Week 34: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview

A Win! And with those three points the title race is not over yet! For another week at least. A Marko Arnautovic goal helped my side to the victory over @jforquer11 last gameweek. Unfortunately all the other big guns won, so my side is still positioned fifth on the league table. Being 15 points off the top means I need a little bit of a miracle in order to win the title. A loss this week and all those dreams will be shattered, leaving my side having to fight over the (probably more) coveted fourth-place trophy.

Preparations for this week have been thrown into chaos though with the news that Jack Wilshere has been ruled out for the rest of the season with injury. He gets injured at just the wrong time, as all of my injured reserve slots are full. This means he will be cast to Free Agency like so many other anonymous England internationally capped midfielders. And speaking of random England international midfielders, I have drafted in Tom Huddlestone of Hull City into my side to replace Wilshere.

Get your boots on Tom you're in!

This week will see all the Premier League matches stretched out over the whole week and not just the weekend. This means some sides will play twice (Man Utd, Middlesboro, Crystal Palace) and one team doesn’t have any fixture (West Brom). In Fantrax scoring, players can’t gain points from two games. Therefore, players will only earn points from the first game they play. Probably? But whatever way the IEFSA/Fantrax works out the points, it will probably be the way that impacts my team negatively the most. And my opponents this week? Second placed @FuzzyWarbles. A team that has already beaten me this season.

@FuzzyWarbles’ Team

Two West Brom players and only Luke Shaw means @FuzzyWarbles will not be impacted too much by the fixture kerfuffle. Shaw should only gain points from the game against Burnley on Sunday. That’s if Shaw plays at all, with rotation being a problem because of Manchester United’s Europa League commitments. A lot of Steve’s players don’t play until midweek. He has three Man City players, Tadic of Southampton, Vertonghen of Spurs, and Januzaj of Sunderland. The only player that represents his side on Saturday will be Tom Carroll of Swansea. Because I could have five players playing on Saturday, and will have built up such a lead, @FuzzyWarbles could be panicked into wholesale changes to his squad on Sunday as he frets over the fitness of Sergio Aguero.

Aguero faces a tough (really?) game against Arsenal in the FA Cup this weekend

Aguero has scored 17 goals this season and averages a healthy 16.92 points per game. He strangely hasn’t registered any assists so far though. Which is strange because, he had contributed 26 assists in the five seasons before this one. A sign of dropping standards? Or of Man City’s change of style under Pep? The other City players in @FuzzyWarbles’ side are Yaya Toure in Midfield and Nicolas Otamendi in Defence. Toure averages 14.12 and Otamendi 15.94 points per game. They do face a home derby with Manchester United though, which should hopefully blunt their normally heavy passing attacking style.

What I Need To Happen

Huddlestone is not exactly the quick fix I need at this stage of the season. But he does average over ten points a game and will be playing Watford at home this gameweek. He will, hopefully, be partnered in midfield by Kevin Mirallas, who is in good form at the moment for Everton. Luka Milivojevic of Crystal Palace will only have his points counted from the game against Liverpool on Sunday, I presume. While Henrikh Mkhitaryan can only gain points from the game against Burnley in the early Sunday kick-off.

Marko Arnautovic has scored six goals in the league this season

Burnley will face an injury hit Man Utd who have been heavy on ball retention but light on penetration. (Tell me about it! Story of the season) My goalkeeper Tom Heaton and Defender Michael Keane will hopefully rack up the points when the Red Devils visit Turf Moor. Last week’s hero Arnautovic will travel to Wales to play Swansea. He will have to score without the help of Stoke’s best player Joe Allen though, who is still side-lined with injury.

Predictions

A perfect set of predictions in the last gameweek was ruined by one of the upsets of the season. @DFS_Hambazaza picked up only his fourth win with victory over @jwl_15. This week @DFS_Hambazaza will be hard pressed to repeat the trick when he faces table topper @RotoZdroik. The tie of the round is probably @EPL_MOstradamus (4^th ) against @wrigavin (8^th). Don't forget, to follow all the action you need to be watching the Twitter feed of @THE_IEFSA. Here are this week’s predictions.

