Here’s my imaginary wildcard team if I chose to play my wildcard today. Its a practical application of my barclays fantasy premier league “ones to watch” article
- Ruddy
- £4.5
- Needs home and away rotation with another GK but fewer and fewer options in the budget section. The Norwich defence again is not as bad as its painted
- Begovic
- £5.1
- They’ve had the golden period of fixtures but they’re still the best defence outside the elite teams
- Zabaleta
- £5.7
- not in the “ones to watch article” however City are the best defence in the league no matter what you are told. however with their fixtures I wouldn’t be investing the £7.0m needed for Hart or Kompany. Zabaleta is liked by the coach. Unfortunately i dont think he will play this weekend with the Champs league and playing for argentina during the week.
- Gorkss
- £4.0
- Cheap filler with good fixtures
- Rafael
- £6.4
- Despite all the negative hype Utd’s defensive stats aren’t that bad, just not the best. However Rafael always gives you the chance for attacking points to compensate. The great fixtures start now and a presence is necessary. Smallings performance at Villa helped Rafaels case although Jones coming back from injury is another risk. However there’s no security in the Utd defence anywhere with everyone having some game time issues
- Johnson
- £6.3
- The class act in the Liverpool defence with the most attacking potential of any defender in the league apart from maybe Baines. The Liverpool defence is statistically very strong and unless Wisdom fixes his place he’s good value compared to Skrtel and Agger who are the only other 2 people in the defence that have some security
- McCartney
- £4.0
- Cheap filler. Has game time issues with DEmal and O’Brien 3 in to 2 spots
- Fellaini
- £7.4
- Top of the midfield shooting stats with Nolan by a reasonable distance. May very well be fixture proof. 2 good games to go before that theory is tested in the mean time Ive moved him to a hold
- Mata
- £9.5
- Fixtures aren’t easy but he’s the closest to a fixture proof midfielder that there is. Bale is more proven after last season but Mata intuitively looks like a better captain option if needed. WBA (A) MCY (H) FUL (H) WHM (A) are tricky fixtures though apart from the Fulham game.
- Taarabt
- £5.5
- How he hasn’t scored in the last 2 is beyond totally me as he’s done everything but. Has good shooting stats and getting in the box to shoot far more often than last year. Home to Saints is a good time to start and at a reasonable price wih excellent fixtures I’m still recommending him for BUY
- Santi Cazorla
- £9.4
- Last weeks home performance to Fulham was pretty disturbing as far as Cazorla was concerned and even with the fixtures to me he is a hold rather than a buy. Still has good underlying stats if not Fellaini or Mata standard and unless you believe that Walcott will suddenly become an option again the best in the Arsenal midfield
- Kacaniklic
- £4.7
- Not in the “ones to watch” article. The injury to Richardson and Ruiz playing behind Berba suddenly means Kacaniklic has a place again. Comes with game time risk but really has strong potential
- Van Persie
- £13.3
- The only really reliable coverage for the Utd team at the moment with the midfield rotation and Rooney dropping deeper. Underlying stats aren’t as good as last year but is finishing off chances when they come. Fixtures are now fantastic
- Suarez
- £10.0
- f you havent got him now is the time to do it. Great fixtures. Miles ahead of everyone in the shooting stats and now seems to have turned it in to goals
- Ba
- £8.3
- Fixtures are still strong although has the ability to score against any opposition. Monitor the injury position for this week before buying.
