The Week Ahead
Thu Apr 24 04:04PM
A funny place we've arrived at in the league (the real one, not the fantasy one). It seems like no one has taken Chelsea too seriously as a title contender for a variety of reasons, good ones I might add. They've had all sorts of injuries. They replaced one of the best coaches in the world with a guy no one has heard of who looks like a comicbook villain and has all the personality of a doorstop. Their best players (Lampard, Drogba, Cech, etc.) haven't played as well as they did last year when they didn't win the title. Finally, they really don't scare you the way they did under Mourinho - there isn't that feeling that if they're down one with 5 minutes left to play, they'll score one or two to secure points when all looked lost (the Liverpool match aside). So why is this funny? Because here they stand within 3 points and goal differential away from being top of the table with their biggest match of the year coming up.
I'm guessing that because the media and neutral fans pretty much hate Roman, his money, Grant, the storing away of good young English players like Sidwell and Bridge in the reserve squad, and pretty much everything else that the Chelski revolution represents there is less attention being paid to the fact that CHELSEA COULD ACTUALLY WIN THE TITLE. Sure, ManYoo will probably do what is necessary to pull it out but as much as I hate to do it, we have to give Grant and the Chelsea squad their due. They have endured a season of much turmoil and managed to grind out results frequently enough to stay in the race. I'd much rather watch Arsenal or ManYoo for entertainment purposes but you have to admire the effort. So, with the titanic clash at Stamford Bridge leading off the program this weekend, I'll start the fantasy analysis by telling all of you to watch, enjoy, and stay away from all of the players involved!
Elsewhere, there are some match-ups to focus on.
Buy - Citeh (Fulham are done, Citeh have had a fire lit under them and are playing at home), Wigan (Have been excellent down the stretch and Reading have been excellent guests), Liverpool (if you can figure out who will play on the second team), Arsenal (hello, Derby).
Hold - Villa (too hot to drop even if the competition is MUCH tougher this weekend), NUFC (Keggy's revival was late in coming but has been impressive now that it's arrived and WHU aren't very good).
Hold w/ Discount - Rovers, Pompey, Everton, Brum, WHU, Spurs, Bolton, Sunderland, Boro, ManYoo, Chelsea
Sell - Derby, Fulham, Reading
With that in mind, on to the players...
Strikers
Owen is too hot to ignore...I like the idea of Freddie Sears...Theo Walcott is going to make his push for more PT next season...Does Bendtner get the start over K2 vs. Derby since Arsenal have nothing really to play for? I say yes...Benjani seems to score in bunches and I'm guessing last weekend was the start of a season-closing hot-streak...Crouch because he'll play...
Midfielders
CRon because he's CRon...Cesc because Wenger won't rest him and he's playing Derby...MPet because he seems to have woken back up...Valencia because he's better than you think...Bullard because he gets points no matter how well Fulham are playing...Pennant because he's auditioning for a job elsewhere next year (and he'll play)...
Defenders
Toure because they're playing Derby and he'll be forward all afternoon...Clichy, ditto...Sharner because he's the unlikeliest fantasy football stud ever...Woody because he's relatively cheap...Gallas because he's relatively cheap...Beye, because he's been playing great the last month...Mokoena if you need the money.
Keepers
Lehmann if he's going to play...Almunia or Hart if Lehmann isn't going to play...Gordon if you need the money.
I thought Fabianski was going to get an "audition" for Arsenal.
From m_dipasq on Thu Apr 24 04:38PMwho is MPet tell me plz
From ram_everton on Thu Apr 24 04:54PMMarcus Bent could do well. Ditto Undies Ireland.
From the_burning_pen on Thu Apr 24 05:02PMRe (3) Martin Petrov of Manchester City
From the_evo_master on Thu Apr 24 05:03PMRe (2) Martin Petrov of Manchester City
From the_evo_master on Thu Apr 24 05:03PMRVP can play this week?
From ram_everton on Thu Apr 24 05:44PMWhy would Wenger start Cesc but rest K2? And I know that having doubted Neal I'm ensuring Benchtner's hat trick (anyone remember Pennant v. Southampton?) and consigning K2 - whom I have in my team - to the stands.
From jspitzberg on Thu Apr 24 05:46PMok, I know it is a bit outside of this format, and I think that fellow Gunner fan Neal will agree with me - but how is Henry not starting in Barca and if he is not, how come he is not clated to return to the UK? Hanry added a major spark to Barca in the game yesterday and to think that this game changing, fantasy pt machine is not being used makes me cry. Neal, let's get a little rumor starting? Henry for Chelsea to replace the loss of Drogba this summer?