Good Luck Everyone.

@nealjthurman over @jforquer11

@nikarg over @RotoWireAndrew

@SmokeyLoogy over @TomSunderland_

@EPL_MOstradamus over @wrigavin

@TRKingston over @FantasyYIRMA

@cjradune over @jasonuk17

@TAMc10 over @jwl_15

@SportsByGotti over @BenDinnery

@RotoZdroik over @DFS_Hambazaza

Week 22: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview

A really tight fixture last week against @jasonuk17, as only three points separated the teams in the end. Two goals from both sides, along with three clean sheets from each set of defenders and goalkeepers, saw most players get to their averages. Perhaps it was the clean sheet from Burnley’s Tom Heaton that helped my side come away with the three points. The victory leaves my side third in the table, still nine points off leader @RotoZdroik.

Marko Arnautovic scores as the whole Sunderland team look on

This week it seems that @THE_IEFSA and Fantrax have had enough and will pit my side against the side with the most Chelsea players in their squad. The Blues top the Premier League by seven points and this week they will face relegation threatened Hull City at home. @jwl_15 has twice as many Chelsea players as any other team. The Fantrax/IEFSA fixture computer stacks the cards against my side once again, but hopefully my players can keep up their good form as we head into Gameweek 22.

@jwl_15’s Team

Jake has Thibaut Courtois in goals. The Chelsea stopper has 12 clean sheets already this season. A whole four clean sheets better than Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris, who has the second most in the league. Courtois also has seven more clean sheets than my goalkeeper. His other Chelsea players are in Midfield. Eden Hazard averages over 20 points per game for @jwl_15. N’Golo Kante averages nearly 16 points and Victor Moses chips in with over 13 points a game. Also in Midfield, Jake can select Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson. One goal and four assists already this season, sees Henderson gain over 19 points every game. All of these players have favourable home fixtures this week, as they all play against teams in the bottom three.

If Courtois can keep out the champions, what hope Hull City?

It’s in the Forward position where @jwl_15 has found things difficult this season. Ashley Barnes and Shane Long have managed four goals between them, yet have failed to cement a starting spot in each of their sides. They both have only managed six starts going into Gameweek 22. Jake will perhaps look to his Defenders to get him enough points for the win. Here he has Joel Ward of Crystal Palace, Kyle Naughton from Swansea, Cedric Soares at Southampton, and Juan Zuniga with Watford to choose from. Two of these defenders play home fixtures this week (Ward and Soares), so perhaps he will pick them to start. More motivation for Jake is that fact that in Gameweek 3 my side managed to scrape a tight win against him.

What I Need To Happen

A Hull goal at Stamford Bridge is almost a must this week. If the Tigers new manager can somehow organise his team to stifling the Chelsea attack for ninety minutes, with perhaps the exception of Pedro, who is on my team, that would greatly help me in this match-up. Working against @jwl_15 though, is that the Chelsea versus Hull game is the last of the Gameweek. Does he leave all his player slots open for his Chelsea players on Sunday evening? If he does, I may need to have built up a sizable lead from the nine earlier Premier League games.

Wilshere tried to score against Hull with one arm tied behind his back

The players I’ll need in order to build up this lead have thankfully been seeing some form in front of goal of late. Arnautovic got a brace last week against Sunderland. Mirallas put one past Man City. And Pedro scored his fifth of the season against Leicester. Elsewhere, Mkhitaryan seems to have nailed down a place in the Man Utd starting eleven, and Jack Wilshere is still due a goal. For those worried about the ‘Ibrahim Afellay Experiment’, the Stoke midfielder added 2.7 points off the bench last weekend. We are still waiting for the Dutchman to break out and gain a boatload of points.

