Who's in - Who's out?

Sky Sports' Fantasy League kicks off this weekend

By Alex Dunn   Last updated: 15th August 2008

Fantasy Football 2008

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The new Premier League season heralds not only relief from Sue Barker, who like some horrific Orwellian vision appears to be trapped inside my television set 24 hours a day - pretending to watch some Yank swimmer when really she's spying on me, and Cliff Richard - but also the dawn of Sky Sports' Fantasy Football.

A new football season is invariably the one time in the year when even the sourest-faced miserabilist with Emo tendencies convinces themselves that a new left-back from Barrow is the final piece in their side's promotion jigsaw. That's the thing with supporters, they can be all blasé, pay their money and then proceed to spend the next 90 minutes (x 46 league games) bellowing obscenities in the direction of the dugout. The manager's dugout. Our dugout.

By now you've probably picked your side, selected a name and are sitting with your chairman enjoying a little malt and a cheeky Cuban. Good for you, but just remember what happened to Martin Allen last season. Just remember what happened to Neil McDonald.

In this industry you're only as good as your last game, so throughout the season skysports.com's finest minds will be offering weekly tips on who to avoid like a Michael Phelps medal slide show and who to embrace with all the gusto of Thierry Henry in a sulky lip competition.

The key to being a Fantasy League king is to be ruthless, a hybrid of Milan Mandaric and Gordon Gekko. Remember kids, loyalty, like lunch, is for wimps.

My tip is to target the weakest teams, pinpoint the fat kid in swimming lessons and go for his pocket money. Saturday's lunchtime clash sees West Brom handed the unenviable task of kicking off the new campaign with a trip south to the Emirates Stadium.

Go for the jugular and pick two of three from Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor. Arsene Wenger has intimated Walcott will be given his head this season and given he's listed as a midfielder, looks a sound investment.

Portsmouth travel to Chelsea on Sunday with the best little and large partnership since Sid and Eddie and while selecting either Peter Crouch or Jermain Defoe will earn long-term dividends, remember Stamford Bridge is a notorious striker graveyard. Go with the head and opt for Nicolas Anelka; he's Chelsea's solitary fit front man in the absence of Didier Drogba and has looked red hot in pre-season.

Talking of injured strikers, remember Wayne Rooney is a possible absentee for Manchester United's game against Newcastle at Old Trafford. Carlos Tevez is a decent shout if you fancy a suspect Toon defence to be breached but keeping the back door shut door is just as important as scoring goals. So for that reason, keep United's forwards in reserve and plump for Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra or Edwin van der Sar. Cristiano Ronaldo is nursing an ankle injury sipping Pina Coladas in LA, so best leave him to dream idly of Real Madrid.

Tottenham have shown in pre-season there is life after Robbie Keane and I fancy them to take the spoils against a Middlesbrough side that is shorn of an experienced goalkeeper and dependable right-back Luke Young. Darren Bent has been electric over the summer and I'd certainly go for him over Dimitar Berbatov, who looks as if he'd rather watch Phelps' slide show than play in white this season.

Luka Modric will sneak into many a FL team but I'd be tempted to opt for the cheaper Giovani Dos Santos, who looks a real goal threat since arriving from Barcelona over the summer.

Fernando Torres scored against Sunderland last season and will be quietly confident of doing so again but the Black Cats are a solid side at home and beat Tottenham on the opening day of last term. It's also worth remembering Ryan Babel and Javier Mascherano are not available for selection.

Dean Ashton has been called a porker by Fabio Capello this week but despite the Italian's stinging rebuke he's in a rich vein of form and I predict he'll be on the goal trail as West Ham play Wigan at Upton Park. Craig Bellamy misses out with a potty mouth and hamstring injury.

All good sides are built on solid rearguards so if you're after a shut-out you could do worse than pick up of a couple of bargains from Aston Villa, who host a Manchester City deplete of forwards. Brad Friedel is a solid choice between the posts, while the rampaging Martin Laursen provides a goal threat.

Everton have endured a frustrating summer but should have too much for a Blackburn side still coming to terms with a manager that in the words of Tony Cascarino, would probably lick himself if he were he an ice cream. I've no desire to lick Paul Ince but I fancy Yakubu Aiyegbeni to grab a goal, while Joleon Lescott quite rightly remains a FL favourite.

Bolton's game with Stoke is one best watched behind drawn curtains but looks to be a shoo-in for a goalless draw, so the brave amongst you could steal a couple of cheap clean sheets.

Remember to log-on this Monday to read our review of the best of the Fantasy League action and have opportunity to vent your spleen at the worse advice since being tipped to invest in Northern Rock.

If you've not already registered a Fantasy League team, do so here

Comments

Michael Gainford (Everton fan) says...

Despite my team, Everton, not signing a single player, I am really looking forward to the start of a new campaign and am intrigued to see how the new sides, especially first timers Hull and Stoke fair in the top division - to them I wish the best of luck. At last alot of people have jumped on the Joleon Lescott badwagon and he seems to be statistically the most selected defender across the board in the FF's - with good reason! Martin Laursen of Villa took most ppl by surprise but his aerial ability coupled with possibly, at present, the best supplier of a dead ball, Ashley Young supplying him with more balls he is bound to get on the scoresheet a few times this season, more impetus surely as Mellberg has departed for Turin. In midfield, Lampard, Gerrard, Fabregas and Ronaldo are the obvious choices but I like the bargain prices of Sidwell, Cahill and Gera to get some goals from the midfield, Young should assist quite a few, whilst I wondered be surprised if Pompey newboy Jerome Thomas is up there, as he will be supplying the ammo for Crouchy. In attack, Torres must be the fave for Prem golden boot and will push Liverpool as close to the EPL as they have been for years but with United's domestic and European dominance this season, they dont look to have quote enough - judging on the Liege game. Chelsea have strengthened well and I really fancy them for the title this season, with or without Drogs, they have a quality manager and more goal potential from midfield than any other team in the division. It promises to be a cracking season, can't wait for the first game.

Posted 18:29 15th August 2008

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