A non-footie rumination on the eve of the season starting

So, as a native of the Philadelphia area here in the US I'm confronted with something of a dilemma. Growing up in Philadelphia you are generally brought up with a healthy (and some would say unhealthy) bit of mania for the local professional sports teams across all major American sports. As a kid who played just about every sport available growing up and growing up in an era (late 70s and early 80s) when all of the local teams were challenging for championships I formed life-long attachments to my teams - the Phillies in baseball (that's the defending World Series champion Phillies I might add); the 76ers in basketball; the Flyers in hockey; and the Eagles in football (our version). Not having a sustainable professional league for most of that time and having limited-at-best access to European footie, I didn't develop my affection for Arsenal or DC United until later.

Why do I mention this? Because today (well, actually last night) my Eagles announced the signing of contraversial quarterback Michael Vick who is fresh off of 18 months in federal prison after being convicted of a variety of infractions revolving around running a dog-fighting operation and participating in some incredibly gruesome acts in putting down some of the dogs that lost their fights. I have to say I'm incredibly conflicted on a number of levels...

1. Paying his debt? - according to our system of justice, Vick has paid his debt to society. His sentence came down, he served his time, his previous employers and those companies that had previously had him as an endorser exercised their rights to either stop paying him or taking back some of the money they had already paid. From this standpoint, I believe in his right to pursue whatever career people will allow him to have knowing his past history.
2. Are sports different? despite believing in his RIGHT to be employed somewhere by whomever will have him, I don't believe that playing professional sports isn't an unalienable right. I think leagues have to be clear about what they consider acceptable behavior and what they don't and I think the lines are a little too blurred. We have people here in the States like Ray Lewis (allegedly stabbed a person to death), Donte Stallworth and Leonard Little (both killed people while drunk driving) as well as all manner of asaults and batteries and generally horrible behavior. I'm not sure where Vick's actions fit in the continuum of bad things - it is certainly horrible but is it worse than beating your wife/girlfriend or killing someone while driving drunk? Obviously it isn't my decision to make on behalf of the leagues but I think the least they could do is publish some standards that eliminate someone from further participation if they go over a line.
3. Should talent make a difference? For those of you not familiar with Vick, he's something of an athletic freak of nature. This isn't a merely-better-than-average guy like Joey Barton this guy was one of the top ten talents in the NFL before his fall from grace. All of the PR is that this is a story about redemption and all of that but it's really about him getting another chance because he's a freak of nature as an athlete. If here were a lesser player, would he be given this chance? Would a team take a chance on him?
   
4. My team? Despite my desires for more stringent rules, they don't exist and he has been allowed back. As I said above, I believe in his right to play for A team. Now I have to decide how I feel about him playing for MY team and how I'm going to react to it. A small part of me is intrigued as to what he might add to the Eagles current mix that was only two victories from winning their first championship of my lifetime last season. Overall though, my gut reaction is that I'm not thrilled about it. We've all seen teams who sold their souls for the sake of someone who has a talent that they currently lack. I'm just not wild that my team is the one doing it this time around.

So, where does all of this leave me? Well, I've rambled for quite some time. I know myself well enough that I'm not going to stop supporting the Eagles for this one decision even if isn't my favorite. Honestly, I even hope the best for Mike Vick as a guy, he did some pretty horrible things but I hope he has (and keeps) his act together and realizes the error of his ways. At the same time, I sort of hope that his return to the NFL fizzles and he is forced to earn a living like normal human beings do. I'm not sure if it is possible to root for a team while hoping one of the players on that team doesn't do well but I'm going to give it a try. I guess we won't know for sure how it will work out until he's on the field and I have to react to something he does.

Curious to know what everyone else out there thinks about the situation. What would you think if it was your team that was considering such a tainted player? What if it had the potential to push you over the top for a title you've been hoping for all of your life? Would you be willing to look the other way? Would you be satisfied with finishing out of the money but having your team making a moral stand?

Depends on what your definition of "fit" is

"Nani, amazingly, after his shoulder popping out, is ok. So he'll be fit for Sunday," revealed Ferguson, who also confirmed that England international Ben Foster, who was sent home from international duty in midweek, should also be fit for the fixture.

That's probably as close to an answer as we're going to get. I think it is good enough for me this week and I am going to bring both of them into my fantasy team at the expense of a third defender (hello, Sonko!).

Injuries and Suspensions

BBC SPORT | Football | Premier League | Man Utd v Birmingham

Man Utd have defensive problems despite Wes Brown's recovery from a thigh problem, with Jonny Evans doubtful and Nemanja Vidic and Rafael ruled out.

Ben Foster (knee) or Tomasz Kuszczak will deputise for Edwin van der Sar, while Nani (shoulder) could feature after playing for Portugal in midweek.

That doesn't help much now does it?  So now the big gamble - do we go with Foster or Kuszczak? or just go in another direction entirely to guarantee ourselves SOME points for the goalkeeper position this week?  Despite Jeremy's warnings about Friday trades, I'm definitely going to be thinking about options here.

In other relevant news, it looks like (depending your source) that there is some level of certainty that someone named Ryan Shotton will replace Wilko at right back for Stoke depriving us of an inexpensive starter with a decent schedule this week.  Don't get me wrong, Shotton isn't expensive but he's more expensive than Wilkinson. 

In Arsenal injury news, Vermaelen will apparently make his debut while Diaby, Djourou, Fabianski, Nasri, Sicky, and Theo are all out.  Going to be an interesting attacking line-up out there.  Who fills the spaces around Song, Cesc, Arshavin, and RvP?  Bendtner? EdS? Wilshere? Denilson? Good think Arsenal only play one match this week because otherwise my head would be about to explode trying to figure this out.

At Liverpool, looks like Insua is the only reasonable option at left back as Aurelio will be injured to start the season, he isn't exactly cheap but both he and Skertl are both pretty good deals compared to the alternatives at ManYoo and Chelsea.  In Gerrard news, SoccerNet has him as "being monitored" while BBC doesn't mention his health as an issue at all.

Speaking of Chelsea, the only real news there is that Zhirkov and JCole are both on the shelf - this obviously makes Malouda a decent bet albeit at more money that you'd want to pay.

Not particularly relevant for this week's squad but it looks like Villa will give Fabien Delph some time so probably worth checking in on that match to see how the kid looks and where he's playing. 

Those are the critical updates for me, lots of other equivocating going on about this or that player "maybe being handed their debut" (I'm looking at you Jason Scotland and Jordi Gomez) but nothing that written with enough certainty that you'd want to make too many roster decisions as a result.  For a more complete listing of the news as it is being updated throughout the day.  Check here. We'll be back if there's anything more specific on Foster/Kuszczak during the day.

Good luck and enjoy the first weekend!

Cheers - Neal

Early Doors

With apologies to our former colleagues at Yahoo!Eurosport, here's an early look at the team news floating around the interwebs in advance of tomorrow's pre-match press conferences.

Fit again Foster and Brown set to lift champions United

Ben Foster and Wes Brown are likely to be fit for champions Manchester United's opening Premier League game at home to Birmingham City after a close-season full of injuries and high-profile departures.

With first-choice goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar ruled out for several weeks with a broken finger, deputy Foster missed England's midweek friendly against Netherlands due to a knock.

However, Foster is set to return Sunday, as is defender Brown following his thigh injury.

With Nemanja Vidic poised for another week out, Nani a doubt with a shoulder problem, Gary Neville struggling with a groin injury and Owen Hargreaves still some way off a return, the availability of Foster and Brown would be a significant boost for manager Alex Ferguson.

Fergie hoping for historic season

Ferguson could have some good news on the injury front too as Wes Brown seems set to declare himself available to face Alex McLeish's newly-promoted Blues after sustaining a thigh injury in Munich during last month's Audi Cup.

Ben Foster may also be in contention, despite pulling out of England's friendly in Holland with a knee injury, althoughTomasz Kuszczak's excellent recent form makes that less of a worry for the United boss.

Ferguson has already been given a pleasant surprise with Nani getting through a 17-minute substitute appearance for Portugal against Liechtenstein last night casting aside fears he dislocated his shoulder at Wembley on Sunday.

Mancienne returns to Wolves

Wolves have re-signed Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne on a season-long loan.... He spent two months with the club in the Championship last season.

During that 10-game spell, the youngster made a huge impression at centre-back, even earning a call-up to Fabio Capello's full England squad in November.

Gerrard doubtful for opener

Benitez said: "I am not sure about Steven... As our game is on the Sunday, then maybe Steven will have a chance. If it was on Saturday it would be more difficult."

Da Silva cleared for action

The paperwork has now been completed and the central defender will arrive in the country ahead of Sunderland's Barclays Premier League opener at Bolton on Saturday.

