Week 27: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview 2017/18

The final week of the Premier League season also sees the final gameweek of the IEFSA Premier division with two relegation spots still to be decided. Add in a Promotion Playoff between 2^nd and 3^rd in the IEFSA Championship, and you have a very tasty Sunday in store. It seems like an age since the last preview where I signed off by saying it looked like the title would go down to the wire. Well that prediction crashed and burned after @FuzzyWarbles lost four games in a row, while @TRKingston romped home with four wins. The only black-spot during the title run-in for Todd was the loss in the IEFSA Cup final to @jforquer11. Joel faces @jasonuk17 this week in the final game of the IEFSA Championship. The winner of that tie will earn promotion along with @BenDinnery who went up as champion.

With the title wrapped up all the action is at the other end of the table where any two from five could still find themselves facing the dreaded drop. The bottom two sides, @nikarg and @FantasyYIRMA, face each other, with the loser certain to go down. The winner of that match-up is not guaranteed safety, but because they both have a high amount of fantasy points scored, it would take three highly improbable results to relegate them. @TAMc10, @EPL_MOstradamus and my own side simply need to win their own ties to assure their place in the top eight. The IEFSA/Fantrax fixture computer has been tough on my side all season and this week is no different. To stay up my side will have to beat champion @TRKingston. #IEFSpiracy

@TRKingston’s Team

Not many holes in this squad. All the players average over ten points, with eight players who average over 15 points. David Silva alone chips in with 21.5 points every week. He has a rather good 8 goals and 11 assists from 28 games played. He also has assisted 61 shots for teammates. Teammates like four other players on @TRKingston’s roster. Otamendi, Fernandinho and Gundogan have scored 4 goals each this season; while Oleksandr Zinchenko may not have any goals so far, but he is a good bet to start the remaining game against Southampton after playing against Huddersfield last weekend.

Zinchenko, another shrewd signing from @TRKingston

@TRKingston has only lost five times all season (never to my side I might add) and on those occasions my side would have been the victors against Todd on a losing week only once. He has soundly beaten my team twice already. If he makes it a hat-trick on Sunday, then I’m sure to be relegated.

What I Need To Happen

If Todd could head off to the beach early this year that would be great. With the league wrapped up perhaps a lot of his Manchester City players will be thinking of the beach too, or at least the World Cup. His side is tantalizingly close to scoring 4000 points for the season though and he perhaps will be gunning for that target this week. He needs 125 points.

If my side were to reach 4000 points I’d need to score 1257. I’m not sure Luka Milivojevic can take that many penalties. But like Swansea this weekend, I just have to cross my fingers and hope.

The Palace midfielder has been one of my better players this season. He has top scored with ten goals (the same as Todd’s topscorer!) and been crucial in my side not been totally embarrassed some weeks. The other star player has been Nick Pope of Burnley. 11 clean sheets this season have helped the Clarets to seventh in the league, and perhaps a European place.

That's two more goals than Zlatan has...

Looking through my squad…… well…. It’s a depressing sight. Big money was spent to bring in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who now (occasionally) plays with the LA Galaxy. Serge Aurier was another big signing but failed to cement a place in the Spurs defence. At the start of the season, most of the budget went on the Newcastle pair of Gayle and Shelvey, but by the time they came into form for their club, I had them shipped off to waivers. I even bought back Dwight Gayle for a couple of games, just when he lost his goal scoring touch for a second time. Victor Lindelof was my most expensive defender back then but has only managed to feature in 16 games this season. Tom Ince was due to light up the Premier League this year. Two goals and barely over 9 points per game prove only that I wasted 40m of my budget. Cue the winger being dropped for next season only to be picked up by @TRKingston and go on to win the golden boot.

Predictions

All I can predict at this stage is that there will be no fingernails left on the five managers hovering over the drop zone come five o’clock on Sunday afternoon. In the Championship promotion playoff, perhaps @jforquer11 is the slight favourite after winning the IEFSA Cup final. All the other match-ups this weekend will go exactly against my team, just as they have done most of the season. Just as they have been engineered to, by the dreaded IEFSA/Fantrax fixture computer!

It’s been another great season in IEFSA, with the new format I believe going down well. Only 9 points separated third from tenth in the Premier, and only 3 points the difference between all the bottom five. The top of the Championship was a tight run thing too, with only 8 points the difference between @BenDinnery on top and (unluckiest team of the season?) @SportsByGotti in fifth.

