| NAME | THIS WEEK | POINTS | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1) |  |  |  | Rutland Gooner | 200 | ||||||
| 2 (1) | | | | GeorgeGarrood | 180 | ||||||
| 3 (1) | | |  | Janet1952 | 170 | ||||||
| 4 (1) | |  |  | JamrockRover Michael Sheehy | 155 | ||||||
| 5 (1) | |  | | Mo7_4 | 150 | ||||||
Saturday August 18
Cardiff City v Newcastle United
12.30pm BST, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
Cardiff lost 2-0 away to Bournemouth last week and it looks like it could be a long hard season for them. They will hope to pick up as many points as possible at home and they had a pretty good defensive record at home in the Championship last season. If they’re going to make a go of beating the drop this is the sort of game they need to take something from, but it won’t be easy for them.
I can’t see any Cardiff players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
Newcastle were more than a little unlucky to lose at home to Spurs last week. They only won four of their 19 away games last season and they struggled for goals away from home. They will see this game as an ideal chance to get three away points and get their season up and running.
I still think Kenedy looks like he could be a good bet for fantasy managers if he can reproduce his form of last season.
I think Newcastle showed enough against Spurs last week to suggest they will win this game.
Prediction: 1-2
Everton v Southampton
3pm BST, Goodson Park, Liverpool
Everton had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Wolves last week after playing much of the match with 10 men. They had a pretty good home record last season, but they will have to better it this season if they are to push the top six. The signs were promising for them last week and they will hope in Marco Silva they have the man who will take them to the next level.
Cenk Tosun still looks like a good reasonably priced striker for fantasy managers to me while Richarlison did really well on his Everton debut and could be a very good choice if he’s fit to play.
Southampton drew 0-0 at home to Burnley last week and it looks like they could struggle to score goals again this season. They only won three of their 19 away games last season, but no other team drew more away games. I’m sure they would be more than happy if they could get a point from this game, but it won’t be easy for them.
Jannik Vestergaard might not be a bad choice for fantasy managers while Alex McCarthy looks like a good choice too.
I think Everton should have enough about them to take the three points in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Leicester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
3pm BST, King Power Stadium, Leicester
Leicester nearly managed to get a point at United last week and they will be hopeful of taking the three points in this game. They lost almost as many games as they won at home last season and they need to improve on their own ground this season. It’s difficult to believe they were the reigning champions this time two years ago and they will have to do an awful lot more to even threaten the top six.
Jamie Vardy again looks like the best choice for fantasy managers in the Leicester team.
Wolves twice came behind to draw 2-2 at home to Everton last week and they look like the best of the three promoted teams so far. They will hope their home form will help to keep them up, but they will need some points on the road too. If Leicester show any vulnerability then Wolves have got players who can take advantage of it.
Both Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota started well for Wolves last week and look like they could do well for fantasy managers.
I think Wolves will make a good game of it and the chances are the spoils will be shared.
Prediction: 1-1
Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham
3pm BST, Wembley Stadium, London
Spurs got a hard fought 2-1 win at Newcastle last week after starting most of their players who had just returned from World Cup duty. They only lost two of their 19 home games at Wembley last season and it seems they’ll be playing their home games there for a while to come. They are strong favourites to win this game and continue their winning start to the season.
It’s hard for fantasy managers to ignore Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, but picking Spurs defenders isn’t so easy with their continual rotation except for maybe Jan Vertonghen and Hugo Lloris.
Fulham lost 2-0 at home to Palace last week and this looks like a much tougher game for them. Like all promoted teams their home form will be crucial and any points they get away from home will be an added bonus. At least their fixtures are a little easier for the next two games after this one.
Ryan Sessegnon looks like he could do very well for fantasy managers while Tom Cairney is a reasonably priced option too.
I think Spurs will be too good for Fulham and should win with at least a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 3-1
West Ham United v Bournemouth
3pm BST, London Stadium, London
West Ham were well beaten by Liverpool last week, but this game gives them a much better chance of getting their season going. They conceded a lot of goals at home last season and their defending against Liverpool suggested that might not change for this season. They have spent a lot of money this summer, but it looks like Manuel Pellagrini has a lot of work to do to get the team in shape.
Having said how poor West Ham looked in defence it might sound odd recommending Lukasz Fabianski to fantasy managers, but I still think he can and will do well for them.
Bournemouth won 2-0 at home to Cardiff last week to get their season off to a good start. Only seven teams took more away points than Bournemouth last season, but they don’t keep too many clean sheets on their travels. They will fancy their chances of starting the season with back to back victories in this game.
Calum Wilson started well for fantasy managers last week, but his inconsistency was a problem last season and he did miss a penalty last week too.
I think this will be a very close game with West Ham probably taking the three points.
