Fernando Torres: The New Dean Ashton: EPL Gameweek 15 Fantasy Preview

Let's jump right into our weekly preview. Here's the legend - I. Best "real" matchup II. Best fantasy friendly matchup III.  Studs & Duds and IV. A weekly best eleven

I. Manchester United @ Manchester City: The silver medal this week goes to Chelsea and Arsenal battling it out at Stamford Bridge, but the Manchester derby will never be the same after the royal family of Abu Dhabi decided to throw their hat (turban?) into the ring.

Cristiano Ronaldo (who will surely win the Ballon d'Or next week) has not had the best week: Portugal were humiliated in an international friendly in Brazil in which Ronaldo's trickery proved useless, United were first held scoreless at Aston Villa when Ronaldo could only provide a tiny threat, and in Champions League action - United failed to score (again) in a nil-nil draw in Spain. 

While his away form this season is mediocre (at best), it's tough to bet against Ronaldo in this one, as City are firing on all cylinders with their attack-minded approach, and thus United should see some clear cut chances on the counter-attack.

City's weakest links are their full-backs and Ronaldo (and Nani or Park, if selected) should cause some problems from wider positions. In other news, Berbatov may also return from injury.

On the City front, investment in Robinho and Ireland should remain high after Ireland scored in City's 2-0 UEFA Cup win over Schalke.  Frustrated Zaki owners could take a gamble on last season's fantasy darling Benjani (6.7MM) who looks like he has earned himself a spot in City's high flying attacking lineup alongside Robinho and Ireland.

Prediction: 2 - 1 Manchester United

II. Blackburn @ Portsmouth: With Torres injured (again), I've gone against the obvious choice (Liverpool at home to West Ham) and selected Portsmouth to come away with a home victory which could see some decent fantasy returns. 

Portsmouth controlled their match against AC Milan in the UEFA Cup yesterday (yes, you read that correctly), and were unlucky not to come away with a victory, as late goals from Ronaldinho and Inzaghi (who else!?) secured a 2-2 draw for the superb Italians.

Blackburn sit in 19th position and Paul Ince's side have lost three straight. 

Let's take a look at some of the fantasy implications and trends. Armand Traore - into the fantasy doghouse - out of the fantasy doghouse - who the hell knows - but the superb U-21 left winger was back in the starting lineup against Milan, as Pamarot dropped to the bench and Belhadj/Traore formed a good attacking duo on the left. 

But the best Portsmouth player on the night actually trotted up and down on the right. Glen Johnson. He's not cheap (5.5MM) but he's getting involved in the attack (two assists against the Italian giants), and he has the speed, power, and technique to provide Bosingwa-esque offensive returns at a fraction of the cost. It's funny, because the 24-year old was never really given a chance to mature at Chelsea in the right-back position, and now the two best right-backs in the league are surely the former Chelsea man (Johnson) and Chelsea's current flavor of the year - Bosingwa.

Defoe (calf) and Krancjar (ankle) may return to face Blackburn, but Johnson looks the best bet for "new" Portsmouth investment and the midfield general Diarra (ankle) is still out.

Warning: Portsmouth have struggled to keep clean sheets at home, but perhaps the Milan performance will lift their spirits...

Prediction: Portsmouth 2 - 0

III. Studs & Duds: Amr Zaki (dud) is out again but the 4.7MM Henri Camara (stud) looks set for a start against WBA at home, and could be a decent one week option for those Carlton Cole owners looking to save some cash or go with an in-form selection at home. Fernando Torres (dud) is out again but Liverpool should rely on Dirk Kuyt (stud) who has seen his value skyrocket from 8.5MM to 9.0MM since our Election Day debate less than a month ago.

On the defensive front, cheap Big-4 option Ivanovic (5.0MM) looks like a stud selection as long as Chelsea's backline is still injured. Another cheap Big-4 option could be the surprising John O'Shea, who at 5.3MM is a bargain if he can establish himself as Sir Alex's full time right back with Neville (too old and injured) Brown (injured) and Rafael (twelve years old) taking a back seat. O'Shea has started the last two league matches for the Red Devils, picking up clean sheets in both. Keep an eye on that studly development.

