This is the first full week so I am not yet set on the way I want to be distributing the posts over the week but this is what I have for now (it is more than likely to change for the better):
Monday: After thoughts.
Tuesday: Injury and Suspension reports.
Wednesday: The Fixtures Ahead - 1
Thursday: The Fixtures Ahead - 2
Friday: Player Picks and Recommendations.
Weekend: Barn Door options.
Since so many results are dependent on current form of the team and the way they play, I thought it would be a good idea to analyze games from the past week and see how they will do for the upcoming week.
More importantly, I am looking to analyze from the fantasy point of view and see where we can get the best value.
This is the part 1 covering 5 fixtures and I will do the other 5 at some point soon. So here we go:
Sunderland v Newcastle
Sunderland looked strong against Liverpool, especially in the second half. Gyan will more than likely come good at some point - I am not entirely sold on him yet. Larsson and Sessegnon were particularly impressive.
Player to watch for Sunderland: Seb Larsson.
Dark Horse player: Wes Brown (Cattermole would have been here had he not been prone to get booked).
Newcastle on the other hand weren't as impressive against a weakened Arsenal side. Joey Barton was explosive as usual and even though they were playing a very attacking football, they weren't ever quiet there.
Player to watch: Joey Barton.Dark Horse player: Yohan Cabaye.
Fantasy view: It would be safe to go for attacking players of either side. Or the goalkeepers. But there isn't much value in this game as such with Wes Brown being an exception.
Arsenal v Liverpool
Honetly, Arsenal just didn't seem to look like a top four team. They lacked the creative spark although Gervinho did bring in some pace and attacking opportunities with his runs inside the box but he lacked the final touch that is so characteristic of most attacking players. It must be said though, that their defense looked solid - atleast for an Arsenal defense. But with Gibbs and Djourou injured, one has to wonder if it will be the same against Liverpool. Arsenal to play at home so that might help although Arsenal fans are not the most forgiving type - and understandably so.
Player to watch: Robin van PersieDark Horse player: Andrei Arshavin
Liverpool look rock solid in the first half against Sunderland and we can expect the same against Arsenal. In the second half however, Liverpool midfield seemed lost. It seems they will just be fine as long as Arsenal don't score. If however, Arsenal score to go ahead or equalize, it remains to see what will happen to their midfield. It might be safe to say, however, that Suarez just might be able to carry them through.
Player to watch: Suarez.Dark Horse player: Stewart Downing.
Fantasy View: Avoiding Arsenal players sounds like the best thing to do this week. If you are the adventurous type, you might feel the urge to go for Ramsey or Arshavin which might just pay off but it is better to be on the safer side. Staying away from Liverpool midfield is also a good idea. Adam might be a good buy but he is expensive - go for Suarez instead.
Swansea City v Wigan Athletic
Swansea looked like they could have done some damage in the first half against Manchester City. I remember the commentator commenting "it is difficult to tell which side is the multi-million pound side". That says it all really. Even though they shipped 4 goals, they looked good and we can expect better against Wigan seeing as they play home and against a side that is significantly less glamorous than Manchester City. Also, the fact that their defenders and goalkeeper managed to positive points - as much as their values, which is good - it can be safely said that Swansea might just be the team to watch in terms of Yahoo Fantasy.
Player to watch: Scott Sinclair.Dark Horse player: Angel Rangel and Michel Vorm.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find the time to watch Wigan against Norwich but from what I have heard, they weren't very impressive, especially for a side playing at home. The only goal came from a penalty so I guess that says it. The game could have gone either way so it only made sense it ended a draw.
Player to watch: Vitor Moses.Dark Horse player: Ali Al-Habsi.
Fantasy View: It might prove to be a shrewd move to pick Swansea players this week. Especially Rangel who I really like. He got forward a lot and managed to get crosses in. He is similar to Riise in more than one way. Any Swansea player who starts might be a good option. For Wigan, apart from Moses and Al-Habsi, I don't see much value there. Their defenders are available for cheap if you fancy a cheap gamble.
Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers
Aston Villa looked solid against Fulham. The line-up was a bit surprising but regardless, they never looked like they were going to concede - especially with Given in goal. Given was spectacular and we can hope for the same. The addition of Albrighton in the 67th minute seemed to lift them up a bit so we might see him start - him not starting in the first place was a huge surprise to me. Warnock seemed particularly good. N'zogbia has failed to impress me so I am going to say he is a dark horse.
Player to watch: Marc Albrighton (if he starts) and Darren Bent.Dark Horse player: Warnock and N'zogbia.
Blackburn Rovers were dismal against Wolves. At times they looked like they could make something happen but they were not the Blackburn side that we have seen under Sam Allardyce over seasons past. Formica did well on his debut but no one else particularly impressed.
Player to watch: Formica.Dark Horse player: Dunn.
Fantasy View: Aston Villa players should be a good buy - not only for this week but also for coming weeks. Albrighton is a good buy but a gamble. A win sounds like a probable result for Aston Villa so there shouldn't be a lot of problems there. If you have any Blackburn players in your team, now would be a good time to offload them. I don't think they are going to perform as well as their values make us expect of them.
Everton v Queens Park Rangers
As the Everton match against Tottenham was cancelled, there is not a lot to go off of for us this week but we can almost say with certainty that Everton will play with Saha upfront supported by Tim Cahill behind him. Mikel Arteta might play in the midfield if he is fit. Leon Osman will probably start as well. Regardless, with the extra week of rest and knowing already the opening results for other teams, Everton should do well - especially against a QPR side that got destroyed at home by Bolton.
Player to watch: Tim Cahill.
Dark Horse player: Phil Jagielka.
I could not watch the QPR game but I think it will suffice to say that they weren't the best team. Even the magical Taarabt couldn't conjure a goal out of the hat against Bolton. That doesn't bode well for QPR and Everton should prevail over them.
Player to watch: Taarabt.Dark Horse player: Bothroyd? maybe?
Fantasy view: Oh what to say! It would be wise to pick a couple Everton players but not many as we haven't seen them play yet. If you have Taarabt and you want to keep him, do so but know that there are probably better midfielders out there for that value. And steer clear of all other QPR players.
This is it folks, for now. I will cover the next 5 fixtures at a later time so keep watching the blog. Also, I will we doing a post for player picks so watch that. That will probably be the most helpful in the selection process.
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