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Fantasy Soccer: EPL Players To Pick For New Season
Fantasy Soccer: Premier League Players For 2013-14
With the new Premier League season set to begin this weekend, the time has come for us football lovers to select our teams for the coming campaign. It's with great relief that the season is ready to return after a summer of transfer nonsense and speculation, and we can now get down to what we all really care about -- the action.
You may have made a fairly rough and early selection of your team in the summer, but as the squads have taken shape, now is the best time to make take some serious consideration as to who can do what for your fantasy EPL team. For those who do not play, the website which suggest is the Official Premier League Fantasy League game. You're going to need two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders and three forwards. You then select your 11 each week, with the leftovers used as subs who will be used if any of your first team doesn't play.
Perhaps one of the most important factors to fantasy success is to select a very talented forward. I have gone for the League's top goal scorer, as you will see in this sideshow. Someone like him will guarantee you goals, and it is worth splashing your funds on a player who can do that -- as captaincy means their score is doubled each week.
Think carefully for each selection. The likes of Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez may seem like good calls now, but there is an uncertainty surrounding them. Bale's future is not clear, while Suarez has a six-game ban still to serve. Do not make the mistake of including him just yet. Similarly, do not go for players who are injury-prone.
The following players are my picks for my team, so I'm sure personal preference will make for varying selections. Have fun and comment below!
Stowe Gregory is an English featured Soccer and Sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him or tweet on Twitter @stowegregory.
Petr Cech
Cech will offer you something reliable for £6.5 million. With Jose Mourinho back at Chelsea, you would expect them to have a stronger defense this season, given his more defensive style of football. Chelsea are surely going to be up there, which will mean clean sheets. A goal keeper that is decent and won't be receiving minus scores each week can be handy.
Brad Guzan
You're going to require a second choice keeper. You could obviously select a very cheap keeper who will barely play, but if you want a backup who can still get you points for a relatively low price, then Brad Guzan isn't a bad call. Aston Villa's Player's player of the year last season is likely to get a lot of bonus points for saves.
Carl Jenkinson
You need five defenders, so your chosen formation will affect these choices. Carl Jenkinson looks set to play a lot of football this season and Arsenal is progressing, he's only £4.5 million, so that is a very good price for someone who is in a fairly solid defense.
Leighton Baines
Similarly, Baines is probably everybody's first pick for a defender. He'll cost you £7.5 million but if he stays at Everton, then that guarantees you a defender who will be taking penalties and free kicks while also getting plenty of assists. Points are a certainty with Baines.
Laurent Koscielny
Another Arsenal defender? You must think I'm mad. However, Koscielny is not a bad call for a central defender. At just £5.5 million, you know he'll be playing week in week out, in a defense that should be near the top end of the Premier League. He also seems to score from time to time while becoming one of the League's best defenders.
Branislav Ivanovic
Ivanovic will get you goals and clean sheets if he plays. You make your own call on that!
Luke Shaw
You'll need to select some really dirt cheap players, so I'll try and not give you the likes of Peter Ramage. For £4.5 million, you can get Luke Shaw. Having just signed a five-year contract with Southampton, he looks to be their first-choice left back. He may well start the season's opener with a knock, so be weary, but he is a good cheap pick going forward.
Santi Carzola
Carzola will cost you a heft £10 million, but he racked up the points last season, being selected by 10 percent of Fantasy Premier League players. This is his second season in England too, so the transitional period (if there was one) is over. Likely to tally just as many points this season.
Shinji Kagawa
Look out for midfielders who are actually likely to play almost as forwards. Kagawa is one of them, as he tends to play off the striker. For £8 million, he could bring in the points if he plays. Maybe you want to take a few risks, and Kagawa would be one because there is no certainty how much he will play. A lot of that will be determined by Wayne Rooney's future and possible Manchester United transfers.
Craig Bellamy
Back in the Premier League, Bellamy is a good pick for just £5.5 million. He's a key player for a smaller team, so he is likely to score more than some. Also, he is currently marked as a midfielder on Fantasy Premier League, but commonly plays as a striker or on the wing. So for a cheaper midfielder, Bellamy could be a wise pick.
Ross Barkley
Barkley only costs £4.5 million, so he is another good pick for a cheap player. He plays in an attacking role and is likely to play more this season under a new manager with Everton. However, don't use him as your first-team player, but as a sub for backup.
Stevan Jovetic
And so to the forwards. You have to pick three, and it's not a bad idea to play three each week too, as they score goals. Jovetic is one of the standout picks for me. He will be costly at £9.3 million, but I can see him really igniting Man City's team. However -- and this is a big however -- they have a very competitive striking force. With a new Spanish manager, there is a risk that Alvaro Negrado will start ahead of Jovetic, but we'll see.
Jay Rodriguez
You'll need a cheaper striker -- it's inevitable. I've gone for Jay Rodriguez, though he still costs £6 million. I feel he could have a big season ahead with Southampton, so although I won't rely on him for goal points, I expect he'll get a few.
Robin Van Persie
How can you not want this man in your team? Well, I suppose the £14 million price tag and the previous injury problems answer that. But he's bound to score lots and lots of goals. Make him your captain and there is a chance you will have some storming weeks.
