Just to recap on GK and Def =strategy.  Skip over if you’ve read this before

There are 2 schools of thought here. The first is to go with an elite keeper and either a cheap playing reserve or even gamble on a cheaper non playing reserve. The second is to rotate home and away with the 2 cheapest playing keepers.

This year the gap between the 2 has lessened with their being value in GKs at the elite level. Additionally, the increased rotation of the elite club defenders means a GK is a way of getting coverage without the juicy easy home games seeing mass defensive rotation. Rotation of GKs in fantasy premier league games doesn’t happen that regularly and it’s mainly focused on the domestic cups.

As far as defenders are concerned, generally in fantasy premier league,  I start of with 3-4-3 but try and have a balanced squad in terms of spend.  This year the new bonus system is suggesting in the data so far  that if your team gets a clean sheet, then virtually every time  that occurs, 2 of the 4 defenders in that team will get some sort of bonus award.   GW2 saw a significant skewing towards CBs getting bonus awards which has continued.  I’ve never been a fan of paying premiums for attacking players and this shy’s away from it.  I generally believe in going for the cheapest defender but balanced with gametime security.  Now I’ll be looking towards CBs if the price differential isn’t significant.

GKs

Mignolet (£5.8m) HOLD

• Minutes per point:  18.4    Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  8  fixture ease rank:  1

Its now incredibly 6 games without a clean sheet and Mignolet with Toure and Johnson isn’t even great value anymore.  Its hold for fixtures only at the moment

Arsenal (A)   Fulham (H)   Everton (A)   Hull City (A)   Norwich (H)   West Ham (H)

De Gea (£5.9m) HOLD

• Minutes per point:  28.9  Team clean sheets:  2    Team defence ranking:  14  fixture ease rank:  5

Defence looked shocking against Stoke and its only the prospect of Vidic back and Fulham next that means I would hold.  At least has certainty of selection in a world of injury and chopping and changing the defence.

Fulham (A)   Arsenal (H)   Cardiff City (A)   Tottenham (A)   Everton (H)   Newcastle (H)

Boruc (£4.9m) BUY

• Minutes per point:  15.9   Team clean sheets:  6    Team defence ranking:  2  fixture ease rank:  18

The phenomenon that is the Saints defence continues and they’re on to their 6th clean sheet.  Boruc is relatively good value compared to everyone in the Saints defence except Clyne.    Can even be a home and away play at the moment and not just home rotation.  3 of the next 6 will be challenging though

Stoke City (A)   Hull City (H)   Arsenal (A)   Chelsea (A)   Aston Villa (H)   Man City (H)

Defenders

I’ll also comment on other defenders within their teams to give you more options

1.  Cole (£6.3m) BUY

• Minutes per point:  2o.05 mins .  Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  3  Rotation risk: medium   fixture ease ranking: 10   Bonus points to date 6

I put Ivanovic in my best defenders article but on reflection I think Cole is the preferred option.  Security of gametime is one of the deciding factors in the Chelsea defence. Cole seems the most secure for the premier league games now he’s back although Ivanovic and Terry seem first choice with varying degrees of rotation.    Cole has a good bonus record but has had no attacking returns to date.  Terry is the current season goal and bonus magnet so go for Terry if you think you can handle the gametime rotation risk.    Only 3 clean sheets but the overall stats are excellent and more will come

Newcastle (A)   West Brom (H)   West Ham (A)   Southampton (H)   Sunderland (A)   Stoke City (A)

2.  Clyne (£4.6m)HOLD

• Minutes per point:  16.4 mins .  Team clean sheets:  5    Team defence ranking:  3  Rotation risk: low   fixture ease ranking: 18   Bonus points to date 4

Incredibly 6 clean sheets so far and  everyone by now surely believe that the Southampton defence is the real deal.  Personally due to budget restrictions I’ve gone for the cheaper version of Clyne who will probably give less attacking returns and bonus points than the expensive options of Lovren or Fonte.  3 tricky fixtures in the next 6 will give a real indication of where they are though

Next 6 fixtures:

Stoke City (A)   Hull City (H)   Arsenal (A)   Chelsea (A)   Aston Villa (H)   Man City (H)

3.  Dawson (£5.3m) HOLD

•   Minutes per point:  18.4  Team clean sheets: 6    Team defence ranking:  1  Rotation risk: medium.   fixture ease ranking: 14th     Bonus points to date 6

