AM's Week 4 Player Picks

Welcome to Week 4 of my player picks for the Yahoo Fantasy Premier League game. My team AM FC had a terrible Week 3 as numerous players let me down, while the supposedly-injured Diego Costa and his 27 points remained stuck on my bench. A negative score from Yaya Toure combined with a total of just five points from my entire strike-force contributed to a quite pathetic weekly total of 63 points, which dropped AM FC way down the standings in all private leagues. Things must improve in Week 4.

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On to the fixtures ...

Week 4 Fixtures
Arsenal v Man City
Chelsea v Swansea
Crystal Palace v Burnley
Hull City v West Ham
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Man Utd v QPR
Southampton v Newcastle
Stoke v Leicester City
Sunderland v Tottenham
West Brom v Everton

We've been lumped with some tight fixtures through the opening three weeks of the season, but I feel you can pick a winner for the majority of Week 4 matches.

Chelsea's ominous performance against Everton made it three wins out of three and they are quite-rightly the big favourites to bring Swansea's own 100% start to the season to an end. Garry Monk’s side have been excellent so far but Jose Mourinho's attacking options will surely be too much for them to handle at Stamford Bridge.

Unbeaten Aston Villa are another side having an unexpectedly good start, but Liverpool will be expected to defeat Paul Lambert's men comfortably at Anfield on the back of the impressive victory over Tottenham, with Mario Balotelli making his home debut.

Manchester United’s performances can be best described as “a bit of a mess” thus far, but Louis Van Gaal will be able to field his expensive reinforcements in Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao, along with the returning Luke Shaw at home to QPR, and that should make all the difference. For the first time in a while I'm strongly tipping United to pick up the win, which would be their first of the Premier League campaign.

We then come to two massive games at opposite ends of the table. Arsenal face Manchester City at Etihad, with both sides looking to bounce back from disappointing results in Week 3, with a draw at Leicester and defeat at home to Stoke respectively. This is the one match I can't call in either side's favour, but it should be a cracker and I'm expecting goals, so avoid defensive players and focus on some of the attacking options on show. At the bottom, 19th placed Crystal Palace host 20th placed Burnley in what the press are already dubbing a relegation "six-pointer". New Palace boss Neil Warnock picked up a well-earned point at Newcastle in Week 3 thanks to Wilfried Zaha's inspired performance from the bench, and home advantage should be enough to see the Eagles sneak the three points over a Burnley side struggling for goals.

Southampton are already playing some slick attacking football under Ronald Koeman and should have enough to beat Newcastle at home, and I fancy new-look Hull to defeat West Ham, with Steve Bruce making some excellent defensive and offensive signings towards the end of the transfer window to seriously strengthen his starting XI. The Hammers have made some good buys too, but this one just feels like a home win.

Everton need a win after a slow start and they should be able to pick one up against struggling West Brom, but I'm not as confident backing Stoke to beat Leicester (who have impressed so far holding Arsenal and Everton to draws), nor Tottenham at Sunderland. Stoke and Spurs should all win, but I feel there are plenty of better fixtures to put your fantasy focus on, so I'll be limiting the number of selections from these sides.

With all that in mind, click over to the next page to view the Week 4 player recommendations.

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KEEPERS
Thibaut Courtois - The majority of fantasy managers will already own Courtois at a discounted price, and he should be seen as the top choice for Chelsea's home game against Swansea given the start made by Jose Mourinho's men. The Belgium keeper is yet to make any sort of error since taking the number 1 jersey from Petr Cech and his side have a chance of a win and a clean sheet.
Fraser Forster - Southampton were tipped by many to struggle after the loss of their manager and five key players over the summer, but they've made an excellent start to the season and look solid from front to back thanks to some clever recruitment. Forster was one of the players incoming and already looks to be an improvement over Artur Boruc, so he can help his new side to victory over Newcastle in Week 4.
Allan McGregor - The Hull stopper has been in fine form in the Premier League this season and has a home game against a West Ham side who often flatter to deceive away from Upton Park. Hull have made impressive improvements to the spine of their team and there is an opportunity for McGregor to pick up a clean sheet here.

