Week 1 Fantasy Strategy
A chance for double points presents intriguing options in Week 1 for Premier League fantasy managers.
Chelsea and Reading have two matches in Week 1, so managers looking for an early advantage may load their starting XI with players who will feature twice. The rules allow up to three players on a roster from one team — so many managers will be tempted to take some chances in Week 1.
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The risks are many; including the question, especially for Chelsea selections, whom will RDM call upon for games against Wigan and Reading? And are there three players on Reading who are worth taking and will be in the starting XI against Stoke and Chelsea? There is also the question: with Chelsea and Reading idle in Week 3, is it worth using one or more transfers to restore your roster to regular strength this early in the season prior to the Week 3 lock?
What players might be chosen?
- The options are limited with Reading. The most attractive player is forward Pogrebnyak who played well in his half season loan at Fulham. He has a stingy 5.1 million salary. Others are winger Jimmy Kebe and midfielder Danny Guthrie, both at 4.9 million.
- The list of considerations is much longer at Chelsea. Frank Lampard would be a good pick, especially if he is designated for the captain's double-points. A bonus is that he will be taking most of the team's PK's. But there is no guarantee RDM will play Lamps in both games. Newcomer Hazard will vie for PT and Mata and Ramires will be in the mix. Defenders Ivanovich, Terry, Luiz, Cahill and Cole are all possibilities and Cech has a good shot at two clean sheets. Up front, Torres will likely start both games and got a goal against Manchester City in the Community Shield exhibition, but the jury is still out on whether he is back in scoring form.
- Complicating things for fantasy managers is that Chelsea's first Week 1 match is Sunday and most Internet sites that predict possible starting lineups usually don't post their XI until the day before, which will be after Week 1 lineups are locked.
In other Week 1 fantasy strategy considerations, there will be questions of what to do with Robin van Persie and his move to Man Yoo. Is it wise to put him on your team immediately and designate him as captain? He will likely start, but how effective will he be after only a few days with his new team? Van Persie is now 29 and based on his history, the football world rightly wonders if he can go through another season virtually injury-free.
What a day that will be on April 27, 2013 when Man Yoo plays at Arsenal. Fabregas and Van Persie have dumped on the Gooners faithful in consecutive years. If vP was shocked at how he was treated by traveling Gooner faithful in Germany, the man is a total idiot if he expects anything less when he steps on the pitch at the Emirates.
One more Week 1 fantasy comment regarding Clint Dempsey. The Texan wants out of Fulham so bad he can taste the beer at the Golden Lion Putney Bridge. Dempsey is a huge fantasy point guy with a relatively low 8.3 million fantasy salary—but with very little preseason playing time, will he come out of the gate at Craven Cottage against Norwich City with all his skills finely tuned?
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