Fantasy Football Insider – Gameweek 7

In this week’s Fantasy Football Insider, JOE advises managers to look for more than clean sheets when selecting defenders in a squad.

By Conor Heneghan

The bedrock of any good gameweek in Fantasy Football, like the bedrock of many successful football teams through the years, is a good defence. It is great to see when your back four or back five have contributed 20 to 30 points between them, allowing the midfielders and forwards in the ranks to set you on your way to the big points.

But while Wenger could pick Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Bould and Winterburn or Fergie could select Schmeichel, Parker, Bruce, Pallister and Irwin back in the day, fantasy managers have to mix and match due to the maximum of three players per club rule and the fact that the best ones are so prohibitively expensive.

With that in mind, it is a good strategy to look away from pure solidity as a reason for selecting defenders in your team. The top scoring defender at present, for example, Ashley Cole (£7.8 million), already has two assists and three bonus points to his name.

Due to the ridiculously easy ride Chelsea were given in the opening five games, his closest challengers are Chelsea players, but there are many who feature highly that belong to the less glamorous clubs and although they mightn’t keep clean sheets every week, may be worth a look for the other attributes they have to offer.

Blackburn’s Christopher Samba (£5.1 million) for example, is always a threat from set pieces and has a goal and four bonus points already this season. Fulham’s giant of a centre half Brede Hangeland has also featured among the goals and contributed two bonus points, while Birmingham’s Roger Johnson has a goal and three bonus points to shout about.

Other players to consider are Everton’s Leighton Baines (£6.8 million), Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock (£5.9 million) and currently injured Arsenal defender, Thomas Vermaelen (£7.4 million). They may not have figured prominently yet this season, but history suggests they will be somewhere near the top of the standings come the end of the campaign.

What to look out for this week

It’s not a great week for the big guns with Chelsea and Arsenal in direct opposition, while Manchester United are away at a Sunderland side in pretty decent form. Elsewhere, we’re in danger of becoming patronising towards Blackpool at this stage, but it’s hard to ignore a couple of Liverpool players who are coming up against the Tangerines at Anfield this weekend.

Steven Gerrard (£11.5 million) and Fernando Torres (£11.6 million) are the usual suspects when the Reds are concerned, and despite Liverpool’s poor form, their two main men have returned 20 and 12 points respectively in their last two games. If they are too expensive for your budget, Dirk Kuyt (£8.7 million) scored on his return from injury last week and will probably play in an advanced role even though he is defined as a midfielder.

Carlos Tevez is flying for Manchester City

Manchester City seem to be the next best bet in terms of value and none more so than the leader of their attack, Carlos Tevez (£10.5 million), who has been banging in the goals so far. Although they’re expensive for their positions, City’s defence have been scoring pretty well so far, in particular goalkeeper Joe Hart (£6.5 million), who if you can afford him, may be well worth getting in.

Away from Anfield and Eastlands, it looks as if it’s pot luck for picking the rest of your team, but it may be worth considering the likes of Roger Johnson (£5.0 million), Scott Dann (£4.7 million) or even Stephen Carr (£4.4 million) as a miserly Birmingham City take on goal-shy Everton at St. Andrews, while Chris Brunt (£5.4 million) and Peter Odemwingie (£5.1 million) have been in superb form for a West Brom side who will go up against Bolton at the Hawthorns.

JOE’s Fantasy Football Picks

Top Dollar: Carlos Tevez (£10.5 million). The diminutive Argentinean has netted four times in the Premier League already this season and has picked up 20 points in the last two gameweeks. City are at home to an unpredictable Newcastle side this weekend and an in-form Tevez is a good bet to be amongst the points.

Mid Range: Nani (£8.4 million). The Portuguese has been in sparkling form of late and had a large part to play in United’s only goal against Valencia in midweek. With Antonio Valencia out for most of the season, Nani will get more chances to play in his favoured right-wing berth and it seems to be paying dividends already; only Florent Malouda has more fantasy points in midfield so far.

Bargain Basement: Ben Foster (£4.7 million). Birmingham have kept two clean sheets in their last three games, but even when they have conceded, Foster has been picking up bonus points and additional points for saves made. Brum are at home to Everton this weekend, a team who have struggled so far this season and have scored only four goals in six games. There’s a good chance that Foster will achieve another shut-out against the Toffees.

Irish pick: Rory Delap (£4.8 million). Stoke come up against Blackburn at the Britannia this weekend and given the style of both managers, set-pieces are likely to have a big part to play. No better man then, than slingshot expert Rory Delap, whose long throw-ins could well yield an assist against Sam Allardyce’s side.

Captain’s pick: Carlos Tevez (£10.4 million). Of all the big clubs in action this weekend, City seem to have the easiest fixture and Tevez in superb form.