Here’s the “ones to watch” for GKs and defenders on the Barclays fantasy premier league format for GW12. 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.
Fantasy premier league – “ones to watch” GKs/Defs GW12 – Buy Hold Sell
Before I start I thought it was worth stating that players can be a hold due to the next fixture being unfavourable. Therefore if you don’t own them you wouldn’t buy them then but still they are an overall strong defensive bet. Its just picking the optimum time to buy. Thats why players with hold next to their name can be ranked higher than players with Buy.
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 (£5.7m) HOLD
- Minutes per point: 19.0 Team clean sheets: 4 Team defence ranking: 9 fixture ease rank: 15
Finally a clean sheet after 7 failures. After Everton a good run of games for more clean sheets as they play against some of the lesser attacking teams
Next 6 fixtures: Everton (A) Hull City (A) Norwich (H) West Ham (H) Tottenham (A) Cardiff City (H)
Boruc (£5.1m) HOLD
- Minutes per point: 18 Team clean sheets: 6 Team defence ranking: 2 fixture ease rank: 17
The next couple of games we will see what the Saints defence is really made of. My sense is that the defence is a hold for the season. If you haven’t bought yet though I would leave it until the Villa home game
Next 6 fixtures: Arsenal (A) Chelsea (A) Aston Villa (H) Man City (H) Newcastle (A) Tottenham (H)
Pantmillon (£4.9m) – Punt
- Minutes per point: 22.5 Team clean sheets: 4 Team defence ranking: 8 fixture ease rank: 18
Played the Sunderland game so a couple of home games where defensively theyre still strong. Now is a good time to take a punt on the relatively cheap GK. Hard to know what the medium term position is regarding Joe Hart as Pellegrini is difficult to read but if you’re going to do it now’s the time.
Next 6 fixtures: Tottenham (H) Swansea (H) West Brom (A) Southampton (A) Arsenal (H) Fulham (A)
Defenders
I’ll also comment on other defenders within their teams to give you more options
1. Jagielka (£5.6m) Hold
- Minutes per point: 16.8 Team clean sheets: 6 Team defence ranking: 3 Rotation risk: low fixture ease ranking: 10 Bonus points: 14
Only a hold as the next opponents are Suarez and Sturridge. 3 clean sheets on the bounce now and the defence is looking strong again and worth investing in. At least after the Liverpool game. After 2 consecutive 3 point bonus awards and none for Distin in the last 3 clean sheets then I’ve switched my Everton backing to Jagielka. With more bonus points than any other defender in fantasy premier league, the £0.6m additional payment suddenly starts to look worthwhile. Distin is the budget option with secure game time but less attacking and bonus point potential. Baines is the Rolls Royce attacking option at £7.7m but has free kick and penalty kicks in his armoury and potential for assists.
Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures: Liverpool (H) Stoke City (H) Man Utd (A) Arsenal (A) Fulham (H) Swansea (A)
2. Dawson (£5.4m) HOLD
- Minutes per point: 18. Team clean sheets: 7 Team defence ranking: 1 Rotation risk: medium. fixture ease ranking: 14 Bonus points to date 6
Again a hold due to 2 next fixtures but long term the current number 1 defence by my ranking should be in your fantasy premier league side. 2 very difficult games ahead which will show how far the Spurs defence has come or not. With Rose supposedly (we’ve heard it all before) fit after the international break then we’ll find out whether Chiriches or Dawson will make way for Vertonghen at CB. After such a long lay off it maybe a few games before he starts which will avoid the issue temporarily. That and the immediate fixtures are why it’s a hold for me
Next 6 fixtures: Man City (A) Man Utd (H) Fulham (A) Sunderland (A) Liverpool (H) Southampton (A)
3. McAuley (£5.4m) BUY
- Minutes per point: 19.4 Team clean sheets: 4 Team defence ranking: 6 Rotation risk: low. fixture ease ranking: 2nd Bonus points to date 5
The most expensive defender for WBA . However, showed in the last 2 games his attacking credentials with a goal and an assist. Definite clean sheet potential in the fixtures to come.
Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures: Aston Villa (H) Newcastle (A) Man City (H) Norwich (H) Cardiff City (A) Hull City (H)
4. Clyne (£4.7m)HOLD
- Minutes per point: 17.8 mins . Team clean sheets: 6 Team defence ranking: 2 Rotation risk: low fixture ease ranking: 17 Bonus points to date 4
A hold due to next 2 upcoming fixtures. Got his first attacking return with an assist in a game of mass disappointment for fantasy premier league managers holding Saints defensive assets. Really they should have kept a clean sheet in the 4-1 win over Hull. Now they have 2 games which will really test how far they’ve come. they will be up against 2 great managers who will have a plan for combating the high pressing defence. At this moment I think they are a season long hold but as I said for Boruc, if you don’t own them I’d let the next 2 games pass. 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 .
Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures: Arsenal (A) Chelsea (A) Aston Villa (H) Man City (H) Newcastle (A) Tottenham (H)
5. Rat (£4.5m) Hold
- Minutes per point: 27.5 Team clean sheets: 6 Team defence ranking: 4 Rotation risk: medium fixture ease ranking: 1 Bonus points to date 0
Now played 7 consecutive games. Security in the West Ham defence apart from the now injured Winston Reid is at a bit of a premium and Rat seems to fill the bill at the right price. 3 Good fixtures from a defensive point of view and 3 poor ones. If you don’t own west ham defensive assets after the Chelsea game is a good time to buy. Only shadow is the Winston Reid loss effect. 3 goals conceded against a Norwich team that had only scored 6 goals in 10 games isn’t a good sign.
Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures: Chelsea (H) Fulham (H) Crystal Palace (A) Liverpool (A) Sunderland (H) Man Utd (A)
6. Terry (£6.4m) HOLD
- Minutes per point: 19.4 mins . Team clean sheets: 3 Team defence ranking: 5 Rotation risk: medium fixture ease ranking: 8 Bonus points to date 10
Incredibly only 3 clean sheets despite good underlying stats which have just not translated into clean sheets. Appalling form recently with 2 consecutive games conceding 2 goals. It has to improve though given the underlying stats which is why I’m holding. I’ve wavered so much on who the best Chelsea option is in defence. Cole was suddenly dropped after his Newcastle performance. However Mourinho has said that will but probably only be temporary. But with that uncertainty it’s between Terry and Ivanovic. They’re the same price but Terry probably has the edge attacking and bonus wise. His negative is perceived rotation. However, he’s played every minute of the first 11 fantasy premier league games. That may make him more vulnerable you might say? He definitely wont play in the domestic cups but maybe he will in the Champions league and the premier league. Is the attacking and bonus rewards worth this perceived rotation risk? That’s the question. I’m marginally moving to yes.
Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures: West Ham (A) Southampton (H) Sunderland (A) Stoke City (A) Crystal Palace (H) Arsenal (A)
7. Nastasic (£5.5m) BUY (injury doubt)
- 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
A buy with gametime risk and some form risk without Kompany in the side. Has to be checked for an injury knock before the GW12. A couple of home games coming which is where the defence has been strongest. I still believe Man City can get clean sheets. Kompany would help obviously. They have some good parts to the underlying stats but what they need to do is to stop giving other teams good chances on a regular basis especially away from home.
Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures: Tottenham (H) Swansea (H) West Brom (A) Southampton (A) Arsenal (H) Fulham (A)
8. Williams (£4.8m) HOLD
- Minutes per point: 26.7 Team clean sheets: 4 Team defence ranking: 12 Rotation risk: medium fixture ease ranking: 6 Bonus points to date 6
Davies is back but slight more expensive at £5.0m. he does have attacking potential but I think that will be diminished by Williams bonus points. 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 12th so its a fixture punt with 4 out of 6 games having clean sheet potential. At the moment he’s also very good value.
Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures: Fulham (A) Man City (A) Newcastle (H) Hull City (H) Norwich (A) Everton (H)
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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