DEFENDERS
Branislav Ivanovic - Of all the signings Chelsea have made during the Roman Abramovich-era, Ivanovic has to be considered one of the very best. The Serbian puts in "9 out of 10" performances week-in-week-out, is a terrific defender and a huge goal threat in the opposition's box. You'll pay a premium to fit him in to your team this week but he rarely lets anybody down, including fantasy managers.
Alberto Moreno - After a tough debut against Manchester City, Brendan Rodgers' new left-back announced his arrival in the Premier League with a stunning solo goal against Spurs. Moreno was also rock-solid in defence and is the pick of the Liverpool back-line for the visit of Villa.
Marcos Rojo - This spot very nearly went to Luke Shaw, but we're awaiting official confirmation that the left-back will be fit enough to start against QPR, so for now I'm looking at another of Manchester United's defensive signings. Rojo had some initial problems obtaining a work-permit but that's all been sorted and he'll be ready to slot in to the centre of defence this weekend. With Daley Blind providing extra steel in midfield, it instantly gives van Gaal's side a far more solid look.
Eric Dier - The young Tottenham defender had a tough time against Liverpool and was unlucky to concede a penalty, but we saw enough in the opening two games of the season to suggest a trip to Sunderland can be more fruitful. Dier's price has dropped slightly as a result of his Week 3 fantasy score, meaning he's fallen back in to the "affordable" bracket.
Martin Kelly - Quite how Kelly's price remains so low is a mystery, but it's good news for fantasy managers. With a home game against Burnley there's a chance of a clean sheet to go alongside his defensive contributions, so the Palace defender is a great enabler either for your bench or starting XI.
Ryan Bertrand - I'm interested to see how new signing Toby Alderweireld settles in to the Southampton side, but for now Bertrand is your best (and cheapest) bet if you want to field a Saints defender for their home game against Newcastle.
Michael Dawson - The former Spurs captain was a legend at White Hart Lane and will be sorely missed around the club, but sadly it was inevitable that he would be unable to adapt to the high-line played by Mauricio Pochettino – as he was under Andre Villas-Boas - due to his lack of pace. However, the defensive system employed by Steve Bruce will suit Dawson perfectly, and we should see some big fantasy scores as the 30-year-old puts his body on the line with blocks, interceptions and last-ditch tackles.
Phil Bardsley - Last season saw Bardsley as one of the top defensive performers in the Yahoo fantasy game, and there are signs that he's starting to slip in to gear for his new side Stoke. A home game against Leicester should give the right-back a chance to get forward, and he loves a shot from distance.
Kieran Trippier - The Burnley man was high on the "ones to watch" list of options at the start of the season but it's been a tough start for the youngster and his team-mates. Burnley sit bottom of the league, and while another defeat is likely at Palace this weekend there could be a chance for Trippier to pick up some attacking points.

MIDFIELDERS
Cesc Fabregas - Running the Chelsea midfielder, creating chances, taking set pieces and generally looking awesome, Fabregas has been nothing short of brilliant since returning the Premier League and will be looking to continue that excellent form in the home games against Swansea.
Raheem Sterling - The doubts over the fitness of Aaron Ramsey after his injury on Wales duty has done me a bit of a favour as it means I can drop the Arsenal midfielder from my fantasy team and bring Sterling in. Not many defenders can deal with the Liverpool winger right now and as the top scoring midfielder in the Yahoo fantasy game he should be strongly considered by anyone reading this column.
Kevin Mirallas - In seasons gone by I could rarely recommend Mirallas in this column because he was essentially playing as a right-winger for Everton despite being classified as a striker in the Yahoo game, but his reclassification has made him a very interesting option for the season ahead. The Belgian gave Chelsea a torrid time as his side attempted a brave fight-back in Week 3 and he has the pace and quality to cause West Brom a whole host of problems this weekend.
Angel Di Maria – His Manchester United debut against Burnley was always going to be difficult having only landed in England a couple of days earlier, but Di Maria showed he is truly world class with a phenomenal display for Argentina against World Champions Germany during the international break. Three assists and a goal helped his country to an impressive 4-2 victory and as I'm writing this I'm wondering why on earth he's not currently in my Week 4 team considering the British-record signing has a home match against QPR on his schedule.
Wilfried Zaha - It still suprises me how certain players fit a club perfectly, and it appears Zaha is one of those who is back where he belongs. While some people say he wasn't given a chance at Manchester United, he was poor whenever he did get some pitch-time and did nothing while on loan at Cardiff. Yet within 20 minutes of coming off the Palace bench in Week 3 he had two shots on target and had a goal disallowed before grabbing a vital late equaliser. You can just imagine what he could do in 90 minutes against Burnley on his return to Selhurst Park.
Dusan Tadic - I've harped on about Tadic for the past two Player Picks posts and he's rewarded fantasy owners with a double-points return on both occasions, so I'll leave it to Steve and his Bargain Hunter column this week.
Andre Schurrle - Doubling-up on Chelsea midfielders is generally a decent idea, so if you're looking to supplement Fabregas, or even looking for an alternative in your fantasy midfield then I'd take a look at Schurrle. The German winger will come up against Neil Taylor, who struggled against Adnan Januzaj in Week 1 and was subbed after an early booking, so expect Jose Mourinho to explore that potential weakness in the Swansea defence.
Mile Jedinak - He's the gift that just keeps on giving. Jedinak has scored more fantasy points than Fabregas so far this season, with another captain's display helping his team to a vital point against Newcastle. For now consider the Aussie fixture-proof, as he seems to be able to grab points no matter the opponent or result.
Erik Lamela - After a bright start to the new campaign Lamela found it difficult against Liverpool, but he never stopped wanting the ball and was trying to make things happen, which is something Spurs fans never saw during his fleeting appearances last season. The Argentine should get more space and time on the ball against Sunderland and is still available at an extremely tempting price.
Gaston Ramirez - Once again, it seems silly to go in to too much detail on Ramirez when Steve has him covered in his column, so I'll simply point you in this direction to read more on why Hull's latest loan signing is a low risk / high reward choice for Week 4.
Victor Moses - The serious injury to Peter Odemwingie is a huge blow for Stoke, but it could open up the door for Moses to reignite his flailing career at the Britannia. The on-loan Chelsea winger can be a real threat when on form and is a bargain price in the Yahoo game, so a risk-taking fantasy manager may feel it’s a chance worth taking for the match against Leicester.