 Whatever happens this weekend. Good Luck Everyone, and see you next season. Oh, and go and follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter, you know you want to.

Week 24: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview 2017/18

My unbeaten run came to a screeching halt against @EPL_MOstradamus last gameweek. Two goals from Spurs’ Son Heung-Min (and he only played 70 minutes) did the majority of the damage. His other players also chipped in with three assists and three clean sheets. My side tried their best in accumulating a healthy-ish 119 points. That was never going to trouble the near 150 points that @EPL_MOstradamus ended up achieving.

Carry on...

The IEFSA/Fantrax fixture computer really turns the screw on my team this week with a game against second placed @FuzzyWarbles. I did manage to get one over him in our last encounter, so hopefully I can catch his squad cold again.

@FuzzyWarbles’s Team

Going forward the team is very strong. Sergio Aguero has 21 goals this season and Sadio Mane has eight. Eric Dier averages over 15 points per game; while Aaron Lennon appears to be getting a new lease of life at Burnley. He doesn’t have many slouches at the back either. Hegazi, Christensen, Hoedt and Janmaat, all average over ten points a game.

Can Lloris and Spurs bounce back from their Champions League disappointment?

In goals he has the Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris. 13 clean-sheets in 26 games is an excellent return, and he will get a chance to add to those figures in a fixture away at Bournemouth on Sunday.

What I Need To Happen

My side may not have any star names, but at the moment they seem to be getting minutes on the pitch and that’s all I need. My side are third from bottom of the table and miles behind when it comes to fantasy points scored. The 119 points I scored last weekend, even in a loss, was the highest score I’d achieved since Gameweek 11. If I can post something like that for the rest of the season, I’m sure I’d be fine. Would it be enough this weekend though?

Newcastle have a good home record. But will Gayle keep his starting place?

I swapped out Ayoze Perez for Dwight Gayle last weekend after the Newcastle United team sheet was announced. Either, both, or none could play this weekend for the Toon in a game against Southampton. Hopefully Gayle will keep his place and justify it with a goal.

Predictions

Lots of upheaval last weekend with 17 teams scoring in the triple digits. The highest number of teams doing that since Gameweek 9. Because of this my predictions were a paltry four correct from nine match-ups. Here are this week’s predictions. Don’t forget to check out @THE_IEFSA on Twitter as the league looks to be going down to the wire between @TRKingston and @FuzzyWarbles.

Good Luck Everyone

@TAMc10 over @EPL_MOstradamus

@jwl_15 over @nikarg

@RotoZdroik over @FantasyYIRMA

@TRKingston over @wrigavin

@jasonuk17 over @FPL_MNOP

@BenDinnery over @RotoWireAndrew

@jforquer11 over @TomSunderland_

@SportsByGotti over @nealjthurman

@cjradune over @DFS_Hambazaza

IEFSA Fantasy League Cup Semi-Finals Preview

An expected loss to @TRKingston in the IEFSA Premier to round off 2017. It was perhaps closer than the 40-point loss indicates, and would have definitely been closer if Luka Milivojevic had converted his injury time penalty ending Manchester City’s unbeaten run. Todd had the highest score of the week and is still six points clear at the top of the table. My side on the other hand continue to sit on the bottom with half of the season gone. Star man Ibrahimovic also got himself injured and will be sent to the Injured Reserves. The second half of the season looks like it will be a tough slog to get players on the pitch every week, never mind getting the points needed to achieve safety.

If it wasn't for bad luck...

But let’s park all that negativity to one side for a few days as we dip back into our glorious cup run. We are at the semi-final stage now after putting @FantasyYIRMA to the sword last midweek. Hopefully my players can raise their game for one more herculean effort and give all their fans (fan?) something to cheer to start the new year. So, who has the IEFSA/Fantrax cup drawing machine pulled out of the hat for us this time?...

… @TRKingston…

OH!..............oh….

Of all the hot and cold balls rigged pre-recorded cup draws, this surely takes the biscuit. Unbelievable! The book of evidence of IEFSA/Fantrax bias against my side gets a little thicker.

@TRKingston’s Team

I’m pretty sure he has got the same side as two days ago. Only now he can call on in-form Marko Arnautovic. Even all of his players seem to be fully fit again, apart from Victor Wanyama, who has only featured in two games this season anyway. My only hope is that, because he had so many players figure prominently so recently, perhaps a few of them will be rested this time out.