Assistant manager Eric Black told the club's official website: ... "We will have to see where he is physically as we've not seen him for six weeks, but it's more competition for places."

Jo making progress

Brazilian striker Jo could feature in the season's opener for Everton against Arsenal on Saturday after recovering from an ankle injury.

Hughes won't rush Santa Cruz return

Manchester City boss Mark Hughes expects to be without Roque Santa Cruz until the end of August.

Irish held by Israel

Manchester United defender Jonny Evans sat out Northern Ireland's 1-1 draw with Israel at Windsor Park with an ankle injury.

He returned to his club on the day of the game for treatment as the province had to settle for a share of the spoils in this friendly.

Wolverhampton Wanderers Season Preview

Wolves finally get second crack at the Premier League, but it remains to be seen if their squad is anything but one for the Championship.  To be honest Wolves is probably the team I'm least familar with.  I don't know why really.  They've been on my radar for a while thanks to an old friend who was a rabid Wolves fan (Hi, Steve!) and their prior, um... gracing of the top-flight.  But I just don't have a sense of the team.  They seem to be a very good attacking squad with buzz around their young strike force, especially Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.  However, to my eye the defence looks unready for this level and the fact that they are already dealing with injuries to key players and that some of their summer signings aren't likely to be ready to play come opening day... it just doesn't sit well with me.  That being said, I think there are some fantasy opportunities with Wolves, particularly with Milijas.  If McCarthy can build a team around him - it would be hard in such a short time, but I'm thinking of precedents like Izzet at Leicester, Dugarry at Birmingham or Okocha at Bolton - there might really be something there for fantasy managers for sure, and for Wolves fans (Hi, Steve!) as well.

Possible Starting XI: Hennessey, Foley, Caldwell, Zubar, Elokobi, Kightly, Henry, Milijas, Jarvis, Doyle, Ebanks-Blake

Players to watch:

Michael Kightly - The flying winger.  Injured now, and frankly all too often in his still young career, Kightly is expected to be a big part of Wolves attack chipping in with goals and creating from the flank. 

Nenad Milijas - Along with Wigan's Jordi Gomez, Milijas was the Premier League newcomer I was most excited about.  A tall, skillful attacking midfielder, Milijas should be the fulcrum of Wolve's attack.  He will take responsibility for their set-pieces.  And McCarthy will likely play him as a support striker, "in the hole", when they go to a 4-5-1 against the bigger clubs or on the road.  He scored tons of goals in the Serbian league, albeit that was the Serbian league.   Still, he was the first name on my team sheet for the new season.

Kevin Doyle - Which Kevin Doyle did Wolves buy?  The one who scored 13 for Reading in a Premier League season and 18 in each of his two Championship seasons with the club, or the one who slumped to six goals in a forgetable (and doomed) 2007/2008?  Of course Wolves will be hoping that it is the former, and that all of his top-flight experience (such as it was) will help their other strikers make the leap as well.  I'm not convinced, and he's hurt to begin the campaign.  But If Wolves are to get it going, Doyle will likely be a key part.

Wigan Athletic Season Preview

Wigan has quietly become a favorite club of mine. I don't know why. Maybe I liked Palacios as a player, or because they brought in blog favorites like Jason Koumas and Charles N'Zogbia. Or maybe because Rodallega inexplicably scored against Manchester United when I had him on my team for a 2-game week. Whatever the reason I have a soft spot for the team, and to be honest I want to be optimistic for the season, but keep finding it difficult.

They have a new manager in Martinez who had a good few seasons at Swansea, but may find the step up difficult. And he's first has to rebuild the team. Wigan's top three scorers are gone (granted they only scored 9, 3, and 3 goals respectively). They've lost their best two midfielders in Palacios and Cattermole. They are thin across the back and still prominently feature Titus Bramble. And while Gomez and Scotland are full of promise, they seem to be filling out the squad with Championship level players which can be a dangerous game.

That being said, they should be exciting in possession. Rodallega and Scotland are handfuls. Supporting the attack, N'Zog, Koumas/De Ridder and Gomez will be difficult for other teams to track and contain. Gomez looks the best fantasy option given his price tag and the likelihood that he pushes up into "the hole". However, kicks are likely to be shared amongst this group. We'll definitely be watching to see if a pattern emerges. And for what it is worth, N'Zogbia has had a great pre-season.

I'm hoping for the best - a solid mid-table secured with an exciting attacking style that garners lots of fantasy points. But I'm steeling myself for the worst - a club flirting with relegation due to an inexperienced squad and a too brittle defence (and in the form of Kirkland, I mean that literally).

Possible Starting XI: Kirkland, Melchiot, Scharner, Bramble, Figeuroa, Brown, Watson, N'Zogbia, Koumas, Gomez, Rodallega

Players to watch:

Jordi Gomez - Throw him in the same boat as Luis Jiminez from West Ham United.  He has all of the characteristics to be a potentially interesting fantasy player...good pedigree (Barca youth system, 'nuff said), played for Wigan's new manager last season at Swansea (meaning he's likely to get a chance), and he scored (12 goals in 44 appearances in the Championship last season).  What we obviously don't know is how he'll adapt to the Prem and we don't know for sure how much he'll play.  Like Jiminez, he's worth watching for a week or two to see how things are looking.  If you need an inexpensive newby then one of these two might be worth a risk as you're looking to economize.

Charles N'Zogbia - Is this the year? We've been waiting for N'Zog to make "the leap" for a few seasons now.  He clearly has some talent and has had some excellent fantasy games in the past.  That said, he's another one who has never really put together a string of exceptional fantasy performances OR been able to reliably stay in the line-up so that you'd even be willing to put up with his occasional 2-point clunkers.  With Newcastle blessedly in the rearview mirror and Wigan having experienced some departures over the summer there's no reason to believe that Charles won't be given a chance to play regularly.  What he does with it is anyone's guess.  My guess is that he takes the chance and becomes a better-than-average fantasy midfielder (think 8.00ish per match).  If you get him early in the season before his price goes up, you'll probably be happy.  If you wait or use him selectively, then you'll probably do OK but not really be getting the benefit of the current price.

Hugo Rodellga - Finished last season strong and with the departure of Heskey and Zaki and just about everyone else who resembles a striker, you have to think that HRod will be in a position to put up some pretty good points at a pretty reasonable price.  This, of course, assumes that his performances were the real deal and not just a brief spark from a merely adequate player.  I'm not ready to jump straight in this season although I think Jeremy is - definitely one to watch from the middle of the table.

West Ham United Season Preview

What to say about West Ham?  They are the very definition of a midtable club.  Ambitious to a point, but hampered by history and finance.  They have a young, exciting squad and a manager in Zola who will look to utilize that vibrancy.  They have a solid defence with depth at center back and the under-rated Robert Green between the sticks.  With a good matchup, I wouldn't argue against including Hammers at any level with particular focus on Jimenez and Cole (see below).  But I don't think any of them save for Jimenez are more than a spot pick up based on match-ups. 

Possible Starting XI: Green, Ilunga, Upson, Gabbidon, Spector, Collison, Noble, Parker, Dyer, Jimenez, Cole

Players to watch:

Luis Jimenez - So, here's what we know...he's Chilean, his nickname is "El Mago" which is "The Wizard" in English, and he comes to the Hammers on loan from Inter.  From that we can take away that he is likely to be either an attacking midfielder (assuming there is another viable striking option like Dean Ashton healthy) or he will be that most valuable commodity, a striker listed in midfield.  Given that he only has one match in Week 1, my advice would be to see how Zola deploys him and how he looks and if he looks ready to adapt and prosper in England then you might want to pick him up on the Barn Door.

Carlton Cole - Consider him the exact opposite of Kenwyne Jones.  They are similar in that they are both big targets who are much more than JUST target strikers.  Why are they opposites? Well up until last year Kenwyne Jones had surpassed expectations with his performances and then fell off whereas Carlton Cole had consistently been a disappointment UNTIL last season when he started putting together a string of pretty good performances that showed us all why anyone had rated him highly in the first place.  The question now is whether he can replicate that form now that the Hammers really don't have too many other options at striker.  Ashton may come back and contribute but certainly no one is counting on goals from that quarter.  Really, there are no other established strikers on the roster.  If Cole doesn't get it done, things could start getting ugly for the Hammers again.  At 9.99 to start the season, he isn't the greatest bargain out there but he's worth keeping an eye on for the first week or two.

