IEFSA Fantasy League Gameweek 19 Preview: IEFSA Fantasy Cup

A Marko Arnautovic goal and an Alberto Moreno clean sheet helped me achieve the win over @TomSunderland_ just two days ago. That victory doesn’t move me up any positions in the table, and I still sit in 10th with nine wins and nine defeats to my name. As I mentioned in my previous post, this victory was crucial to keep pace with the leaders (is 15pts off top keeping pace?), as seven of the other teams in the Top 10 had victories also.

But Gameweek 19 offers us a little respite from the pain of looking at the league table, because this is the first round of the IEFSA Cup. Last season I lost in the final and I’ll be hoping for a similar run this year, but hopefully go just one better. With the quick turnaround in matches and my internet acting up (I live in Japan, it shouldn’t be like this!), this will be a quick preview.

In the First Round of the cup, I’ve been drawn against………

@DFS_hambazaza’s Team

I beat @DFS_hambazaza in Gameweek 16 thanks largely to Arnautovic gaining over ten points. His side may sit bottom of IEFSA with only one win, but his side will surely be up for the cup? Sergio Aguero is due back for Man City, and he is a player who could win a matchup all on his own if in the mood. So I’m well aware of the threat that @DFS_hambazaza poses over the next three days of Premier League fixtures.

No Cup upsets this week please

What I Need To Happen

Aguero looks likely to play against Leicester City, if he is kept quiet that would make my life a whole lot easier. I’ve been talking about a number of my players being due a goal or two over the last couple of weeks. So if one or two of them could step up for their respective clubs this Monday that would be great. I’m looking at you, Ayew, Wijnaldum and, dear oh dear…. Memphis Depay.

Looking further ahead, and the need to get a full squad of players playing week in week out, I’ll be looking to aquire another defender of the free agent list. Carl Jenkinson may have gotten 45 minutes for West Ham last time out, but baring a long term injury to one of the fullbacks, he doesn’t look like getting back into the Hammers back four any time soon.

Predictions

Gameweek 18 = 7 from 7

What more needs to be said? When you’re good you’re good! Let’s try and replicate this feat with this week’s cup games. Remember to follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter for all the ups and downs of cup action. Plus, follow me @GarryIrwin for all the corresponding downs and ups!

@cjradune over @BenDinnery

@wrigavin over @DanRiccio590

@Smokey_Loogy over @GalinDragiev

@RotoZdroik over @FuzzyWarbles

@nikarg over @nealjthurman

@FantasyYIRMA over @TomSunderland_

@SportsByGotti over @RotoWireAndrew

Good Luck Everyone!

IEFSA Fantasy League Week 18 Preview

I hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas festivities and are adequately prepared for the thick and fast football coming over the New Year. Unfortunately the holiday period got off to a bad start last weekend as @nikarg defeated my side by an agonising 3.3 pts after my players failed to register a single goal or assist. @nikarg had a Wayne Rooney assist to thank for his win, the first time Rooney has helped a team to win since….. ummmm, I don’t know, perhaps September?

This week I get a chance to get back to winning ways when I face @TomSunderland_ Tom might be second from bottom of the league, but he did win his previous matchup and he would have beaten me last week too.  A win could see my squad move up to ninth, but a loss would more than likely move me team down to eleventh and far too many points off the summit to worry about winning the league for another year.

@TomSunderland_’s Team

A great Goalkeeper in Arsenal’s Petr Cech sits behind a back three of players who are pretty much nailed on starters for their clubs for Tom’s side. Two of these four players, Azpelicueta and Walker, have home fixtures that look like they could throw up a clean sheet or two. His Midfield is a bit harder to pin down. The player with the most appearances for his side this season, Leicester’s Daniel Drinkwater, will be unavailable this week. The rest of his options could well be propping up benches up and down the country this weekend. On the flipside though, three of them could well start, and then I’ll be in trouble.

Nine of his goals have come from his two Forward players, Arouna Kone and Anthony Martial. Martial should start up front for Manchester United when they travel to Stoke City. But Kone could have his place under threat for Everton’s trip to Newcastle from Kevin Mirallas. The Belgian scored last time out against Leicester, whereas Kone hasn’t scored since his hattrick against Sunderland on November first.

What I Need To Happen

If @TomSunderland_ is hoping for Martial to shine against Stoke on Saturday lunchtime, I’ll be hoping that Memphis Depay does the same. Martial’s place is surely more secure than Memphis’s, but with Luis van Gaal really needing to pick up a win, perhaps the manager will try attacking en masse for this game. If he does go this route, and I’ll be delighted if he does, perhaps this will cost Schweinsteiger, another player on my roster, his chance of starting.