Predictions

The third week in a row where six predictions have been correct and three incorrect. @RotoZdroik is still six points clear of @wrigavin, while @DFS_Hambazaza is 12 points adrift at the bottom. @nikarg has the longest winning streak in the league with six, and it’s getting harder and harder to predict winners with each passing gameweek. Let’s try and improve on six correct predictions this week though with the following predictions. Follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter to keep on top of all the action this Saturday and Sunday.

Good Luck Everyone.

@BenDinnery over @jasonuk17

@RotoZdroik over @TRKingston

@EPL_MOstradamus over @DFS_Hambazaza

@SportsByGotti over @TomSunderland_

@nikarg over @TAMc10

@nealjthurman over @cjradune

@FuzzyWarbles over @FantasyYIRMA

@wrigavin over @jforquer11

@RotoWireAndrew over @SmokeyLoogy

Week 12: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview

No preview last Gameweek as I was delayed during a flight from China. Was this the doing of @wrigavin as he edged out my side by 2.1 points? More than likely. Unfortunately my time at the summit of the league table was short lived and I now find myself in second place, right behind @EPL_MOstradamus, who managed to get a victory (by less than two points) over third placed @jwl_15. It’s getting tight in the scramble for the title going into Gameweek 12, as only six points separate the top 11 sides.

This week the IEFSA Fantrax fixture computer tries to screw with my team again, as I’m pitted against one of the only sides in the league that is injury free, while my side is struggling to all get out on the field with all the red flags in the way. My opponent @Smokey_Loogy may have lost his last two games, but he would have beat out winners in three other matchups both weeks. He is waiting for his luck to turn so he can start moving up the table. Hopefully it won’t be this week.

All my Arsenal players are out injured. Thanks Arsene.

@Smokey_Loogy’s Team

If his players all play to their average scores, it will take a haul of 120+ points for me to be victorious this week. It is in Midfield where @Smokey_Loogy spent most of his budget and it should be where he gains most of his points. Riyad Mahrez has had a quiet start to the season, but still averages over 14 points a game. Nathan Redmond is his top scoring midfielder with three goals. Southampton have a tough fixture at home to Liverpool, but the bright spot for Redmond is that the Reds rarely keep clean sheets. His third Midfielder is only recently back from injury, but he could be playing up front for West Ham. Andre Ayew scored plenty of goals for Swansea last season; this would only be his third start this year if Slaven Bilic puts him on the team sheet.

Up front @Smokey_Loogy relies on a trio of Watford players. Deeney and Ighalo have four goals and two assists between them and they face a lackluster Leicester City at home on Saturday. If he needs he could also include Nordin Amrabat, who himself has two assists to his name. The rest of his points could come from his goalkeeper. Jordan Pickford may not have kept a clean sheet yet, but he does get lots of save points, and he surely won’t get a better chance to stop his net bulging for 90 minutes than against Hull City at home.

What I Need To Happen

When Hector Bellerin was ruled out for up to four weeks with an ankle injury it looked like I might struggle to fill all my Defender slots. Leighton Baines may be able to get the start at Everton this week though and that would solve my defensive problems. Last week it was having too many players who failed to start for their clubs that cost me any change of three points. I can ill afford this happening again this week.

Joe Allen had a below par week away at West Ham. This week he will face Bournemouth at home, and with the aid of Marko Arnautovic back from suspension, I’ll be hoping Stoke can continue their unbeaten run of form. In search of goals I will have to take a gamble on Jesse Lingard doing enough against Arsenal, or waiting until Sunday to see if Pedro can start for Chelsea away to Middlesbrough. If those two fail to score, I can always fall back on the goal that is due from Jack Wilshere.

One of these England stars will score this weekend.

Predictions

As I mentioned above, the league is really tight and the games are even tighter. The team with the most fantasy points sit in eighth (@FuzzyWarbles), while the team who has conceded the least fantasy points (@SportsByGotti) are down in fifteenth. So how is anyone supposed to predict these matchups? I got seven of nine right two gameweeks ago, here’s hoping for a similar strike rate this week. Don't forget to follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter to keep track of all the action.