Mark Noble - We here at the blog like Mark Noble.  Like the way he plays, like that he takes some kicks generally including PKs, and have previously liked his bargain price.  The trouble this season is that the cat is out of the bag.  He is starting the season at about 9.7.  That in and of itself isn't a terrible price but that is now the baseline, not the high point coming after he scores a goal.  The downside here is that he's never produced enough to be considered as a premium midfielder for whom you'd be willing to spend in excess of 10 to have in your line-up.  Given who he is as a player, it seems unlikely that he will break into this category - he's more box-to-box midfielder which means the occasional goal and assist but also the more than occasional card.  Here's guessing that, much to our chagrin at the blog, this is the year Mark Noble goes from being a quiet bargain to being someone you only consider when the match-up is really favorable (think vs Derby from two seasons ago).

The Week Ahead

Wow, we're back!! The season is really set to get underway. No more making due with an MLS fix here or a big-time international friendly there (DC United vs. Real Madrid in 100 degree heat none-the-less). Obviously we're firmly entrenched in our new/old home and excited for the freedom that it brings us as we continue to bring you what we hope is the best coverage around of Premier League Fantasy Football (especially pertaining to the Yahoo game but hopefully useful for those of you playing other games as well). As we do every year, we'll try some new stuff and some of it will stick and some of it will not. We encourage your feedback as we do try new things out and if you think there are things that we could be doing that we aren't, well, let us know about that too. If it seems like a good idea to us and the time commitment won't cause one or both of us to either get fired from our day jobs or get divorced, then we're happy to consider it.

So, I have to confess, the first TWA of the season is always both the easiest and hardest to write. Why is it easy you ask? Well, because Jeremy and I have generally been IMing, texting, and writing emails back and forth discussing new players, new formations, pre-season results, and everything else we can get our hands on for the better part of a month. Throw in that we've just written 20 fairly in-depth team season previews and I'm certainly up to speed on what the options are and I've had a lot of time to settle on my opinion of those options.

Given that, why is it difficult? I say it is difficult for two reasons. First, there are a lot of players who are brand new to the league and we're not really sure what to expect of them or if they'll even get much playing time. Second, because I've been thinking about this for so long already - I'm pretty much down to firm answers rather than lots of options. Now I have to go back and remember how I narrowed myself down to those answers by recalling the options that I considered and why they were attractive to start with and why I dismissed them in favor of something else. But, enough of my complaining, on to the analysis...

Oh, one other thing to keep you in suspense before I start the analysis in earnest. I mentioned above that I'd been to see Real Madrid play DC United last weekend and have a few observations from that match. First, I was reminded why Arjen Robben was such a big deal for a couple seasons before injury started interrupting things. With all the stars on display he was EASILY the most dynamic player on the pitch. Made CRon look like a squad player by comparison. I wonder if the new competition will motivate him to actually stay healthy all season or if some other team is going to find a way to pry him away from Real. If they do, it will be great business if he can stay healthy.

One final note on that match is about the guy who played right midfield for DC United, Chris Pontius. He made Roystan Drenthe his bitch for the entire match. I can't say I've watched Drenthe too many times but I assume for him to be playing at Real, he must be considered at least decent. Pontius is an MLS rookie and unless Drenthe was just not putting in any effort due to the heat or pre-season or whatever my guess is that Pontius will be showing up on the other side of the ocean in the next season or two. Nice player - for you non-MLS followers, remember you heard it hear first.

OK, here we go with a slightly revised format from last year...

Schedule
The big deal for Week 1 is obviously the difference between those teams that play two matches (ManYoo, Chelsea, Sunderland, Pompey, Stoke, Burnley, Wolves, Wigan, Liverpool, Birmingham, Tottenham, and Hull) and those who only play one (Arsenal, Everton, Villa, Rovers, Fulham, Bolton, Citeh, and West Ham). Once you start considering the match-ups for the two-gamers and their talent levels (5 of them are likely to struggle against relegation) and you're really left with ManYoo, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and maybe Stoke as the most likely sources of people in your line-up. Are there select guys from the other teams that you might want to consider? Sure, but if you're line-up isn't heavily tilted towards those teams then you're definitely going against the odds. There will be plenty of time to pick up guys like Arshavin or Ashley Young or Robinho next week when they're back on even par as far as number of matches played.

Forwards
Value Pick of the Week: The best bargain of the week is likely to be Didier Drogba. Priced at 10.66 and seemingly guaranteed a starting spot as Chelsea's new manager seems intent on forcing the pairing of Anelka and Drogs. He's looked healthy in the pre-season and a healthy Drogs is a good thing for fantasy managers as unlikeable a guy as he seems to be. Honorable mention goes to Berbatov and Defoe who are pretty solid value in the mid-12s with solid match-ups but at that price you can have Drogs and a much better player at another position. Don't get carried away with Defoe's two goals vs. Holland please, international form rarely translates to league goals - at least not enough to where you'd want to alter your plans.

Premium Pick of the Week: Wayne Rooney has to be the guy. Sir Alex has challenged him to pick up the slack left when CRon left for Madrid and Wayne seems energized by the opportunity to play something close to his ideal position and not have to cover up for Ronaldo's deficiencies tracking back. With the not-so-killer Bs (Birmingham and Burnley) the opposition he should be off to a flying start. I rate Rooney's chances of having a big week slightly higher than Anelka's and much less risky than Torres. With RvP, Robinho, K2, and Agbonlahor playing only one match there really aren't many other premium picks available this weekend.

Best of the Rest: Hugo Rodallega at 7.38; Frederic Piquionne at 6.42; and Ricardo Fuller at 7.03.

One closing note, I wouldn't expect too much from Michael Owen unless and until one of the presumptive starters at ManYoo (Rooney and Berbs) gets hurt. I think SAF is smart enough to keep him rested (read healthy) and pick his spots when he needs something special off the bench in 20 to 30 minute increments.

Midfielders

Value Pick of the Week: I'm really torn here between Luka Modric and Lucas as the best value for the money with a chance of Nani getting into the conversation if he turns out to be healthy. If I had to pick one of the two, I'd go with Modric because he has more of a track record and I don't want to get too excited about Lucas' pre-season performances because, well, it's pre-season. Modric had a pretty solid second half of last season and is likely to continue to improve as the situation at Spurs continues to stablize (at least as much as it ever does at the Lane these days). Honorable mention here to Charles N'Zogbia who we here at the blog have always had high hopes for as well as Darren Fletcher who seems likely to get a regular run out and starts out the season at 5.24 with an increased chance of picking up points with more minutes.

Premium Pick of the Week: With Cesc, Arshavin, Ashley Young, Gareth Barry, SWP, and MTay all one-gamers and Jummy and Arteta still coming back from injury there isn't really much Week 1 competition for this slot, it's really Lamps and Gerrard with Lamps taking the lead based on Chelsea's easier schedule and Gerrard's minor knock (might not keep him out but why risk it with Lamps having a better match-up for less money?). Hopefully, this will be a more interesting discussion next week.

Best of the Rest: Florent Malouda at 10.54; Valencia at 11.73; Utaka at 4.69; Lawrence at 8.94; KRich at 8.41; Milijas at 5.60; and Gomez at 5.60.

Defenders

Value Pick of the Week: With the injuries mounting at Old Trafford, John O'Shea seems like a shoe-in to be playing right back in Week 1 at a very reasonable price. He won't blow your doors off with a ton of points but for 7.37 he's a pretty good bet for 7 or 8 points in each of his two matches. Ivanovic/Ferreira enter this conversation if Chelsea inexplicably sell Bosingwa to Bayern Munich not because either of them are particularly useful defenders over the course of the season but if you're looking only at Week 1 then you might pick one of them based on match-ups (that said, I can't imagine Chelsea would be crazy enough to sell Bos so you can probably ignore the last sentence).

Premium Pick of the Week: Speaking of Bosingwa (which I was) he is (assuming he's still with Chelsea, that is) the best bet of the guys who are first choice guys at either ManYoo or Chelsea. He wasn't the point machine that we'd all hoped for last season but he was pretty solid and I'd expect the same thing this week. Second place here for me is Martin Skertl. The man who needs to buy a vowel made it through a closed door match today and is headed into the starting line-up at a pretty reasonable price for a defender starting for Liverpool.

Best of the Rest: Bassong at 5.50; Wilko at 4.73; Insua at 8.73; Hutton at 7.34.

Keepers

Value Pick of the Week: Whichever of Foster or Kuszczak gets the starts (hopefully, we won't have to guess) followed at a fair distance by The Captain, Chris Kirkland.

Premium Pick of the Week: Cech who still isn't the guy he used to be over Reina who has a shakey defence in front of him this week due to injury.

Best of the Rest: Not much here this week unless you're really not willing to risk the ManYoo thing and want to go with Given and his one match at a decent price. Next week should be much more interesting in this space as everyone gets back to an equal number of matches.

Should be an interesting opening week of the season - I know I can't wait. Watch this space for Injuries and Suspensions on Friday and hopefully we'll get the final word on Nani and Foster/Kuszczak among others.

