Week 8: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview

The international break couldn’t come quickly enough for my side after the loss in Gameweek 7. @SportsByGotti handed me my biggest loss of the season thanks to goals from Chelsea’s Willian and Callum Wilson of Bournemouth. A Matt Phillips assist was just the icing on the cake, as my side were humbled by nearly twenty points. The (biased) fixtures computer pits my squad against that of @TAMc10 in Gameweek 8. @TAMc10 would have beaten out my side if we had faced each other in each of the last five gameweeks. Will this week be any different? I’ll need an improvement from my players to upset the odds.

A World Cup without Joe Allen is not one I want to watch

As usual with international breaks, most squads will now be fretting over the fitness of many players. My side is not immune from this, and the biggest red flag this week is hanging over the most in form player in my squad, Joe Allen. The World Cup qualifiers did throw up some questions about some other players in my squad. How come Arnautovic has scored more goals for Austria this season than Stoke City? Jesse Lingard acquainted himself well with England, can the 1m signing become a regular starter for my fantasy side?

@TAMc10’s Team

Tate will be fretting over a number of players before Saturday. One of his highest points scorers, Adam Lallana, is still recovering from a groin injury. He’ll have to decide is it worth leaving a roster spot open for the Monday night game between Liverpool and Manchester United, or use up his players during the weekend games. He also has Marcus Rashford in his squad; can he risk leaving two spots open to play before Monday?  This really becomes a conundrum for Tate as both his other Forward players, Alexis Sanchez and Abel Hernandez are playing at three o’clock on Saturday.

Three players he won’t have to think too hard about including this gameweek are a Midfielder and a pair of Defenders that have been putting up consistent double digit scores. Azpilicueta and Koscielny at the back both have home fixtures that look like possible clean sheet opportunities. Burnley travel to Southampton on Sunday, Steven Defour already has a goal and three assists this season, but all of those came at Turf Moor and The Saints have kept three clean sheets in a row at home, perhaps Tate will rotate his fourth highest scorer to the bench.

What I Need To Happen

While @TAMc10 has two Arsenal players, I have two of my own, Bellerin and Cazorla. If the Gunners can breach the Swansea rear-guard and dent the points total of @TAMc10’s goalkeeper, I hope the Spaniards are the one’s doing the damage. Unfortunately I also have two players competing in the Monday night game, both for Man Utd. But should I gamble on the fitness of Henrikh Mkhitaryan? Should I try and second guess the starting eleven of Jose Mourinho? Will it include the Armenian, or Jesse Lingaard? Not only is the Fantrax fixtures computer against me, but the Premier League fixture makers are out to screw me over too!

I need Joe Allen to be fit. I need the Welsh wizard to be playing. I need Stoke to let loose against Sunderland in their relegation six-pointer. If Joe starts and doesn’t score 40 points I’ll be severely disappointed. Yet if Allen cannot overcome his hamstring niggle, I can fall back on the goal that is inevitably coming from Jack Wilshere….

Wilshere scoring away in Slovenia                   (16 months ago)

Predictions

The previously undefeated @EPL_MOstradamus suffered a first reversal of the year which tightened up the league, and just goes to show how hard it is to predict a winner between all the managers. Anyone can beat anyone. Not only did I get that matchup prediction wrong, but got four other predictions wrong too. Leaving only four correct. Not a great week, but if you follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter you will see this week’s predictions all come true, probably.

@cjradune over @SportsByGotti

@FantasyYIRMA over @DFS_Hambazaza

@RotoZdroik over @wrigavin

@BenDinnery over @SmokeyLoogy

@RotoWireAndrew over @jwl_15

@jforquer11 over @jasonuk17

@FuzzyWarbles over @TRKingston

@EPL_MOstradamus over @nealjthurman

@nikarg over @TomSunderland_

Good Luck Everyone.

