fantasy premier league preseason – what we learnt in the week ending 31 July

Here’s part 1 of our round up of pre-season for the week ending Friday 31 July 2015.  We’ve covered 10 teams in this article.  We look for each clubs FPL players of interest and also the possible GW1 lineups as well as give you the first 6 fixtures for each club.  If you can’t be bothered reading whats quite a long article then the key points are in an exec summary which quickly gives you the crucial points

fantasy premier league preseason – what we learnt in the week ending 31 July

Exec summary

• Community shield will sort out the Arsenal lineup and crucially the Walcott start dilemma and position plus the FB uncertainty.
• No certainty over the Villa lineup which is a shame given the good fixtures.  £4.0m def Baker looking unlikely.
• Bournemouth £4.5m mid Surman still looks a likely starter
• Hazard been in good form
• Chelsea’s £5.5m mid Moses has been a possible very cheap starter
• The Costa hamstring saga already starting (I’m so sick of hearing about it already)
• Liverpools Firmino and Benteke looking doubtful for GW1
• £4.5m def Gomez a possible Liverpool starter
• South American contingent including Aguero still unlikely GW1 for City
• Man Utd lineup looking mainly settled including RB Darmian thanks to a transparent LVG

Arsenal

The Community shield will be the key to selection here as there are issues all over the team in gametime.  The Walcott will he play and where saga dominating the interest.

Players of interest

No value in defence so £6.0m Koscielny looks the best bet

£8.5m mid Ramsey has been present if not outstanding

£8.5m mid Ozil – should be the CAM.  Been in good form

£9.0m mid Walcott – has played well and played as a forward against Wolfsburg.  But will he start and where.

£9.0m fwd Giroud – mixed form although scored against Lyon

Possible GW1 lineup

Cech – Bellerin/Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal/Gibbs – Coquelin, Cazorla – Ozil Ramsey Walcott – Giroud

First 6 gameweeks

West Ham (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
Liverpool (H)
Newcastle (A)
Stoke (H)
Chelsea (A)

Aston Villa

9 new transfers makes this a difficult one to figure out the lineup.  Also Adebayor could make it 10.  The forwards are particularly an issue.  Unfortunately good fixtures makes them attractive.  Westwood still not clear as a £4.5m mid

FPL players of interest

£4.0m def Baker – looks unlikely to start

£4.5m mid Westwood – Looks possible to start although new transfers still could cause him problems

£5.5m mid Grealish – only played in 1 match so looking doubtful after injury

Possible GW1 lineup

Guzan – Hutton Richards Clark Amavi – Westwood/Bacuna Gueye Veretout –  Sinclair/Gil/Agbonlahor/ Kozak/Adebayor/Gestede

First 6 fixtures

Bournemouth (A)
Man Utd (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
Sunderland (H)
Leicester (A)
West Brom (H)

Bournemouth

Alot of switching of players so difficult to tell the final lineup.  Surman as a £4.5m mid still looking a likely starter.  £5.5m striker Wilson has been productive.  £6.0m Ritchie has been quiet but hard to see not starting

FPL players of interest

£4.5m mid Surman – still looking like he will start

£6.0m mid Ritchie –  Strangely hasn’t played as much as you would think but hard to see him not starting

£5.5m fwd Wilson – scored in the first match

Possible GW1 lineup

Boruc – Francis Distin/Elphick/Cook Mings – Surman Arter – Atsu O’Kane Ritchie – Wilson

first 6 fixtures

Aston Villa (H)
Liverpool (A)
West Ham (A)
Leicester (H)
Norwich (A)
Sunderland (H)

Chelsea

The community shield again should fix the lineup.  Incredibly the Costa injury saga has started already

FPL Players of interest

£6.0m def  – Azpilicueta looks nailed on even with Baba Rahman looking likely to join

£11.5m mid – Hazard has been in great form

£9.0m mid- Fabregas has played some time at number 10

£11.0m fwd –  Costa the hamstring injury saga has started already

£5.5m Moses – Started against PSG so worth monitoring

Potential GW1 lineup

Courtios – Ivanovic Cahill Terry Azpilicueta – Matic Fabregas – Hazard Oscar Willian/Cuadrado/Moses – Costa

Swansea (H)
Man City (A)
West Brom (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Everton (A)
Arsenal (H)

Crystal Palace

A big squad with the forwards especially looking difficult to predict.  Wickham now also looking that he might join.  Fixtures are difficult so time to see how things settle.  The hope that Cabaye would play in a forward position took a knock.