Will the Guus get cooked this Holiday season?

That would leave my midfield scrambling around for starters. Aston Villa have a home fixture against West Ham. And after a promising result last time out for the Villains, I could play my two Villa players (I know, I know!).  Hopefully I will need only one, as Wijnaldum and Andre Ayew have home games, and are due a goal or two before the year is out. In goals I will be hoping for a clean sheet from Chelsea to mark Guus Hiddink’s first game in charge.

Predictions

Only three correct predictions from seven last week. @Smokey_Loogy was toppled by @FantasyYIRMA in a really tight game. While @DanRiccio590 was beaten by @RotoWireAndrew in another closely fought contest. This week will be easier to predict surely! Follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter to keep track of all this week’s games, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter also @GarryIrwin.

@Smokey_Loogy over @BenDinnery

@RotoZdroik over @DanRiccio590

@FuzzyWarbles over @RotoWireAndrew

@FantasyYIRMA over @SportsByGotti

@cjradune over @GalinDragiev

@wrigavin over @nealjthurman

@nikarg over @DFS_hambazaza

Good Luck Everyone.

IEFSA Fantasy League Week 17 Preview

A win! My team posted almost 30pts less than the week before, but this time a victory was achieved. I still sit 12 points behind league leader @Smokey_Loogy back in 10^th place. An Allan Nyom assist and clean sheet for Watford did the damage for me last weekend against @DFS_hambazaza. The 45.2 pts gained would have beaten eight teams in the IEFSA League last time out, but I will surely need to top that total this week against @nikarg, as his side averages 48.7pts per week.

The big news in the Premier League this past week was the dismissal of Jose Mourinho by Chelsea. He becomes the fifth managerial casualty of the season.

Quick Pub Quiz Fact: Chelsea were the first team to sack a manager in the Premier League era back in 1993. After they fell away from the title race post-Christmas, they gave their manager the boot in February. That man? Ian Porterfield!

@nikarg’s Team

In a very tight league, @nikarg is three points off the top in sixth place. He has a squad peppered with great performers. In goals he has the highest scoring shot stopper in the game in Jack Butland at Stoke City. He has seven clean sheets and has only conceded 14 goals in 16 starts. He doubles up with Stoke players at the back with Glen Johnson. The Potters host Crystal Palace on Saturday in a game where a clean sheet is surely a possibility. Up front he will be hoping Wayne Rooney is passed fit for the Manchester United game against Norwich. If he isn’t he can put in Joel Campbell in his Forward slot.

His midfield has contributed a huge amount of assists so far this season. Albrighton (6), Eriksen (6), and Sissoko (5) have each more assists than all my midfielders combined. He also has Matic of Chelsea in his midfield, it will be interesting to see how he will respond to the appointment of a new manager at Stamford Bridge.

What I Need To Happen

Chelsea will have a new man in the dugout this weekend picking the starting eleven, but will surely stick with Thibaut Courtois in goals. They face Sunderland at home in a real relegation six pointer! Hopefully they can post a long overdue cleansheet. Elsewhere at the back I have Nyom and Moreno facing each other when Watford host Liverpool on Sunday. A boring nil all draw would be most welcomed. My remaining defensive slot has drawn blanks for the last few weeks, so I’ll be hoping that with the spate of injuries West Ham have suffered lately, that Carl Jenkinson can get back into the Hammers side.

For those paying attention, Garry Monk got the chop after Swansea won 3 in 16!

 

No goals last weekend for my side, surely this will not be the case this time out. Memphis could well be in the United team as they host Norwich. Georginio Wijnaldum scores all his goals at home and the Toon host bottom placed Aston Villa in the Premier League’s Saturday evening kickoff. Andre Ayew will have a chance to get back on the scoring charts when Swansea host West Ham. Arnautovic has five goals this season and will perhaps get some chances to add to this against Crystal Palace.

Predictions

Another week, another four correct coupled with three wrong. It’s very hard to make predictions in this league, so to keep track of how well my predictions are doing (not doing!) please follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter @GarryIrwin for the ups and down of my unpredictable, yet terribly predictable, midtable fantasy team.

@BenDinnery over @SportsByGotti

@TomSunderland_ over @DFS_hambazaza

@RotoZdroik over @FuzzyWarbles

@DanRiccio590 over @RotoWireAndrew

@Smokey_Loogy over @FantasyYIRMA

@nealjthurman over @cjradune

@wrigavin over @GalinDragiev

Good Luck Everyone

IEFSA Fantasy League Week 16 Preview

Are you sitting comfortably?