Straddling the stud/dud fence this week? Agger and Reina are riding high after three straight clean sheets, and managers are flocking to invest in Liverpool's defense but West Ham pack a more powerful punch than you think.  Bellamy and Cole looked competent on the road at Sunderland last week, and while Sunderland are surely not Liverpool, I would not be surprised in the least to see the Hammers threaten at Anfield. Liverpool have been poor at home this season, but have still kept the clean sheets. Don't even think of benching your Liverpool stars, but it's just a slight worry/random thought! (I think I just like Zola's smile and perhaps West Ham are really rubbish.)

IV. A gameweek 15 fantasy premier league best eleven for you to debate:

GK: Kirkland

D: Agger - G. Johnson - L. Young

M: Ronaldo - Kuyt - A. Young - Geovanni - Downing

F: Agbonlahor - K. Jones

Good luck to all this weekend. Let's see Henri Camara get on the scoresheet.

Breaking News: Brilliant Butt Buddy Wins $100 from Soccer Pro

Congratulations to brilliant blog reader "Verbal97" for winning the Champions League Prediction Contest, and a $100 gift certificate to Soccer Pro.  Unless my maths are wrong, Verbal97 accurately predicted 11 of 16 midweek Champions League fixtures, just beating out the competition.

Verbal, make sure to email us at nevercaptainnickybutt [at] gmail [dot] com so we know where to send your $100 winning prize.

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the United States celebrating, and to our worldwide readers, Happy Thursday. To those of you with family or interest in Mumbai, we hope for safe and good news. Look for a weekend preview today or tomorrow.

Cheers.

Seedorf to Arsenal and Straight into FPL Squads Worldwide?

Deco (9.0MM), somehow, is still owned by 11% of fantasy premier league managers. Unreal. That's 192,658 players participating in the Premier League's official fantasy league who are wasting their money. 

Could Clarence Seedorf be the 'new' Deco come January - a worldwide superstar that is just too expensive to be effective in fantasy land? Or will he surprise and produce a la Geovanni?

Seedorf, who is the only player to win the UEFA Champions League with three different clubs, is eyeing a January switch to the Prem. Great news for us footie lovers, we'd love to see more class from the continent make its way over to the UK. 

Seedorf may be 32 years old but still has much to offer. We'll keep a close eye on this developing story and see where he lands... At 8.0MM alongside Cesc in the heart of Arsenal's midfield, he may just be worth a look, but at 9.0MM rotating with Giggs or Scholes at United, he'd be about as useful from a fantasy perspective as a wiener schnitzel, or Michael Ballack.

Lights, "Camara," Action!

I've always had a soft spot for Henri Camara. The Wigan forward plays with a smile on his face, and ever since Senegal's glorious World Cup run in 2002, I've been a massive Papa Bouba Diop and Camara supporter. They just looked like they were having fun. I like to have fun, so I like them.

The Senegalese striker is valued at only 4.7MM, and with Zamalek's Zaki's fantasy star fading due to injury, perhaps a punt on Camara may soon be in order. 

If (and this is a huge "if") Camara can nail down a starting role either alongside Heskey if Zaki remains injury prone, or alongside Zaki if Heskey gets transferred in January and/or suffers injuries as well, then Camara must be owned universally. At the bargain price of 4.7MM, he would be a wonderful bench option if he played regularly and would free up tons of cash to spend elsewhere...

Those Ismael Miller, Carlton Cole, Shola Ameobi, Ricardo Fuller, and Bobby Zamora owners should keep an extra eye on the strike force developments at the JJB stadium. A 4.7MM pearl of a player (with a smile on his face) could soon find his way onto your respective benches...

A New Butt Buddies Premier League Prediction Contest: Do you "Know the Score?"

Cesc Fabregas is Arsenal's new Captain. But can he perform in a leadership role? Never Captain Nicky Butt readers are brilliant fantasy footie managers, but can you guys perform in the real world where results matter more than bonus points?

We are proud to unveil our third and final "Butt Buddies Battle of Brilliance" Prediction Contest of 2008 today, with the winner taking home a $100 gift certificate to online soccer giant Soccer Pro.

The rules are easy. Just predict the results of this weekend's 10 Premier League fixtures, and the blog reader who is most accurate in his/her predictions will be declared the winner. Submissions will be accepted until 9:30AM Eastern Time on Saturday, November 29th.

In the case of a tie, we have two tiebreaker questions.

