When to say 'when'
So...
Last week I "prospered" by picking Yakubu and Hoilett against Wigan. Three goals and a great lead coming out of Saturday's matches. But by the end of the fantasy week, while I still did well, Adebayor's brace and Herd's yellow card brought me back to the pack.
So...
Do I try to repeat the trick? In point of fact, do I double down?
Years ago I began picking a team based solely on whichever team was playing Derby County. That experiment usually out-scored my primary team in which I tried to follow the rules and hold discounts and select from across the League's match-ups. I remember that Adebayor (him again!) scored 2.6% of my team's points that season in Arsenal's two matches against the Rams.
So...
This week Wigan travel to Sunderland, who themselves haven't been great shakes. But surely they're as competent as Blackburn? And at home, surely they will be stingier than Rovers.
So...
Is four Black Cats too many?
Wes Brown is a shoe-in. He's been playing very well, is still relatively cheap, and you have to like Sunderland's chances for a second consecutive clean sheet.
Sessegnon comes in. He's been Sunderland's most dynamic player, and while Larsson is the team's high scorer, Sessegnon is a little more consistent and cheaper (at least in the Y! fantasy game).
Bendtner stays in the team from last week. He was a bit of a disappointment for the price last week, but if the goals are going to come - and we're betting that they will - surely he's involved. He's Sunderland's only fit and fully acclimatized striker, despite his habit of drifting deep and wide in search of the ball... like Adebayor is wont to do. ;-)
Now money and space is getting limited. As just mentioned, Larsson is probably too expensive. But reports are that Kieran Richardson may get a run-out in center-midfield, or even playing off Bendtner as a second striker. For those of you new to the blog, or just have better things to do with your lives, you have to know that I have a real soft spot when it comes to KRich. This dates back all the way to 2005 when KRich and Cerny (!) paid off handsomely for me in the last week of the season. Since then, I've probably been burned more than not with KRich, but whenever he is given a chance to play an attacking role against a bad team he usually responds. See his performance against Blackpool last season, or his England performace against the United States back in that magical summer of 2005.
So...
So, yeah... I'm buying KRich.
Now money is VERY tight. I'm looking for enablers now. That means the likes of Chris Herd (burned me last weekend and on the road), Hatem Ben Arfa (on the road against tough opposition and not a sure starter), or wait... who's this... Jack Colback!?!?
He's done fuck all this year, but he's also not dipped into the red. What more could you want from a spot holder? And he did hit the post in last weekend's match.
What do you think? Am I crazy to consider Colback? Am I crazy to consider him as the FIFTH Black Cat on my fantasy team this week? Is this the only way I'll learn a lesson?
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I'm all in on Sessegnon...
… but just seeing that Dyer has put together some really nice returns in a row. I still say Sessegnon based on the caliber (or lack thereof) of the opposition, but it’s not as clear-cut as I immediately imagined.
by Jeremy Spitzberg on Nov 25, 2011 3:42 PM PST up reply actions
wait a sec...
but doesn’t KRich getting the nod hurt Sess’ value? Especially if he takes the second striker role?
VdV replacement
Hi Jeremy. Thanks for your blog. Do you like BFAY or a Sunderland middie?
by Villa Villa on Nov 25, 2011 3:52 PM PST via iPhone app reply actions
Sunderland are also on the road to Wolverhampton, who’ve been lacklustre at the Molineux so far. I think that your judgements aren’t bad per se however there is sure to be better tactics on hand.
If you really fancy Sunderland I’d go with one representative in defence, midfield and attack. Namely Brown, Sessegnon and Bendtner.
Ramires over Richardson (A lot of people will have him, granted, but you won’t want to be caught out Adebayor style)
Colback is an adequate filler option though.
speaking of egg and basket
i also have 5 egg in a basket.
last week sunderland line up was:
GK westwood
DL oshea
DF brown
DF turner
DR bardsley
MC cattermole
RM elmo
MC colback
LM krich
AM sessegnon
FC bendtner
with seba back from suspension, im buying it will be direct replacement, elmo out seba in.
5 players???
If you have 5 players in Sunderland, you will need Sunderland to win 5-0 against Wigan just to get a DECENT score in your team!
no u dont
take a look at new castle points when they lost 1-3 to man city, u could still get 40 points from 5 players. the best 5 tottenham players that won 2-0 last week got 70 points.
i dont mind to get 50 points from my 5 sunderlands players. i still have silva, kun, ddg, verm, mata and 1 expensive defender.
Not so simple.
Remember, I’m playing the Yahoo! game so it’s not just goals & clean sheets. I get all the phantom points from crosses and tackles and shots that they give out.
Last week Sunderland’s back 5 averaged 10pts apiece. Their six starting “attackers” averaged 5 each, with Sessegnon the pick with 10.5 points. That was a 0-0 draw against Fulham.
Wigan have allowed three goals in five matches already this season (2 H, 3 A), and have only scored twice on the road — a deflected effort at Everton, and a saved PK against Wolves that Watson scored off the rebound.
So if Brown can get me ten points (double his price) and there are three goals to share (30 points, before phantoms, among 4 players costing that much) I’ll be happy.
So yes, all my eggs are in one basket. But it’s the best basket around.
by Jeremy Spitzberg on Nov 25, 2011 10:03 PM PST up reply actions

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