Chelsea’s form has been a bit patchy of late, but you don’t want to miss an opportunity for big scores when a double gameweek rolls around.
J-League:
Just like looking at the weighing scales for the first time in the New Year, a glance at the J-League table for the first time in 2013 is an eye-opening experience indeed.
Not much has changed at the top where the ubiquitous Barry McCabe and his Breffni Blues outfit have extended their lead to 21 points, but after that there are plenty of new names in what has become a crazily competitive chasing pack.
Andy Twomey’s Athtrasna and Martin Hanway’s Marty’s Muppets share second spot on 1,259 points, just a single point ahead of Darren McCann’s Dazzleros and Jamie Fennelly’s Sporting Loobawn in third place.
Tomas Dowling’s Newton Heath are alone in fourth place, but with only four points to spare over James Shannon’s Jagerbombers in fifth, who are struggling to hold off the advances of a large group of teams within touching distance of the elite.
J-League Top 5:
- Breffni Blues – Barry McCabe: 1,280 points
- Athtrasna – Andy Twomey, Marty’s Muppets – Martin Hanway: 1,259 points
- Dazzleros – Darren McCann, Sporting Loobawn – Jamie Fennelly: 1,258 points
- Newton Heath – Tomas Dowling: 1,255 points
- Jagerbombers – James Shannon: 1,251 points
This week, big scores will be made in Chelsea
It might seem a bit odd to be recommending Chelsea players on the back of two home defeats to the might of QPR and Swansea already this month, but seasoned Fantasy Football managers will know of the need to be all over a double gameweek on the rare occasions they arise.
Rafa’s lot are away to Stoke on Saturday and at home to Southampton next Wednesday and although Stoke in particular will be no pushovers, the Blues need to pick up at least four points but probably all six if they are to keep on the tails of the Manchester clubs who are already starting to vanish in the distance up ahead of them.
Prior to the QPR defeat, Chelsea had looked in fine fettle in the league and after a slow enough start, Rafa’s influence appeared to be having a discernible effect. They won four on the bounce in the league, including valuable away wins at Norwich and Everton, a comfortable enough victory away at Sunderland and an 8-0 thrashing of Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
But while the form and confidence have dipped slightly, the raw materials are there and Chelsea provide plenty of options for managers looking to make the most of a rare double gameweek, probably the most opportune time to either reduce the deficit or increase the gap between you and your rivals.
At the back, Petr Cech looks unlikely to return before the Arsenal game on Sunday week, meaning that Ross Turnbull is not a bad option between the sticks, considering that he only costs £4.3 million and can be instantly dropped to a manager’s bench as soon as Cech returns.
Managers with a bit of money to spend could be tempted to splash out on David Luiz (£6.7 million), with the Brazilian now operating in a midfield role on an almost full-time basis and offering a goal threat with his Cristiano Ronaldo-like set-pieces. For those of you with a tighter budget, Cesar Azpilicueta (£5.7 million) has played 90 minutes in 10 of the last 11 league games, during which time he’s popped up with a couple of assists from right-back.
Since Rafa’s arrival, the brilliant but diminutive attacking midfield trio of Mata, Hazard and Oscar have rarely started together, with Mata (£9.9 million) offering the most consistent and reliable option for managers.
Chelsea suffered in his absence against QPR and Benitez is unlikely to drop a man who has scored seven goals and provided eight assists in a hurry after the defeat to the bottom side.
As far as strikers are concerned, the renaissance of Fernando Torres appears to have been short-lived as the Spaniard has failed to hit the net in the last three league games and also drew a blank against Swansea on Wednesday night.
With that in mind, we wouldn’t be surprised if Demba Ba (£8.6 million and 13 goals already this season) is given a run in the first team following on from his encouraging start to life at Chelsea, the highlight of which was a brace against Southampton in the FA Cup last weekend.
*If you weren’t already aware, the winter wildcard comes into play for this weekend, with all managers – regardless of whether you have used one already or not – able to avail of unlimited free transfers on one gameweek between now and Gameweek 24 (deadline on 2 February at 11.30am).*
JOE’s Fantasy Football Picks:
Top Dollar: Robin van Persie (£14.0 million). The man can seemingly do no wrong at the moment and if he can knock in a goal or two against Liverpool at Old Trafford, he’ll be even more of a legend in the eyes of United fans for whom he is already the subject of hero-worship.
Mid-Range: Leighton Baines (£7.5 million). Very expensive for a defender, but proving well worth it with three goals, four assists and 18 bonus points already in this campaign.
Bargain Basement: Jason Puncheon (£4.9 million). The Saints also have a double gameweek this week and with two goals and six assists already this season, Puncheon is a decent bet to add to either of those tallies over two games.
Irish Pick: Anthony Pilkington (£5.8 million). The man who will hopefully don a green jersey (not the Norwich away jersey, smartarse) in the near future has scored four goals in his last ten games and will face a Newcastle side devoid of confidence at Carrow Road this weekend.
Captain’s Pick: Juan Mata (£9.9 million). Chelsea’s best player and the instigator of so many of their goals this season, with two games he should be trusted to put a healthy score on the board provided he avoids being rotated by Rafa this week.
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