Prediction: 2-1
Chelsea v Arsenal
5.30pm BST, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea looked very good in winning 3-0 at Huddersfield last week and they have a good home record against Arsenal. It was four home defeats which kept them out of the top four last season and they have to improve that home record if they’re going to finish in the top four. They will find Arsenal a much tougher task than Huddersfield, but Maurizio Sarri will be hoping to keep his good start going.
Both Pedro and Ngolo Kante look like they could be good value fantasy options at the moment while all of Chelsea’s defenders and goalkeeper are worth considering too.
Arsenal lost 2-0 at home to City last week and this is another hard game for them. Their away form was awful last season and they will not make the top four unless that improves. Unai Emery will be desperate for his first points as the new Arsenal manager and he will be happy to get any points from this game.
I still think Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a very good choice for fantasy managers, but maybe starting from next week.
This game could go either way, but my Arsenal affiliation means I have to stick with them.
Prediction: 1-2
Sunday August 19
Burnley v Watford
Burnley drew 0-0 away to Southampton last week and they had to play in the Europa League on Thursday night. They lost as many home games as they won last season and no other team scored less goals at home. They are ahead of other teams at the moment because of their European commitments and that could give them an advantage in this game.
Just like last season it looks like the Burnley defenders are a good bet for fantasy managers while Joe Hart isn’t a bad bet at the moment either.
Watford looked good in winning 2-0 at home to Brighton last week despite not seeming to strengthen their squad before the window closed. No other team lost more away games than them last season and they need to improve that record this season. They might feel they have a good chance against a Burnley team who had to play 120 minutes on Thursday night.
Roberto Pereyra finished last season very well for Watford and he has started this season well too while Will Hughes and Ben Foster might be worth considering for fantasy managers too.
I can’t see too many goals in this game, but I think Burnley might just sneak a narrow victory.
Prediction: 1-0
Manchester City v Huddersfield Town
1.30pm BST, Etihad Stadium, Manchester
City looked very good in winning 2-0 at Arsenal last week and they will be looking to continue that form in this game. They had the best home record in the league last season and will hope to at least match that record this season. It’s going to take an awful lot for any team to keep pace with City and they’re strong favourites to retain their title.
It’s hard to be sure which City players will play each week because of the continual rotation, but Ederson, Bernado Silva and Sergio Aguero might be the best options for fantasy managers at the moment.
Huddersfield were beaten 3-0 at home by Chelsea last week and their primary aim this season is to avoid relegation again. They only won three of their 19 away games last season and they struggled to score goals away from home too. I think they are going to struggle this season, but they have had a very tough start.
I can’t see any Huddersfield players to recommend to fantasy managers.
I think City should stroll to a comfortable victory in this game.
Prediction: 4-0
Brighton And Hove Albion v Manchester United
4pm BST, Falmer Stadium, Brighton
Brighton were far from impressive in their 2-0 loss at Watford last week and they will have to do an awful lot better to get anything out of this game. Their home form kept them up last season and they will need to take as many points as possible from their home games this season too. This is going to be a very difficult game for them, but they did win at home to United last season.
Pascal Gross is the best fantasy option in the Brighton team, but maybe not in this game and maybe not at his current price too.
United were far from impressive at home to Leicester last week, but they did take the three points. Only City took more points away from home last season although they took an awful lot more points in those games. They have had their problems pre-season and they need to keep winning as any other result could bring more unrest.
I think United’s defenders and keeper are good choices for fantasy managers while Paul Pogba looks like he might be the pick of the rest.
Despite their problems I think United should be strong enough to take the three points in this game.
Prediction: 1-3
Monday August 20
Crystal Palace v Liverpool
8pm BST, Selhurst Park, London
Palace looked good in winning their first game 2-0 away to Fulham, but Liverpool will be a different prospect for them. They lost as many games as they won at home last season, but they did get off to a very bad start. If they play like they did in the second half of last season they will finish in the top half this season, but this will be a tough game for them.
Wilfried Zaha, Patrick van Aanholt, Momado Sakho, Jeffrey Schlupp and James Tomkins all look like good fantasy options, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka is the bargain buy in the Palace team although this could be a tough game for all of them.
Liverpool were very impressive in beating West Ham 4-0 last week and they will want to keep their momentum going in this game. They won less than half of their away games last season, but only City scored more goals on the road. They look like the team most likely to challenge City this season, but they have to do better against some of the lesser teams in the league if they’re going to seriously challenge them.
Mohamed Salah is again the stand out Liverpool player for fantasy managers, but it’s hard to ignore Sadio Mane plus all of their defenders and keeper too.
I think this will be a very close game and Liverpool will just about get the better of Palace.
At a push I think fantasy managers definitely have to have a Liverpool attacking player and a defender, the same combination from City is required as well as maybe players who cost a little less from maybe Everton, Palace and Wolves. A Chelsea defender and a United defender wouldn’t go astray either as well as a Burnley defender and maybe even attacking players from Spurs and Arsenal.
Prediction: 1-2
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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