From jon_wolfsthal on Thu Apr 24 05:54PM"Sagna and Flamini are not back so basically it will be the same squad as last week. Almunia is available again but I have not decided what I will do with the goalkeepers yet." -quoting Wenger from Arsenal.com- so maybe its best to look elsewhere for a keeper sure to start
From goeasy27 on Thu Apr 24 06:39PMAny thoughts on Martins? He's been solid the past couple weeks. I'm between him and Crouch. Any advice?
From wrigavin on Thu Apr 24 07:21PMPalacios... cheap. Walcott... cheap. I wonder if Denilson gets a look this week?? RVP should get at least 45 mins. Maybe 90 if K2 sits for the young Dane.
From donegal08 on Thu Apr 24 07:31PMgerrard?anyone?
From sb_chyiwey on Thu Apr 24 07:31PMI'm not sold on Newcastle being a sure thing. Even though they've enjoyed a nice run of form, they still have problems. Also, they're away this week. I wouldn't treat this like Arsenal @ Derby. In fact, if Solano is going to start, he might be a nice value.
From gentrykirby on Thu Apr 24 08:34PMre 13- with the second leg of the champions league on the wed. after the wkend matches based on what Benitez has done in the past (just look at last wkend) I highly doubt Gerrard will start. He may come on a sub if Pool are tied near the end or trailing but probably better to spend your ducats somewehre else
From dna_danstarr on Thu Apr 24 10:05PMGunners midfield of Csec, Walcott, Diaby, Gilberto or Denilson... or will Toure move up? Diaby is a cheap, tempting play... I have Matejovsky right now and even though I thing Wigan will win a low scoring affair, Matejovsky is a decent player. Thoughts??
From donegal08 on Thu Apr 24 10:33PMKeep in mind Hleb is out for the season and all the other Arsenal middies are injured so Walcott will definitely get a run out as in all likelyhood will Silva [but expect nothing but turn up points for him].
From fansarigt on Thu Apr 24 11:19PMDiaby out. Film at 11.
From jspitzberg on Thu Apr 24 11:38PMre (16): What about Alex Song?...started last game, and with Diaby out i think he's a solid bet...
From jmeisey on Fri Apr 25 12:17AMLesser defenders: Nosworthy, Lauren, Woodgate, Nelsen, other?
From the_burning_pen on Fri Apr 25 02:01AMJust saw the Diaby injury. Glad I kept Marek. No one thinks Denilson may get a nod?
From donegal08 on Fri Apr 25 03:11AMKoumas or Valencia? Not looking to have 1/2 my midfield from Wigan.
From mwellens2000 on Fri Apr 25 06:10AMI barndoored Pennant, Silva and RVP last week. Think all of them will play?
From geraldlim555 on Fri Apr 25 06:10AM@ 20 Wooders for the most likely clean sheet out of the four.
Home to a blunted Bolton attack.But well it's Tottenham. A better spurs defender would be Hutton who puts down positive scores regardless of clean sheets [but is sitting at 11 after his price hike]..
From fansarigt on Fri Apr 25 07:35AMvery goood idea.
From lau_heng1314 on Fri Apr 25 09:44AMsun jihai for cheap clean sheet!
From the_great_one2000000 on Fri Apr 25 12:14PMwenger has said hes going to rotate players in euro 2008, so fabregas and van persie (to name 2) could be rested at any time.
http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&am
p;article=490673&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=We
nger+-+I+could+rest+Euro+2008+playersFrom joshtottenham on Fri Apr 25 12:28PMI have K2, Defoe, Berbatov, Fabregas, Pennant, BFAReid, GSil, Toure, Hutton, the Sun and PRob. No love for Defoe this week? I'm sweating on all my Gunners. No sure starts for any of them. I won't get Benchner as he dissapointed me a couple of times already. Another bad week for me again??
From zzzeclipse on Fri Apr 25 01:02PMwith diaby out arsenals midfield options look thin. could see RvP on the wing and both bendtner and adebayor up front.
On another note, adebayor/fabregas/ashley young(+4) I can probably stretch to 2 out of 3. any thoughts anyone?
From joshtottenham on Fri Apr 25 01:11PM"Does Bendtner get the start over K2 vs. Derby since Arsenal have nothing really to play for? I say yes"
Arsenal has nothing to play for????? Let's just say that ManYoo beats Chelsea (a reasonable assumption) and Arsenal beats Derby (duh!) -- then Arsenal is 1 point behind Chelsea with 2 to go. Even if ManYoo and Chelsea tie, Chelsea is only one loss from dropping to Champions League qualifiers. (Okay, okay, so they play Newcastle and Bolton their last two games, but stranger things have happened. Right, Liverpool?)From hcthode51 on Fri Apr 25 01:18PM@29 I'd get RvP.
Free kicks, corners, possible assists [if as you say he plays on the wing] and some SOTC [that's 'shots on the crowd'].From fansarigt on Fri Apr 25 01:23PM
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