Tottenham Hotspur Season Preview

Another year, another bandwagon for Spurs to make it into Europe or even break into the elite. But while there are signs of progress, it wouldn't be Spurs without their seemingly repeating their mistakes. So for every good signing like Palacios, who gives them a real presence in midfield, there is a head-scratcher like Naughton. Do they really need another right-sided player with Lennon, Bentley, Hutton and Chimbonda already on the books? Especially when their left side consists of a converted central middie in Modric in attack, Assou-Ekotto in defence, with O'Hara and the shell of Gareth Bale as cover for both. They've no cover at center back so they go and buy Bassong, which seems like a smart move. But until then they'd been busy re-creating all the old tensions amongst their strikers buy re-purchasing Defoe and Crouch from Pompey.

Putting aside the intra-personal involved, Spurs should be able to run out a decent side. Modric should be settled into the league and can build on his successful latter part of last season. The same should be true of Gomes. There aren't many fantasy bargains in the side unless O'Hara can break into the team (Jenas goes to Everton or Villa or Inter - Inter!!?! - and Modric moves infield?) or Bassong gets an extended run due to others Woodgate's injuries or King's general state of decrepitude (shame that, really).  The fear for fantasy managers is 1) rotation - with so many players concentrated in a few areas there's bound to be some, and 2) that the tensions between players and between players and the club will boil over and affect play on the pitch.

It's never dull at Spurs, that's for sure.

Possible Starting XI:  Gomes, Hutton, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Jenas, Modric, Crouch, Defoe

Players to Watch:

Peter Crouch: What to make of the striker situation at Spurs? Seems like a familiar refrain doesn't it? Unless I missed a transfer somewhere in there the roster currently consists of Crouch, Defoe, Robbie Keane, and Pavylchenko and 'arry is still making noises about adding more (Huntelaar seems to be mentioned a lot). Given that Redknapp really likes the "big/small" thing you'd have to think that Crouch would get the bulk of the starts as the world's worst really tall "big" striker (don't get me wrong, he's not a bad striker, he just acts more like a really tall small striker than a center forward). At the end of the day, my guess is that Crouch will be closer to what he was at Pompey (a slightly better-than-average producer who plays every match he's healthy) than what he was at Liverpool (adequate performer hampered by sporadic minutes). The only reason for any hope might be that there's at least some chance that he'll get better service playing for a more talented Spurs team this season. That said, last time he played for a more talented team he was deemed insufficient to get the job done so I'm not sure that we should be getting our hopes up that he'll be a value pick at 9.52.

Luka Modric: He appears to be a classic case of a talented player who took some time to adjust to England. Of course it didn't help that Spurs were a train wreck for the first half of the season and Magic Juande didn't seem to have any idea where to play the players that he acquired/were acquired for him. If you look at Modric's graph, the second half of the season was much more impressive than the first half. He wasn't a 10 point/match guy even over the 2nd half of the season but he is probably a solid bet for 8 points/match (think 4, 7, 14 as a typical three match stretch). At a cost of 8.76 you could definitely do worse.

Kyle Naughton: So, once again Spurs are a mess in the back going into a new season. Surprise, surprise, surprise King and Woody aren't exactly the pictures of health and Dawson joins them on the training room table. Why am I talking central defenders in a paragraph about a young wing defender? Well, the lack of experienced and healthy central defenders leads me to believe that a) Spurs will play their most experienced defenders where they have them (meaning Hutton is likely to start on the right); and b) there won't be a lot of clean sheets available for whomever is playing at the back as the makeshift defence struggles. I can't say I have much of an evaluation of Naughton as a player but my take on his fantasy value is similar to that of Gareth Bale last year - he probably has the potential to deliver fantasy results but is unlikely to be given the opportunity on a regular basis and unlike Bale he isn't going to move forward and play right midfield with Lennon and Bentley currently in front of him in that pecking order. One to watch for later in the season but probably not worth your time until Spurs get the heart of the defence figured out. NOTE: Somewhere a lot of Spurs fans simultaneously asked "When the hell is that going to be? We've been waiting for years!"

Sunderland Season Preview

Brucey is putting together a nice little squad of players, isn't he? Of course, his signing as manager was a boost to the club. He knows his business, can recruit players and can get a team punching above their weight... if he/they are also prone to lose the plot from time to time. It also helps that he has the continued financial backing of the Sunderland board. But so far his purchases seem cannier than his predecesors.

In attack, Bruce has KJones and Darren Bent. While it remains to be seen how they gel together, both can play as a lone striker. Frazier Campbell is a good change of pace (literally) guy off the bench. Kieran Richardson can play attacking midfield or as a support striker, which is VERY interesting for fantasy purposes. On the wings, KRich is also an option on the left with Big Fat Andy Reid. On the right there is Malbranque and Carlos Edwards in reserve. The middle of the park is getting mighty crowded all of a sudden. Cattermole has just been brought/bought from Wigan, and joins Leadbitter, Cana and Tainio. I figure Lee the Catt will be an every week starter, but I don't know who his partner will be. And, if as seems likely, Bruce opts to play a 4-5-1 often, there may be room for two of those three.

The keeper situation is interesting. Last season Gordon was hurt and Fulop came in and did reasonably well. As well as Gordon ever did really. I'm not sure who the presumptive starter is, but if it is Gordon - and he's the bigger name and transfer fee - he's cheap at 4.43. Fulop is more expensive, but still cheap for a starting (if he is starting) keeper.

The backline should be helped by McCartney's return to fitness. Ferdinand should continue to improve and Collins is an under-rated player at center or left back. There will also be competition for places with Da Silva joining the party. And I would assume, based on the middies discussed above, that team defence will be a priority this season.

All in all, I think Sunderland should expect improvements this season and there should be opportunities for fantasy managers to capitalize.

Possible Starting XI:  Fulop, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Collins, McCartney, Malbranque, Richardson, Cattermole, Reid, Jones, Bent

Players to Watch:

Kieran Richardson - KRich has been nothing short of infuriating in the real and fantasy worlds alike.  He has shown flashes of being a very good player followed up by anonymous performances and/or spells on the injury list.  He is priced accordingly to start the season.  If you asked me if I'd consider making him a permanent fixture on my roster, I'd have to say "no" unless someone guaranteed me that he would remain healthy.  If I were looking at the schedule and saw that Sunderland had a stretch of matches coming up against middling or worse opposition and KRich were currently healthy and priced under 10, I'd definitely start thinking about how to add him to the team.

Kenwyne Jones - Thus far we've seen two KJs in his two seasons with Sunderland.  The first was a pretty strong option at a pretty good price as he consistently provided phantom points from SOTs and CWs while contributing goals regularly enough for you to be pretty happy you had him in the 6s or 7s and maybe even up to 10.  Last season was a bit of a lost year for KJ.  He was injured for a fair stretch of matches and when he did play he wasn't nearly as successful as he had been the year before.  Was this him reverting to his mean performance level? or a one year abberation due to injury and changes at Sunderland? My guess is that with the addition of Darren Bent KJ will look more like the guy who burst on the scene two seasons ago and made everyone who criticized the price Roy Keane paid look silly.  That said, I think his price of 10.88 to start the year is just about right if not a little bit on the high side based on last year's production.  If he dips below 10 at some point and Sunderland aren't facing a trip to Old Trafford then I'd definitely think about picking him up.

Frazier Campbell - Even with Keano in the rearview mirror apparently Sunderland have not lost their taste for ManYoo trainees.  Campbell didn't really make too much of his loan spell at Spurs last season but given the drama there, I wouldn't read too much into that.  The real problem he is going to face is that with the money spent on KJ and DBent, he's going to be no better than a relief striker getting 20 or 30 minutes on an average day and then the occasional start when one of the starters is rested/suspended/injured.  If that happens and it looks like he's going to get a stretch of playing time then I'd recommend giving him a shot at his current price.  For now though, try to ignore the rock bottom price and focus on how little he's likely to play.

Stoke City Season Preview

Stoke City were very, very good to me last season. Their fixture list fell just perfect so that their last few months were a cake walk. Not that I cleaned up, but I did get good returns from Lawrence, Beattie and Wilkinson. Meanwhile, Fuller and Shawcross were point machines.

Now it's second season syndrome. Can the Britannia Stadium again be a fortress? Will teams remain vulnerable to Stoke's size, physicality and Delap's long throw? I think Stoke will need to evolve to survive, and I think they have it in them. They can play a bit of football. The likes of Lawrence and Etherington can move the ball around. They have some good, young defenders fighting for playing time. Perhaps they are a bit thin (if also a bit thick) in central midfield with the likes of Diao, Faye and Delap all having their limitations. I would also worry about their ability to cope with injuries to their forwards or wingers if, as I'm suggesting, they will have to add a bit more creativity to their game. But if healthy and still motivated, I think fantasy managers can count on Stoke players for points, especially at home, sweet home.