FPL players of interest

£6.5m mid Bolasie – has been injured and seems unlikely to start

£6.0m mid Puncheon – Playing in forward positions so of interest

£6.5m mid Cabaye – Played 1 game in the double pivot reducing his attraction

Potential GW1 lineup

Speroni – Ward Dann Delaney/Hangeland Souare – Jedinak McArthur/Cabaye – Puncheon Cabaye/Zaha Mutch/Gayle – Murray/Bamford/Gayle

First 6 fixtures

Norwich (A)
Arsenal (H)
Aston Villa (H)
Chelsea (A)
Man City (H)
Spurs (A)

Everton

Lukaku hat trick then an injury, Baines looks back and Duelofeu injured.  Fixtures are ordinary so focus not that important.  The midfield is impossible to predict made worse by Martinez tweaking formations.

FPL players of interest

£6.5m mid Deulofeu if fit – Has looked dangerous until the final ball but questionable whether he will start

£8.0m fwd Lukaku – Good hat trick against Hearts but needs monitoring over an injury. Will take pens.

Possible GW1 lineup

Howard – Coleman Stones Jagielka Baines – McCarthy Barry – Mirallas/Cleverley/Osman/Pienaar/Barkley/Deulofeu – Lukaku

First 6 fixtures

Watford (H)
Southampton (A)
Man City (H)
Spurs (A)
Chelsea (H)
Swansea (A)

Leicester

Ordinary opposition and the manager wanting to look at a number of players (or just the “tinkerman” loves to tinker) means a lineup is difficult to follow.  A number of forwards again make it difficult to predict the lineup

FPL players of interest

£4.0m def Moore – don’t rule him out starting in a back 3 just yet

£4.5m Huth again suffered from rotation but hopefully should play

£5.5m mid Mahrez starting to wonder if he will be the CAM on the last 2 lineups

Possible GW1 lineup

Impossible to predict at the moment

First 6 fixtures

Sunderland (H)
West Ham (A)
Spurs (H)
Bournemouth (A)
Aston Villa (H)
Stoke (A)

Liverpool

A picture emerging but the question of Firmino and Benteke starting in GW1 has been raised

FPL players of interest

£4.5m defender Gomez who’s started a number of games

£7.0m mid Henderson

£7.0m mid Milner – been in great form

£8.5m mid Firmino – yet to feature and doubtful fitness for GW1

£5.0m mid Ibe – been in great form and could be a starter

£8.5m fwd Benteke – yet to play and doubtful fitness for GW1

Potential GW1 lineup

Mignolet – Clyne Skrtel Sakho/Lovren Moreno/Gomez – Henderson Milner Lucas – Benteke if fit, Coutinho if fit/ Firmino if fit/ Ibe/ Lallana

First 6 fixtures 

Stoke (A)
Bournemouth (H)
Arsenal (A)
West Ham (H)
Man Utd (A)
Norwich (H)

Manchester City

A number of absentees due to Copa America and really no opposition or lineups to help us with a GW1 team

FPL players of interest

£10.0m mid Silva – has played CAM which would make him more attractive

£9.0m mid Sterling – started well including as the lone forward against Madrid

£13.0m fwd Aguero – looks certain not to start GW1

Possible GW1 lineup

Hart – Sagna Kompany Mangala Kolarov/Clichy – Delph/Fernando, YYT – Silva, Sterling Nasri – Bony/Sterling

First 6 fixtures

West Brom (A)
Chelsea (H)
Everton (A)
Watford (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
West Ham (H)

Manchester Utd

Why can’t everyone was as helpful to FPL managers as LVG.  Play the first choice team first half, the kids second and tell the press some of who’s going to start. Also tell us who’s been playing well etc.  All we now need is to confirm who’s taking pens.  Is it really Mata?

FPL players of interest

£5.5m def Darmian – Looks certain to start after getting the nod for GW1

£8.5m mid Mata – Been playing well but wide on the right

£8.5m mid Depay – Been excellent as a support striker.

£10.5m fwd Rooney –  Hasn’t been in that great form but leading the line centrally.  Did score against Barca

Potential GW1 lineup

De Gea (if still there) – Darmian Shaw Blind Smalling /Jones – Schweinsteiger/Carrick Schneiderlin Young Mata – Depay – Rooney

First 6 fixtures

Spurs (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Newcastle (H)
Swansea (A)
Liverpool (H)
Southampton (A)

Follow us on twitter @fantasyfoot20 or facebook at www.facebook.com/fantasyfootballgeek

This website is free. If you find it useful please support us via the donate button on the site

fantasy premier league league code: 68300-19117

Sky Sports Fantasy Football: PIN: 8124402

Sun Dream Team: FANTASYFOOTBALLGEEK PIN: 8360910

Telegraph Fantasy Football: FantasyFootballGeek PIN 8000919