Ive added a new feature putting BUY HOLD or SELL next to players to clarify my position an all players except budget and bubbling under players.  It aso makes it easier for people wanting a quick look rather than going through the whole article.       At the bottom is a key if you want a bit more detail on the factors listed

GOALKEEPER

Hart – £6.9m – quality  HOLD

As per each week, the best defence and with Kompany injured hes the only guaranteed starter although Nastasic should be a more secure option as a result .  Fixtures improving.

Begovic £5.5m budget  HOLD

Fixtures now getting tough but with the right rotation (Bunn works nicely) he’s still a good option.  Getting a bit expensive so I’m not sure I would be buying given the alternatives in defence especially Cameron at £4.7m.  Stoke continue to show their defensive strength and I now rate them the 4th best defence.

Guzan – £4.6m budgetHOLD

Good rotation keeper.  Defence looking stronger.

Bunn £4.0m Budget BUY

One of the better defences outside the elite.  Ruddy is out until Feb and he’s cheap.  A great buy

Federici £4.3m Budget  HOLD

Price, save points and game time security is the only reason why you would hold this dodgy keeper in this dodgy defence.  Rotation only.

Szczesny £5.3m fixtures BUY

Good fixtures good defence despite what you’re told.

Gazzaniga £4.0m Budget SELL

Injured no return date

DEFENCE

Rafael – £6.4m –  attack HOLD

Surprisingly held his place in the City derby despite the early subbing the week before and all the speculation. Great fixtures incl GW17 home to sunderland so stay for te ride because no ones safe in the defence.

Cuellar £4.6m attack HOLD

Sunderland despite my poor defensive rating do have the ability to get clean sheets at home as their home defensive stats arent bad   They are the principal anomolie in this area.  Rotation only.   Has also shown some attacking stats surprisingly.  Fixtures about to get horrible so emphasise home rotation only.

Johnson £6.3m fixtures attack BUY

Im a huge fan of this guy who plays like a winger with clean sheet potential and has the best shooting stats of any defender.  He is more expensive than everyone else but has that attacking edge.  I don’t normally recommend paying premiums for attacking defenders but this is one of the few exceptions.  Liverpool also have good fixtures including a home game against Vila in GW17

Wisdom – £4.5m budget HOLD

Enrique is apparently back this weekend although never be that sure with a hamstring injury.  Given that uncertainty and the fact that i cant believe downing has any longevity in the position means its a hold for a little while yet.

Enrique £6.1m fixtures attack HOLD(injury doubt)

Injured but expected to return this week.  Unfortunately exactly the reason why I would buy Johnson and not Enrique happened last week when Enrique reverted to a FB instead of a winger.  I definitely wouldn’t sell with the fixtures but given the price differential I would always go for Johnson given a choice.

Sagna £5.1m fixtures HOLD 

Surprisingly returned last week.   The Arsenal defence is underrated and Sagna also brings good attacking potential at a really reasonable price.  Good fixtures as well.  Gibbs at the slightly higher price of £5.4m is a BUY though

Nastasic £5.6m value  HOLD

Poor Lescott.  If it wasnt enough that a 19 year old has taken your place when the other CB is injured he goes for K Toure instead.  The Kompany injury give Nastasic pretty much guaranteed certainty of game time but how much will the quality of the defence be affected by the loss of one of the worlds best CBs, thats the question.  definitely done sell especially with the fixtures improving but may be worth monitoring before you pile in.  Newcastle away will be a good test.

Caulker £4.9m value fixtures attack BUY

should have been in the “ones to watch” before.  Great fixtures starting with his former loan club Swansea at the weekend.  Seems to have his place nailed and there’s nothing wrong with the defence in my mind.  Great value as well

Cameron £4.7m value BUY

Again should have been on here.  For the 4th best defence he’s great value.  Shawcross and Huth given the fixtures are just a step too far in cost for me but he’s great value even with diabolical fixtures as they can get a CS against anybody out side the elite teams.

Budget

Clyne £4.0m– Saints attack.

Fonte £4.1m– Saints  attack

Gorkks – £4.0m  Reading.   SELL  seems to have lost his place

Davies £4.0m budget– Seems to be holding his place as Swansea LB. Fixtures are now ordinary.  Rotation only.

Turner(Norwich) £4.2m budget  SELL  not sure he will get place back

Shorey £4.1m Budget  SELL

2 game week is over.  Defence is utterly hopeless and buying someone solely for possible assists doesnt work for me

Demel £4.0m Budget BUY

Maybe away to WBA is not the best place to start but he’s a home rotation buy anyway.  Has some game time risk but as with all the cheapies in the West Ham team they all do.  Worth the game time risk.

R Martin £4.2m budget BUY

Has game time risk but good attacking potential and great value compared to Garrido and Bassong.  Fixtures aren’t great although Wigan at home this week is but its a home rotation job anyway

MIDFIELD

Fellaini – £7.9m form.   HOLD

Surprisingly didn’t perform against Spurs despite Everton’s domination.  Still in the last 6 shooting stats but not dominating them.  Monitor the fixture proof position although if you’re a doubter which I’m not there just yet away to stoke is a great time to sell as the chances of returning arent great.