Good Luck Everyone

@wrigavin over @RotoWireAndrew

@jforquer11 over @FantasyYIRMA

@FuzzyWarbles over @cjradune

@nealjthurman over @TAMc10

@nikarg over @SportsByGotti

@TomSunderland_ over @DFS_Hambazaza

@EPL_MOstradamus over @RotoZdroik

@TRKingston over @BenDinnery

@jwl_15 over @jasonuk17

Week 9: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview

My squad bounced back from their biggest defeat of the season to record their biggest win last time out. @Tamc10 felt the backlash as my side pulled away by nearly 80 points; in fact it was the first time this season that my team recorded the highest points total for the week (179.95) in the league. All this means that I’ve moved up to 3^rd and if results were to fall my way this weekend, I could go top. Eight other teams will be thinking the same thing though, and one of those is my opponent @cjradune.

After falling down the table thanks to three losses on the spin, @cjradune is still just one big win away from top spot. If we played each other every week so far, we would have four wins each. Therefore it should be a close fought contest this time out. But in further proof of the Fantrax and IEFSA’s fixture computer's bias against my side, the top three points scorers on @cjradune’s team are all playing home games this week. It looks like I’ll need the Welsh Pirlo to put in another stellar performance away to Hull City to have any chance.

Not every Defence is as kind as the one at Sunderland

@cjradune’s Team

It looks increasing likely that C.J. will have to be without the services of Toby Alderweireld for a few weeks as the Spurs defender recovers from a knee injury. This won’t bother his team much though, as despite being his most expensive signing at the back, he was actually the fourth highest scoring Defender on his roster. His cheapest signing in Defence ($9) is currently his sides highest points scorer overall, Hull’s Curtis Davies.  In goals he can call on Arsenal’s Petr Cech. The Gunners are at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday in a matchup that screams ‘Clean Sheet!’ The Smoggies are averaging less than a goal a game.

Attack-wise, @cjradune has had to rely on the form of Raheem Sterling. The Man City man has four goals this season, but has been a little quiet of late which has coincided with Pep’s side not winning any of their last four games. C.J. would have presumed that most of his goals would come from one Jamie Vardy. The England frontman has only two goals to his name this season after eight starts. He will get a chance to rectify this at home to Crystal Palace come three o’clock on Saturday. The Eagles have yet to keep a clean sheet in eight league games. Elsewhere in @cjradune’s squad is Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge. Like Vardy, he has yet to hit the heights of last season, but will fancy his changes at home to West Brom in the Saturday evening kick-off, if he is called upon by Jürgen Klopp.

What I Need To Happen

If @cjradune’s side all hit their fantasy-points-per-game average, then I will need 130 points to beat him. My team has only managed above that mark twice this season. Like last week, I will need someone to step up and score a couple of goals. Joe Allen hit two last time out, and while Stoke head to freefalling Hull City, I can’t expect him to do that every week. Hopefully Marko Arnautovic can chip in with a strike this week. Or perhaps it’s the turn of Pedro or Kevin Mirallas to add to their respective goal tallies. Of the two, Pedro is at least getting on the pitch for some game time, though he does have a tricky matchup against Man Utd. But I’m not worried too much about those players scoring this week, as I’m almost sure Jack Wilshere only failed to score last week when Bournemouth knocked in six, because he was saving his goal for this weekend, when the Cherries host Spurs.

One of these players is due a goal...

I’m currently staring at five red injury flags, so perhaps I will just be happy to get a full squad to play. Having two Bournemouth, two Arsenal, two Burnley and two Stoke players means I’ll be looking for positive results from those teams. I also have two Everton players, Baines and Mirallas, but I doubt they will get much game time between them. My two Manchester United players have barely been on the field together this season also. Big signing, Mkhitaryan has only started one game, while Jesse Lingard is at least fit and coming off the back of a good game midweek in the Europa League.