First, how many goals will be scored in the two Sunday matches played in London?  Second, how many yellow and red cards will be handed out at the City of Manchester Stadium in the big weekend derby?

Please post your predictions in the "comments" section of this post or email them to NeverCaptainNickyButt [at] gmail [dot] com.

Here are the gameweek 15 Premier League matches. Good luck to all of our readers and a special thanks goes out to Soccer Pro. We hope this is the beginning of a great run of "Butt Buddies Battle of Brilliance" contests that we will continue to offer from time to time in 2009!

Cheers.

Saturday, November 29, 2008
Time	Home		Away	VENUE
10:00 ET	Aston Villa	v	Fulham	Villa Park
10:00 ET	Middlesbrough	v	Newcastle	The Riverside Stadium
10:00 ET	Stoke	v	Hull	Britannia Stadium
10:00 ET	Sunderland	v	Bolton	Stadium of Light
10:00 ET	Wigan	v	West Brom	JJB Stadium

Sunday, November 30, 2008
Time	Home		Away	VENUE
8:30 ET	Man City	v	Man Utd	City of Manchester Stadium
10:00 ET	Portsmouth	v	Blackburn	Fratton Park
10:00 ET	Tottenham	v	Everton	White Hart Lane
11:00 ET	Chelsea	v	Arsenal	Stamford Bridge

Monday, December 1, 2008
Time	Home		Away	VENUE
15:00 ET	Liverpool	v	West Ham	Anfield

Ronaldo Road Woes Continue

The pretty boy injured his knee, and Manchester United failed to win.  Despite 8 goals in 5 homes matches this season, Ronaldo has failed to score in United's 5 matches away from Old Trafford. What a wanker. United's free flowing footie in front of friendly fans is brilliant to watch, but the brand of football played on the road has failed to inspire.

On a personal note, I went with the bold (reckless?) move and decided not to captain Ronaldo last night after Scolari confirmed Lampard would be fit, and while fat Frank had a point-blank chance to get on the scoresheet and give Chelsea a deserved lead, the heroic Shay Given came to Newcastle's rescue. 

Lampard was in all the right positions today and was at the center of Chelsea's attack - the team just forgot their finishing boots on the training ground, and Newcastle were also very organized (impressive, even) at the back.

Keep a close eye on Ronaldo's developing injury and his away from - a new fantasy footie rule may soon be written in stone - "Ronaldo rots on the road, go with Fat Frank for fantastic footie instead."

Stretch Your Damn Thigh, Dimitar: EPL Gameweek 14 Fantasy Preview

Well, it looks like Nic Anelka owners may be in for another price rise after Bulgaria's Berbatov picked up an international not-so-friendly thigh injury. Anelka (9.9MM) is in the form of his career and is already owned by 20% of managers, but those 17% of managers who own Berbatov (9.6MM) may now jump ship and head from Sofia to Paris to pick up the sulking Frenchman.

International breaks always turn otherwise injury free superstars into made of glass Dean Ashton clones, so I'm glad my true love is back - the Premier League.

Before we get to this weekend's fantasy footie preview, just a friendly reminder that we are offering a $100 gift certificate to Soccer Pro to the loyal blog reader who most accurately predicts next week's Champions League results. Just click on this link for the details.

Now to 1) the best "Real" fixture 2) the best "Fantasy" fixture 3) "studs" and "duds" and 4) a weekly best eleven:

I. Manchester United @ Aston Villa: Can Aston Villa make it two in a row against Top Four opposition? Probably not. The Midlanders have not taken a point off of United at home since 2001. Even with Berbatov missing the trip to Villa Park, Manchester United should have enough firepower to pick up an absolutely necessary away win. It's "make or break" time for Sir Alex's troops, and they should respond.

Villa front-man John Carew (this video really never gets old) could see a return to the starting lineup following a recent hip problem, and England call-ups Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor will lead the Villa line with renewed confidence after England's midweek away victory in Berlin.

Sir Alex Ferguson is suspended from the touchline for the match, so United fans will be hoping that the Scot knows how to use SMS to relay the tactical instructions and substitutions from afar.

Just like last week's Arsenal - Aston Villa match, this one is tough to call from a fantasy perspective. Investment in Villa's defense (Laursen (28%) and bargain option Luke Young (9%) are popular selections) won't pay dividends, but Young/Agbonlahor offer a somewhat brighter prospect. I fully expect Martin O'Neill to pack the midfield and shut down shop at home (remember Villa's 0-0 draw with Liverpool in August!?) while soaking up pressure and trying to nick a late goal on the counter-attack.

