In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 48 hours, you would be well aware we have been experiencing some issues over at Fantasy Football Scout towers. While the site might be looking more simplistic as of late (though I prefer Jonny referring to it’s Blitz spirit this morning), we will still be looking to provide all the valuable content fantasy managers look for on those fateful friday evenings as and where we can.

Mark is working tooth and nail to get the site back up to full functionality as soon as he can, but with that comes the slight caveat that we won’t be able to see the fruits of his Scout Picks this week as he works diligently behind the scenes. But to keep up the spirit and ethos of this wonderful site we have going, I thought I’d share my picks this week – so grab your coats while we go and take a stroll through my own thought process. I certainly don’t have the pedigree Mark does in the fantasy game, so take all that follows with rather large chunks of salt….

We start off in goal and I personally think it’s a pretty easy choice this week. Thomas Sorensen gets the nod as on top of providing more than few a good displays in front of goal, Stoke have one of the meanest home defences around – so when a team as sporadic in form as West Ham come to town, one would have to proffer that they have a good chance of keeping the gates shut. If I knew who was definitely in goal for Arsenal tomorrow I would add equal value there, but with Almunia back to fitness he should start, but in the form Mannone has been there’s always that chance he could keep the jersey.

With only 2 clean sheets on offer (so long ago) in our last gameweek, I figured I’d choose defenders I think stand a good chance of notching some offensive points – while still hoping they can hold out at the back too. Nemanja Vidic offers huge waves of security in defence, and hopefully back alongside Ferdinand and with Van Der Sar between the sticks Manchester United can get back to looking like the team they did last winter. I also have a bit of an inkling he might get his first goal this weekend. For very similar reasons then I choose Thomas Vermaelen, while he surely can’t keep up his scoring rate (can he?) a game at home to Birmingham (sans Chucho) must look good for a clean sheet at least.

While many are predicting a goal-fest up at Ewood Park this weekend, I am just not so sure – and with that in mind I’m picking Graham Alexander. I have said numerous times over the last couple of weeks that if there is one away game Burnley really want to do well in, it’ll be this big derby match. Now if a goal goes in early it could be beauty to watch as both teams fight for victory – but I see a game of more attrition and a quite a drawn out affair. So with his penalty taking duties, and propensity to be substituted before the end of the game (but after 60 minutes) I think Alexander might not do half bad. Finally I pick Sylvain Distin in defence, Wolves have been very hit and miss this season, so while they could well score at Everton this weekend Distin offers good value at only £5.0m in the FPL game.

In midfield we lose one of our tried and tested options this week (Steven Gerrard set back due to injury) but we still have Cesc Fabregas ready and waiting to pull his fantasy socks on for us all the same – I think his selection pretty much explains itself so let’s move on. Back at Goodison from Australia in time for Evertons game tomorrow Tim Cahill joins my picks this week, he has been quite unlucky in front of goal of late and I could see him quite easily heading a goal (or two) into the Wolves net this week – especially with the level of service provided from the likes of Baines, Bily and (with a late fitness test) Pienaar.

Mark and I have somewhat agreed on something this week though, and if you listened to Mark & Granville this week you will have heard his fantasy island risk selection: Kevin-Prince Boateng. Now this guy has impressed me in his short time on the south coast so far, and I wouldn’t be in the slighest bit surprised to see him score against his old club (who overlooked him for far too long) as Spurs visit Fratton Park, in the short term thereafter fixtures against Hull & Wigan aren’t too bad either.

I think Danny Murphy might knock back a few fantasy points this week. I can’t see Hull following up their recent victory over Wigan with anything but a defeat here, despite the possible return of Jimmy Bullard, so with Murphy’s monopoly on set pieces and penalties I think he stakes a claim for a more than considerable budget option this week.

So we’re obviously missing arguably the two best strikers in the Premiership this weekend (Rooney and Torres), but when one door closes another window opens. To me, that window spells a chance for a flutter on Michael Owen (yes, really). With Berbatov not even a certainty to start either with his partner giving birth recently this week, a game at home to Bolton should really be the time where Owen has to step up, and could really ingratiate himself to the Old Trafford faithful if he fills his boots.

And to round of the merry band of Arsenal players we have Robin Van Persie selecting himself far too easily. With both Eduardo & Bendtner out of contention this weekend there has to be no question of whether he will start or not, and a little bit of research I did showed that Robin really does get involved for this team. If Arsenal are to score goals (which would seem likely this week) then Van Persie would be amiss to not be involved in something here.

Contenders for my bench this week would include the likes of: Ashley Cole, Abdoulaye Faye, David Dunn, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Emmanuel Adebayor but my back up this week would fall on the rather expensive shoulders of Ricardo Carvalho, Dirk Kuyt & Jermain Defoe. Defoe will be looking to fire back at his old club much like Boateng the other way, Kuyt must surely be starting as a striker this week without Torres & Gerrard – though the fact their absence is a curse as much as a blessing was enough for me to be cautious on starting him. Carvalho is just a solid defender who I rate very highly, with 4 clean sheets in six appearances he is the safest defender in the Premiership so far this season.

Right then – there are my picks for you all to take in or ignore at your whim, I’ve at least put my money where my mouth is – as over at Fantasy Stakes that is the exact team I’ve picked, so let’s see if they can win me some money this weekend. Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to at least share my thoughts with you this weekend, let this weekend now duly show why Mark is the one who makes the picks. I hope everyone isn’t fretting over the dilemma of the absent Rooney/Torres/Gerrard too much.