Arnautovic has five goals in his last five games

What I Need To Happen

Rotation is probably more of a danger to my players though. And unluckily for me five of my squad don’t have a game until Tuesday. Do I leave a slot open in case Serge Aurier or Renato Sanches start for their sides? Joe Allen is one player who seems sure to start though. He was missing from the starting line-up in Stoke City’s last game as Mark Hughes used the full strength of his squad when getting hammered away to Chelsea. A home fixture against Newcastle is far more enticing, especially from a fantasy points perspective. Newcastle have only two wins and 10 goals away from home all season.

Someone pass Tom Ince the ball so he can get some points

Tom Ince is also one who could be in line for more minutes after he was substituted with only 55 minutes gone against Burnley on Saturday. Was he brought off with the coming game against Leicester in mind? In those 55 minutes he gained my team 1.8 points. I’m not sure what he did in those 55 minutes, as you pretty much get 1.8 points for togging out.

Predictions

We have already established that if my side was to win this week it would be a cup shock to rival Sutton beating Coventry or Wrexham beating Arsenal in the FA Cup; but let’s look at the other fixtures and see if we can predict the winners.

Who will get to lift the IEFSA Cup Trophy?

@nikarg vs @EPL_MOstradamus

Two teams in the bottom half of the IEFSA Premier meet, hoping to kick-start a run of form to climb the table. @EPL_MOstradamus has two victories over @nikarg already this season and I expect him to make it three from three here. His forward line of Firmino, Depoitre, Benteke and Son, is just too strong at the moment.

@RotoZdroik vs @jforquer11

Third in the Premier plays third in the Championship in this tie. @jforquer11 might have two more wins in the lower division but @RotoZdroik has scored 275 more fantasy points. @RotoZdroik will be missing Romelu Lukaku for this game, but I think he will have too much for his opponent, who has a side struggling with a number of injures and players in danger of being rested.

@FuzzyWarbles vs @wrigavin

Second plays sixth in the Premier, with @wrigavin on a horrible slump that has seen him drop his last five league games. He will also be sweating on the fitness of Harry Kane. Even if the Tottenham striker plays against Swansea, I don’t envisage it being enough against the players at @FuzzyWarbles disposal this week. Aguero and Mane have two winnable fixtures with their sides, and if they start, you would fancy them to score.

Normal league action will be back in a few days. Until them, please follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter. Happy New Year and good luck everyone.

Week 13: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview 2017/18

So you’re telling me there’s a chance!

Despite having the lowest scoring squad of players in the league (Primary League, @nealjthurman has scored fewer in the Secondary League. Sorry for that mention Neal), a win over @nikarg in Gameweek 12 has shot my side up one place to ninth in the table. Another Nick Pope clean sheet went a long way to gaining the three points. But we all know how I achieved the victory! The return of Zlatan froze the star players on @nikarg’s team into a below average week. And he didn’t even have to get off my injured reserve list!

Zlatan has the knees of a Lion. But the smile of a Cheshire cat

Ibrahimovic will probably be needed this week though, as the IEFSA/Fantrax fixture computer sees fit to throw my rebounding side against fourth place @wrigavin. A team who in our previous encounter ran away easy thirty-point winners. If I am to fit Zlatan in this week though, I will have to send someone back to Free Agency. Will @wrigavin be as quick to snap up Gareth Barry, as he was Jonjo Shelvey??

@wrigavin’s Team

Harry Kane has not scored in the Premier League since October 22^nd. @wrigavin, (and I’m sure IEFSA/Fantrax!) will be hoping he can end that poor run of form this weekend against West Brom. This barren patch for the striker coincides with Gavin dropping two of his last three games. Kane averages over 20 points per game for Gavin, and behind the England striker, who did score midweek in the Champions League by the way, is another Spurs player; Davinson Sanchez, who averages over 16 points per game.

Kane scores in the Champions League against Dortmund. Or the German Norwich City if you will

Looking elsewhere for points on @wrigavin’s team, the Liverpool goalkeeper, Simon Mignolet has kept three clean sheets in a row at home. This week he is up against Chelsea though, but if he does keep a clean sheet, he will surely be made to work for it. The second top scorer on @wrigavin’s team is Stoke’s Xherdan Shaqiri with two goals. Stoke City travel to bottom of the table Crystal Palace on Saturday at three o’clock. Shaqiri also has five assists on the season. Though who he’s assisting on the Stoke team I’ll never know. They were probably all for Peter Crouch.

