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  fixtures HOLD

As per each week, the best defence and only Kompany is secure at a similar price.

Rdg  H
Sun  A
Nor  A
Stok  H
Ars  A
Ful  H

Begovic £5.6m 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 one of the best defences especially at home

Tot  A
Liv  H
Sout  H
Mcy  A
Che  H
Swa  A

Guzan – £4.6m budget HOLD

Good rotation keeper.  Defence looking stronger especially at home.

Che  A
Tot  H
Wig  H
Swa  A
South  H
WBA  A

Bunn £4.0m Budget BUY

One of the better defences outside the elite again esecially at home so should be rotated.  Ruddy is out until Feb and he’s cheap.  A great buy

Wba  A
Che  H
Mcy  H
Whm  A
New  H
Liv  A

Federici £4.3m Budget  SELL

Totally hopeless defence

Szczesny £5.3m fixtures BUY

Good fixtures good defence despite what you’re told.

Wig  A
No game
New  H
Sout  A
Mcy  H
Che  A
Whm  H

DEFENCE

Rafael – £6.4m –  attack fixtures HOLD

Finally got rotated/injured.  No one is safe game time wise in defence at Utd and its questionable away from home anyway so you may as well have someone in your fantasy premier league team who can score.  I wouldn’t buy even with the fixtures due to the cost and the gametime risk and lack of clean sheets but with the fixtures and attacking prospects I definitely wouldn’t sell

Swa  A
New  H
WBA  H
Wig  A
Liv  H
Tot  A

Cuellar £4.6m attack SELL

Defence is ok at home but hopeless away.  Coupled with one of the worst fixture list its time to sell in my mind

Sout  A
Mcy  H
Tot  H
Liv  A
Whm  H
Wig  A

Johnson £6.4m 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.   Even with the disaster that was Villa at home he returned with an assist

Ful  H
Stok  A
QPR  A
Sun  H
Manu  A
NOR  H

Wisdom – £4.5m budget SELL

May just get a bit of rotation here and there at best.  Time to sell

Enrique £6.0m fixtures attack HOLD

Not playing as a winger any more and at LB doesn’t have the attacking potential that Johnson has.   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.  Reasonable fixtures  at least until they have to play City.   Gibbs at the slightly higher price of £5.4m is a BUY though.  Watch out for no game in GW19.

Wig  A
No Game
New  H
Sout  A
Mcy  H
Che A  WHM  H

Nastasic £5.6m value  fixtures HOLD

Lescott seems very out of favour and its hard to believe K Toure will get much game time so the young Serbian looks a great buy and in a great defence

Rdg  H
Sun  A
Nor  A
Stok  H
Ars  A
Ful  H

Caulker £4.9m value fixtures attack SELL

Hard to see him get his place back especially as BAE is loking closer to fitness Gallas has the nod over him it seems.  Maybe worth holding over Xmas for the odd rotation game if you have enough depth

Cameron £4.8m value BUY

The cheapest buy in a great defensive team especially at home.  Doesn’t give you the bonus or attacking potential of the other players but great value.  Difficult fixtures now but good enough at home and cheap enough to warrant rotation

Tot  A
Liv  H
Sout  H
Mcy  A
Che  H
Swa  A

Clark  £4.4m fixtures attack  BUY

good attacking stats.  Good value and good defence at home.  Fixtures look good after the Chelsea game.   

Che  A
Tot  H
Wig  H
Swa  A
South  H
WBA  A

Gallas  £5.0m  fixtures  BUY

Another effort to get a Spurs defender on the cheap?  Go for Vertonghen if youve got the cash.  Personally I’m not sure the difference is worth the game time security myself as Gallas still has some attacking potential 

STO  H
Avl  A
Sun  A
Rdg  H
QPR  A
Mun  H

Olsson  fixtures  £5.1m  Buy

MCAuley has better attacking stats but £5.5m seems a little steep for the WBA defence in my mind.  Thats why I’m going the slighty cheaper route

Nor  H
QPR  A
Mun  H
Ful  H
Rdg  A
Avl  H

Budget

Clyne £4.0m– Saints attack.  Fonte £4.2m– Saints  attack

Davies £4.1m budget  

Nelsen  – QPR £4.0m

Turner – Norwich £4.1m

Stam £3.8m

O’Brien £4.3m

Its hard to pick someone from the West ham defence but you should have some representation. O’Brien is cheap and seems to have the LB place cemented. Demel had a hard time against Odemwingie and could be dropped for Tomkins. If you’ve got the money got for Reid. Watch for the no game in GW19

Eve  H
No Game
Rdg  A
Nor  H
Sun  A
QPR  H Ars  A

MIDFIELD

Fellaini – £7.9m form.   SELL

3 match ban and to be honest I would sell.  Especially as the price will fall drastically and probably mean the sell and buy back gap will be narrowed for most.  Has Seen stats drop a little recently as well.