Good. Let me tell you a story of Fantasy Football woe. Last weekend my side posted a rather impressive 71.2 pts; my second highest score of the season. A score good enough to beat fourteen teams in the IEFSA league that very week. It included three goals scored, and for once I didn’t leave any points sitting on the bench. But…….. I was facing @Smokey_Loogy and his side went out and scored 76.3 points! It catapulted him to first place in the league, leaving my side twelve points behind in 10^th place.

Perhaps I should look on the positives? If my team can get that kind of score every week, they will surely win more than they lose. So this week, we pick ourselves up and face @DFS_hambazaza. His team props up the league after a run of 13 losses on the trot. All that means though is that he is surely due a victory. I will have to do everything to make sure that this week’s match is not it.

@DFS_hambazaza’s Team

His side has struggled because of injuries to key players. Up front he can call on Sergio Aguero, but with him starting only nine games this season, @DFS_hambazaza has to fall back on Steven Fletcher (injured), Steven Naismith (3^rd/4^th choice striker for Everton) and Andy Carroll (one goal all season). He also has Lewis Grabban of Norwich, but he has only one goal and can’t seem to break into the Canaries starting eleven.

Pocchettino plays Trippier in the Europa but not the Premier League

The player who has played the most for him is youngster Matteo Darmian of Man Utd. He has started 12 games, but he is injured this week, meaning @DFS_hambazaza will have to start Kieran Trippier. The problem is, Tottenham don’t seem to want to start Trippier!

He must be really disappointed in his midfield. No goals and no assists from the trio of Gardner, Mirallas and Routledge. All three are playing away from home this week, so he will be really up against it if he is looking for them to get the points he needs to win this week’s matchup.

What I Need To Happen

I need his players to continue their inconsistent run of starts. As mentioned, only one player, outside of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, has started more than ten games. His keeper heads to Crystal Palace this week and I will hope he struggles to get to his average weekly points total of 4.4 points.

My side has a few player starting issues of its own. Schweinsteiger is suspended for Man Utd’s trip to Bournmouth. While Forward Joshua King is a doubt with concussion, while also having his place under threat by Glenn Murray who scored the winner for the Cherries against Chelsea last week. Man Utd also have a pretty mean defensive, perhaps I should be looking to Arnautovic to get the goals for my side again this week.

At the other end of the field, Courtois is back between the sticks for Chelsea. He should start this week as they travel to table toppers Leicester City. I believe he will be kept busy, and maybe he can keep a clean sheet for Mourinho’s beleaguered side.

Predictions

Four right and three wrong again last week; with a lot of tight matchups where a goal could have swung the tie. @Smokey_Loogy and @RotoZdroik are the two form teams in the league. Will they continue their streaks? Make sure to follow @THE_IEFSA to keep up with the drama. Follow me on Twitter @GarryIrwin also and keep tabs on my inevitable euphoria or heartbreak!

Okay! This week’s predictions! Good Luck everyone.

@FuzzyWarbles over @DanRiccio590

@FantasyYIRMA over @BenDinnery

@GalinDragiev over @nealjthurman

@RotoZdroik over @RotoWireAndrew

@Smokey_Loogy over @SportsByGotti

@TonSunderland_ over @nikarg

@wrigavin over @cjradune

IEFSA Fantasy League Week 15 Preview

I gambled last weekend and it didn’t pay off, as a result I took my second heaviest defeat of the season. Unfortunately, because I hoped that Memphis Depay would use any minutes he got against Leicester City to good effect, I left Schweinsteiger on the bench, who then goes and scores. I also left Fabian Delph (goal) and Joshua King (assist) on the bench. With these players in my starting line-up I could have overcame @RotoZdroik and the goals his team got from Lukaku and McArther.

This week I’m pitted against the most in form team in the league in @Smokey_Loogy. He has managed to rattle off five wins on the bounce. Thanks again fixture gods!! It is a tough matchup because his team is built on scoring goals. One of his Forwards has more goals than my three forward players combined. Plus, the rest of his team ain’t too shabby either.

@Smokey_Loogy’s Team

Up front he can play both Watford forwards, who are bang in form at the moment. Ighalo and Deeney have 12 goals and five assists between them. They are at home on Saturday against a Norwich team yet to keep a clean sheet on the road this season, so they will be fancied to get on the scoresheet again. @Smokey_Loogy has four Crystal Palace players in his squad. Yannick Bolasie averages the most points per game for his side with over 7. Palace travel to Everton for a three o’clock kickoff on Saturday too. A tricky fixture, but you never know what Alan Pardew has up his sleeve and Palace have a pretty good away record.

Will Alan Pardew have his head in his hands at Goodison this week?

