Here’s the “ones to watch” for GKs and defenders on the Barclays fantasy premier league format for GW11. This will give the best GKs and defensive players at a variety of price ranges. I’ll also be categorising players as BUY HOLD or SELL from last weeks article.
Here’s the supporting stats:
1. Minutes per point. This shows how long it takes for a player to earn a fantasy premier league point. The lower the better obviously
2. Clean sheets to date for the team he’s playing in
3. The fixture ease ranking. This is the ranking of all teams to see who has the easiest fixtures over the next 6 games. The team with the best ranking ie 1 will have the easiest next fixtures of any of the fantasy premier league teams over the next 6 games. It’s a ranking more for attacking purposes rather than defensive but it does give an idea
4. For defenders I’ve added in rotation risk. High medium or low
5. For defenders, I’ve also put the bonus points to date in so we ca see how they’re faring with the new bonus system
6. I’ve also ranked the defenders although as I talk about different players in the commentary Ive ranked the team’s prospects as much as the player
GKs
Mignolet (£5.8m) HOLD
- Minutes per point: 19.6 Team clean sheets: 3 Team defence ranking: 8 fixture ease rank: 13
Now incredibly 7 games without a clean sheet and not good underlying stats to give you hope for the future. However there is no point in selling before the Fulham home game but no clean sheet here and then I would lose what little faith I have left in the Liverpool defence
Fulham (H) Everton (A) Hull City (A) Norwich (H) West Ham (H) Tottenham (A)
De Gea (£5.9m) SELL
- Minutes per point: 29.0 Team clean sheets: 2 Team defence ranking: 14 fixture ease rank: 11
Well no clean sheet against Fulham and no sign particularly that things will improve and he’s worth the £5.9m. Personally I would sell now before the home game to Arsenal which, after seeing Stoke rip the United defence apart, its hard to see any prospect of a clean sheet.
Arsenal (H) Cardiff City (A) Tottenham (A) Everton (H) Newcastle (H) Aston Villa (A)
Boruc (£5.0m) BUY
- Minutes per point: 17.0 Team clean sheets: 6 Team defence ranking: 2 fixture ease rank: 15
Fantasy premier leagues top scoring GK and with the Southampton defence performing as they are can easily take home and away duties
Hull City (H) Arsenal (A) Chelsea (A) Aston Villa (H) Man City (H) Newcastle (A)
Pantmillon (£4.9m) – Punt
- Minutes per point: 15.0 Team clean sheets: 4 Team defence ranking: 9 fixture ease rank: 16
Only for the brave. Do you think that Pellegrini is just sending a message to Joe Hart or does Pantmillon have the spot and need to make a mistake to lose the position. My gut feel is the former but Pellegrini is a hard man to read. He’s only £0.6m cheaper than Nastasic but there’s no guarantee that Nastasic will keep his place once Kompany finally shakes of his injury issues. Only Kompany is certain of that and that certainty in itself is blighted by constant injury issues. Too risky for me.
Defenders
I’ll also comment on other defenders within their teams to give you more options
1. Dawson (£5.4m) HOLD
- Minutes per point: 18. Team clean sheets: 7 Team defence ranking: 1 Rotation risk: medium. fixture ease ranking: 3rd Bonus points to date 6
Its only a hold due to Dawsons personal potential gametime issue. the defence as a whole is definitely a buy. The best defence in the league marches on with another clean sheet against Everton and completely nullified one of the hottest strikers in Lukaku. From a defensive perspective 3 of the next 6 fixtures are tricky but 3 are good clean sheet prospects. Dawson has risk if Rose ever gets back as I think AVB will want the attacking prospects of Rose which means that either Chriches or Dawson will be benched. I still think it will be Chiriches given Dawsons experience and part in the defensive revival this year but that’s far from certain. Walker is the safer option although he’s £6.1m
Newcastle (H) Man City (A) Man Utd (H) Fulham (A) Sunderland (A) Liverpool (H)
2. Clyne (£4.6m)BUY
- Minutes per point: 17.8 mins . Team clean sheets: 6 Team defence ranking: 2 Rotation risk: low fixture ease ranking: 15 Bonus points to date 4
The Southampton defence continues its remarkable run and only a freak goal from Begovic prevented another clean sheet. Fonte £5.4m) and Lovren (£5.8) have more attacking and bonus potential with Clyne being the budget option but that comes at a price .