What I Need To Happen

Just give Zlatan the ball. The big Swede will surely make mincemeat of the Brighton defence. The Seagulls haven’t beaten Manchester United since 1981, back when Moses was parting defences. I’m going to make a bold prediction and say the newly promoted side won’t be adding to that win from the eighties on Saturday. In other good Man Utd news for my squad. Marcos Rojo has returned from injury, and Victor Lindelof is getting into the first team. He’s falling over and giving away goals, but it’s a start!

Lindelof settles down to the perfect view of Dwight Gayle's opening goal

In fact, most of my squad now is returning from injury. It’s very refreshing to be able to change around players rather than being worried if it’s even possible to get eight outfield players scoring points. The only injury concern this week (so far) is Swansea’s Tammy Abraham. The young forward has been rated as 50/50 by his manager to start this weekend against Bournemouth. Another who has been absent from his side’s first team recently has been Newcastle’s Ciaran Clark. But with Lascelles injured at the moment, the Irishman should slot into the Toon backline for the visit of Watford.

Predictions

Only @wrigavin and @RotoWireAndrew let me down after I tipped them to win last week. Seven from nine is still a respectable score though.  Please follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter to see how my side is fairing. Don’t forget that the gameweek starts on Friday night with Leicester traveling to West Ham for David Moyes first home game in charge.

This midweek will also see the first round of the IEFSA Cup, as eight teams battle it out for a place in the last 16.

Here are this week’s predictions. Good Luck Everyone.

@TRKingston over @TAMc10

@jwl_15 over @RotoZdroik

@FuzzyWarbles over @FantasyYIRMA

@EPL_MOstadamus over @nikarg

@cjradune over @jasonuk17

@SportsByGotti over @jforquer11

@RotoWireAndrew over @nealjthurman

@TomSunderland_ over @SmokeyLoogy

@DFS_Hambazaza over @BenDinnery

IEFSA Cup

@BenDinnery over @TomSunderland_

@DFS_Hambazaza over @jasonuk17

@RotoWireAndrew over @jforquer11

@SmokeyLoogy over @nealjthurman

Week 11: IEFSA Fantasy League Preview 2017/18

For all those following @THE_IEFSA on Twitter, you will have seen a brief rundown of how all the teams in the league are doing with a third of the season completed. My side was encouraged to find some attacking talent in order to improve. But do they not see that I have Swansea’s top scorer Tammy Abraham in my team! I also have Crystal Palace’s second highest scorer of the season! Milivojevic has 33% of all Palace’s goals this season. In addition to all this, in Ciaran Clark, my side also boasts Newcastle United’s joint third top scorer! So, with that slightly optimist take on how my squad is doing, let’s check in on who they face this gameweek.

You asked for goals.. step forward Tammy Abraham

Ooooh it’s @FantasyYIRMA. A side that was described in @THE_IEFSA recap as a Top 2 side languishing with a 5 - 5 record. A side that is sure to climb the table soon. To make sure this prediction sticks, the biased IEFSA/Fantrax fixture computer pits him against my side this weekend. YIRMA has won his last three fixtures after a run of three defeats. Those defeats were to sides that had to post the highest points totals that gameweek in order to get the win. If my side has to have any chance, it looks like they will have to score more points than they have ever scored before!

@FantasyYIRMA’s Team

His side has scored 21 goals, spread across eight players. Top scorer Jamie Vardy has six, and Wayne Rooney has four. If needed, he could also call on Daniel Sturridge in the Forward position. With Rooney missing out on the Europa League game on Wednesday, he should be fresh for the fixture against Watford. It’s then up to @FantasyYIRMA to play Vardy or Sturridge away to Stoke or West Ham respectively. In Midfield most of the goals have come from Tottenham’s Dele Alli, who has contributed three. Mesut Ozil has chipped in with one, and Robbie Brady has only contributed one assist but does average nearly 12 points per game.

FantasyYIRMA has a Vardy party most weeks

His highest scorer though has been his goalkeeper David De Gea. In fact, it was largely thanks to    De Gea in Gameweek 2 that YIRMA managed to get one over my team by a measly five points. The Spaniard averages over twenty points a game and has kept eight clean sheets in ten games. In front of De Gea, @FantasyYIRMA has a back-line that are no strangers to finding the net. Nacho Monreal has two goals this season, as has Jamaal Lascelles. Jonny Evans is the man bringing up the rear at the back, with only one. That came from his only shot on target this season. Evans is probably as deadly as Sergio Aguero, if only Tony Pulis would take the handbrake off his team.

