It is with a heavy heart and through bleary eyes that we bring you the last insider of the season with a few priceless tips for the final day.
Fantasy Football (In association with Champion)
Gameweek 37 review
With everything as good as decided at the top end of the table, it is no real surprise that the majority of the standout performers at the weekend came from teams fighting for their lives in the bottom half of the table.
Blackpool duo DJ Campbell (13 points) and Charlie Adam (12) are joined by Wolves’ goalscoring defensive pair George Elokobi (10) and Jody Craddock (11) on the dream team, while the scorer of what could be one of the most crucial goals of the season and one of our tips for last week, Wigan’s Charles N’Zogbia, weighed in with an impressive 14 points.
The moody Charles N’Zogbia’s goal against West Ham might just keep Wigan up
Fulham defender Brede Hangeland was by far and away the highest scorer of the week with 21 points and Manchester City were also well represented by Joleon Lescott (12) and Carlos Tevez (13), while Darren Bent marked his return to goalscoring form with two goals, three bonus points and 13 points in total.
Champion J-League
Like poor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s marriage, Shane Halligan’s season has descended further and further into meltdown and the league that was once firmly in his grasp is now all but out of his reach.
With leading lights Stephen Fox’s Makin Up D Numbers* enjoying a 20-point advantage over Hal’s Allstars this week alone and a 44-point lead overall, the exciting deadline day conclusion that we were hoping for won’t materialise, barring a miracle of biblical proportions.
The battle for the remaining three places in the top five is far more exciting, with only 30 points separating Keith Donnelly’s UpDown FC in third from Martin Kelly’s Scouting for Goals in seventh. All of those teams have managed to break the 2000-points barrier, something that has so far been beyond Joe’s Journeymen, who are destined to finish in a decent but not quite satisfying enough 21st place.
Given the lack of interest by the majority of the team in JOE Towers once their own fantasy football teams bombed within weeks of the start of the season, a motion is currently being considered to drop the cumulative management approach for next season and instead allow the individuals in the office to go to toe to toe with the rest of the league. Feel free to let us know what you think.
J-League Top 5:
1. Makin Up D Numbers* – Stephen Fox: 2143 points
2. Hals Allstars – Shane Halligan: 2099 points
3. UpDown FC – Keith Donnelly: 2076 points
4. Team of Gary Breens – John Murphy: 2070 points
5. Sultans of Ping FC – Mark Dinan: 2057 points
Newton Heath – Tom Dowling: 2057 points
What to look out for this week
With some teams battling for their Premier League survival, others competing for European places and others still who have nothing to play for and couldn’t give a shit, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly who to put your trust in on the all important final day.
Our first piece of advice is to ignore Manchester United. With the title all wrapped up, there’s no way even the threat of a punishment from the FA will convince Sir Alex not to keep his brightest stars wrapped in cotton wool a week before the Champions League Final. They will probably still beat Blackpool, but if they do it will be thanks to the likes of Darron Gibson, Gabriel Obertan and Bebe (OK, maybe not Bebe), and not Nemanja Vidic, Antonio Valencia and Wayne Rooney.
If you are to pick anyone that will be involved at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, then we recommend Blackpool duo DJ Campbell (£4.5 million) and JOE favourite Charlie Adam (£5.9 million). Campbell has four points in his last five games, while after a mid-season lull, Adam has picked up the slack with two goals and two assists in the same period.
One thing’s for sure, whether or not Blackpool or relegated, Adam will be in the Premier League next season and certainly won’t be as cheap as he was during this campaign. If you have the funds, snap him up.
Steven Fletcher is hitting form at just the right time for Wolves
Using form as an indicator, other affordable players worth considering are Wolves striker Steven Fletcher (£4.8 million), who has five goals in his last five games, would be Irish international Jermaine Pennant (£4.8 million) who has two goals and 31 points in his last three games and Fulham defender Brede Hangeland (£5.8 million), top scorer this week with 21 points and the scorer of three goals in his last three games.
JOE’s Fantasy Football Picks:
Top Dollar: Carlos Tevez (£11.3 million). It could be his last game for the club and third place is at stake when City travel to Bolton on Sunday. Trust Tevez to make an impact.
Mid-Range: Darren Bent (£9.2 million). Granted he’s a pricey choice for the mid-range category, but six goals in his last seven games (including two 13-point hauls) is enough to convince us he’s worth a punt.
Bargain Basement: Charlie Adam (£5.9 million). Almost for old time’s sake, we’ve plumped for the man we’ve picked in this category more than anyone else this season. If anyone is going to keep Blackpool up, it’s Charlie.
Irish Pick: Stephen Ward (£4.4 million). With Kevin Doyle out injured, the versatile Ward has often been asked to fill a void up front. He’s classed as a defender, so if he does manage to nick a goal against Blackburn, it will be six points on the board.
Captain’s Pick: Carlos Tevez (£11.3 million). It’s a toss-up between Tevez and Robin van Persie, but the Argentine just shades in on the basis of his two-goal salvo in midweek.
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