Possible Starting XI: Soreneson, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Ab Faye, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Whelan, Delap, Etherington, Fuller, Beattie

Players to Watch:

Liam Lawrence: My absolute favorite type of player - a winger tasked with all of his team's set pieces. Last season I was able to pick Lawrence up for 7 after his return from a freak "dog on the stairs" injury. He was a solid point producer earning around 7 a week. And that was even factoring in his penchant for the stupid yellow card. Throw in a few goals down the stretch and I was a happy fantasy owner. I think more of the same will be expected this season, and he's going to have to do it from the off. He's a bit more expensive a player now, but if he can cut out the silly fouls - and maybe he can't - he's a useful addition to your fantasy team.

Ricardo Fuller: Fuller made more headlines last season for his slapping of Andy Griffin and his horrific shoulder injury than for his goal scoring. He was also overshadowed (in the press) by Beattie's arrival and impact at the club. There's no doubt that Beattie's goal came at the right time for Stoke, but that's a little unfair to Fuller who ended the season as the team's leading scorer. In fact it was interesting that in several matches Stoke scored two goals... one from each. Fuller was also the regular penalty kick taker, which only enhances his fantasy value. And at 3 less than Beattie, he's the smart money bet as well.

Andy Wilkinson: A rarity in the game these days - a cheap defender! Well, a relatively cheap defender. And he comes with lots of caveats. Is his place under threat from the veteran Griffin or the young-gun Shotton? Is Stoke a lock-down defensive club away from home? Will last season's trend continue where Wilkinson was the first player taken off the pitch as Pulis looked to lock things down or open them up? All that being said, Wilko could still turn out to be real value for money. Especially as the cheap end of the defender pool is very, very shallow.

Portsmouth Season Preview

Pompey are a team on the up. They've the perfect manager in 'arry who will get the most out of a club with limited means. They've got lots of young talent to build around including Crouch, Defoe, Muntari, Diarra, and Glen Johnson.

Wait... what? All those players are gone? 'arry is at Spurs? And all this while the club is being sold from one billionaire to an even richer billionaire? It beggars belief, doesn't it? But Pompey are a club in a real death spiral at the moment. Their squad is thin, their financial future is murky and they are shelling players left and right. The squad looks old (James, Distin, Kanu, Finnan) and thin. Defensively they'll likely be combative but found wanting for pace and concentration. In attack they'll be relying heavily on Piquionne, who is utterly untested at this level, and the likes of Utaka and Nugent who haven't shown anything in past seasons. Krancjar is the one talent they have, but the odds of him being at the club beyond the January transfer window are shrinking.

All in all, Pompey look to be this year's Newcastle - a crisis club that find themselves firmly in the relegation picture. And far from fantasy managers minds... save for trying to own the opposition players.

Possible Starting XI: James, Kaboul, Wilson, Distin, Hreidarsson, Nugent, Diop, Mokoena, Belhadj, Kranjcar, Piquionne

Players to Watch:

John Utaka - What happened to the Utaka from his first few weeks? Was he just a mirage? Certainly could be.  That said, I wasn't just impressed based on the first eight weeks of fantasy statistics - I watched a few of those games and he genuinely looked impressive.  Since that time, he has been played out of position (he's a striker, not a right wing) and been injured.  Why do we even bring this up?  Because with all of the talent heading out the door, it appears that Utaka will be deployed as a starting flanking attacker in a 4-3-3 on the right side of Frederic Piquionne with Kranjcar on the left of the attacking three.  Could be a chance for Utaka to re-discover his initial form.  No guarantees mind you but something worth thinking about if you're looking for a bargain because at least there's some precedent.  That said, based on his pre-season debut, you might want to go with Piquionne who scored two in his first outting for the club.

Nico Krancjar - I've honestly never been that impressed.  He has some skill but he never really seems to live up to the hype.  Coming in just over 10, I'd stay away.  Throw in the lack of talent surrounding him, I'd stay even farther away.

Steve Finnan - You know those situations where someone has a strong brand name but there is little to no chance of the reality living up to what you'd hope for from that brand name? Think seeing a supermodel in her 40s or a 2000s vintage "muscle car" from Detroit - you have fond memories of both in your mind (either from your past or people telling you about them when they were great) but they've long since worn out their welcome.  Steve Finnan in his Pompey incarnation is the same thing.  You'll see him and think - "sounds promising" and you'll be wrong.  He was never that great a fantasy player and that's when he was getting the benefit of clean sheets that Liverpool provided.  Hard to picture this Pompey team doing anything other than struggling against relegation all season.

Manchester United Season Preview

What now? Because Cristiano Ronaldo ain't walkin' back through that door. The answer seems to be for everyone else to step up their game just a bit. I'm not sure that is a viable strategy. Or a strategy at all. So where does that leave fantasy managers who have always relied on Manchester United players for big returns?

The front pairing is sure to be Berbatov and Rooney. Rooney is the more attractive option, but priced accordingly. Owen is an intriguing pick for the first week. Even with one or maybe two cameo appearances he could score on Burnley and Birmingham. But over time, he's going to be a spot player, and may find himself behind Macheda and/or Wellbeck depending on the youngsters' improvement and his own decline.

In defence, they should be settled. It should a simple matter of penciling in van der Sar, Rafael, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra on the team sheet week. This would price out most fantasy managers, so 'lucky' for us ManU has something of a defensive crisis. Van der Sar is out for two months and his putative replacement Foster first looks terrible in the Community Shield and then pulls out of the England squad with an injury. Across the back line, Rafael, Neville, Brown and Vidic are some degree of injured. So while we can now afford the likes of Foster or Kuzczsak, and O'Shea the whole thing is a bit of an uncertain mess.

If only it were better in midfield. This has been one of Neal's "favorite" topics this summer. For fantasy manager, there are two problems. One is the lack of clarity. Fergie will have to pick four from Park, Nani, Valencia, Giggs, Scholes, Anderson, Carrick, Hargreaves and Fletcher. Of those perhaps Valencia and Carrick are more likely than not to start. But that's not a gamble that I'm willing to make as a fantasy manager. Especially given the relative lack of quality that is problem number two. Nani certainly has the potential and Valencia has been a consistent performer. Giggs is still a good bet against obliging opposition. But where's the match-winner in the group? And when has a title been won without a steady supply of goals from midfield? While Ronaldo might have been an anomaly, I can't think of a champion that didn't have a Lampard, Pires, or Beckham... hell, even a Scholes contributing to the cause. Maybe SAF could continue with Newcastle's experiment of Owen as an attacking midfielder. Could that one move kill the proverbial two birds?

Until these issues get sorted out on the pitch, I would be cautious on Manchester United players beyond the easy first twiweeks. Maybe by the run of Arsenal, @Spurs, Citeh in weeks 3-5 we'll get a sense of what SAF considers his best team... and how good that team really is.

Possible Starting XI: van der Sar, Rafael, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani, Rooney, Berbatov

Players to Watch:

Wayne Rooney: What to make of Roonaldo? Is he a leading man or just an extremely talented second banana? You'd think we'd know the answer to this question by now but with CRon gone he's staked his claim at least verbally but thus far he has been unable to really assert himself as a first choice fantasy player and a top level star player. He may be England's most talented player but he has yet to prove he's their best. So, with his price as high as Gerrard, Lamps, and Arshavin you are likely to have to decide early whether you think his production will increase minus CRon or whether the lack of any discernable midfield (or the realizations of his own limitations) will prevent him from being worth the fantasy money. No doubt he's an extremely good player in both fantasy and the real world but the question here is whether he is worth the money.

Antonio Valencia: He's been discussed as among the best players outside the top 4 for a couple of seasons now - mostly on the back of a few excellent performances in high profile matches. One thing he has never really been is consistently excellent. Now, whether that is down to inferior talent around him at Wigan or his own talent and drive has yet to be determined. At about 11 to start the season and as the only skilled player in the United midfield he's probably a good bet. I'm betting that a lot of ManYoo's transition from back to front will go down the right side of the midfield.

Anderson: There are rarely returning players at a big club who could be considered value plays in fantasy. I'm not entirely convinced that Anderson will be a value either I'm entirely undecided as to whether he will realize his promise this season and give United a strong presence in central midfield or if he even has the aforementioned promise to start with. Let's also meter expectations here, if he DOES end up reaching his potential he's still not going to be a great fantasy player - the question here is whether you can get a 5.5 to 6 point/match player who will play consistently for just over 4. If he can produce at that level he will enable you bring in some more expensive players and he'll be worth your consideration. If he doesn't take the step up then he's just the midfield version of Mok from last season and there will be plenty of those guys available. The other interesting discussion in the United midfield (assuming no more acquisitions) is Ji Sung Park who is more expensive at around 8 but you know you'll get decent production (but rarely great production) if he gets the regular spot on the left side of midfield. The upside here is him starting regularly and producing like Joe Cole did two seasons ago at Chelsea - not going to make your season but not a bad deal for the money.