What I Need To Happen

Nick Pope has been on a one-man mission to keep the scores of these matchups respectable of late. Last weekend he scored over 30 points, meaning my side only lost by 20 points to @RotoZdroik. Did I mention my side also got their second highest total of the season in Gameweek 10 too. Things really are looking bleak. If goals are needed, Zlatan Ibrahimovic can’t return soon enough to guide my side to safety. Seeing as this weekend won’t see the return of the Swede, Tammy Abraham will have to be the one who scores the goals that fire my side to victory. The youngster will be up against Brighton at three o’clock on Saturday. The Seagullls against the Swans is one of the highlights of the Premier League and Bird Watching Magazine calendars.

A battle as old as time.... but who will win this weekend?

My side is facing another injury crisis. Micheal Keane is still side-lined for Everton with a foot injury. Renato Sanches is nursing a thigh injury and the game against Brighton is perhaps too soon for him. Ciaran Clark is still waiting on a recall to the Newcastle side, meaning it looks like I will struggle to get three defenders onto the field this weekend. Without a full roster playing, I will just be cannon fodder to the big guns of @FantasyYIRMA, which will delight the Fantrax computer no end!

Predictions

Two predictions wrong last weekend, as ruining the slate were @BenDinnery and (of course) @FantasyYIRMA getting big wins. This weekend in the tie of the round my previous weeks conqueror @RotoZdroik will get the opportunity to upset table toppers @FuzzyWarbles, and a chance to prove he didn’t just raise his game against my side!

Here are this week’s predictions. Good Luck Everyone.

@TRKingston over @EPL_MOstradamus

@FuzzyWarbles over @RotoZdroik

@jwl_15 over @wrigavin

@TAMc10 over @nikarg

@SportsByGotti over @RotoWireAndrew

@cjradune over @SmokeyLoogy

@jasonuk17 over @TomSunderland_

@BenDinnery over @neajthurman

@DFS_Hambazaza over @jforquer11

Week 7: IEFSA Fantasy League 2017/18 Preview

As the old saying goes, ‘one step forward, twelve steps back.’ That’s precisely what happened last weekend, as @FuzzyWarbles gave out a 65-point shellacking to my side. All the optimism that had been around in the build up to the gameweek evaporated in a haze of red cards and injuries. Unfortunately, that haze tends to stick around for a while so this week we are not in the best shape as we prepare to face @EPL_MOstradamus. After a poor start to the season Chris has rattled off four wins in a row and probably won’t have to exert himself too much to make it five. The IEFSA/Fantrax fixture computer will see to that!

Aurier's tackle on Carroll may have been from behind (VAR needed)

Serge Aurier only lasted seventy minutes against West Ham before receiving his marching orders for an incredibly boneheaded challenge that earned him a second yellow card. The $45 spent on him the week before looks like as sound an investment as those AOL Time Warner shares I bought back in the day. He will find himself suspended this gameweek meaning I will have to bring in another defender; but all my defenders are injured! Well that’s a lie, Ciaran Clark is fit, but has to face a free scoring Liverpool side. A team with only one defender has pretty much no chance of victory in IEFSA, so I might be forced to look at Free Agency if my side are to compete in this one.

@EPL_MOstradamus’s Team

My side are not the only ones to suffer the injury jinx. Chris recently lost his Forward Christian Benteke and Defender Benjamin Mendy. @EPL_MOstradamus does have the squad depth to be able to absorb those injuries though. Firmino will lead the line, against my only defender no less! while Charlie Daniels should be a more than capable deputy for Mendy at the back. Daniels already has a goal and assist this season and gets to face a rather shaky Leicester City at home on Saturday. Apart from those changes, it looks a pretty settled side. Manuel Lanzini is still side-lined with a knee injury, and Heung-Min Son will likely sit on the bench for Spurs, and therefore Chris, during the early kick-off.

Firmino may outscore my whole team this week!

Looking around for where the points will come from; Firmino is an obvious candidate, as are Harry Maguire and Nathan Redmond, who average over 16 points a game each. Solly March of Brighton averages over 13 points per game, but has to travel to an Arsenal side who like to hog the ball at Sunday tea-time. In goals will be Ben Foster of West Brom. The Baggies are usually a good bet for a clean sheet at home and they face a kind fixture against Watford on Saturday at three o’clock. Even when conceding two goals to the Gunners last time out Foster still managed 15.2 points.