Week 7: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview

Another Joe Allen spearheaded victory last week, as my side move to 4-2 and into 5^th place. Unfortunately news out of Stoke is that the Welshman has a slight hamstring injury and will need to be assessed before the Potters head to Old Trafford to face Man Utd. That the game will be played on Sunday because of United’s Thursday night Europe League exploits does not help my team selection. Do I chance leaving a spot for Allen at the expense of someone who starts on Saturday?

Stoke City are basically a one man team now

Unfortunately any dropped points from my team will be exploited by this week’s opponent @SportsByGotti. Mike might have lost three games, but all those games were mighty close and with the rub of the green he could just as easily be sitting on the top of the table. @SportsByGotti has also managed to concede the fewest points in the league in his match-ups. His side has more shots, more assists, and more goals than mine; which is just further proof of the clear fixture bias against my team. His top scorer also has a favourable home game this weekend. It really is a horrible time to be playing against him if I can’t get a fully fit squad on the pitch.

@SportsByGotti’s Team

His top scorer is one Michail Antonio of West Ham. The Hammers host Middlesbrough on Saturday, and will look to get out of the relegation zone and above ‘Boro with a win. His top scorer fantasy points-wise might be injured in Kevin De Bruyne. But Man City face a tricky weekend away at Spurs and perhaps he would have found more joy with Matt Phillips at Sunderland or Callum Wilson at Watford anyway. Duncan Watmore might even be an option for him with Sunderland as they chase goals in a, almost, must win game against West Brom.

At the back his team will start getting points from the Friday night game. Stekelenberg in goals will be facing Pardew’s rejuvenated Crystal Palace. If he keeps a clean sheet my side will be on the back foot. It will be a bit of a double blow too, because I’ll be watching it knowing that Baines is contributing nothing as he sits in one of my injured reserve slots. Elsewhere at the back his best chance of points is probably with David Luiz. The Brazilian has averaged over 16 points in the two games he has started for Chelsea so far.

What I Need To Happen

Hull turning Chelsea over on Saturday would be a fillip to my side. Unless of course Pedro somehow finds himself on the team sheet. Even in that unlikely event, Hull giving Mike’s two players the runaround would be no bad thing. We have a number of players from the same sides; Stoke, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Everton. It will just be a case of hoping my players putting in a better display over the 90 minutes.

While my backline is pretty secure, red flags and rotation haunts my players in Midfield and at Forward. It’s looking like I’ll have players with a combined 330+ points this season sitting it out this weekend. It puts more pressure on those that do start, but apart from Santi Cazorla no one has lit the Premier League alight this season. Hopefully this will be the weekend one or two of them do. Plus, as I say every week, that young scallywag Jack Wilshire is due a goal.

One of these players is due a goal.

Predictions

Some more really close games last week, two pairs were separated by less than a single point. As for the predictions, they went a lot better than the previous week’s. Seven correct to only two wrong. Can we out-do that this week? As always, follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter to keep track of the scores.

@BenDinnery over @FantasyYIRMA

@FuzzyWarbles over @TomSunderland_

@RotoWireAndrew over @TRKingston

@SmokeyLoogy over @jasonuk17

@TAMc10 over @DFS_Hambazaza

@cjradune over @RotoZdroik

@EPL_MOstradamus over @jforquer11

@nikarg over @nealjthurman

@wrigavin over @jwl_15

Good Luck Everyone

Week 6: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview

Last weekend’s matchup was a real rollercoaster. It had ups and downs and twists and turns right up to, and beyond, the final whistle. I knew the odds were stacked against me when I was up against last year’s table topper @RotoZdroik, and going into Sunday’s games I was down on points and only had two (Stoke City) players to play compared to Adam’s five. But Joe Allen covered every blade of grass while getting near 30 points and Marko Arnautovic banged in a late goal to get me with my nose in front.  A bit of adjusting of the score tally by Fantrax, and a premature awarding of the tie to @RotoZdroik by @THE_IEFSA on Twitter, and I had picked up my third win of the season, to move into 8^th place in the standings.

