AM's Week 14 Player Picks
Welcome to Week 14 of my player picks for the Yahoo Fantasy Premier League game. Because of the quick turnaround - it's a Tuesday deadline for a full set of midweek Premier League fixtures - the individual player analysis will be briefer than usual, but Thursday's Week 15 column will be back to standard.
The games come thick and fast from now until the new year, which will mean an increase in squad rotation as managers try to protect their players from fatigue and injuries. A number of players are also walking the suspension tightrope on four yellow cards, which will mean a one match suspension will be coming their way very soon. All this means it's more important than ever to keep up to date with all the latest news if you want to hold an advantage over your fellow fantasy managers.
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Week 14 Fixtures
Arsenal v Southampton
Burnley v Newcastle
Chelsea v Tottenham
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
Everton v Hull
Leicester v Liverpool
Man Utd v Stoke
Sunderland v Man City
Swansea v QPR
West Brom v West Ham
As usual you'll want to focus on teams who have a clear advantage over their opponent, which look to be Chelsea at home to Tottenham and Everton hosting Hull. In-form Manchester United will rightly be favourites to record another win at home to Stoke, while I like the look of Crystal Palace at home to Aston Villa, Swansea hosting a QPR side who don't travel well and resurgent Manchester City at Sunderland.
We also have three teams playing away from home with a chance of three points - Liverpool at Leicester, West Ham at West Brom and Newcastle at Burnley - but these matches could just as easily end as draws so I wouldn't back any side too heavily. That just leaves Arsenal v Southampton, which I've got down as an entertaining score draw.
With that in mind please click over to the next page to view my Week 14 player recommendations.
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KEEPERS
Thibaut Courtois - Leaders Chelsea have a winnable home game against Spurs and there will be a clean sheet opportunity for Courtois.
Tim Howard - Everton can bounce back from Sunday's defeat to beat Hull comfortably on Wednesday night and I expect them to do so without Howard conceding a goal.
Julian Speroni - Palace have a fine chance to build on a couple of good results with a win and clean sheet at home to Villa, and Speroni costs less than £6million.
DEFENDERS
Seamus Coleman - You'll pay a price, but if you have the cash then Coleman looks to be the pick of the premium defenders for Week 14 as Everton host Hull.
Branislav Ivanovic - I made a big mistake not picking up Ivanovic for less than £8million in Week 12. He's now over £12million but remains the pick of the Chelsea defenders for the home match with Spurs.
Jeffrey Schlupp - Classed as a defender in the Yahoo game but playing on the wing for Leicester and up against an out-of-sorts Liverpool side.
Calum Chambers - Continuing to contribute a range of defensive points, meaning Chambers is a solid pick with or without a clean sheet.
Kieran Trippier - Two disappointing fantasy performances in a row for Trippier but the full-back is playing well and the points should return soon enough.
Marcos Rojo - Returned from injury ahead of schedule to start against Hull and Rojo is well priced for Manchester United's home game against Stoke.
Aaron Cresswell - A magnificent match-winning display against Newcastle cements Cresswell as the bargain of the season. Grabbing the West Ham man for £1million in Week 1 was the smartest of smart moves.
Martin Kelly - Ex-Liverpool man Kelly was dropped by Neil Warnock a few weeks ago and it appears to have been the kick in the butt that he needed. Affordable and with a clean sheet chance against Villa.
Neil Taylor - The best defensive option if you want to cover the potential Swansea clean sheet against QPR.
MIDFIELDERS
Eden Hazard - Chelsea's penalty taker and general mischief maker will have added responsibility in Diego Costa's absence and can cause the Spurs full-backs big problems.
Mile Jedinak - Yet another goal in Week 13, this time from the penalty spot, puts Jedinak on five for the season. A great fixture for one of the most valuable midfielders in the Yahoo fantasy game.
Yaya Toure - He's back! Yaya has been given the freedom to get forward more in the past couple of weeks and this has resulted in better displays and two goals in two games. Sunderland beware.