His defensive options all average over 5pts a game. He could well go with two Palace defenders, but would he be confident that they could keep Lukaku, Barkley and others quiet? He probably has more confidence in his Liverpool players. The Reds travel to lowly Newcastle United on Sunday. Jürgen Klopp has turned Liverpool into one of the form teams in the Premier League. Mignolet in goals should be fancied to frustrate the Toon, while Philippe Coutinho (if fit) is a constant threat at the other end of the pitch.

What I Need To Happen

If Norwich could somehow keep Watford’s two hot strikers from scoring this weekend that would be great. If Newcastle could upset the form book and overturn Liverpool, with perhaps Wijnaldum getting on the score sheet, that would also be great. Everton are surely too hot for Palace to handle at the moment, so a nice boring  1-0 Toffees win would be good in that match-up, as long as Seamus Coleman doesn’t score!

As for my side? Well…. Who to pick? My selections were all wrong last weekend, but should I stick with some of those players? Memphis will surely get some proper game time now that Wayne Rooney has been ruled out with injury. Schweinsteiger was Man Utd’s player of the month for November, so should surely be starting for my team in a game at home to out of sorts West Ham. Chelsea have finally started to keep some clean sheets and will be expected to do so again at home to Bournmouth; so I would anticipate Begovic to gain some points. While leaving Joshua King on the bench for my side.

Which player to play in my remaining M and OF positions? Delph may start for Man City against Stoke, but should I be playing Arnautovic in that game, as the Potters are the home team? That game is the early kick-off, so it could set me up for the remaining games, or, it could set me back.

Predictions

Four correct and three incorrect last week. Some games were mighty close, while others were less so. @nealjthurman would have beaten my side last week, but he ended up losing to @Smokey_Loogy by nearly 30 pts! Gulp! How are you supposed to predict games when that kind of thing is going on! Regardless, I’m going to try again this week. Remember to follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter to keep up with all of these matchups and also to follow me! @GarrryIrwin.

@TomSunderland_ over @BenDinnery

@wrigavin over @DanRiccio590

@FantasyYIRMA over @nikarg

@cjradune over @FuzzyWarbles

@GalinDragiev over @RotoWireAndrew

@RotoZdroik over @nealjthurman

@SportsByGotti over @DFS_hambazaza

Good Luck Everyone

IEFSA Fantasy League Week 14 Preview

Two goals last week helped my team see off @RotoWireAndrew by nearly 30 points. Andre Ayew ended a recent barren spell, while Memphis Depay found himself on the team sheet and then on the scoresheet for Man Utd. That victory puts my side to 7-6 and up to the heady heights of 9^th! This week’s match-up is against a team three points and two places above mine.

Only nine points separate the top 11 teams in the league, so any victory is vital, especially at this stage of the season if you want to be in the mix for honours in 2016. Week 14 serves up a game between my side, off the back of two straight wins, and @RotoZdroik, who himself has rattled off three wins in a row. So far this season he has scored 28 more points than me overall, thanks to some of the star players he has lining out for him.

@RotoZdroik’s Team

In goals he has the third highest scoring goalkeeper in Heurelho Gomes of Watford. He has kept five clean sheets and made 40 saves so far. He is also one of only two goalkeepers to save a penalty this season. In defence he has two players who average more points per game than his goalkeeper; Eric Dier of the stingy Spurs backline and Man City’s Bacary Sagna. He has three other capable defenders vying for that third Defensive spot on his roster, but this week I expect him to stick with Damien Delaney of Crystal Palace, as they host Newcastle United on Saturday.

"I'm dropping you for Aiden McGeady"  *probably not going to happen

His other big star player, who is bang in form too, is Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian's 9 goals so far this season are only bettered by Jamie Vardy. This week Everton travel to the worst defence in the league at Bournemouth, where he will be fancied to add to his tally. He has plenty of other goal threats on his team too; Defoe has chipped in with four goals, Dier and Sigurdsson both have two goals each. Elsewhere in Midfield sits Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla, who has three assists but no goals so far, and will probably be extra determined to find the back of the net after doing everything but score against West Brom last weekend.

What I Need To Happen

Memphis Depay to keep his place. Although after a poor outing midweek in the Champions League, I’m in doubt as to whether Luis van Gaal will trust him in the top of the table clash against Leicester City in the Saturday evening kickoff. Bastian Schweinsteiger seems to have a more secure place in midfield. But I will probably put Arnautovic up front, Stoke travel to lowly Sunderland, and leave the flex OF position free until the teams are announced for the game at the King Power Stadium at 5:30.

