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Good but not fantasy-astic

Posted by John Culea

David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty ImagesJack Wilshere: The media's darling remains fantasy poison

Every team in the Premier League has players who have designated roles (usually holding midfielders) that prevent them from being attractive to fantasy managers looking for points. Other players seem to drift in an out of games without achieving their full potential. They are good, but not fantasy-astic.

Through 23 weeks of PL fantasy competition, if a player registered a start and 60-plus minutes in every game, they would accumulate 69 fantasy points for the season. If you have too many of those players on your fantasy starting XI you'll be doomed to relegation oblivion. Here are selected players who usually start and often finish games; however, when the whistle blows, they rarely have more than three points.

Goalkeeper:

  • Wojciech Szczesny, Arsenal, 61 points, 7.1 value. Arsenal has surrendered only 27 goals in 23 games, but after three clean sheets in their first three games, the Gunners have had only three since then.

    • Defenders:

  • Thomas Vermaelen, Arsenal, 67 points, 6.7 value. Not the goal-scoring threat in the air he once was.
  • Jonas Olsson, WBA, 65 points, 5.1 value. You expect more of an offensive threat on set pieces from this physical specimen.
  • Bacary Sagna, Arsenal, 41 points, 6.2 value. Back from an injury, he looks good and is a classy athlete, but usually is only good for a trey.

    • Midfielders:

  • Moussa Dembele, Tottenham, 64 points, 5.7 value. With his strength and savvy, you expect more than one goal from the former Fulham man who was a big threat at Craven Cottage.
  • Oscar, Chelsea, 68 points, 7.1 value. His press clippings suggested much more than we've seen.
  • Joe Allen, Liverpool, 65 points, 5.8 value. Brendan Rodgers' former Swansea player is not ready for the big time.
  • Steven Nzonzi, Wigan, 62 points, 5.3 value. Plays almost every minute. Doesn't know what is on the other side of the goal line.
  • Chris Brunt, WBA, 62 points, 5.2 value. Two goals, two assists. Yawn.
  • Stewart Downing, Liverpool, 53 points, 5.8 value. One goal, two assists. ZZZZZZZZ.
  • Ashley Young, Manchester United, 45 points, 6.9 value. Zero goals, three assists. One of the PL's most over-rated players.
  • Jack Cork, Southampton, 43 points, 5.0 value. Zero goals, zero assists. Averaging one shot every two games.
  • Jack Wilshere, Arsenal, 42 points, 6.0 value. The media's darling remains fantasy poison. Twelve games, four shots, one goal, and one assist. Looks good writhing in pain on fouls.

    • Forwards:

  • Carlton Cole, West Ham, 49 points, 5.1 value. Two goals and one assist and often invisible.
  • Emmanuel Adebayor, Tottenham, 34 points, 6.6 value. Two goals, a lot of running around and a major fantasy disappointment.
  • Steven Naismith, Everton, 59 points, 5.1 value. Three goals and one assist and often a step behind.

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