The international break can get to the best Fantasy Managers. A fortnight of deliberation can lead to frustration and self-doubt; resistance to the “jerky knee” can quickly waver. We can only hope that you’ve steered clear of the delirium to this point and to help you through, we’re now looking to restore some normality to these pages, courtesy of our regular “frisking” of the upcoming Premier League fixtures…
The Highs…
Arsenal
A three home game in four setup is the key to the teams blinking wildly on the radar this week, and Arsene Wenger’s Gunners are the prime candidates when it comes to fulfilling that particular criteria. The three Emirates encounters look pretty tasty too. With Cesc Fabregas suggesting he’s available for a return and Theo Walcott also on the mend, the encounters at home to Birmingham, West Ham and Newcastle should bring goals and tempt investment in Wenger’s attacking cast.
Man United
Despite a disappointing 0-0 draw away at Sunderland, we stand firm over United’s fixtures being strong enough to consider them one of the best investments over the next month or so. Their three home matches in the next four start with the visit of Roberto Di Matteo’s West Brom side who, for all their merits, will surely grant United room to breathe on the Old Trafford turf and tempt investors in the attacking options on show. Right now those options are limited to Nani and Dimitar Berbatov, although those searching for a major differential may even consider Wayne Rooney, depending on his showing for England tomorrow night.
Blackpool
Ian Holloway’s Tangerine Army are an unlikely source of Fantasy talent but their start to the season, coupled with a kind run of games to come, has them well and truly in the reckoning now. With a squad hurriedly assembled, and five away games in the first seven, it’s not surprising that Blackpool failed to attract early interest in their budget wares. October has them spending a lot more time on home turf however, suddenly making them a key source for those looking to balance the books. DJ Campbell and Luke Varney provide your shoestring Fantasy Premier League (FPL) candidates up front at just £4.5m each, while Charlie Adam is £5.2m (and on the rise) as Blackpool’s set-piece supremo and key influence in midfield. Watch this space for a follow-up article on him.
Newcastle
Chris Hughton’s side have surprised us with defensive resolve and in Andy Carroll, have a centre-forward of genuine menace. He may have been benched at City last time out but, fresh from signing a new five-year contract, Carroll would seem likely to return just in time for a run of fixtures that find the Magpies facing four home games in the next six. Those home matches will see Wigan, Sunderland, Blackburn and Fulham arrive in town – all opponents that Newcastle and Carroll will fancy themselves against. An away trip to Upton Park also looks profitable, so only a trip to the Emirates in Gameweek 11 appears to offer concern for owners of Newcastle’s attacking and defensive talent.
Also consider: Bolton, Everton, West Ham
The Lows…
Wolves
Wolves are now the only Premier League side left who have yet to keep a clean sheet this season, and looking at their upcoming slate, it looks like it could be a fair while before that unfortunate record shows any sign of improvement. Mick McCarthy’s men have one last flutter this week (at home to West Ham) where they can look to stop the rot, but other than that their place at the foot of the table could become all too familiar given the four fixtures that follow (che, MCY, mun, ARS). It’s hard to imagine too many Fantasy Managers being affected by Wolves’ slide into the relegation mire, but if you do have any of McCarthy’s stragglers in your squad, getting rid after Gameweek 8 looks a very smart option.
Sunderland
Ahmed Elmohammady is pushing his name as one of the few “out of position” propositions this season and Darren Bent is one of those strikers who appears to be 95% fixture-proof, even so, the schedule hints that we should stay clear of the Wearsiders for the foreseeable future. Those who have these players will, and should, surely keep hold of them – but when it comes to looking at investment, alarm bells of caution will be triggered by four away games in the next six fixtures.
Stoke
The teams we felt were worth singling out for investment had three home games on their plate; Stoke are the inverse opposite of that, with three away fixtures in the next four, while their one home tie has them facing Manchester United – not exactly very appealing right now. A Rory Delap throw-in can bring rewards against even the sternest defence on it’s day, but the low, low ranking on the difficulty scale of our ticker raises cause for concern when it comes to backing Stoke with our hard earned fantasy millions. Owners of Ryan Shawcross and his defensive colleagues will be fidgeting nervously and even those who jumped on Kenwyne Jones’ recent form will surely be looking out for alternatives for the month ahead.
Be wary of: Chelsea and Tottenham