Manchester City Season Preview

I feel as if I've done nothing but write about Manchester City this summer. And frankly I'm getting tired of it. I'm very ready to see how this experiment in fantasy football (English version) plays out in real life. The cream of world football went to Madrid this summer, but a lot of attacking talent has ended up at Eastlands. It would seem that Adebayor and Tevez are his starting forwards with Robinho given a left-midfield berth, Wright-Phillips on the right, and Barry to pair with Ireland in the center of midfield.  Of course that leaves Craig Bellamy, Roque Santa Cruz, Benjani, and Martin Petrov on the bench. 

On defence, they haven't strengthened other than Toure's arrival.  That is an improvement at one spot, but we're not talking about just one missing piece.  Even playing with two holding players in de Jong and Kompany last season the defence was still a mess.  Especially away from home.  Now, thanks to the influx of attacking players, it doesn't seem that there is any steel in midfield other than Barry.  Or if Barry holds in conjunction with de Jong, for example, which of the big name attackers falls out of the line-up?  Probably Wright-Phillips, come to think about it.  4-2-1-2-1?  Regardless, they don't look stronger defensively, and the worry is that they won't be able to cope when they aren't in possession.

If Hughes can keep everyone's egos in check this is a very strong squad, albeit one that is out of balance.  If he can't, the whole thing could blow up in his face.  How will it play out?  Well, we'll spilled a lot of digital ink about it but to be honest we just don't know.  However, I'm cautiously optimistic that after week 1 or 2 we'll have a sense of a pecking order and fantasy managers will feel comfortable investing in Citeh players.  At least in their attackers. 

Possible Starting XI:  Given, Zabaleta, Onuoha, Toure, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Barry, Ireland, Robinho, Tevez, Adebayor

Players to Watch:

Carlos Tevez: So, what to make of Tevez? He's a big name, he's scored some big goals, he's had some hot streaks for both ManYoo and WHU and he's been the subject of some pretty sizable financial transactions (at least we think so, I'm not sure anyone but Kia really knows how the money has changed hands over Carlito since he left South America).  Here's the dirty little secret, he's really never produced consistently or justified these crazy valuations.  Sure there have been some extenuating circumstances - not a lot of help at West Ham and no regular playing time last season at ManYoo - but if he was THAT good then neither of those things would get between him and production.  Now, throw him on a roster with about a million strikers and with a manager who - if you ask me - is going to be overwhelmed by the big egos he is being asked to fit into 1, 2, or maybe 3 striker slots and you have to wonder how things are going to work out for Tevez on the other side of Manchester.  How regularly will he play? Are there enough touches to go around for Tevez, K2, and Robinho backed up by Ireland, Barry, and SWP? Throw in back-ups like RSC and Bellamy getting the occasional start and the more-than-occasional 20-to-30 minute sub appearances and what's the upside here? 12 to 14 goals while not taking kicks, not getting assists, and likely not getting any other phantom points other than SOTs.  Here's betting he's just barely worth the 9+ cost.  Robinho seems likely to be the only guy on this roster worth even close to his price.

Wayne Bridge: So, I'm not expecting that Bridge will all of a sudden become a lot better HOWEVER if Citeh end up picking up another high quality CB to go with Toure then Bridge might start getting a serious string of clean sheets to go with his adequate production as a defender going forward.  Again, not something that is going to make your season but at 7.41 to start the season he might end up being a pretty good value.

Shay Given: Honestly, he's sort of in the same boat as Bridge but even more tempting due to his low price.  Right now I'm on Foster based on ManYoo's insanely easy first two matches but if Citeh pull together a strong defence and I can feel good about trading in for Given and getting more than my share of CSs at home and fewer blow-out losses on the road then Given becomes one of the fanasty values of the season. 

Liverpool Season Preview

Is this their year? If they can keep their starting XI healthy, it sure looks like it could be. However, they've already lost Alonso to Madrid and his replacement, Aquilani, is injured for the next month or two. Their senior central defenders are all doubtful for the start of the season as are, most importatntly, Gerrard and Torres. It's the latter pairing that will determine Liverpool's season and possibly the fate of the fantasy season as well. Gerrard is the most expensive player in the game following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure. When he was let off his chains by Benitez at the end of last season he was a fantasy monster. And inded Liverpool as a whole prospered under their new attacking remit. Hopefully that will remain the case. As a statement of intent, Aquilani replacing the more staid if slicker Alonso, seems to suggest that it will.

But they will have to stay healthy. There is a steep drop-off in quality between the starters and the players on the bench. Babel, N'Zog, Plessis... these aren't the names to strike fear in opponents or hope in fantasy managers. It also means that if Liverpool don't make the break-through in matches there isn't likely to be a plan B. All this has me a bit worried about backing their defenders in fantasy. Insua is a reasonable bet, but between the injuries and price tags, I don't want to get involved otherwise. And even then, the left-back spot is probably Aurelio's once he returns from his latest injury.

So it all comes down to Torres and Gerrard. And perhaps Aquilani as a bargain midfielder.

But they will have to stay healthy.

Possible Starting XI:  Reina, G Johnson, Skrtel, Carragher, Insua, Kuyt, Mascherano, Lucas(Aquilani when healthy), Benayoun, Gerrard, Torres

Players to Watch:

Fernando Torres: Gerrard is going to be Gerrard - he's priced at over 20 to start the season and he's worth it but he'd be much more attractive if he were priced like Nando at just over 17.  Where Gerrard had his best season last year, Nando wasn't nearly as good as we know he's capable of and yet he still finished the season getting just 2 points less per match than Gerrard.  If you're looking for value even among the expensive players on your roster, you have to think Torres has more upside to picking him than Gerrard does.

Emiliano Insua:  The big question at Anfield (OK, other than who replaces Xavi Alonso and whether Mascherano stays and whether Torres can stay healthy) is "who is the first choice left back?"  The contenders are Aurelio and Insua and if the youngster wins - and Aurelio is injured again to start this season - then he's a decent value.  Unfortunately, his price is already pretty inflated from the run of matches last season when he started and played well.  That said, even at 8.5 he'd be one of the cheapest regular starting defenders on a Big Four team.  Given Liverpool's questionable talent at left wing (Reira really didn't produce too much or too regularly), he might even get the occasional run there (or Aurelio might get that run ensuring that Insua gets the left back spot).

Glen Johnson: Obviously one fo the big stories of the off-season was Johnson going to Liverpool for what seemed (to me at least) to be WAY too much money.  He was already found insufficient as a Big Four starter once and one wonders what his time at Pompey did to help him up the level of his game.  If you then look at his fantasy price that comes in at over 11 and you have to wonder how he could live up to either his real world or fantasy transfer fee.  I'm just not feeling it.

The Rules

Once again, I give to you my fantasy football guidelines in handy list form. This is the latest variation on something I first wrote down in 2004. They have served me well over the years, and I hope you find them useful in choosing your teams this season.

1. Punch above your weight

You generally want to pick anyone playing in a more advanced role than they are designated by the fantasy game - defenders playing in midfield and midfielders lining up as forwards. The further up the pitch, the better chance of getting you points. Examples in recent years include Blog Favorite Ashley Young (BFAY), Nigel Reo-Coker (NRC), Ryan Taylor, Paul Scharner, Gareth Bale and the Evertonian youngsters Rodwell and Gosling. Unfortunately, each year Yahoo! gets a bit better about putting the players in their proper designations so the pickings get slimmer.  This year I'm looking at Graham Alexander, a nominal right-back, to get a lot of games for Burnley in midfield.  John "Johnny Utah" Utaka at Portsmouth would be a player listed as a midfielder but who could play at striker.  There are also several midfielders who may play "in the hole" behind a lone striker from time to time.  Gomez at Wigan, Milijas at Wolves, and Kieran "KRich" Richardson at Sunderland would all fit that bill.

The converse to this rule is to avoid players playing behind their designation. For example, you wouldn't have picked Gilberto (the Spurs player) last year as he was listed as a midfielder but playing at left back. This year players to avoid would include McFadden at Birmingham, Dirk Kuyt who will likely be a fixture on the right of Liverpool's midfield (though that didn't slow him down last season), or the likes of Mendy, Eboue and Chelsea new boy Zhirkov who can play both in midfield and defence.

