Birmingham are back in the top-flight, but you won't find too many people tipping them to stay there for too long. They have made a lot of signings in the off-season, but the majority - if not all - of them have been players who will be new to the Premier League or who have been found wanting. For fantasy purposes, I think managers will be looking to load up on players lining up against them, rather than for them, this season. That being said, they could be a team in the Bolton or Rovers mould -- tough to play against, harder to beat, with a few creative (read fantasy point getters) sparks in the lineup.
Possible Starting XI: Hart, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Queudrue, McFadden, Carsley/Bowyer, Ferguson, Larsson, Benitez, Jerome
Players to Watch:
Sebastian Larrson: Under Steve Bruce, Larrson and Niklas Bendtner, both on loan from Arsenal, provided the spark that powered the Blues to promotion. And while Bendtner has moved back to London to stake his place on the cusp of a regular starting spot for the Gunners, Larrson has languished a bit at Birmingham. On his day can be a very effective right-sided attacker and take charge of set-piece delivery. In theory, he and McFadden should provide width and attacking impetus for the Blues and both would be good fantasy bets. However, it remains to be seen if Larrson can be a consistent Premier League performer. He has youth on his side and did show well last time in the top-flight. Fantasy managers would be wise to keep an eye on his role, and his early season performances.
While we're talking about Birmingham's midfield, it would be worth a few words for a blog favorite, James McFadden. Faddie has converted from a striker listed as a midfielder with Everton and then with Birmingham, to a left-sided midfielder listed as a striker. That will hurt his fantasy value, but he may still be worth a bet from time to time. He takes a mean free kick, and has been responsible for Birmingham's penalties. The fear with McFadden, as with Larrson, is that the Blues don't have the strikers to capitalize on any service that will be generated from the wide areas. Doyle was hit and then miss in the Premier League, and the injured Benitez is a total unproven commodity. Beyond those two far-from-sure-things is Phillips, who is frankly past it at this level, and O'Connor who never had it.
Keith Fahey. He'll be the third man in rotation with Seb and Faddie and has proved himself a man for the big occasions, scoring and creating against Reading last season to secure Birmingham's automatic promotion.
Joe Hart: While there are doubts about Birmingham going forward, that's only - well, especially - because McLeish has always put a priority on his defence. They were the stingiest side in the Championship last season and in advance of this one they've gone out and signed three center backs and taken Manchester City's Joe Hart on loan. Hart was an up-and-coming star before some questionable defending at Citeh and the big-money arrival of Shay Given all but ended his career there. Now he has something to prove. Yes, Birmingham are a promoted club whom not many are predicting to avoid relegation. But there is the aforementioned commitment to defend shown not just in new defenders and Hart, but in a midfield that could feature the bite of any of Lee Carsley, Barry Ferguson, Lee Bowyer, or Damien Johnson. Birmingham may not win too many games, but the ones they do will probably be because they were able to keep a clean sheet, and Joe Hart will be big fantasy points if/when that happens.
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