Cazorla – £9.5m  quality.  HOLD

Not performing and really testing everyones patiene but the fixtures are just so good.   A dodgy assist quelled the pain for one week though.  .  He’s only still in my team due to these fixtures and for the fact that you should NEVER sell anyone before they play Reading.  Here’s a reminder to keep you from pushing the transfer button

Rdg  A
Wig  A
Whm  H
New  H
South  A

They really don’t get much better so keep patient but don’t buy.

Lallana – £6.1m – fixtures form SELL

1 returning game in the last 8.  still in the shooting stats but  A blank this week means now’s the time to sell.

McAnuff – £5.1m fixtures SELL

with the 2 game week gone its a sell.  1 return in the last 8 and no shooting form what so ever so sell.

Valencia £8.4m – fixtures HOLD

Only if you cant afford RVP.  Assist based player but probably the best alternative

Sterling £5.7m HOLD

Place seems assured.  An attacking midfielder for Liverpool at this price with these fixtures is good value.  Isn’t that consistent though and hasn’t shown up in any shooting or chances created stats so you’re relying on fixtures, position and value rather than consistent returns.

Bale £9.6m Quality fixtures HOLD (INJURED EXPECTED BACK DEC 16)

Apparently back this week although who knows with Hamstrings.  great fixtures for Spurs so don’t sell and buy when fit.

Walcott £8.6m fixtures HOLD (INJURY DOUBT)

Apparently back this week.  Not sure I would buy with the injury cloud but definitely don’t sell when Reading is the next game

Michu £8.0m form value BUY

Unbelievable form he’s in.  First in the last 6 shooting stats despite ordinary fixtures and this really could be the evidence of him being fixture proof.  Add to the fact that his finishing is nothing short of lethal and that his upcoming fixtures have 3 good ones out of 6 as you can see below then its impossible to ignore him.  Heres the upcoming 6

Tott  A
Man Utd  H
Rdg  A
Ful  H
Avl  H

Eve A

Nolan £6.9m BUY

Only returned 1 in 8 games but still 3rd in the last 6 shooting stats despite a ridiculous fixture schedule.  I think this shows returns are around the corner and could even be a sign that he’s fixture proof..  More so as fixtures are improving greatly although WBA is not the way to start.

Here’s the next 8 fixtures.  At least 4 are good

Budget £4.5m ish

Schneiderlin – £4.4m  Saints

Puncheon – £4.7m Saints

Fixtures arent that great nw but he’s the best value and 2nd in the last 6 shooting stats, albeit on good fixtures, says it all.

Robson Kanu £4.4m HOLD (INJURY DOUBT)

A good value cheap filler

Gardner C £4.9m HOLD

Cheap filler only.

FORWARDS

RVP – £13.8m – QUALITY fixtures. BUY

While Utd have such good fixtures he’s an essential. Lack of production from the midfield means he’s the best option by far.  Stats aren’t anything like last year but still worth buying.  I personally would stick with RVP ver Rooney.  You can see my reasoning in the bandwagons and sinking ships article.

Link here

fantasy premier league – the early week bandwagons and sinking ships – GW17

Lambert – £6.1m  form. value SELL

A blank is a good time to sell

Ba – £8.2m  form . HOLD

Second in the shooting stats for the season and the last 6 albeit on good fixtures.  unless you want to put in someone else i would just see how he reacts to the more difficult fixtures

Suarez – £10.3m fixtures BUY

Great fixtures.  Miles ahead of everyone in the shooting stats and now seems to have turned it in to goals.  I would go as far as saying a must have for me.

Holt £6.0m HOLD

You cant sell before a Wigan home game

Giroud £8.5m fixtures HOLD (INJURY DOUBT)

Same as all the Arsenal players.  You cant sell before a game against Reading

Benteke £6.5m form HOLD

1 return in the last 5 and away to Liverpool is not the time to buy but fixtures improve although its a hard 3 before a good 3 as you will see below

Berbatov £7.3m fixtures BUY

Its now 5 without returning but the fixtures below are compelling so I think he will return despite him slipping off the stats radar

QPR  A
Liv  A
Sot  H
Swa  H

He’s back in the shot stats though despite this so I expect returns.  The position behind Rodallega isnt perfect but i would keep the faith

Defoe £8.4m fixtures form BUY

Personally Bale would be my Spurs exposure of choice and Defoe is a bit of a gamble given that you could possibly argue that Adebayor fits the AVB system better but its hard to see him replaced given his form and the fixtures are reasonably good if you’re willing to gamble on the game time risk .  Here’s the fixtures

Eve  A
Swa  H
Sto  H
Avl  A
Sun  A

I’m not putting a budget section for strikers.  I just think the position is too important and there’s too much quality to put a filler in.

Tevez £9.4m BUY

Nows the time to buy in my mind. Fixtures improve starting with the leaky Newcastle defence.  6 points behind Utd and out of the Champs league and the Capital One plus the madness of Ballotelli  means surely less rotation

KEY

quality – an elite player for his position

value – a player at a value that is less than the returns I expect

fixtures – a player facing good fixtures over the next 6 games

budget – filler at the minimum price the position allows. Should play

sleeping giant – a player with past form who may have had a quiet season last year but has the potential for far greater returns than his value

YC – card magnet

DGW – has 2 games in the specified game week

pre-season – has pre-season form

pens – should take penalties

short term – will only play for a few games

Form – current form

hope that stimulates some thought for your fantasy premier league team.