The Week Ahead - Kicking Off A New Fantasy EPL Season

Here we are again.

It has been a summer filled with great sporting events and even the occasional interesting transfer in to the Premier League. There have been rumors-aplenty as there are every summer but as of this writing, Robin van Persie and Alex Song remain Gooners, Luka Modric is still a Spur, and Yann M'Vila, Robert Lewandowski, and Lucas Moura all still play outside of the Premier League.

Chelsea and Arsenal seem to be the big movers in terms of strengthening their squads over the summer but both of them still face major questions about congestion at some positions - attacking midfield for both - while remaining weak at others - holding midfield for Arsenal and right back for Chelsea. Manchester City and Manchester United have tweaked here and there as is appropriate for the teams at the top. Liverpool and Tottenham have both made changes at manager and shuffled key players in and out to uncertain effect - you could easily look at either situation as the glass being half-empty or half-full. I could go on all day with high level observations but I know you want to start discussing fantasy picks so I'll try to keep the introduction brief.

HOWEVER, before we get to the player analysis, you must sit through a note from the editor (also me in this case). I know that we have yet to finish our in-depth team-by-team previews and we are fully committed to getting them finished. With so many big teams not finished with their summer transfer business, it made more sense to kick off the talk of player picks for Week 1 than worry about long-term projections for teams not yet finished creating their rosters. Would we write the Arsenal preview with RvP or without? Ditto the Manchester United preview.

So, with that caveat out of the way, on to the first analysis of the schedule and which players you should be considering and ultimately picking for that most blessed occasion, the first weekend of the fantasy Premier League season.

Who the Schedule Loves and Hates

• Chelsea - Two matches against a newly promoted team (Reading) and a perpetual relegation struggler (Wigan) in the first match week means the schedule LOVES Chelsea even more than Blue Horseshoe loved Anacott Steel (5 points for the first person with the correct movie reference).
• Reading - Two matches with one away against a title contender and the other home to a notoriously stingy and physical defense. Blue Horseshoe isn't quite as in love here but two matches are two matches for the right players.
• Manchester City - All that talent, all that money and they get to kick off the season with newly promoted Southampton. Should be a profitable day for fantasy managers and City's goal differential.
• Arsenal - Home to a Sunderland team that's light at forward seems like a nice way for Arsenal to open the season regardless of the presence of Robin van Persie.
• Hate - The schedule doesn't think much of Spurs and Newcastle facing off against each other which does nothing to improve the value of players on either side. Maybe wait until week two to get on the Spurs/Gylfi bandwagon at that price. The schedule also isn't kind to anyone on the reverse side of the "loves" above or to Everton who have to face Manchester United out of the gate.