Predictions

A lot of very close games last week, so I only managed a paltry two accurate predictions from nine. The league is really getting tight now; a win could shoot your team right up the table. There are some interesting ties in Week 9; two of the bottom three meet; leader @EPLMOstradamus is trying to prevent a third loss in a row; while in form side @jwl_15, 4 wins on the trot, faces second placed @FuzzyWarbles. To keep track of all these scores please follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter.

Here is this week’s attempt at predictions. Good luck everyone.

@TAMc10 over @FantasyYIRMA

@SportsByGotti over @wrigavin

@SmokeyLoogy over @DFS_Hambazaza

@RotoWireAndrew over @RotoZdroik

@BenDinnery over @jforquer11

@FuzzyWarbles over @jwl_15

@nealjthurman over @jasonuk17

@nikarg over @TRKingston

@EPL_MOstradamus over @TomSunderland_

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 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 1: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview

The new season begins this weekend on Fantrax for the IEFSA Fantasy League. After last year’s respectable midtable finish, I will be hoping to mount a challenge for the title this time around. I wrote about the thinking behind the squad I drafted earlier in the week. But now it’s time to run a preview over the opening fixture. I lost more games than I won in finishing ninth back in May, so I know how important a win and a good start will be for 2016/17.

That opening fixture pits me against @TRKingston. Todd has put together a fairly balanced squad, but will I be able to get the better of him and start the season with a victory? This year also sees the league expand to 20 teams, and Todd is one of the managers competing for the first time and had to put his team together from scratch. In the first twenty picks of the draft, Todd went out and secured three players for his team. He clearly means business.

@TRKingston’s  Team

Todd’s first move in the draft was to acquire David Silva of Man City. The Spaniard had 11 assists last year in a mostly injury hit season. If he can stay injury free and recapture the form which saw him score 12 goals the season before, then the $52 that was paid for him will seem like shrewd business. To complement Silva in Midfield, the next signing in the draft was Yohan Cabaye. Pulling the strings in the Palace side, Cabaye is doubly important because @TRKingston’s side also features Connor Wickham up front. At the moment he is the only fit Forward that Alan Pardew can call upon, and any goals at Selhurst Park this weekend will surely come through him.

Valdes will have Ben Gibson getting a Carles Puyol haircut soon #Influence

Between the sticks we see Middlesbrough stopper Victor Valdes.  ‘Boro had the best defence in the Championship last year. Valdes wasn’t part of that squad, but if anything his experience will help them tighten up enough to compete in the Premier League. Even if he doesn’t grab a load of clean sheets, his saves should gain plenty of points. In front of Valdes we have Liverpool new boy Joel Matip, Spurs left back Danny Rose, and Burnley’s Ben Mee.

What I Need To Happen

Even if it benefits Todd’s Ben Mee, I will hope that Burnley can keep a clean sheet at home to Swansea. I have Tom Heaton in goals and Michael Keane at the back. My other two players at the back are in direct opposition to @TRKingston’s defenders. Rose will be up against Baines. While Matip will face Bellerin. So if the home sides can score in the matchups of Everton V Spurs and Arsenal V Liverpool, then that will help me a lot. Some of our other players will face off too, this time in the Monday night game between Chelsea and West Ham. Todd’s Mark Noble is probably more assured of a starting place than Pedro. If I’m behind going into Monday, it could be tough to pull it back.

As I’ve always said, it’s goals that decide these fantasy games more often than not.  My Midfield might not be able to compete goalwise this week though. With Mkhitaryan probably a week or two away from starting for Man United, Mirallas having to find his place under new manager Ronald Koeman at Everton, while Joe Allen is hardly known for his goalscoring exploits. I’ll be looking to my Forward to score the goals to take me to victory. And the forward to do that, while ruining the first game of the Pep Guardiola era at Man City, will be Fabio Borini… hmmm come to think of it, I’m starting to think that Marko Arnautovic overcoming his hamstring injury would be a better option for my nerves, my team, and my prospects of victory. An Arnautovic goal or two past Valdes on Saturday would be a great start to the season.