4 bonus points in the last 2 games and defence goes from strength strength.  No final clarity over Dawson vs Chiriches at the weekend for my number 1 ranked defence.  There wont be until Rose returns.  Still no reason to sell even with the fixtures getting trickier especially the  next one away to Everton.  Go for Walker if you have the cash and are spooked over Dawsons gametime security with the Chiriches shadow.  This, if I didn’t own Dawson is where I would be at the moment

Everton (A)   Newcastle (H)  Man City (A)   Man Utd (H)   Fulham (A)   Sunderland (A)

4.  W Reid (£5.0) BUY

• Minutes per point: 18.0  Team clean sheets:  5    Team defence ranking:  4    Rotation risk: low   fixture ease ranking: 4    Bonus points to date 4

Continue to rack up the clean sheets.  Reid again is the more attacking option although he has just the 1 goal as an attacking return.  Rat, having started the last 5 is the budget option and where I would probably go if I was buying

Next 6 fixtures

Aston Villa (H)   Norwich (A)   Chelsea (H)   Fulham (H)   Crystal Palace (A)   Liverpool (A)

5. Ridgewell (£5.0m)

•  Minutes per point:  21.3  Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  5 Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 7th     Bonus points to date 6

With Crystal Palace next it seems a good time with a reasonable run of fixtures and ok stats to give the WBA defence a run.  In retrospect I’ve chosen Ridgewell as a better bet than McAuley due to the attacking returns being the same but  bonus points superior

Crystal Palace (H)   Chelsea (A)   Aston Villa (H)   Newcastle (A)   Man City (H)   Norwich (H)

6.  K Toure(£5.0m) BUY

• Minutes per point: 26.0  Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  7    Rotation risk: medium   fixture ease ranking: 1    Bonus points to date 2

3-5-2 seems here to stay which is good for Toure and with now 6 consecutive games and no clean sheets taking the budget option to the Liverpool defence seems to be the prudent thing to do.  Fixtures are still good though and at £5.0m its worth the investment in my mind. However, if youve got the cash Johnson at £5.7m is the more attacking option  and should provide attacking returns and hold his place if Rodgers goes to a back 4.  However, he has yet to return to date which shows the uncertainty around attacking premiums

Arsenal (A)   Fulham (H)   Everton (A)   Hull City (A)   Norwich (H)   West Ham (H)

7.  Nastasic (£5.5m) HOLD 

• Minutes per point:  31.4 mins .  Team clean sheets:  3    Team defence ranking:  9   Rotation risk: high  fixture ease ranking: 13    Bonus points to date 3

With stories that Kompany is out for a few more weeks and Joe Hart making a game defining error against their main title rivals there is now no one safe to pick in the City defence.  Does that matter with no Kompany and ordinary fixtures?  Well with Norwich at home next its at least a hold but to me the choice is now to go for the cheapest and most secure which for the moment is Nastasic despite his role in the Chelsea loss.   Clean sheets will come so best to not over expose the cash with the uncertainty and faltering

Norwich (H)   Sunderland (A)   Tottenham (H)   Swansea (H)   West Brom (A)   Southampton (A)

8.  Williams (£4.8m) BUY

• Minutes per point: 21.6  Team clean sheets:  4    Team defence ranking: 12     Rotation risk: medium   fixture ease ranking: 6    Bonus points to date 2

Davies out 3-4 weeks. Williams was back early last gameweek and is my preferred choice as he will probably pick up more bonus points (having already got 6) and less yellow cards than Chico.  Rangel is the best attacking option but he’s more expensive and wont get the same level of bonus points.  I don’t rate the Swansea defence that strongly at 15th so its a  fixture punt with 3 good home games for clean sheets.  At the moment he’s also very good value.

Next 6 fixtures

Cardiff City (A)   Stoke City (H)   Fulham (A)   Man City (A)   Newcastle (H)   Hull City (H)

9.  Mertesacker  (£5.5m)SELL

•  Minutes per point:  20.0  Team clean sheets:  2    Team defence ranking:  6 Rotation risk: low.   fixture ease ranking: 16th     Bonus points to date 7

With 2 tricky fixtures to come this maybe time to ditch the Arsenal defence which to be fair has been unlucky somehow managing to throw away clean sheets where their looked to be no danger.

Next 6 fixtures:

Liverpool (H)   Man Utd (A)   Southampton (H)   Cardiff City (A)   Hull City (H)   Everton (H)

Budget

B Turner (£4.0m)HOLD  Baker (£3.9m) HOLD Faye (£3.9m)HOLD C Davies (£4.5m) 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.   Faye is a short term but while Hull’s Chester is injured until GW10. C Davies is the more expensive home rotation option.

That’s it.  On to midfielders next

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