As for United, Ronaldo returns from an embarrassing trip to Brazil - no goals or assists in a 6-2 loss, and Berbatov misses out - handing a golden opportunity to forgotten stud Carlos Tevez - who looked lively and very impressive in Argentina's win over Scotland. Defoe/Berbatov owners may take a differentiation punt on Tevez, but more on that later...

Prediction: Manchester United 2-1

II. Newcastle @ Chelsea: Liverpool are home to Fulham but are without Gerrard, so Scolari's men get the tastiest matchup award once again. In what is fast becoming a broken fantasy record, the likes of Cech (check his injured calf), Bosingwa, Lampard (check his injured rib), and Anelka should be owned. Universally. This is the best team in the best league in the world and if fantasy managers don't feature at least one or two of the aforementioned Blues in their side, they will have a long and painful season...

Newcastle welcome back Michael Owen (8.4MM) so Ameobi and Martins owners should keep a close eye on their assets in the long run, but does anyone expect the pretty boy striker's return at Stamford Bridge to make much of a difference? Chelsea are simply too good at the moment.

Prediction: Chelsea 3-0

III. Studs: With Berbatov out of action, Tevez (9.1MM) could be a surprisingly effective short term choice for managers who simply can't afford Anelka. The Argentinian scored 14 goals last season and the extra 0.5MM in the bank could be spent on a defensive upgrade. Remember, Manchester United do not feature in Gameweek 18, so riding Tevez for the next 4 weeks and then dropping him for a Defoe or Agbonlahor prior to Gameweek 18 could be an interesting short-term strategy for those managers "chasing" leaders.  Other similarly priced Berbatov stud alternatives include Van Persie (9.3MM), Robinho (9.5MM) or Defoe (8.4MM).

Keep a close eye on stud Defoe, however, since he was replaced by Darren Bent with a slight muscle tweak in England's match with Germany.

Manchester United fans or Modric owners could also take a punt on England star boy Michael Carrick (6.9MM). Carrick is in-form for both club and country and turned in a Man of the Match performance last weekend against Stoke, picking up 3 bonus points in the process. With Tottenham's tiny midfield man Modric (6.9MM) out for two weeks, the 2% owned Carrick could see a spike in ownership - especially if he can wrestle away control of the midfield from Sidwell, Barry, or Reo-Coker this weekend. Just a thought.

Duds: Zaki once again straddles the stud/dud fence as he continues to disappoint after his hot start and his injury status is uncertain. With Arsenal's brilliant right-back Sagna (6.4MM) out of action for a while, the Gunners' defense gets even shakier, so don't expect too much from popular selections Clichy (13% owned) and Gallas (8% owned). Keep a close eye on Djourou, though. At 4.4MM, he would offer quite a bargain if he could gain an Alex-style mid-term slot in Arsenal's injury depleted and shaky back line. Bellamy (6.4MM) scored for Wales this week and Cole (5.5MM) is looking to get back on track for West Ham, so these recent duds could turn into studs in a hurry if they start brightly at Sunderland. With studs Jones and Cisse forming a nice partnership, expect a few goals in that matchup.

IV. A gameweek 14 fantasy premier league best eleven for you to debate:

GK: Sorensen

D: Agger - A. Cole - Belhadj

M: Delap - Ronaldo - Lampard - Downing - Kuyt

F: Anelka - Defoe

Butt Buddies Battle of Brilliance is Back: $100 Champions League Prediction Contest

Just in time for the busy holiday shopping season, we are launching two new "Butt Buddies Battle of Brilliance" soccer prediction contests, with the two winners each receiving a $100 gift certificate to online superstore SoccerPro.

As always, the contests are free to enter, so be sure to tell your footie-obsessed mates.

The first $100 contest is a Champions League Prediction Contest, and officially opens today with submissions accepted until 2:30PM Eastern on Tuesday, November 25th.

The rules of the Champions League Prediction Competition are simple. The blog reader who most accurately predicts the results of next week's Champions League matches (on November 25th and November 26th) will be declared the winner of a $100 gift certificate to Soccer Pro.