Predictions

It will be tough to predict how sides will start out the season (but that won’t stop me from trying!). Please remember to follow these guys on Twitter to keep track of all @THE_IEFSA action. Plus they give the best advice on your fantasy strategy and up to date football news, day in, day out. Also, give some positive vibes to Fabio Borini on Twitter, he caries the hopes of my season on his shoulders!

@BenDinnery over @nikarg

@FuzzyWarbles over @DFS_Hambazaza

@wrigavin over @FantasyYIRMA

@RotoZdroik over @nealjthurman

@jforquer11 over @SportsByGotti

@TAMc10 over @RotoWireAndrew

@cjradune over @SmokeyLoogy

@EPL_MOstradamus over @jasonuk17

@jwl_15 over @TomSunderland_

Good Luck Everyone

IEFSA Fantasy League 2016/17 Draft Recap

Recently the draft for the IEFSA Fantasy League for the upcoming season was held on Fantrax. I was determined to assemble a better squad than the one I saddled myself with at the start of last season. Even though I claimed a respectable midtable position, I was constantly battling with injuries, out of form players, players not making it into their teams starting elevens, and of course, fixture bias against my team.

Things get a little more complicated with this year’s draft though, as there are more teams involved, and some players can be held over from last year’s game. For my part I held on to Marko Arnautovic for his salary of $1. The Stoke City top scorer was one of my best performers last season and I hope he can keep up that form into 2017. Let me explain the make up for the rest of my squad after the draft was completed.

In goals I went with Tom Heaton of Burnley. I got burned badly last year after spending $31 to get the Chelsea goalkeepers and didn`t feel like over spending in this area again. Burnley did not have a bad defensive record in the Championship and I’m hoping Heaton can emulate someone like Gomes, who gained lots of points for Watford in their first season back in the top division. With all the fantasy teams taking a team each, if things go wrong then he will be very hard to trade away. I could very well be stuck with him.

I`ve coupled Heaton up with his teammate Michael Keane in defence. Keane is a regular at the back and could perhaps be fancied to get three or four goals this year. I only spent $3 and won`t be too hurt if I have to jettison him later in the season. I put most of my money into two other players to make up my defence. Arsenal`s Bellerin cost $25 and is one of the highest scorers in the game, while Leighton Baines cost $19 and is looking to bounce back this year after an injury hit 2015/16. Everton should improve at the back under new man Ronald Koeman, plus I’m hoping Baines' frequent attacks forward can bring some joy too.

Last year my marquee signing was Memphis Depay…….. This year I spent even more money on another Manchester United player. I ended up in a bit of a bidding war for the services of Mkhitaryan and when the dust had settled he was in my squad for $71, which is way more than I had planned to pay. But I felt I had to secure a signing after seeing a number of other big names slip away. I will need the Armenian to play every game and to continue the form that saw him score nearly once every three games in the Bundesliga last season.

 

If he's half the player Tom Cleverley was then my money was well spent.

To compliment him in midfield I picked up two (currently injured) Arsenal players, Wilshire and Cazorla. I`m banking on them breaking into the Arsenal team sooner rather than later, and they are definitely an upgrade on the two Arsenal players I had last year in Welbeck and Coquelin. To round out the midfield I brought in Kevin Mirallas for $12, again this is a player I expect to be rejuvenated with the arrival of Koeman at Goodison Park. The last midfielder I took a punt on was Joe Allen. If he had stayed at Liverpool I would have never touched him, but at Stoke he will surely be given more game time. He likes to keep possession and I hope he will be able to set up a good few chances for my other Stoke player, Arnautovic.

All that`s left is to look at are the players who will supply the goals in my squad, the forwards. Arnautovic has already been mentioned. The two other Forwards did not have great seasons last year in the Premier League, but under the guidance of new managers maybe it will be their time to shine. Pedro was signed for $9 and as he is not a guaranteed starter at Chelsea, he will probably occupy a bench spot on my team. The main Forward I have will be Fabio Borini.

No, hear me out! Borini got five goals last year in a largely hopeless Sunderland side. This year they should be a bit tighter and more organized under David Moyes. If Moyes can get goals out of Jelavic and Anichebe, he can surely get goals out of Borini.

