Should you pick Wayne Rooney or Robin Van Persie? Or Sergio Aguero? Get ready to deal with a selection headache like no other.
The Premier League season kicks off tomorrow, and with it countless of fans are busy setting up their own fantasy football teams.
In the first of two articles this afternoon, HITC Sport will be providing a preview of the season ahead, and a handy guide of who to consider, and who not to. The second article up shortly, will detail the most popular 20 players as chosen so far by the millions playing fantasy football via PremierLeague.com
Firstly, this looks like being one of the toughest seasons ahead so far – because fans are spoiled for choice when it comes to picking their teams.
Only three strikers can be selected, yet how do you narrow Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Fernando Torres et al down to three?
These six form the real ‘elite’ strikers fans should consider, but there are other excellent options too. The rested Darren Bent is set to have a good season, Mladen Petric looks an excellent buy for Fulham, and there are the irrepressible pair of Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba at Newcastle.
The most practical thing to do at first is consider the fixtures, and United’s away trip to Everton will be a tough one. Manchester City meanwhile host newly promoted Southampton, offering a potential goal glut.
This should suggest the Manchester City pair are preferable to United’s new strike duo, to begin with at least. And then there is Chelsea- who kick the season off with two games in quick succession against Wigan and Reading.
If Fernando Torres can find his form, he could be the man to provide a big return. A goal in last season’s Community Shield was encouraging, but lest not forget Andriy Shevchenko scored on his full debut in the pre-season curtain raiser and went onto flop.
Torres was the early season pick last season for many a fantasy football manager when Chelsea hosted West Brom and Norwich in quick succession – but he failed to score in either and his confidence was sapped. Despite his promise of a fresh start he remains a bit of a risk when there are such tempting options elsewhere. It is a gamble, but one many may feel is worth taking.
But if you want to shy away from Torres and look to select Chelsea midfielders, the options are plentiful. The three standout choices are Frank Lampard – whose price is more realistic than previous years – Juan Mata, and Eden Hazard.
Hazard has looked short of form in pre-season, but it could just be the Muhammed Ali rope-a-dope tactics before he floors his Premier League opponents with a knockout punch. Mata returned early from the Olympics and is available for selection, and provides a safer choice.
Elsewhere in midfield Gylfi Sigurdsson is even more tempting at Tottenham than he was at Swansea, despite his vastly increased price. Despite a tricky opening game at Newcastle, Spurs have a winnable next four fixtures, three of which they are at home, and all against clubs expected to finish in the lower half of the table.
There are other standout choices too. Yaya Toure is impossible to ignore, and a cheaper option than any of Chelsea’s star men. He scored against them at the weekend, and has carried on his goalscoring form from the end of last season right through the club’s pre-season. An opening encounter with Southampton is highly tempting.
Then there are the star new boys at Manchester United and Arsenal, Shinji Kagawa and Santi Cazorla. With Kagawa especially it may be worth waiting rather than hoping for him to hit the round running. Again with Cazorla it may be worth assessing how the signings fit into their respective sides and formations before gambling an instant impact.
Liverpool new boy Joe Allen is priced cheaply, and he will be worth considering. Last season’s Fulham star Clint Dempsey could be on his way there, but there are conflicting reports about him not being included with the Cottagers’ first team squad so he may be one to leave out for now.
In defence it is the Arsenal pair of Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny which stand out, along with Gary Cahill and Ashley Cole for Chelsea as excellent value. Vincent Kompany is more highly priced this season, but City will be fancied to keep a clean sheet in their opening game. Cheaper options include Newcastle’s Fabricio Coloccini, and a leftfield pick is Fulham loanee Sascha Riether – the utility man who played in midfield for Koln in Germany last season but is listed as a defender.
In goal last year’s star Tim Krul is a solid choice, if a little more expensive this year, but goalkeepers are about value allowing you to spend elsewhere. If you want the best, then pick Hart, De Gea, or Cech, if not cheaper options to consider are Simon Mignolet and Reading’s Adam Federici, who presided over one of The Championship’s meanest defence’s last year.
All in all it promises to be a challenging season, but if you can make the right picks and earn the bragging rights, it will be all worthwhile in May.
image: © nasmac
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