Every Thursday I’ll offer my best picks for the Premiership’s official Fantasy Premier League 2012/13 game, just before the deadline for setting your lineups for the weekend’s slate of matches.
Week #3 Dream Team (140 points)
Goalkeeper: Jussi Jaaskelainen (West Ham United, 8)
Defenders: Winston Reid (West Ham United, 15), Gareth McAuley (West Bromwich Albion, 15), Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa, 11), James Collins (West Ham United, 10)
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Midfielders: Santi Cazorla (Arsenal, 13), Jonathan Walters (Stoke City, 12), Matthew Taylor (West Ham United, 13)
Forwards: Carlos Tevez (Manchester City, 15), Robin van Persie (Manchester United, 15), Steven Fletcher (Sunderland, 13)
Value for money
Gareth McAuley has been the picture of consistency thus far in the season, playing a full 270 minutes and being a solid fantasy point earner – six points each in week one and two, and then 15 points in week three after scoring in West Brom’s 2-0 win over Everton. With a league-best 5.3 value rating, he’s definitely well worth spending the £5.1 on, even if you think his steady form will not last.
Red hot
Steven Fletcher wasted little time in making an impression in his Sunderland debut a few weeks ago, scoring two goals and earning 13 fantasy points. The Black Cats are home to struggling Liverpool on Saturday and Fletcher (£7.0, 1.9 value rating) figures to be in the thick of the action again while leading the line for Sunderland against a suspect Reds defence.
Stone cold
Gareth Bale has played every minute (270 in total) of all three games this season, but the Spurs star has failed to register a single goal or assist. About the only thing of note he has done is pick up a yellow card. It hardly comes as a surprise that he earned a meagre five fantasy points. As the fourth most expensive midfielder in the league (£9.4), he has a dreadful fantasy value rating of 0.5. It’s best to transfer him out and use the proceeds on his Tottenham teammate Mousa Dembele (£6.1 and a 2.1 value rating).
Sleeper pick
He may not be so much of a sleeper pick after earning 10 fantasy points in Norwich’s previous match away to Tottenham. But Robert Snodgrass is still flying under the radar, selected by only 1.1 per cent of all fantasy players. Coming off such a strong week, and at a reasonable price (£5.9 and a 2.4 value rating) it’s worth picking up the Scottish winger, especially as he figures to continue to play a prominent role in the Canaries’ attack with his dangerous runs down the flank and set-piece expertise.
Drop him
Neil Taylor was having a fine season, and was one of the many reasons why Swansea was off to a flying start. But then he broke his ankle in the third match of the campaign, and the Welshman is now going to be sidelined for the remainder of the season. It’s a shame for both Swansea and fantasy players who had him on his team (he registered six points in each of the first two weeks of the campaign) and at £5.0, he was value for money with a 2.6 rating.
Pick of the week
Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson has quietly gone about his business, starting in and completing three consecutive games (all shutouts) for the Gunners. Having established himself as a regular starter in a stingy defence, Jenkinson is sure to build on his respectable fantasy point total of 22 points, and at £4.8 and a value rating of 4.6 (tops on Arsenal and third among all defenders in the league), he would be a good pick up for anybody looking to bolster their back line.
Have your say
Do you have a fantasy pool tip you want to share? Think any of our picks for this week are completely off the mark? Let us know by sharing your views! Tweet your tips and comments to @JohnMolinaro, or post them below in the comments section.
Sign up
Play the Premiership’s official Fantasy Premier League 2012/13 game by CLICKING HERE.
This is a salary cap fantasy league, where pool players are given £100 million to select 15 players: two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders, and three forwards.
From your 15 player squad, you select 11 players for each week. All your points will be scored by these 11 players, but if one or more doesn’t play they may be automatically substituted.
For complete league rules and scoring details, CLICK HERE.