Hull City (H) Arsenal (A) Chelsea (A) Aston Villa (H) Man City (H) Newcastle (A)
3. W Reid (£5.2) BUY
- Minutes per point: 17.6 Team clean sheets: 6 Team defence ranking: 4 Rotation risk: low fixture ease ranking: 1 Bonus points to date 4
Another clean sheet for West Ham. I guess its easy when you pay a 10 man defence and scoring is just a nice to have. Reid is the expensive attacking option although he has yet to turn that into goals with 1 to date. Rat, having started the last 6 is the budget option and where I would probably go if I was buying
Next 6 fixtures
Norwich (A) Chelsea (H) Fulham (H) Crystal Palace (A) Liverpool (A) Sunderland (H)
4. Cole (£6.3m) HOLD (injury doubt)
- Minutes per point: 21.4 mins . Team clean sheets: 3 Team defence ranking: 3 Rotation risk: low fixture ease ranking: 8 Bonus points to date 6
There is some injury question about his rib which is why he didn’t play in the champions league which needs monitoringThe clean sheet record is poor for Chelsea considering the cost of the defenders. The performance at Newcastle was a tipping point for many after they conceded 2 goals and Ivanovic in particular has seen alot of fantasy premier league managers selling. However on the positive side it was only the first time that Chelsea had conceded more than once and the underlying stats are good. Also, every game in the next 6 has clean sheet potential. So personally I wouldn’t give up on them yet. Cole to me has the consistency of selection and the bonus potential to be the best choice. However, Terry has started every game and played 90 minutes in every game but with Cahill and Luiz as cover and Ivanovic also able to play CB I just can’t help but see some rotation. But Terry is a good option at only £0.1m more for the more adventurous fantasy premier league managers
West Brom (H) West Ham (A) Southampton (H) Sunderland (A) Stoke City (A) Crystal Palace (H)
5. Distin (£5.0m) BUY
- Minutes per point: 22.5 Team clean sheets: 5 Team defence ranking: 7 Rotation risk: medium fixture ease ranking: 5 Bonus points to date 5
Everton are a perfect example of the choices fantasy premier league managers have for defenders depending on their budget and appetite for attacking potential. Distin is the budget option with secure game time but less attacking and bonus point potential. Jagielka is the £5.5m option who has attacking potential (which we’ve yet to see) but attracts the bonus points far more regularly. Baines is the Rolls Royce option at £7.7m but has free kick and penalty kicks in his armoury but also has excellent attacking potential for assists. Personally, I’d go with the budget option and spend my money in other ways than attacking premiums for defenders. It maybe that you have a very cheap midfield and have money to burn in which case that’s fine but that would be the only circumstances I would pay for potential as it is unpredictable.
Crystal Palace (A) Liverpool (H) Stoke City (H) Man Utd (A) Arsenal (A) Fulham (H)
6. Nastasic (£5.5m) HOLD
- Minutes per point: 20.8 mins . Team clean sheets: 4 Team defence ranking: 9 Rotation risk: high fixture ease ranking: 13 Bonus points to date 5
Well I did get this one right with Nastasic scoring and getting a clean sheet plus 2 bonus points. City do have the potential to keep clean sheets when Kompany returns its just whether Nastasic will be his partner or Demichelis. Only time will tell so for the moment its a hold rather than a buy. Its worth noting that no city defender apart from Kompany has gametime security and his gametme security is diluted by his injury problems. Gametime is risk is just a risk you have to take with the City defence.
Sunderland (A) Tottenham (H) Swansea (H) West Brom (A) Southampton (A) Arsenal (H)
7. Ridgewell (£5.0m)HOLD
- Minutes per point: 20.5 Team clean sheets: 4 Team defence ranking: 5 Rotation risk: low. fixture ease ra=nking: 6th Bonus points to date 6
I changed from McAuley at the last minute as Ridgewell had superior bonus awards with them both having 1 goal each so apologies for that. Good fixtures and good underlying stats make WBA a good bet at the moment. I would avoid the Chelsea game next as they are vulnerable defensively against the better sides as Liverpool showed the other week
Chelsea (A) Aston Villa (H) Newcastle (A) Man City (H) Norwich (H) Cardiff City (A
8. Williams (£4.8m) BUY
- Minutes per point: 23.3 Team clean sheets: 4 Team defence ranking: 12 Rotation risk: medium fixture ease ranking: 4 Bonus points to date 6
Davies looks like he will be back early but is more expensive at £5.0m Williams is my preferred choice as he will probably pick up more bonus points and less yellow cards than Chico. Rangel is the best attacking option but he’s more expensive at £5.4m and hasn’t shown this with only 1 assist to date. I don’t rate the Swansea defence that strongly at 15th so its a fixture punt with 5 out of 6 games having clean sheet potential At the moment he’s also very good value.
Next 6 fixtures
Stoke City (H) Fulham (A) Man City (A) Newcastle (H) Hull City (H) Norwich (A)
9. K Toure(£5.0m) HOLD
- Minutes per point: 28.5 Team clean sheets: 3 Team defence ranking: 7 Rotation risk: medium fixture ease ranking: 13 Bonus points to date 2
Seems fairly certain of selection having played every game when fit. Could be more of a challenge if Rodgers goes to 4-4-2. Interesting they have never got a clean sheet with 3-5-2. Toure gives you coverage of the Liverpool defence at a fairly reasonable price which is worth holding onto until after the Fulham home game next and review then
Budget
B Turner (£4.1m)HOLD Rosenior (£4.0m) Hull C Davies (£4.6m) Hull
If you’re looking for fillers the above are the best bets. The rise of importance of defence does question whether you should invest more money which is where I am at the moment. Turner look good holds at this price. Rosenior has started the last 6. Davies is the more secure option
That’s it. On to midfielders next
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