 

Borini is due a goal, and I'm due a huge slice of luck!

I still have some money to dabble in the free agent market if there are any transfers to the Premier League before the end of the month. I will probably look for a defender to rotate into my side, or perhaps a more consistent midfielder if my Arsenal players end up spending most of their time on the treatment table.

The opening matchup is fast approaching. Look out for a preview before the weekend. And to keep up with all the goings on in the league, follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter.

IEFSA Fantasy League Week 25 Preview

Another really tight affair last week saw me squeak a win by only 0.7 points over @nealjthurman. The win was pretty much singlehandedly earned by two goal Marko Arnautovic. That result leaves my still in ninth, with 12 wins and 12 losses. My team gets a chance to perhaps move up a place this week if they can overcome @BenDinnery. Ben’s team might sit four places below me in the league, but he has won his last two games and has actually outscored my side over the course of the season so far.

This weekend will see most of the Premier League teams play their third game in seven or eight days. These leads a lot of managers to rotate members of their squads, as well as the increased likelihood of some players picking up knocks that may keep them out of the starting eleven. My side has been fortunate in not picking up any new injuries, but @BenDinnery doesn’t have any new red flags to worry about either.

@BenDinnery’s Team

The weak link in his team has probably been his goalkeeper. Newcastle seem to pack it in after they concede their first goal and this has effected the points Rob Elliot has been able to gain. The Toon do host Bournemouth this Saturday though and it will be a game that Steve McClaren will be determined to win. At the back he has three defenders who like to get in among the goals. Ivanovic, van Dijk and Kolorov have all scored twice this season, with Ivanovic and Kolorov even providing a couple of assists each. With those two players having a couple of winnable home games this weekend, it could be a very profitable Saturday indeed.

His midfield has been quiet of late, with Mark Noble’s goal against Norwich three games ago being the only bright spot. It’s up front where @BenDinnery’s team has been helping him gain victories of late. Diego Costa has put his early season funk behind him and has scored eight goals in his last ten games. He also has Saido Berahino in the OF position, and with Tony Pulis seemingly abandoning his defence first approach recently (the Baggies last two games have involved 9 goals!). Berahino has played the full ninety minutes in those two games, while also contributing a goal in a win over Crystal Palace.

What I Need To Happen

I was lucky to get the win last time out, especially since I didn’t have a full roster of players playing. Nyom of Watford found himself on the bench again, in what I hope is just a rotation issue. But I will have to keep an eye on the lineups for the Saturday evening kick-off, where Watford entertain table toppers Leicester. My only defender with a favourable fixture is probably Angel Rangel of Swansea, as they host Norwich. The Canaries don’t travel very well, so a trip to Wales could see them camp inside their own box for ninety minutes!

Chelsea (along with 12 other teams) are eyeing a European place again

 

Further up the pitch things have been looking a lot brighter of late. Memphis Depay has been getting more game time, while not exactly pulling in more points it has to be said. Arnautovic has rediscovered his scoring boots, but will face a Chelsea side who have yet to lose under Guus Hiddink in the league this season. My main goal threat will have to come from Andre Ayew and Georginio Wijnaldum again. Ayew as I’ve mentioned will be facing a timid Norwich side. And Wijnaldum saves all his goals for Newcastle’s home games, so will be expected to get back on the scoresheet this weekend against the Cherries.

Predictions

Ouch! Only two correct predictions from seven last week, as everything became a bit unpredictable thanks to a lot of squads missing players because of the league cup final. @wrigavin picked up another win though to move six points clear at the top of the table. Remember, as always, you can follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter for the latest action, and you can also follow me, @GarryIrwin for all the latest overreaction!