STRIKERS
Mario Balotelli - Reports are suggesting Daniel Sturridge is struggling to be fit for the weekend after picking up an injury on England duty, which would mean Balotelli leads the line against Aston Villa. The striker's movement caused Tottenham all sorts of problems in Week 3 and he should've scored at least twice, but perhaps the stage was being set for him to open his Liverpool account on his Anfield debut. At a price of less than £11million he should be in your fantasy team.
Diego Costa - I'm sure I wasn't the only manager to be left severely frustrated by Costa's two-goal performance against Everton. Mourinho has stated the striker would be on the bench at best due a hamstring injury, so I moved him to my Yahoo bench prior to the Week 3 deadline and then watched in horror as he started and scored inside a minute. No mistakes this week for Chelsea's home game against Swansea.
Wayne Rooney - This may be slightly controversial, but I'm not 100% certain Falcao will start the game against QPR, with 30 minutes off the bench looking more likely as the striker settles in to life at Old Trafford. For that reason club-captain Rooney would seem the sensible choice if you want a Manchester United forward (… cue a Falcao hat-trick!).
Romelu Lukaku - This was very nearly Steven Naismith, but I have this nagging feeling that Lukaku is going to score big against his former loan-club West Brom, who are struggling to adapt to life under Alan Irvine.
Sergio Aguero - Arsenal have conceded goals against Leicester, Crystal Palace and Everton already this season, and come up against a far more formidable opponent in Week 4. Manchester City will be looking to bounce back from the Stoke defeat and Aguero is the danger man.
Danny Welbeck - The signing of Welbeck is likely to see Alexis Sanchez shifted to the wing again after a brief stint as the central striker, and that means the England man gets the nod from this column if you feel Arsenal can cause Manchester City some problems this weekend.
Graziano Pellè - The Italian striker is starting to score goals for Southampton, and Steve has detailed why Pelle is an excellent pick for Week 4 in his Bargain Hunter column.
Nikica Jelavic - As I've mentioned a few times already, Hull's squad is looking in seriously good shape after some clever business in the transfer window and part of that business will see Jelavic form a new strike partnership with Abel Hernandez. The two men are likely to find themselves on the end of more chances with the likes of Ramirez, Ben Arfa and Tom Ince feeding them, and I'm tipping the Croatian to grab a goal against the Hammers.
Dwight Gayle - Eight goals in his last five appearances in all competitions suggests Gayle is starting to get to grips with this level of football, and if the Eagles are going to beat Burnley then there’s a decent chance he'll be on the score-sheet.

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So those are the players I'm considering for my Week 4 Yahoo team. Here's what I currently have saved on my team page

Starting XI: Courtois, Janmaat, Rojo, Moreno, Tadic, Fabregas, Lamela, Sterling, Costa, Balotelli, Rooney
Subs: Sigurdsson, Kelly, Cresswell, Green

I'm pretty happy with it, although the lack of Di Maria is a concern, I'd love to find a way to fit Mirallas in and if we got any sort of confirmed news regarding Falco starting then a total re-think to the Rooney pick may be required. Janmaat - being held at a big discount - could be moved to the bench for Kelly as the Palace man has a more attractive fixture, but there are no further changes planned at this stage

How's your Week 4 team looking?