What I Need To Happen

@EPL_Mostradamus might be down to the bare bones nine players to fill his roster, so perhaps if a few managers where to start tinkering with their formations or starting elevens then now would be an ideal time. The Aurier suspension leaves me in quite a bind. Steve Cook is still recovering from injury, so will perhaps remain on the bench for Bournemouth. Michael Keane looks like he won’t recover in time to take part in Everton’s next fixture. Victor Lindelof played 90 minutes in midweek for a Champions League game and is probably still out of the starting line-up when the Premier League rolls around. This paints a far from rosy picture of my prospects this weekend.

Sometime in the last century Gareth Barry played for a side called Aston Villa (ask your grandfather)

If we try to find the positives, you could say that Tammy Abraham scored last week and should perhaps force himself back into the Swansea eleven. Gareth Barry reached a record 633rd appearance in the top flight since football was invented in 1992, so there’s that…

Ummm…. Nick Pope kept a clean sheet recently…

Moving on…

Predictions

A more than respectable seven from nine in last weekend’s predictions. Can we do any better this time out? Follow @THE_IEFSA to find out. Also follow @GarryIrwin on Twitter also to keep up to date on all the goings on of my hobbled together WorstSquadInIEFSA™.

Here are this week’s predictions. Good Luck Everyone.

@RotoZdroik over @nikarg

@jwl_15 over @TAMc10

@TRKingston over @FantasyYIRMA

@FuzzyWarbles over @wrigavin

@SportsByGotti over @TomSunderland_

@jasonuk17 over @jforquer11

@cjradune over @nealjthurman

@BenDinnery over @SmokeyLoogy

@RotoWireAndrew over @DFS_Hambazaza

Week 5: IEFSA Fantasy League 2017\18 Preview

“A life spent defensively, worried, is a life wasted”                         -                      Lance Armstrong

Four weeks, four losses. Times were getting desperate. I couldn’t field a whole starting roster, injuries were mounting up as Tom Heaton injured his shoulder which would necessitate a lengthy absence, goals were becoming a rarity (two in four games), and an assist had yet to be seen. Something had to be done. I could not just ride it out and hope Dwight Gayle battles his way back into the Newcastle starting eleven, or that Victor Lindelof would finally usurp Phil Jones from the Man Utd back-line. Actions needed to be taken before I was cut adrift at the bottom of the table.

Shoulder surgery will keep Tom Heaton sidelined for months

That those actions would entail me spending almost my entire budget on three players who probably won’t start for their respective teams this weekend, was not something people could have foreseen. In fact, I didn’t even see it that way, as I had expected to be outbid on at least one of the three players I now possess. Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a value of $68 last season, so I assumed he would go for slightly higher this time around and I had initially bid over $70. But I kept notching up the value until I settled on $85. I probably could have acquired him for a fair but less. The Swede can’t come back from injury fast enough. My other two players each cost me $40 less than Zlatan, but I vastly overpaid. Serge Aurier becomes the most expensive Spurs defender in the game and is fighting with $1 Kieran Trippier for a spot in their line-up. Renato Sanches was made the fifteenth most expensive Midfielder in the league. Not bad for a player who completed 90 minutes only once during a year at Bayern Munich, where he was largely anonymous. While signing these players I had to let go Gayle and Shelvey, what with the earlier release of Jose Fonte, means I’ve basically thrown away nearly $100 since the draft. This sounds like doom and gloom, but my new team get their chance to prove themselves this coming gameweek against @wrigavin. Gavin has three wins this season and would have beaten my side handily if we had met on any other gameweek. Thanks IEFSA/Fantrax fixture computer!

@wrigavin’s Team

 

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU><"{{@$^!$$*!)(!!@#$

What I Need To Happen

Zlatan is injured. Heaton is out for months. Rojo is also still injured. Lindelof might as well be injured. Izquierdo (who?) can’t seem to start a game. Tammy Abraham has less accurate passes in 330 minutes of football than Renato Sanches managed in 70 minutes last weekend. Joe Allen is off form. Keane and Cook are defenders in name only as they don’t seem to want to keep clean sheets anymore. Gareth Barry is……. still in my squad??? My only hope this weekend could be the longshot of my Bournemouth and Brighton players outscoring @wrigavin’s Anthony Knockaert (a tough ask in itself), followed by some sort of nuclear war that gets all the other games on Saturday and Sunday cancelled.

