fantasy premier league – “ones to watch” GKs/Defs GW21

 Here’s the link to my latest rating the defences article. http://www.fantasyfootballgeek.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-rating-defs-gw21/

Best fantasy premier league defences home and away

1.  Arsenal

Overall defensive rankings:  home defence  3/40   Away defence 13/40    Clean sheets:  9

The 3rd best home defence and the 4th best away defence.   Arsenal have got 8 clean sheets in their last 12 games.

Mertesacker is definitely the top option for attacking and bonus points at the moment but far more expensive at £6.5m.   Reminded us of his attacking prowess in the FA cup game against Spurs when he was unlucky not to score.    Koscielny at £5.5m has got 2 clean sheets in his last 2 games and 2 bonus points in each of those games.     Sagna at £5.5 has great assist potential.   The GK Szczesny offers no price advantage at £5.9m

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Aston Villa (A)
Fulham (H)
Southampton (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Liverpool (A)
Man Utd (H)

2.  Chelsea

Overall defensive rankings:  Home defence 6/40   Away defence 9/40  Clean sheets:  7

If you kept the leap of faith in the Chelsea defence then you would have been well rewarded with 3 clean sheets in their last 4 games.  I rate them the 6th best home defence and 2nd best away defence.

Terry is my top choice at £6.6m.  He’s 31 points better off than any other option.  He’s the best attacking prospect and a bonus magnet with 14 points already.  The rest of the options are tricky.  Azpilicueta is the budget option £5.3m but has to be a gametime risk if Cole can hold the LB place and Ivanovic comes back into the team at the end of the month GK . 

The next 6 fixtures have 2 difficult games but could still see 3 clean sheets

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Hull City (A)
Man Utd (H)
West Ham (H)
Man City (A)
Newcastle (H)
West Brom (A)

3.  Everton

Overall defensive rankings:  Home defence 11/40   Away defence 8/40   Clean sheets:  8

Only the 9th best home defence but the best away defence in fantasy premier league.  No clean sheets in the last 6.  With Jagielka out for the month and Distin out but supposedly back for 11 January the prognosis doesn’t look good.  However I still have faith that the defence can perform and there’s 4 games with clean sheet potential

Coleman  at £6.7m is the Suarez of defensive players.  With incredibly 3 goals in his last 5 games.  Jagielka is out to the end of the month.  Distin is the budget option at £5.3m.  Injured but supposedly back for GW21.  Alcaraz is the short term cheapie at £4.3m.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Norwich (H)
West Brom (A)
Liverpool (A)
Aston Villa (H)
Tottenham (A)
Crystal Palace (H)

4.  Man City

Overall defensive rankings:  Home defence 1/40   Away defence 25/40  Clean sheets:  6

City I rate as the best home defence and the 10th best away defence.  They have some underlying stats which suggest they can improve on the 1 away clean sheet.  However, they were truly awful away to Swansea.  With Kompany and Nastasic back (not that it helped against Swansea) I have hope that the clean sheets will appear.  However to give you the bad news its only 1 clean sheet in the last 7 games.  Interestingly, only 1 of the 10 top fantasy premier league managers I has a City defender so little faith there at the moment.

Kompany  is a at a bargain price of £6.3m.  He should get plenty of bonus points and has good attacking potential.  Zabaleta  at £6.0m is slightly cheaper has good assist potential and is slightly cheaper at £6.0m .  Kolarov is my punt at £5.3m.  He has no gametme security but should play against easier teams when attacking potential is required or as a wing back.  Be warned he has a tendency to appear as an annoying 1 point sub.

Clean sheet potential in 3 of  the next 6 games.

Next 6 fantasy premier league fixtures:

Newcastle (A)
Cardiff City (H)
Tottenham (A)
Chelsea (H)
Norwich (A)
Sunderland (H)

Fantasy premier league home rotation defences only

1.  Crystal Palace

3 clean sheets in the last 7 and 3 clean sheets in the last 5 home games.