2. Wing it

Another type of player to look for is the wing back or attacking full back. While not lining up in midfield per se, they end up spending a lot of time there. You can find these guys best on teams playing a 3-5-2, sadly out of fashion these days. Oh for the days of Carr and Ziege flanking Spurs teams or Clement and Balis at WBA (though that may have been more of a Boro 5-3-2). There are center backs that come up with more goals over the course of a season, but they'll get you 10pts one week and none the next. The full back is more likely to get crosses and win corners while they are usually less likely to commit fouls and collect cards making them more likely to be steady performers.

Evra, (C)Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson and Sagna are your 'big four' here.  Elsewhere Beye, Baines, Warnock and Konchesky are other examples of varying degrees of quality.

3. Live for the dead ball

Always try to pick the player who takes dead balls for his team - free kicks, penalty kicks and corners. These lead directly to scoring chances - goals, assists and successful crosses. Plus they are free points! Your guy doesn't have to do anything to earn these chances. Let the rest of the team work for your fantasy betterment! Gerrard, Lampard, van Persie... the list does go on. Even a middling player on a poor team can be elevated to must have because they earn enough points taking kicks - Milijas (Wolves) and Gomez (Wigan) could be that player this season.  Graham Alexander is Burnley's penalty kick taker, so he's ticked off two of my boxes already.

4. Never pass up a sure thing

Always try to get the sure starter. Don't pick up Louis Saha or Benni McCarthy because he could get a hat-trick in 20 minutes of play. If you play the odds and get someone on the pitch for 90 (or even 70) minutes you'll be better off. This gets hard because a lot of your best players are on the best/biggest squads. So Chelsea, ManU forwards and middies can be a nightmare to pick. Soometimes you need to save yourself the aggravation.

5. Sell Beckham

New rule named after an old joke. If there is a player who is head and shoulders above the rest of the league, just buy him. Suck it up. Gut the defence, and buy him. In the last few years I would put Beckham, Thierry Henry and CRon in this category. Big Fat Frank Lampard (BFFL or Lamps) and possibly Ruud van Nistelrooy (RvN) are on the outside of this group looking in.  Though perhaps this is the year that Gerrard earns 'Beckham' status.

6. Who is playing Derby?

Another new rule, this one named after my experimental team from the 2007/2008 season. I picked as many players from the team playing Derby - the worst team in the league by a stretch - that week and invariably that team would outperform my first team. This season Hull, Portsmouth, Burnley and Birmingham could fall into the this category and I will try to pick as many players playing against them as I can afford/find space for.

6. No Friday trades

Final new rule, and perhaps the hardest to abide. Unless there is actionable intelligence - an injury, a suspension, or a manager coming out and saying something concrete - don't make changes to your team on Friday. You've likely already processed all the usable information during the week, and remember you've set most of your team on the barn door - that time between when the game locks down for the week and when points and prices update based on the week's games. Too much trading, especially on a Friday based on whims and hunches, is usually deck chairs (a la, on the Titanic). At best it doesn't earn you anything and and worst you could "pick around the points".

7. Other caveats, if not rules, include:

All things being equal, go with the home team.
Never bet on or against Bolton. Unless you do.
Scholes is dead to us for fantasy purposes.
Avoid Spurs' defence. Just do it. Or don't do it, as the case may be.

Good luck!

Hull City Season Preview

Hull survived last season due to the incompetence of others despite their own best efforts at relegation. The final insult was their losing 0-1 to Manchester United who all but ran out the youth team WHEN THEY NEEDED A WIN TO ENSURE THEIR PREMIER LEAGUE SURVIVAL! It was unbelievable stuff. Unbelievably dire. The only player, in my opinion, who showed anything that day was Andy Dawson. At least he was trying... and taking kicks. And yes, he was in my fantasy team and did earn me near twenty points, if I remember correctly.

This season Hull City are again being tipped to 'challenge' for one of the relegation places, but again they may survive due to the incompetence and mismanagement elsewhere in the league. They are starting to make a little noise in the transfer market with the signings of Olofinjana, Hunt and Altidore and those are three good moves from our viewpoint. The question is whether or not it will be enough to re-invigorate a team that just completely shut down after Christmas last season. For fantasy purposes it is probably best to just stay away from Hull unless you are backing their opposition. For instance, their opening day trip to Chelsea could get ugly.

Possible Starting XI: Myhill, Kilbane, Turner, Zayatte, Dawson, Olofinjana, Boateng, Fagan, Hunt, Geovanni, Cousin

Players to Watch:

Stephen Hunt - I see the Premier League as a set of four groups...The Big Four, the Aspirants (Villa, Citeh, Everton, and Spurs), the Middle (Fulham, Rovers, Sunderland, West Ham, Wigan, and Bolton), and the Strugglers (the 3 promoted clubs plus Pompey, Hull, and Stoke).  You could argue that maybe Fulham should be included with the Aspirants based on last year and Stoke the Middle but based on what I expect for this year, that's how I'm looking at it.  Hunt gives Hull reason to think they might be able to climb above their fellow Strugglers into the relatively safe "Middle" zone.  Hunt is likely to produce about 6 points/match and if he comes in to the fantasy game after a couple years out of the Prem costing about 6 then he's probably a pretty good deal (sort of like Eth at Stoke).  My only caveat here is that Reading's strong attack may have boosted his numbers in a way that Hull aren't prepared to do.  If you need to take a chance and he comes in cheap, then go for it.  If they're playing ManYoo or you're looking for guaranteed production, then probably best to avoid Hull players altogether.

Geovanni - One of the stars of the early season last year faded as the campaign wore on and in retrospect was that most frustrating of fantasy players - one who occasionally had excellent performances but who you couldn't count on week-to-week to a) be in the line-up and b) grind out the phantom points when the goals weren't flowing.  This sort of player is best suited for being a one week gamble if the price is right but isn't likely to string multiple strong performances together and hence not really useful fodder for the Barn Door.  I'm not sure there's any reason to expect that this season will be any different than last for Hull or Geovanni - he isn't a young guy with upside and Hull haven't added enough pieces to indicate that they are likely to take a step forward and start producing big attacking numbers.

Boaz Myhill - As a "sort of" American (he is or at least was eligible to play for the US Internationally) I've followed Myhill a bit more than the average mediocre keeper on a team struggling to avoid relegation.  He's not bad really but the defence in front of him doesn't do him too many favors and he's not exceceptional enough to make up for those deficiencies.  Unlike Stoke, Hull haven't really established an identity as a grinding defensive team so it's hard to imagine that they'll pile up the clean sheets against lower-half teams.  There will likely be plenty of saves available and Myhill is likely to be inexpensive.  Still, he'd have to be pretty cheap for me to be excited about his prospects in anything other than a desperation situation where I needed the money for other things.

Fulham Season Preview

Last year's surprise package. A team with Paintsil and Konchesky at the full back spots with a better defensive record than all but the top clubs. Now THAT'S a surprise! A lot of the credit for that has to go to Schwarzer who was surely the signing of the season last year. Not only did he solidify Fulham and take them into Europe but Boro's lack of an adequate replacement doomed them to relegation.

And for Fulham's next trick, they are going to have to do it all over again - and compete in Europe - with largely the same team. For fantasy managers that means that many of last year's bargains are now well priced for their past performances. No more Paintsil at 4-something and you don't even look at that spot again all season. And they can't compete at the same level again this season, can they?

One possible exception to that would be Bobby Zamora who is still cheap. Of course he didn't really perform last season so he's probably priced right too. He teases every pre-season with some good performances and goals galore and has again this year. However, other than his lone purple patch for West Ham years ago, he's just not a regular Premier League goal scorer. Another possibility might be Gera, at least until Simon Davies returns to fitness.

Possible Starting XI: Schwarzer, Paintsil, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky, Dempsey, Murphy, Etuhu, Gera, A Johnson, Zamora

Players to Watch:

Andrew Johnson - AJ has been a mixed bag since his stunning season at Crystal Palace after their promotion to the Prem in 2004-05.  He still brings the same attributes to the table but he doesn't necessarily take PKs for Fulham (he scored a lot of his Prem-leading goals in 04-05 from the spot) and he hasn't consistently been able to stay on the field.  This has led to long stretches where he is a question mark in the line-up meaning that, for the money, he isn't worth the aggravation for most fantasy managers.  He goes into the same category that guys like RvP and Owen populate - IF they played regularly they'd be excellent players for your line-up but for every 20 point match you'll get 0 twice when you thought they were going to play but at the last minute ended up on the bench or, even worse, the trainer's room.  That said, he appears to be healthy starting out the season so worth it when Fulham have good match-ups.

Bjorn Helge Riise - Interesting because he's a newcomer but I'd hold off until it becomes clear that he is a presumptive starter.  If the Europa League qualifier is any indicator then Riise is nothing more than a reserve to start the season.  Of course we'd all be excited if he evolved to be a fantasy contributor like his brother but for now, I'd lay low.  If you're scouting for interesting options I'd look at Dempsey who is now correctly listed as a midfielder (although a little overpriced to be a bargain at just under 10).  I'd also look at the well-named Zoltan Gera who has a chance to be a decent contributor for under 6.