Cazorla – £9.7m  quality.  fixtures HOLD

I did say hold didn’t I and I would keep with that.  No game in GW19 makes things tricky  as far as a buy is concerned and hasn’t been performing returns or stat wise before the massive haul against Reading.  Fixtures are good until City turn up and then there 2 games in 1 week so definitely hold

Wig  A
No Game
New  H
Sout  A
Mcy  H
Che A  WHM  H

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

Valencia £8.4m – fixtures HOLD

Only if you cant afford RVP.  Assist based player but probably the best alternative and you really cant sell with these fixtures.  Young at £8.2m is probably as viable at the moment

Swa  A
New  H
WBA  H
Wig  A
Liv  H
Tot  A

Sterling £5.7m HOLD

An attacking midfielder for Liverpool at this price with these fixtures is good value.  Isn’t that consistent though  has just shown up in the last 6 shooting stats which is reassuring.  Fixtures are mixed

Ful  H
Stok  A
QPR  A
Sun  H
Manu  A
NOR  H

Bale £9.5m Quality fixtures BUY (INJURY DOUBT)

My number 1 replacement for Fellaini.  Great underlying stats and fixtures look good.  A great buy if fit.

STO  H
Avl  A
Sun  A
Rdg  H
QPR  A
Mun  H

Walcott £8.5m fixtures BUY

Played up front against reading to devestating effect although not sure how great an acheivement this is.  No guarantee he will play there again but has the fixtures to make it worth while.  No game in GW19 so check your reserves

Wig  A
No Game
New  H
Sout  A
Mcy  H
Che A  WHM  H

Michu £8.1m form value BUY

Didn’t perform against Spurs but has shown enough evidence of being fixture proof for him to be in your team no matter what.  Has surprisingly reasonable captain potential with good returns against the poorer teams

ManU  H
Rdg  A
Ful  A
Avl  H
Eve  A
Stok H

Nolan £6.8m BUY

Its now 1 return in 9 games but still 4th 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 will bw  fixture proof.  More so as fixtures are improving greatly.  Maybe worth holding off until GW20 away to Reading

Eve H
No Game
Rdg A
Nor H
Sun A
QPR H Ars A

Puncheon £4.8m BUY

2nd in the shooting stats at a ridiculous value and with a bit of a rest.  Really hard to look past him as a purchase even wit very hard fixtures below

Sun  H
Ful  A
Sto  A
Ars  H
Avl  A
Eve  H

Morrison  £6.3m fixtures BUY

A punt for fixtures only.  Hasn’t really showed up in the shooting stats but worth a punt for fixtures.  4 games with no return but has the potential for the odd big haul

Nor  H
QPR  A
Mun  H
Ful  H
Rdg  A
Avl  H

Budget £4.5m ish

Schneiderlin – £4.4m  Saints

Taylor  – West Ham £4.6m

Anita – Newcastle  £4.6m

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 consistently returns and still worth buying even at this price.  I personally would stick favour RVP over Rooney.   RVP  has the better underlying stats although Rooneys looked far better last week

Swa  A
New  H
WBA  H
Wig  A
Liv  H
Tot  A

Ba – £8.2m  form . HOLD

Second in the shooting stats for the season and top of 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.  QPR is a good fixture to hold as well.  After that they fall apart

QPR  H
Mun  A
Ars  A
Eve  H
Nor  A
Rdg  H

Suarez – £10.3m fixtures HOLD

4 games with no returns but at home to Fulham is not the time to think about selling.  Top of the shooting stats overall but has slipped in the last 6 despite kinder fixtures.  Home to Villa last week showed his inconsistency and inability to turn shots in to goals. There’s still enough good fixtures in there and he has shown the ability to score no matter what the option for any panic sale

Ful H
Stok A
QPR A
Sun H
Manu A
NOR H

Holt £6.0m SELL

fixtures are about to fall apart and has an injury doubt.  A definite sell

Giroud £8.3m fixtures HOLD 

Walcott will probably take his position but I wouldn’t sell until after the Wigan game

Benteke £6.6m form BUY

You may want to hold until after the Chelsea game before wading in but has a reasonable ranking in the overall stats and the last 6 and Villas fixtures get very good after chelsea

Che A
Tot H
Wig H
Swa A
South H
WBA A

Berbatov £7.3m fixtures SELL

Away to Liverpool and fixtures aren’t great.  Time to sell

Defoe £8.5m 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

STO  H
Avl  A
Sun  A
Rdg  H
QPR  A
Mun  H

Tevez £9.5m fixtures BUY

If a home game against Reading isn’t enough to persuade you to buy him then nothing is.  Good stats overall and last 6. Its just rotation thats the only negative.  Fixtures are good

Rdg  H
Sun  A
Nor  A
Stok  H
Ars  A
Ful  H

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.