Kim Jong-Un has won every season of the North Korean Fantasy League

Predictions

An improvement from the week before sees six correct predictions from nine. It was the tough-to-call games in the Primary League that were my undoing. To heap praise on this week’s predictions, feel free to follow me on Twitter @GarryIrwin. Also, feel free to badger @THE_IEFSA to ease up on the fixture congestion my side unfairly has to face every week.

Here are this week’s predictions. Good Luck Everyone.

@TRKingston over @TAMc10

@jwl_15 over @RotoZdroik

@FuzzyWarbles over @FantasyYIRMA

@nikarg over @EPL_MOstradamus

@jasonuk17 over @cjradune

@SportsByGotti over @jforquer11

@RotoWireAndrew over @nealjthurman

@SmokeyLoogy over @TomSunderland_

@DFS_Hambazaza over @BenDinnery

Week 4: IEFSA Fantasy League 2017/18 Preview

Three matches and three defeats. And while performances have improved week on week, I can tell the fans are getting restless. I’m not sure how long it’s acceptable to be rooted to the foot of the table, but thanks to the IEFSA/Fantrax fixture computer we may just find out. Firstly, I’m not sure how I lost my match-up last week when @RotoZdroik’s biggest threat to goal was a Lukaku missed penalty?? I had two goal scorers, as Tammy Abraham got off the mark for Swansea, and late signing Ciaran Clark netted for Newcastle. But lose I did, which leaves me bottom of the table with zero wins and the lowest points scored in the two divisions of IEFSA.

Ciaran Clark clearly delighted to have signed with my team this week

When times are tough you can always count on the IEFSA/Fantrax fixture compiler to give you a little kick. This week I will have to face @jwl_15, who would be undefeated if not for an Aaron Ramsey horror show against Liverpool two weeks ago. What makes this worse is that his star man is a player I let go at the end of last season!! And I’m not talking about Jack Wilshere (though he does have him too!).

@jwl_15’s Team

That star man of course is Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Last season he managed a total of one assist and barely a paltry ten points per game. In only three games this season, he has five assists and averages over 26 points per game. (anyone who points out I seem to have replaced the Armenian with Jonjo Shelvey, -2.1 ppg, will immediately be blocked on Twitter!) As has been mentioned, he also has Ramsey in midfield, who is usually good for a decent haul of points, last gameweek aside. Partnering them he has the workhorses of the Chelsea and Liverpool midfield's in N’Golo Kante and Jordan Henderson.

How many assists can he provide this season?....or this weekend?

Up front @jwl_15 has Southampton’s Manolo Gabbiadini who recent got off the mark and will be looking to score again at home to Watford on Saturday. He could also play Andre Ayew, but seeing as West Ham don’t play Huddersfield until Monday night, @jwl_15 may not have the luxury of waiting on the Ghanian’s fitness until then. But seeing the numbers my side has posted so far this season, he probably could afford to! At the back it looks like Cedric Soares, Southampton, Stephen Ward, Burnley, and Mamadou Sakho, Crystal Palace. Between the sticks will be Swansea’s Lukasz Fabianski. Putting him in direct opposition to two of my star players!

What I Need To Happen

Well, I’ll need both of these star players to make the first eleven for a start! It’s Newcastle who travel to face Fabianski and Swansea, but seeing as the Toon won 3-0 last time out without Shelvey or Dwight Gayle, I won’t be holding my breath. As I mentioned earlier, Ciaran Clark was a late signing who came good for me last week. He was brought in after I gave the heave-ho to Jose Fonte after he failed to make it back into the West Ham side. Looking around my squad, there are a few names under pressure to perform. Joe Allen is not his usually box-to-box self and is averaging a woeful, by his standards, nine points per game. Big signing Tom Ince has yet to trouble the oppositions net. While Victor Lindelof has yet to even feature in a Premier League game.

Abraham may have scored but are his other stats letting the side down?

Times are getting desperate. If a heavy defeat is suffered this week, I could be forced to abandon the whole squad that was carefully assembled during the draft. I will need to replace them with grafters. Players who are ready for a scrap. Who can play dirty for ninety minutes and get you all those much-needed tackling and accurate passing points. Tammy Abraham has 26 accurate passes in three games. 26?!? My goalkeeper has more! If, as I presume, he’s generally around for the kick-offs, that’s a quarter of his passes. Wholesale changes could be on the horizon if results don’t improve. If there is no reaction this week I will have no qualms about replacing an expensive signing with….. checks Free Agency list…… squints….. Solly March?