@FuzzyWarbles over @GalinDragiev

@cjradune over @RotoWireAndrew

@RotoZdroik over @wrigavin

@DanRiccio590 over @nealjthurman

@Smokey_Loogy over @TomSunderland_

@DFS_hambazaza over @FantasyYIRMA

@nikarg over @SportsByGotti

IEFSA Fantasy League Week 20 Preview

Happy New Year everybody. After a short hiatus for the FA Cup and the IEFSA Fantasy Cup, normal service is resumed with a preview for IEFSA Gameweek 20. To get you up to speed, my team has somehow managed to get into the semi-finals of the IEFSA Fantasy Cup, but I did lose out to @cjradune in the league over the New Year which leaves me on nine wins and ten losses for the season. This weekend my squad of players will face off against @GalinDragiev (who has an identical 9-10 record). The last time we met in the league @GalinDragiev kicked my ass by scoring more than double my points for that week. I think some revenge is in order!

@GalinDragiev’s Team

When his side beat mine in week 5 it was Alexis Sanchez and Riyad Mahrez who did the damage. In fact those two players outscored my whole team for that week! Thankfully neither of those two appear to be hitting their early season form in 2016. Mahrez and Leicester have struggled for goals over the last few weeks, while Sanchez hasn’t played for Arsenal in the league since November because of injury. This hasn’t hampered @GalinDragiev’s side though, because he has the more than capable Raheem Sterling as another one of his Forwards. Man City face a misfiring Crystal Palace at home this Saturday, and he would be expected to rack up some points.

If Sterling does find his way to goal, this could impact one of his Defenders. Pape Souré has been playing consistently for Palace, but has only gained 4.6 points over the last two game weeks in match-ups where the Eagles have lost. This will mean @GalinDragiev could more than likely swap him out with Southampton’s Jose Fonte. Fonte gained 8 points when the Saints beat Watford 2-0 during midweek. Plus their defence would be fancied to try for another clean sheet when West Brom visit St. Mary’s this weekend. A number of his other players have seen reduced minutes, or have been rested, over the Christmas/New Year’s period, so I expect him to be keeping an eye on the team sheets as they are announced on Saturday.

What I Need To Happen

I too will be eagerly anticipating those team announcements. My side has a number of red flags beside players. Bastian Schweinsteiger has been ruled out for Manchester United, while Joshua King missed out in Bournemouth’s last game. Most worryingly of all, one of my star performers over the last few weeks, Marko Arnautovic was subbed off midweek and is carrying a knock. To win in the IEFSA League it’s crucial to get nine starters on the pitch. I may have to do some juggling of players come 2:45 on Saturday.

Bastian Scheweinsteiger will be looking on from the stands this week

Everton blanked last time out against Man City. I’ll be hoping for the same when they visit Chelsea. Begovic and Courtois between them have only managed six clean sheets this year. For a side that managed so many shutouts last season, that is an abysmal return. Speaking of clean sheets, none of my main defenders, Nyom, Moreno, Rangel, have kept one since the tail end of December. Surely one of them is due to pick up some points this weekend?

As I look for goals, if Arnautovic is injured, I’ll be hoping Wijnaldum keeps up his impressive run of goals at home when Newcastle host West Ham, and that Andre Ayew can find the net when Swansea host Watford. As for hoping Memphis Depay can score a goal? I’ll just be happy if he, by some miracle, gets into Manchester United’s starting 11. They do have a tricky away trip to Liverpool to navigate. Chances could be at a premium, and I’m not expecting Luis van Gaal to look to Memphis to turn in a superstar performance at Anfield.

Predictions

Last time out I gave my predictions for the opening round of the IEFSA Cup. I managed to call 5 of the 7 ties. Let’s try for the full set of predictions this week. Remember to follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter to keep track of all the winners and losers. Plus, follow me @GarryIrwin, who will hopefully be a winner this week.

@FantasyYIRMA over @DanRiccio590

@FuzzyWarbles over @BenDinnery

@Smokey_Loogy over @RotoWireAndrew

@RotoZdroik over @SportsByGotti

@cjradune over @TomSunderland_

@nealjthurman over @DFS_hambazaza

@wrigavin over @nikarg

Good Luck Everyone