In the case of a tie, we have one tiebreaker question which we ask you to add to the bottom of your sixteen picks: Please predict the total number of goals scored in next week's Villarreal - Manchester United match.

Please post your predictions in the "comments" section of this post or email your predictions to NeverCaptainNickyButt [at] gmail [dot] com.

Remember, you can choose either a win/loss result or a draw for any of the 16 matches. Since The Champions League is still in group stages, matches can end in a draw.

Here are next week's (Matchday 5) Champions League matches. Thanks in advance to Soccer Pro & Good Luck to all of our readers! Stay tuned for our second $100 giveaway contest coming soon!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Time	Home		Away	STAGE	TV	VENUE
14:45 ET	Zenit St Petersburg	v	Juventus	Group H		Petrovski Stadium
14:45 ET	BATE Borisov	v	Real Madrid	Group H		Horodskiy Stadium
14:45 ET	Villarreal	v	Man Utd	Group E		Estadio El Madrigal
14:45 ET	AaB	v	Celtic	Group E		Aalborg Stadion
14:45 ET	Bayern Munich	v	Steaua Bucuresti	Group F		Allianz-Arena
14:45 ET	Fiorentina	v	Lyon	Group F		Artemio Franchi
14:45 ET	Fenerbahce	v	FC Porto	Group G		Sukru Saracoglu
14:45 ET	Arsenal	v	Dynamo Kiev	Group G		Emirates Stadium

Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Time	Home		Away	STAGE	TV	VENUE
14:45 ET	Bordeaux	v	Chelsea	Group A		Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas
14:45 ET	CFR Cluj-Napoca	v	Roma	Group A		Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu
14:45 ET	Inter Milan	v	Panathinaikos	Group B		Giuseppe Meazza
14:45 ET	Anorthosis Famagusta	v	Werder Bremen	Group B		Antonis Papadopoulos
14:45 ET	Sporting Lisbon	v	Barcelona	Group C		Jose Alvalade
14:45 ET	Atlético Madrid	v	PSV Eindhoven	Group D		Vicente Calderon
14:45 ET	Liverpool	v	Marseille	Group D		Anfield
14:45 ET	Shakhtar Donetsk	v	FC Basel	Group C		RSK Olimpiyskyi

Tosser Gets Three Match Ban

Didier Drogba has been hit with a three match ban for violent conduct. Nicolas Anelka is in the best form of his career. 

Should Dimitar Berbatov be universally dropped for the sulking Frenchman, or has the Anelka train passed its peak and is it now heading slowly but surely downhill towards the "inconsistent" form station?

You be the bandwagon judge.

5-3-2: Does Defense Win Championships?

A third of the Premier League season is in the books and fantasy managers are looking for an edge in their mini-leagues. An edge over your fellow managers. Bragging rights. A chance at the title next May. So you pick up Bent. Or you pick up Geovanni. Or Modric. Or Ireland. But you know what, your closest competitor (or league leader) also makes the same move. The value plays (6.0MM - 7.0MM) thus far this year are endless. High-priced options of the past (Fabregas, Gareth Barry, Gerrard) are just not worth it. So, what's a manager to do?

How about changing your formation from the preferred fantasy focus on attack and opening up your eyes to the beauty of an affordable Liverpool / Chelsea defense. 

Liverpool have kept 8 clean sheets in 13 matches. Chelsea have kept 9 clean sheets in 13 matches. Both teams have been hit hard on the injury front (Carvalho, Skrtel) thus presenting huge short term scoring opportunties (Alex, Agger). But what about making these "Short-term" bets on the best defenses in the world a long-term strategy?

While in the real world there may not be any stocks worth betting the house on, in the beautiful world of fantasy footie, there are clearly two defenses to bet the house on: Liverpool and Chelsea.

You can still keep Ronaldo, and even Lampard too. But you can differentiate from your competitors by realizing profits on your mid-priced midfielders/attacks (Zaki? Ireland?) for the consistency of Top 4 defensive beauty.

Let's look at my team as an example. Trading in part of my personal team, "Lassana Diarra FC," sitting on 727 points, which is worth ~ 105M, for a Liverpool/Chelsea team, is easy, and this is what it could buy:

GK: Reina - Schwarzer

D: Carvalho - Ashley Cole - Evra - Agger - Paintsil

M: Ronaldo - Lampard - Arteta - Geovanni - Delap

F: Defoe - C. Cole - I. Miller

The three rotating substitutes would then be Paintsil, Delap, and Miller depending on opponent - all integral parts of their respected teams. (If Defoe - C. Cole isn't your thing you could go Bent/Zaki... but I'm trying to stray from the "Bandwagon" picks here...)