Joe Allen was pretty much the only Stoke player trying against Palace

This week sees my side face off against @DFS_Hambazaza. There are a number of positives for Hesh though, because while his side currently prop up the league, his team has never actually scored the lowest points total in any week; plus he has a total of eight goals in his squad compared to my side’s meagre four. Also, @DFS_Hambazaza would have won last week if he had swapped in George Friend for the benched Phil Bardsley, that mistake is hardly going to be repeated. So what I’m saying is, yes, the fixture computer is doing everything in its power to screw me over again this week.

@DFS_Hambazaza’s Team

I’ve already mentioned two of his defenders. The remaining pair are Charlie Daniels of Bournemouth and Fernandez Federico of Swansea. Friend might be his highest points scorer at the back, but four into three doesn’t go and you have to weigh up how busy a defender will likely be in order to score points in this league. Will Friend have enough on his plate against a Kane-less Spurs? All his defenders will kick off at three on Saturday, so if only three are starters anyway, his choice will be made. In goals he has Southampton’s Fraser Forster, fresh off his best performance so far this season. He does have Ryan Bertrand on Injured Reserve though, if he wanted to do a bit of juggling and go with two Saints players.

In the Midfield and Forward positions nearly every player has scored for him so far. Those to miss out have been Deulofeu of Everton, who has only started two games; and Sam Clucas at Hull, who plays mainly in front of the back four. Getting most of his goals has been his other Hull player, Robert Snodgrass. Three goals so far this season means he is a certain starter, but he does have a tricky tie away to Liverpool on Saturday. Looking elsewhere for goals then, he will have James McClean heading to Stoke, who can barely keep from letting in four goals a game never mind just one.  Andre Gray of Burnley will look to score his second league goal against Watford on Monday night. @DFS_Hambazaza might just keep that one up his sleeve in the OF position if things aren’t going his way on Saturday.

What I Need To Happen

I have the Burnley Goalkeeper and a Defender in Michael Keane playing in that game on Monday night. If I’m still in the matchup by then I’ll be happy. Of course Hesh could have played all his players by then and be out of sight. I’ll need to pick up some points in the early games. A strong performance from my Stoke players would be a good start. I also have a couple of Everton players traveling to Bournemouth, and if they were to score a goal or two against Charlie Daniels, I might get a little edge in the tie come 4:45.

One of these players is due a goal......

A trio of Arsenal players round off my team. Two of them host Chelsea in the Saturday evening game. Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin. While the third will be playing for Bournemouth, and is due a goal (or an assist) any day now. My bench pretty much picks itself, as Pedro can’t get into the Chelsea side, while Mkhitaryan and Lingard can’t dislodge Wayne Rooney from the Man Utd team, so another week in the wilderness beckons.

Predictions

Five correct and four wrong last week for the predictions. Lots of really close games again, but there was also a few blowouts. @SmokeyLoogy got 165.5 points, but @nealjthurman topped that by getting over 190. I predicted both of those sides would lose of course! To follow all the action please seek out all these guys on Twitter, and @THE_IEFSA will also keep you up to date with all the scores. To hear about how the system is trying to keep my side down, you can also follow me @GarryIrwin

Good Luck Everyone

@TAMc10 over @BenDinnery

@EPL_MOstradamus over @SmokeyLoogy

@RotoZdroik over @SportsByGotti

@wrigavin over @TRKingston

@RotoWireAndrew over @TomSunderland_

@FantasyYIRMA over @jasonuk17

@cjradune over @jwl_15

@FuzzyWarbles over @nealjthurman

@nikarg over @jforquer11

Week 5: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview

It’s barely been four days and the next round of fixtures in the IEFSA Fantasy League on Fantrax comes around again. An agonising loss last week saw my side slip from ninth to twelfth with a .500 win percentage. @BenDinnery might be the go to guy for Premier League injury news, but how long to recover from a broken heart Ben, how long?? I thought I had done enough on Saturday to keep my side in front, before Diego Costa popped up with two goals to crush my dreams, as Ben’s team streaked off into the distance. Everton’s emphatic win on Monday night only served to fill me with false hope as a late rally from Baines left me short by a soul crushing 1.85 points. An interception or a blocked shot and some accurate passes away from the victory. Heart breaking stuff.