 Ward is currently playing in midfield and although only 1 assist so far this season has shown some goal scoring potential.  Gabbidon is the bonus potential with 6 so far and has 1 goal to his name.  Speroni the GK isn’t great value at £4.5m.

Palace GKs/DEFs appear 7 times as a GK/DEF in the 10 teams of the 10 top fantasy premier league managers teams I follow

3 good home fixtures in the next 6.

Next 6 fantasy premier league HOME  fixtures:

Stoke City (H)
Hull City (H)
West Brom (H)
Man Utd (H)
Southampton (H)
Chelsea (H)

2.  Hull

Overall defensive rankings:  Home defence 2/40

2nd best home defence behind Manchester city.  6 clean sheets and 6 goals conceded.  2 clean sheets in their last 5 hpme games showed a slight slow down.

Next 6 home fixtures could be better with Chelsea, Man City and  and Spurs  in the 6.

 Chester at £3.9m is my top choice.   He started  the 7 since coming back and is great value.   He’s also scored in that period.  GK MacGregor is reasonable value at £4.5m for home and away rotation.

Next 6 fantasy premier league HOME  fixtures:

Chelsea (H)
Tottenham (H)
Southampton (H)
Newcastle (H)
Man City (H)
West Brom (H)

3.  Southampton

Overall defensive rankings:  Home defence 7/40

4 clean sheets and only 12 goals conceded in 10 games.  Have had injuries to the defence and the CDMs which have hampered their defensive effort.  5 home games without a clean sheet.  With everyone fit hopefully that should improve

Clyne now fit is my top choice here at £4.5m.  Good assist potential. Lovren now looks too expensive for a home rotation option at £5.7m.

With Boruc still having no return date on his hand injury Kelvin Davis at £3.9m looks a bargain

Some good home fixtures mixed in with some tricky ones

Next 6 fantasy premier league HOME  fixtures:

West Brom (H)
Arsenal (H)
Stoke City (H)
Liverpool (H)
Norwich (H)
Newcastle (H)

4.  Sunderland

One of the worst home defences with only 2 clean sheets. In fact their performances away have been better.

You’re banking on excellent fixtures and Poyets ability to improve them defensively.  He is a good defensive coach having done defensive wonders at Brighton.

Mannone is a good value GK at £4.4m.  Brown is the value option at £4.3m.  Bardsley has attacking potential at £4.5m

Here’s the next 6 HOME fixtures

Southampton (H)
Stoke City (H)
Hull City (H)
West Brom (H)
Crystal Palace (H)
West Ham (H)

5.  Stoke

Overall defensive rankings:  Home defence 4/40

7 goals conceded and 4 clean sheets at home so far.  In direct contrast to their away form.  2 clean sheets in their last 5 home games although none in their last 3.

 Wilson at £4.3m is the only one who’s cheap enough to warrant home rotation.  Everyone else is at least £4,9m.  Wilson has gametime security risk though as when Huth returns he will lose his place.  Huth currently has no return date.  Next cheapest is Pieters at £4.9m

Home fixtures aren’t great and depending on Huths injury Wilson may not get to the 2 potential clean sheets at the back of the 6.

Next 6 fantasy premier league HOME  fixtures:

Liverpool (H)
Man Utd (H)
Swansea (H)
Arsenal (H)
West Ham (H)
Hull City (H)

Of the rest, Cardiff and Swansea both have good fixtures as well.  Swansea are a little expensive with the minimum price of £4.8m for Williams.  OGS is talking about a more attacking philosophy for Cardiff which may disrupt them defensively but again they have good home fixtures.  Ben Turner and the GK Marshall are the best picks there.

Here’s my article analysing 10 top fantasy premier league managers:  You’ll find it very interesting to see what they’re doing with their defences.

http://www.fantasyfootballgeek.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-10-top-fpl-teams-gw20/

I’ll be doing midfield next which will hopefully give you some ideas on replacing Walcott

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