In this week’s insider, JOE recommends looking a little closer to home for some real value this weekend.
Fantasy Football (In association with Champion)
With the absolutely massive double header against Slovakia and Russia around the corner, it is encouraging to see so many Irish players in good nick at the start of the season.
Shay Given and Shane Long have taken to their new clubs like ducks to water and Kevin Doyle’s form is such that the big boys are trampling over each other in an effort to secure his services.
Across the pond in LA, meanwhile, hanging out with Becks and perusing the market for some prime Beverly Hills real estate hasn’t distracted Robbie Keane from his primary task – namely working the endzone and putting the ball past the opposition goaltenders and into the goalmouth in an albeit substandard MLS.
As far as Fantasy Football is concerned, the boys in green represent pretty good value and make for astute purchases at the cheaper end of the market. Here are a few that should come into consideration when you’re picking your team this weekend.
At £5 million, Shay Given is the most selected goalkeeper in the league and although the Villa defence will eventually concede goals, Given will account for the lack of clean sheets with the number of saves he makes and the bonus points he is bound to pick up along the way. It worked for Brad Friedel at Villa for quite a while and Given should be no different.
At the back, Wolves’ Stephen Ward (£4.5 million) is a decent bet for a variety of reasons. He’s cheap, he can score goals and his versatility means he will be played all over the place, but will still pick up points for clean sheets. Perhaps fearing the dreaded ‘backside in bacon slicer’ treatment from boss Mick McCarthy if he doesn’t do the business, Ward has been a revelation so far with 16 points in two games.
In midfield, we’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the impish former Shels man Wes Hoolahan (£5.5 million), who hasn’t been fazed by the top flight so far. He’s already nicked a goal this season, but assists are likely to be his biggest source of points thanks to his creativity and ability at set-pieces. Hoolahan didn’t feature in the Canaries’ draw with Stoke last weekend and you may well want to leave him out until after their trip to Chelsea this Saturday.
Fewer have made as big an impression as Shane Long so far this season and although his debut goal against Manchester United was largely down to the ineptitude of new boy David de Gea, his second against Chelsea showed what he’s all about. We have a feeling the Baggies could be above the relegation dogfight this season and ‘Woy’ Hodgson is obviously a big fan of the Irish international. At £6 million, he’s a bargain right now.
JOE’s Fantasy Football picks:
Top Dollar: Luis Suarez (£9.6 million). Scored in each of his three games so far this season, even if Kenny Dalglish seems to be trying to phase him in gradually after his participation in the Copa America. The Bolton defence looked a little porous against Man City last weekend and Suarez will fancy his chances at Anfield on Saturday evening.
Mid-Range: Matt Jarvis (£6.1 million). We’re frankly a little puzzled that Jarvis is still at Molineux given his persistent excellence in a Wolves jersey, which has continued unabated this season. With a goal, two assists and four bonus points already, Jarvis is the highest scoring player in the league so far.
Bargain Basement: Danny Simpson (£4.0 million). Newcastle’s watertight defence have yet to concede a goal this season, a record that they could well extend at home to Fulham on Sunday.
Unlike last week’s goalscorer Ryan Taylor, Simpson is nearly always a 90-minute man at right back and although he rarely scores or gets assists, he’s good value at the cheapest possible price for a defender. Definitely a good man to have in the squad.
Irish Pick: Shane Long (£6.0 million). Impossible to look past the Tipp native, who has made the transition from Championship to Premier League look remarkably easy, scoring in his opening two games against last season’s top two.
Captain’s Pick: Wayne Rooney (£12.0 million). We recommended Rooney last weekend and on the evidence of Monday night against Spurs, we see no reason to take the armband off him. Arsenal should represent stiffer opposition than their North London rivals at Old Trafford on Sunday, but Rooney will still have a big influence on the result.
