF Ben Arfa plays and take SP from him then he might return negative as YC is almost guaranteed :P
I dropped C.Adam , his next fixtures is tough , i will replace him with VDV when added for next week ..
My gut is telling me FABREGAS but he is expensive ... Milner is cheaper option and i hope he explode this week

Anonymous said...

Hi Guys,

I can't make up my mind, can someone give some me some good advice?

Does team 1 look better or team 2?

Team 1,

Harper
Bale, Perch, Koscielny,
Adam, F.Malouda, Etuhu, Barton, Arshavin,
Drogba, Carrol

Or team 2,
Hart,
Bale, Koscielny, Ferreira,
Adam, F.Malouda, Etuhu, Nolan,
Drogba, Carrol, Chamakh

Basically i'm selling Arshavin in team two to make it a more balance team and hoping Chamakh will get the points.

Thanks,
DeJ

Anonymous said...

Van der Vaart 5,53!!

Gasper said...

Finally all the players are in.

My team:
Harper
Bale, Terry, Kompany
FloMa, AJ, Fabs, Ben Arfa
Carrol, ChamWow, Gyan

What do you guys think about my team? I'm not prepared to pick either Squil or Kosc, because who knows who will start. I've got a good feeling about Ben Arfa, and Gyan will hopefully start vs Wigan.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/10092010/63/hughton-ready-unleash-ben-arfa.html

Anonymous said...

What do you think of my team for this week ?

Harper
Bale/Verm/Ferriera
FloMal/Barton/Hleb/VdV
Drogba/Carrol/Chamwow

Still 1.37 to spend. Any ideas for improvements ?

Im not sure baout Hleb @ home to Liverpool...

Thanks,

Superfly Jim

shafiq said...

need some advice here guys..

etuhu/carroll?

or

c.adam/dembele?

Anonymous said...

Vermaelen out with an achilles injury http://yhoo.it/b5kdhB # 1 min ago

Anonymous said...

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/10092010/63/vermaelen-nasri-contention.html

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