With just four weekends to go in the Most Exciting And Definitely Not Just Most Endlessly Over-hyped League In The World, the key to success in Fantasy Football this weekend might just be figuring out who's still got anything left to play for.

Goalkeepers

CHOOSE 'EM

Assuming Manuel Almunia doesn't make an unexpected recovery from wrist knack, one-man Perm Revivalist Jens Lehmann (5.14) should keep his place between the sticks for Arsenal's home game against Reading.

West Ham's Robert Green (8.58) looks good value for a clean sheet at home to Derby, Wigan's Chris Kirkland (6.61) will expect a shut-out at home to Spurs (who've won just twice away from home all season) and Middlesbrough's Mark Schwarzer (4.95) can expect to rack up a fair few save points at home to relegation-threatened Bolton.

LOSE 'EM

With the small matter of an FA Cup final on the horizon, you shouldn't expect any unnecessary heroics from Portsmouth, so don't expect David James (18.84) to be risking life and limb for a clean sheet at Manchester City.

Spurs have a vulnerability on the road that suggests a wide course should be plotted around Radek Cerny (8.41), and if Jose Reina (9.77) doesn't find himself rested for Liverpool's trip to second-bottom Fulham, he could well struggle to repel the Cottagers' increasingly goal-hungry front line.

Defenders

CHOOSE 'EM

After a string of disappointing results, West Ham will look to put things right in front of their own fans this weekend, and you couldn't ask for more complaisant whipping boys than Derby.

Matthew Upson (8.54) and George McCartney (8.44) are fairly consistent scorers, while John Paintsil - likely to start in the absence of the injured Anton Ferdinand - looks a steal at 1.74.

Wigan's Paul Scharner (9.15) has been in imperious form of late and Blackburn skipper Ryan Nelsen is well-priced at 4.22, despite the fact his side line up against free-scoring Manchester United.

Elsewhere, the shifting priorities that characterise the end-of-season run-in mean Bolton's Matt Taylor (13.77), Fulham's Paul Stalteri (4.89) and Birmingham's Stephen Kelly (5.44) are likely to score more highly than at any other time this season.

LOSE 'EM

Arsenal have endured a torrid few weeks, and the tension that has been simmering at the Emirates from round about the precise moment that Martin Taylor almost detached Eduardo's left foot could come to the boil in spectacular fashion at home to Reading.

Nicky Shorey (11.76) and Andre Bikey (10.19) are the most expensive of the lambs to the potential slaughter.

Alan Hutton (10.98) looks a bit pricey considering the fact Spurs have nothing left to play for in the league, while top scoring defender Joleon Lescott (13.05) - goalscoring and magnificent though he undoubtedly is - will not be in action this weekend.

Man United have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight visits to Blackburn, so now might be the time to free up all those units currently invested in Rio Ferdinand (10.78) and Patrice Evra (9.84).

Midfielders

CHOOSE 'EM

Fulham have won their last two league games at home to Liverpool, and with the need for points more desperate than ever, Clint Dempsey (8.95) and Simon Davies (12.67) look good value.

Optimistic Liverpool fans who fancy their second string's chances of a win will be heartened by the price of Lucas Leiva (7.07), who's a good bet to start in light of the club's Champions League commitments.

No-one will feel more embarrassed by West Ham's current slide than cor blimey guv'nor local boy Mark Noble (9.83, pictured), so expect him - and Freddie Ljungberg (10.46) - to come to the fore as they take out their frustrations on the Rams.

Wigan's home form is the best in the bottom half of the table, and after that dramatic draw at Chelsea they'll fancy their chances of making sure of Premier League safety at home to Spurs.

All-action midfielder Wilson Palacios (4.33) and fleet-footed wide man Luis Antonio Valencia (10.29) could be the men that do the damage.

LOSE 'EM

With the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea a matter of days away Steven Gerrard (21.69) will almost certainly be rested for Liverpool's trip to Fulham, so Sky's Andy Gray and Martin Tyler will just have to find someone else to shamelessly drool over this weekend.

And speaking of dribbling, don't expect Aaron Lennon (10.22) to do much of it on the quagmire of a pitch at Wigan that will do equally little for Jermaine Jenas's (14.21) unmistakable brand of inconclusive midfield floundering.

Gareth Barry (16.04) was at the heart of Villa's drubbing of Derby last weekend, but he won't get much change out of Birmingham in a derby likely to be even grittier than usual thanks to the Blues' current predicament.

Andy Reid's (14.26) value has crept up steadily since his arrival at Sunderland from Charlton, but the Black Cats travel to a Newcastle side who have joyously rediscovered a winning touch in recent weeks.

Forwards

CHOOSE 'EM

Brian McBride (9.68) scored a superbly taken goal in Fulham's 2-0 victory at Reading last weekend, and he will be central to the Cottagers' efforts to down Liverpool.

Dean Ashton (9.52) is likely to be the most likely beneficiary of Derby's customary defensive generosity, while latest Academy graduate Freddie Sears (5.74) will fancy his chances of scoring if he gets on.

Arsenal have demonstrated once again this season that they are emphatically not the team for the big occasion - away win at AC Milan notwithstanding - but when the pressure's off they remain capable of producing sublime football.

Emmanuel Adebayor (17.12) has scored three goals in his last four games after a barren March, but at 5.96Theo Walcott could represent slightly better value.

Peter Crouch (8.10) will hope to make a rare start for Liverpool at Fulham, while Michael Owen (13.01), Obafemi Martins (13.49) and Mark Viduka (9.98) have all been on target for Newcastle recently and are starting to suggest that there might be more to The Keegan Era Mk II than humiliating defeats and world-weary post-match press conferences.

LOSE 'EM

The thought of Paul Konchesky getting anywhere near Fernando Torres (19.17) and his precious, goal-scoring feet is probably enough to guarantee that Rafa Benitez will rest his top scorer for the trip to Fulham.

Ashley Young (19.00) will find space at a premium when Alex McLeish's well-drilled Birmingham come to Villa Park, while Dimitar Berbatov (16.36) tends not to produce his best football in the grim footballing heartlands of the north-west.

And after attempting to cure a thrice-broken finger by asking the physio to simply snap it back into place during Bolton's 1-0 win over West Ham last weekend, the suspended and injured Kevin Davies (10.43) will have plenty of time to ponder the foolhardiness of ill-advised bravery as he sits in the stands at the Riverside.

Tom Williams / Eurosport