Predictions

To send me general abuse for my team/signings/predictions follow me on Twitter @GarryIrwin. Though you should really direct your ire @THE_IEFSA who seem to find new ways to undermine my carefully thought out plans every week. Before the international break I managed a rather poor four from nine. Will it be any better this weekend? Let’s find out.

Here are this week’s predictions. Good Luck Everyone.

@RotoZdroik over @EPL_MOstradamus

@FuzzyWarbles over @TRKingston

@FantasyYIRMA over @TAMc10

@nikarg over @wrigavin

@SportsByGotti over @SmokeyLoogy

@RotoWireAndrew over @cjradune

@jforquer11 over @BenDinnery

@jasonuk17 over @nealjthurman

@DFS_Hambazaza over @TomSunderland_

Week 3: IEFSA Fantasy League 2017/18 Preview

A slight improvement from the opening weekend, but unfortunately it was still a loss to @FantasyYIRMA in Gameweek 2. Fifteen extra points were scored, and even better, all of my players stayed on the field, but it wasn’t enough, as a failure to get a clean sheet out of any of my defenders or goalkeeper cost my side dearly. It leaves my side deep in relegation trouble and we haven’t even reached September yet. So, this week what has the IEFSA/Fantrax fixture computer in store? Why it’s only the second highest scoring team in the league, @RotoZdroik.

Dwight Gayle  has had some early season struggles in front of goal

The international break can’t come fast enough. It might give my players a chance to rest and recuperate! As I mentioned many times, goals win games. With no goals so far this season, I’m starting to think Dwight Gayle is not as good Romelu Lukaku. My side also has failed to register any assists, with only three assists of actual shots from my whole squad. Compare this to @RotoZdroik’s squad who has assisted 23 shots and it looks like it might be a long weekend.

@RotoZdroik’s Team

Everton have scored two goals this season and both were assisted by Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The youngster must surely have moved himself up the pecking order in Adam’s Midfield. This week Everton have a difficult trip to Chelsea though, so perhaps Calvert-Lewin will be held over in the OF position until Sunday. A lot of his players, at least on paper, have difficult ties. The majority of them have an away fixture this weekend. His highest scoring player has a home fixture on Saturday though.

Can @RotoZdroik be tempted to rest Lukaku??

Romelu Lukaku has scored 48 points in the first two games of the season, scoring three goals. The Belgian has had eight shots and will hope for a few more at Old Trafford when Manchester United face Leicester City. @RotoZdroik could pull a trick on everyone though and play Ayoze Perez in the Forward position. At three o’clock on Saturday, Newcastle will play West Ham United. The Hammers have shipped seven goals in two games and it could be fruitful for Adam to find a spot in his roster for the Spaniard.

What I Need To Happen

I really need my side to break the 100 point barrier. @RotoZdroik averages 154 points, which is only 18 points less than I have managed in two Gameweeks. I`m in desperate need of some goalscorers. Dwight Gayle didn’t even last an hour last time out and has only one shot on target this season. The players who have taken the most shots in my squad, (and are therefore due a goal this weekend!) are Tammy Abraham of Swansea and Tom Ince of Huddersfield.

Gareth Barry will face Joe Allen in the game of the weekend

Looking elsewhere around my squad for points, you have top point scorer Michael Keane, who faces a tough away day at Chelsea with Everton. In Midfield Gareth Barry has settled in well with West Brom who have won two games to start their campaign and have yet to concede a goal. Barry and his side face a resurgent Stoke City on Sunday. Joe Allen has not has as good a start as he managed last term, but hopefully he can pick up some points in this game, which should be a tense midfield battle.

Predictions

Those of you following @THE_IEFSA on Twitter (and you all should be) will see that a lot of sides have been busy in the transfer market in the hope of unearthing that $1 gem that can turn a loss into a win. Six sides including mine have yet to get off the mark. In the prediction stakes, last weekend was a bit of a bust as only four of the nine predictions were correct. Let’s hope for better this Gameweek. Here are this week’s predictions.

Good Luck Everyone

@nikarg over @TRKingston

@FuzzyWarbles over @TAMc10

@jwl_15 over @EPL_MOstradamus

@FantasyYIRMA over @wrigavin

@SportsByGotti over @BenDinnery

@cjradune over @TomSunderland_

@jasonuk17 over @RotoWireAndrew

@jforquer11 over @SmokeyLoogy

@nealjthurman over @DFS_Hambazaza