This week the IEFSA fixture bias against my team continues, as I’m to face 3-1 (fifth place) @RotoZdroik. He has won his last two games and is the fourth highest scorer in the league. His Forward line has also contributed five goals to his team, while my Forward line has provided the grand total of zero.

@RotoZdroik’s Team

That Forward line is led by Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian hit a hat trick last time out and will be home to Middlesbrough on Saturday evening. His back-ups are more than capable too. Jermain Defoe returns to old side Tottenham on Sunday. Wilfried Bony will try to open his Stoke City account against Crystal Palace, while Fernando Llorente heads with his Swansea teammates to Southampton. Adam’s Midfield is full of real work horses who love hoovering up points around the pitch. Idrissa Gueye averages over twenty points a game for Everton. Granit Xhaka will be part of the Arsenal squad that travels to Hull on the back of some good recent form. Gylfi Sigurdsson adds some guile to his midfield; and if any of those three are not fit to start, he has Aaron Ramsey and Leroy Sane waiting in reserve.

Lukaku won't get everything his own way against Middlesbrough

His star in defence has been Kyle Naughton. Averaging over 19 points a game, he wins his fair share of aerial duels, as well as putting in a number of accurate crosses. His three other defenders are playing at home though, so he may be tempted to rotate them in to one of his three defensive slots. Cahill will be kept busy by Liverpool. Zabaleta might get to raid forward when Man City entertain Bournemouth. Damien Delaney plays on Sunday in the clash of Palace and Stoke. Finally in goals will be Hull’s Jakupovic. In the opening four games the Bosnian has made 16 saves to three goals conceded.

What I Need To Happen

If Arsenal could put a few past Hull at three o’clock on Saturday that would be good for my squad, which includes Bellerin and Cazorla. Before that game though, perhaps it would be good (if not a minor miracle) on Friday night if Pedro were to actually start a game for Chelsea.  He hasn’t done a great deal since joining the Blues and faces stiff competition to break into their starting eleven. More than likely joining him on the bench will be my two Manchester United ‘stars’ Lingard and Mkhitaryan. Playing these two last week more than likely cost me any chance of victory, but the chances of them starting this weekend against Watford are pretty remote. Although we will know more after the dust has settled on Man Utd’s Europa League game.

This will leave the rest of my squad to pick up the slack. Burnley holding champions Leicester to a clean sheet would benefit my goalkeeper, and defender Michael Keane. Two Stoke players, Arnautovic and Allen, need to help the Potters off the foot of the table, and any win away to Palace will surely hurt Delaney’s points tally. My ace in the hole though is tricky Jack Wilshire, who is due a goal when Bournemouth head to Man City. No clean sheets yet for The Citizens means a brace or more is not out of the question.

Predictions

It’s proving really difficult to predict winners in this league. @cjradune overcame @TomSunderland_ by only 0.2 points in Week 4's top of the table clash for instance. A respectable six correct and three wrong from last week’s predictions though. As usual, to keep track of all the games from this week, make sure you are following @THE_IEFSA on Twitter.

Here are this week’s predictions. Good luck everyone.

@DFS_Hambazaza over @BenDinnery

@EPL_MOstadamus over @FantasyYIRMA

@RotoWireAndrew over @nealjthurman

@nikarg over @SmokeyLoogy

@jwl_15 over @SportsByGotti

@jasonuk17 over @TAMc10

@cjradune over @TRKingston

@FuzzyWarbles over @jforquer11

@wrigavin over @TomSunderland_