Ross Barkley - Still the key man for Everton, Barkley dictates the pace of the play from midfield and he should find himself with a bit more time and space against Hull than in recent weeks.
Gylfi Sigurdsson - Another assist and double digit fantasy score for Siggy against Palace, and the Icelandic star can do the same against QPR.
Cesc Fabregas - No assists from Fabregas but he picked up 13 points against Sunderland thanks to seven tackles won, adding further evidence that he is close to the complete midfielder. As an ex-Gunner he'll relish putting in a performance against Spurs.
Raheem Sterling - Pace on the counter attack will be vital if Liverpool are to beat Leicester and Sterling has it in abundance. The young man looked a bit more "on it" against Stoke and is due a goal.
Yannick Bolasie - Not many managers will be able to afford Jedinak, so the next best Palace option would be Bolasie. The winger has been superb in recent weeks and will be a huge threat to Villa.
Kevin Mirallas - Five goals in his last seven starts and a key man for Everton to have back from injury. Capable of hurting Hull with his pace on the left flank.
Juan Mata - With injuries in midfield including Angel Di Maria, the door should be opened for Mata to get an extended run in the team and the Spaniard has something to prove to Luis van Gaal.
Dusan Tadic - Another quiet week from Tadic and - perhaps more worryingly - his set pieces were poor. He has the talent to do well at injury-hit Arsenal but long-term holders of the attacker will be looking for better returns or they will have a decision to make.
STRIKERS
Sergio Aguero - It should've been another 30 point week for Aguero against the Saints. Wrongly booked for a dive when clearly fouled in the box, which denied him the chance to score from the spot, contributed two assist and missed a glorious one-on-one chance. Sunderland beware - the Argentine is unlikely to go scoreless for three Premier League games in a row.
Romelu Lukaku - Couldn't get in the game against Spurs but Lukaku generally performs better at Goodison Park, has been in good goal scoring form recently and Everton have a nice home fixture against Hull.
Alexis Sanchez - I'm interested to see whether Olivier Giroud's return will have a negative effect on Sanchez's point production with the Chilean potentially finding himself with less scoring opportunities, but for now he remains one of the top picks for the home game with the Saints.
Didier Drogba - Early team news suggests Drogba will get the nod to replace the suspended Diego Costa for the London derby against Spurs - ahead of Loic Remy - and the Ivorian has proved in his cameos that he's still a handful.
Robin van Persie - If the match against Hull was anything to go by it appears van Persie has played himself out of his bad patch of form. £4million cheaper than Rooney and likely to still be on penalty duty against Stoke.
Wilfried Bony - Another goal for Bony against Palace moved him on to six for the season and there he can add to that against QPR. The link up play between the Swansea striker and Sigurdsson has been particularly impressive.
Charlie Austin - The reason I haven't recommended Fabianski as a goalkeeper this week is because of the form of this man. QPR will probably lose to Swansea but right now Austin looks like he'll score in every match.
Fraizer Campbell - The curveball pick of the week for the manager looking to do something different. Campbell will replace the injured Dwight Gayle in the Palace attack against Aston Villa and knows he needs a goal to stay in the team.
Graziano Pelle - It's now four games without a goal for Pelle and he's slipped down the pecking order in this column, but Arsenal's defence is far from solid and the Italian will score again eventually.
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So those are the players I'm considering for my Week 14 Yahoo team. My own team page currently looks like this ...
XI: Courtois, Kelly, Cresswell, Bertrand, Fabregas, Jedinak, Tadic, Barkley, Sigurdsson, Sanchez, Aguero
Subs: Okre, McNair, Costa, Gazzaniga
The above is unsaved, so Di Maria is still in my squad at this moment in time, but confirmation of him missing at least two league matches - which we should get today - will force me to sell and lose the £3million discount. In that scenario, Jedinak comes in.
How's your Week 14 team looking?
