The Week Ahead, Part Two - Player Picks

Sometimes we, and by we I mean the blog, pay the price for this not being a full time job.  There are times when the job that pays the bills takes precedence over the enjoyment of bringing you blog posts so long that your bosses, significant others, non-fantasy-playing friends, and children complain about the time spent on them on occasion.  I enjoy writing them as much as (I hope) you enjoy reading them.  Unfortunately, Wednesday and yesterday found me focused from dawn until dusk on my day job and with only enough energy to write part 1 of The Week Ahead.  Because I'm guessing you'd rather have the player picks as soon as I can get them to you versus waiting until I come up with a good-sized rant to open the column, I'll dispense with the usual prelude and get right to the picks.

Season Preview - Sunderland

Quick Reminder, Real Life

What started brightly with a forward line of DBent, Gyan, and Campbell came closer to the relegation zone than anyone who watched the first half of the season or looked at the final standings would ever have guessed. February, March, and the first half of April were an unmitigated disaster with the club earning exactly 1 point between Feb 1 and April 16. If you’re looking for causes, the sale of talisman Darren Bent to Villa combined with an injury to Campbell and a lack of many additional attacking options were a big root cause. A solid run from mid-April through the end of the season that saw them win three of their five matches saved their bacon and even got them a nice-looking 10th place finish despite their miserable run.

Quick Reminder, Fantasy

Darren Bent was Darren Bent when he was there (leading one to wonder why they agreed to sell him to a non-"big" team or why DBent wanted to go). Gyan was OK but nothing great. Bardsley had a nice fantasy season that ended with some big matches in the second half despite Sunderland’s generally miserable play in the real world. Otherwise, it was a bit of a fantasy wasteland at the Stadium of Light, highlighted by Sessegnon's never making it into the sytsem! Just to give you an idea of how bad, most of Sunderland’s first page of options in Yahoo are players new to the team. Jordan Henderson had a solid fantasy season but certainly not one that helps explain the price Liverpool were willing to pay for him.

Summer Changes

Liverpool Transfer Policy

Liverpool close in on Blackburn's Phil Jones and Sunderland's Jordan Henderson | Mail Online

I don't understand Liverpool's transfer policy.  Jones, maybe.  They need options at center back with Carragher getting older and Agger likely to move on.  But Henderson?  They already have two world-class players for the advanced central midfield position and one of their weaknesses last season was trying to shoehorn both Steven Gerrard and Raul Miereles into the same side. Now they want even more depth with Henderson?  It just doesn't seem to meet a need on their part. And as for the player himself, does he look forward to a bench role? Is it just money, or does he expect to oust one, or both of the aforementioned players out of the side?

Driving the Bandwagon: Jordan Henderson

Just remember that the Jordan Henderson bandwagon started here, at the beginning of the season.  In fact, based on his performances at the tail-end of LAST season I was picking him for my fantasy team in week one.

Fantasy Premier League Blog: The One Where Jeremy Picks a Team

Jeremy Spitzberg: there he is...
Jeremy Spitzberg: jordan henderson, 6.19
Jeremy Spitzberg: one please

And I talked him up in the comments of our Sunderland Season Preview.

I have a soccer crush on Jordan Henderson, and he's in my week 1 team. He should play wide left or center mid and will be a creative player taking kicks.

While he's been disappointing for fantasy - okay returns, but not value for money - I'm happy to see him get England honors today.

Plus ca Change

Seagulls denied by Campbell leveller

Fraizer Campbell denied Brighton with a late equaliser as Sunderland claimed a 1-1 draw in their pre-season friendly in the Algarve...

Young keeper Trevor Carson had to make a superb save from Murray after Matt Kilgallon's error and the Black Cats then had George McCartney stretchered off, but Campbell provided a silver lining when he stretched to turn in Jordan Henderson's excellent free-kick.

What I'm taking from this for fantasy purposes:

* Carson is Sunderland's number one in Gordon's absence. Interestingly, he's listed as a defender on Y!'s Sunderland squad page. Wouldn't that make for an interesting fantasy selection?

* Last year's fantasy favorite Jordan Henderson is still on set piece duty.

* McCartney is through. He was always a decent fantasy bet, despite a penchant for the rash card (of various colors). But He can't get or stay healthy. I assume that means we'll see KRich line up at full back again this season. Sunderland are rich in the middle with da Silva, Ferdinand, Kilgallon, Turner and maybe Mensah but don't have any fullbacks beyond Bardsley.

... and the why:

Sunderland's opening fixtures include Birmingham, @West Brom, Manchester City, @Wigan before Arsenal, @Liverpool and Manchester United. Bruce will want points from those early matches and there could be bargains on the Sunderland side who were good bets for much of last season.

Bargain Shopping

So, if I want Bellamy for the weekend - which I do - that leaves me 6.03 for a fourth middie or defender.  Who to choose?  And of course, the caveat here is that whomever I pick will be wrong.  The candidates after the jump.