The old adage of goals winning games will surely mean I need my side to outscore Lukaku. If Bournemouth could somehow keep him quiet that would be great. But if not, I will surely need Ayew to step up again; or perhaps Wijnaldum could rediscover his goalscoring touch as Newcastle battle to move out of the relegation zone. If not goals, then cleansheets could be the route to victory. I have two defenders playing at home, Moreno and Jenkinson, while the third travels to Aston Villa, who are the lowest scorers in the league.

Predictions

Four correct predictions last week. Not the worst week, but not really anything to write home about either. It just goes to further prove how unpredictable this league becoming. Anyone can beat anyone, but that won't stop me from telling you who is going to beat who this week! So without further ado,

@RotoWireAndrew over @DFS_hambazaza

@GalinDragiev over @SportsByGotti

@TomSunderland_ over @DanRiccio590

@FantasyYIRMA over @cjradune

@nealjthurman over @Smokey_Loogy

@nikarg over @FuzzyWarbles

@wrigavin over @BenDinnery

And please, don’t forget that to be able to keep up with all the scores in these matchups over the weekend, you simply have to follow @THE_IEFSA on Twitter. Oh, and follow me @GarryIrwin!

IEFSA Fantasy League Week 13 Preview

I hadn’t much time to celebrate my tight victory in week 12 when the international break came and tried to cripple my defence. Nyom is a doubt for this weekend after he missed both of Cameroon’s World Cup qualifiers because of a mix up with documentation and travel arrangements. The Cameroonian FF could prevent him from playing if they wanted, but they will probably let it slide. On a far more serious note, Jordan Amavi will miss the remainder of the season after injuring his knee while playing for France. The left back has been one of the few bright spots for Aston Villa and his absence leaves my side with only three fit defenders, unless I bring in cover from the waiver wire this week.
This week I face one of the few teams that sit below me in the table (I’m still 11^th!), but @RotoWireAndrew’s two victories this season are a little harsh on his side. Andrew has had to face the most difficult fixture list in the league. He has the most points against at 668; compare this to @nikarg whose record is 8-4 and has conceded a much lighter 520 points. Andrew’s team has scored the most points of the bottom five and is surely best placed to make a run up the table.

@RotoWireAndrew’s Team

A spate of red flags and an Eric Lamela suspension has depleted Andrew’s options this week. But he does have a number of players with potential to turn in a star performance or two, and with goals being crucial to chances of victory in this league, Benteke and Wickham up front could well be due some goals.

Looking around his squad and he has a lot of names form the big clubs who usually turn in good average points per week.  Andrew is sure to miss his best performer this week in Theo Walcott though. The Arsenal man is still a week or two away from a return. His other Arsenal player is Monreal who averages nearly 6 points per game and is his top scoring defender. The Gunners face a rather goal shy West Brom this weekend, so a clean sheet is not out of the question. Another player who has a favourable fixture, so it would seem, is Pedro of Chelsea. He will be up against Norwich at home and will fancy improving on his 6.15 pts per game.

What I Need To Happen

Good news on the Memphis Depay front, as injuries to Martial and Rooney has left Luis van Gaal looking to his squad for goals. Memphis will need to take the chance any minutes afforded to him can provide. Watford away is a tricky fixture for most sides though; the Hornets have only conceded four goals at home all season. I’m hoping he’ll start in the early Saturday kickoff, otherwise I’ll have to rely on Ola Toivonen up front; and no one should have to write a sentence like that!

Are Goals imminent for Memphis Depay? Will he even start??



I cannot stress enough how important goals are in this league.  My two top scorers, Wijnaldum and Ayew have two home fixtures for their sides and I will be looking to them to spearhead my points tally for gameweek 13. If those two fail to shine, perhaps Stoke’s Marko Arnoutovic can add to his three goals this season when The Potters travel to Southampton. While goals are foremost in my mind, a clean sheet would not be unwelcomed, and Chelsea will be fancied to gain one at home to the Canaries for my goalkeeper Begovic.

Predictions

Gameweek 12 was a mixed bag of predictions. Four right and three wrong just goes to prove how tough it is to cement a victory in this league. The first 11 teams are separated by only nine points, while a quick glance at the form table shows that @FuzzyWarbles and @Smokey_Loogy are out in front, but only on the back of three wins each.
Here are this week’s predictions. Good Luck Everyone, and remember to follow @THE_IEFSA on twitter to keep track of all the Fantasy Football action.

@RotoZdroik over @DFS_hambazaza

@GalinDragiev over @Smokey_Loogy

@TomSunderland_ over @FuzzyWarbles

@cjradune over @BenDinnery

@SportsByGotti over @nealjthurman

@DanRiccio590 over @nikarg

@wrigavin over @FantasyYIRMA