Mark Schwarzer - The Schwarz had a great season behind a surprisingly efficient defence at Fulham leaving us all to wonder why he wasn't picked up by a bigger team.  Sort of makes you wonder how much really separates guys like Petr Cech in his prime (who had an airtight defence in front of him) and Roy Carroll (who looked pretty good at ManYoo for a while but like a complete waste of space when paired with a defence of lesser quality).  Anyway, the question of Schwarzer's value this season probably has to do with how well you think Fulham will do in repeating their defending performance from last season.  Obviously, Hangeland's return is necessary but even if they return intact I'm guessing there will be some slippage.  As a result, I'd be inclined to think of Schwarzer as a good option from time-to-time when Fulham are matched with bottom-half opponents but he shouldn't be your main option both because he's more expensive now and the performance won't be quite as impressive.

Everton Season Preview

Everton begin this season pretty much where they left off last... a good, but thin squad decimated by injuries. Looking at the possible starting XI below, that's how they will likely line up, but certainly not how they would like to line up. Missing from the eleven are their best player at each level - Arteta, Yakubu and Jagielka. Despite all that, Everton will likely be up the table, challenging for a European place this season.

Moyes worked something of a masterstroke last season (let's be honest, he worked many!) when his record signing, Marouane Fellaini, was collecting nothing but yellow cards and "we haven't seen you in a while" notes from his barber he switched him with Cahill moving the Australian into a deeper role and pushing Fellaini up in support of the striker. Or sometimes as the striker! Fantasy managers would be well advised that this might continue as Fellaini is reasonably priced.

Their defence picks itself at the moment and the star would have to be Leighton Baines. Bought from Wigan, he languished behind an out-of-position Lescott for nearly two seasons. But given a run, and given set-piece responsibilities in Arteta's absence he flourished in the second-half of last season.

Their season opener is a tough game, home to Arsenal. And with their Europa League commitments they only play once in week one. But after that they have a really nice run of games (we won't call it a cake walk) and don't play another "big four" team until Manchester United and Liverpool back-to-back in late November. Fantasy managers should get on the Everton bandwagon early while the schedule is soft and the competition for places isn't a fantasy headache.

Possible Starting XI: Howard, Hibbert, Yobo, Lescott, Baines, Pienaar, Neville, Fellaini, Cahill, Osman, Jo

Players to Watch:

Marouane Fellaini:  Fellaini was certainly the surprise of the second half of the season.  Combine his low profile previous to arriving to England with his goofy haircut, overall awkward build and billing as a holding midfielder - can't really blame anyone for not being impressed.  Half a campaign later, you have to admit that he was much more impressive than that.  Honestly, he was Cahill when Cahill wasn't available and when they were both available they made life difficult on defenders when Everton were short out-and-out strikers.  Only two real downsides here - one, he picks up enough cards that his production is severly impacted a lot of weeks; two, given the return to health (at least in theory) of Cahill and Everton's striking triumverate of Jo, Yakubu, and Saha one wonders how many of his attacking points will be taken up by other players leaving only the cards for fantasy managers.  My guess is that while he will likely be better in real life as he continues to adapt to the league and grow in skill level (he'll only be 22 when the season starts) but probably of limited value in fantasy.  I'd only consider him on an occasional basis if his price comes down into the 5s or low 6s (as opposed to the 7.02 where he starts the season).
 
Steven Pienaar: Pienaar was another great story in the second half of last season or really the last third.  The question is, how much of the production was down to Arteta missing that portion of the season and how much was down to Pienaar's improvement.  If you watched Pienaar at all either for Everton or South Africa you have to attribute it at least in some measure to talent emerging.  That said, you can ask the same question about Pienaar that you ask about Fellaini - will his production continue once the squad is healthy? Talent aside, he has to have the ball and take the kicks to produce the big-point matches from time-to-time combined with the solid performances the rest of the time.  My guess is that he'll look strong for the first month as Arteta recovers from his ACL injury - after that, I'd abandon him until his price goes down.

Yakubu:  The Yak is returning from a ruptured Achilles Tendon injury but here's a couple things to think about.  First, injuries to the Achilles are notorious for taking a long time to heal; second, they tend to lead to the other tendon having issues as the two move out of balance (look at the son of a physician and brother of a physical therapist flashing some knowledge); and third, Yak will have to earn back his spot from Jo and Saha who has been healthy thus far.  I'd definitely be taking a wait-and-see attitude even once he makes it back (which, by the way, he hasn't been for the pre-season thus far).  October is the earliest I'd consider him and only then if he starts showing signs of one of his streaks starting.

Chelsea Season Preview

Chelsea ended last season winning the FA Cup after falling just short in the Premier and Champions League.  They have opened this season with a Community Shield win over Manchester United and look stronger by not being weaker.  Despite having ridiculous sums of money thrown at him, John Terry has - for now - spurned Manchester City to stay.  Drogba, Carvalho and Deco have stayed with the club too.  While the group is a year older, they are a settled side.  Something that can't be said for the other contenders.

The benefits to having a settled line-up can't be overstated for fantasy managers.  With Zhirkov and Cole injured, and Ancelotti using the pre-season to familiarize the players with a new formation there is little doubt who and how they will play. And there is obvious value in Lampard pushing forward at the top of a diamond midfield, with strikers the quality of Drogba and Anelka. The defence will continue to be one of the stingiest units in the League despite Cech not being the keeper he was before his injury.

But the downside to having a settled line-up for fantasy managers, is that Chelsea's stars are expensive options. Save for Mikel under 5, you won't find a starter for less than 9. There are entire other teams in the game who don't have a player valued at over 9! So while you'll want Chelsea players on your fantasy team - opening the season at home to Hull! - you will have to pay for the privilege.

Possible Starting XI:  Cech, Bosingwa, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole, Mikel, Essien, Malouda, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba

Players to Watch:

Didier Drogba: A new half-season, a new manager, and yet more uncertainty around the Chelsea striker position. On one hand, you have the last season's leading scorer in Anelka and on the other you have Drogs who has been their best striker over the few season before last. Throw into the mix a manager who tends towards cautious 4-5-1 formations and the fact that Drogs and Elk never really developed much of a partnership and Drogba (at a reasonable price) is among the most interesting propositions in fantasy football coming into the season. Well, really both guys are pretty interesting. With both having started against AC Milan in a recent friendly and neither having even played against Club America Ancelotti's hand has certainly not been tipped. I currently have Drogba inserted into my line-up on the theory that if healthy Chelsea have to start him. I could just as easily be very bitter after Week 1 if Ancelotti decidese that Elk is the lone striker with Malouda, Zhirkov, Lampard, Essien, and Pirlo/Mikel behind him.

Joe Cole: I was originally going to write about Frank Lampard in this spot but Lamps will be Lamps for fantasy purposes - you'll pay a lot but he'll deliver pretty consistently and make you happy for having spent the money with the only possible caveat being the potential loss of some kicks to Pirlo if he arrives as rumored (and rumored, and rumored...). More interesting is Joe Cole who after being injured for a great deal of last season returns to an even more cluttered midfield/attacking landscape. Attempts to make him a RM have never really succeeded, Chelsea have way too many attacking CMs already including one who tends not to be substituted often, if ever in Lamps. With Ballack still hanging around wanting to play in similar space and being similarly inconsistent and Essien being best suited for a central but not holding role you have to wonder exactly where on the depth-chart Joe Cole actually is. My guess is that his best move would be out the exit door and on to a club that would give him a consistent run as an attacking midfielder behind the strikers (Villa? Fulham? or dare I say it ManYoo as the replacement for Scholes?). Unless I'm proven entirely wrong on his status vs. that of his teammates, it probably doesn't matter how inexpensive he is, his name is going to be much higher profile than the results he brings.

Yuri Zhirkov: In the real world, if you pay as much money for someone as Chelsea paid for Zhirkov then you have to assume that he's going to be a first choice starter unless he really falls on his face making the switch from a lesser league to the Prem. From what I've seen of Zhirkov, he's going to have no trouble adjusting and producing as a fantasy player when he plays. The only concern I have is that Malouda seemed to have finally made at least a decent adjustment to the Prem in the second half of last season after a year and half of looking like a washout. Instead of the planned summer sale, he was retained and now throws the left side of midfield into a bit of disarray. I'm still banking on Zhirkov being the de facto starter but with Malouda around he's likely to be something less than a fulltime starter and there exists the chance that he will actually be second choice thereby angering fantasy managers everywhere and making them like the unlovable Italian manager (do they make another kind in Italy?) even more so (didn't think that was possible).