Just a thought... If you are having a "down" year (like I am), and want to make some bold moves to catch up to league leaders, a gamble on Chelsea/Liverpool clean sheets seems like it could pay off this season more than ever before...

Thoughts? Math? Opinions on the worth of Liverpool/Chelsea defensive options? 

Let your voices be heard.

Footnote: Last season, Chelsea and Manchester United led the Premier League with 21 clean sheets each. This season, Chelsea are on pace for 27.

Make Nice with Craig Bellamy: A Stepovers Anonymous Exclusive

I've been high on Craig Bellamy for about a month now. Why? Certainly not because he's scoring goals. And not because he's racking up assists. It's because I honestly believe that soon, he'll "blow up."

No, not "blow up" on a manager, Souness style (2005). (Whatever you do, don't pull Bellamy off at the most critical stage of a match. His Newcastle boss made that mistake three years ago and was subsequently told to "F--- off!" as our man marched off the pitch.) The Welshman was eventually kicked to the curb - and ended up at Anfield.

In the midst of a terrible losing streak at West Ham, will Bellamy turn on his jovial Italian leader Gianfranco Zola? No indication yet. In fact, I'm pretty sure Bellamy genuinely wants Zola to be a player-coach. What is this, the early '90s in the American NPSL? Managers just can't jump in for a five-minute shift and "terrorise defenders." But I digress...

No, not "blow up" on a teammate, Riise style (2007). (Whatever you do, don't mess with Bellamy on karaoke night. When John Arne decided to sing "Sweet Caroline," at a night club in Portugal, our Welshman wasn't having it. Only Bellamy sings Neil Diamond. Lucky for Bellamy, there was a golf club leaning against the bar that he could swing at his Liverpool teammate.) They of course laughed it off and combined for a goal in the Champions League a few days later. You just can't make this stuff up.

I'm talking "blowing up" on the pitch, Fantasy style (2008-2009!). With Mark Noble still out due to injury, Bellamy is on every spot kick and corner kick for the Hammers. Couple that with his Premier League goalscoring record (when healthy) and you get a player worth much more than his price tag (6.4MM) suggests.

He may not be the best teammate. He may not be the most coach-able player. But I sure as hell want to be the only player in my fantasy league to own him when he gets his first hat trick of the campaign.

We at Never Captain Nicky Butt think Bellamy should be on your shortlist at 6.4MM.

No stats. No complicated theory. Just instinct.

EPL Gameweek 13 Fantasy Preview: Bent Price Rises & He's Benched for Pav/Frazier Campbell and/or Sprains an Ankle in the First Half

It always happens to bandwagon managers. You pick up the flavor of the week (or month) and the purple patch of goals disappears. That's the fantasy premier league for you. Who will be surprised if Fulham shut out Tottenham at Craven Cottage? Not me. The game has disappointment written all over it. Nevertheless, I'm hoping for a goal-fest (employing both Modric and Bent) and why not - I'm feeling lucky. After all, Tottenham are sponsored by Mansion, an internet casino.

Now, let's take a look at 1) the best "real life" fixture, 2) the most fantasy friendly match, 3) "studs" and "duds," and 4) a predicted weekly best eleven.

I. Aston Villa @ Arsenal: Arsenal are unbeaten in 19 Premier League matches against Aston Villa and despite entering the fixture without their most lethal goalscorers (suspended RvP and injured Adebayor), the Gunners are riding high after beating Manchester United and Wigan this week. American Brad Friedel and blog favorite Ashley Young have played every minute of every Premier League game for Villa this season, and in the latter's case, perhaps it's starting to take a physical toll.

John Carew is a major doubt for Martin O'Neill's men with a hip problem, which should allow Arsenal to concentrate on Young/Agbonlahor without the aerial worry from the lap dance loving big Norweigan. Still suspect in the air (and on set pieces), the Gunners could be vulnerable to the Laursen/Young free kick - corner kick combination, especially in a week that has seen thousands of fantasy managers drop the once studly duo. This just seems like "one of those weeks" where Young and Laursen combine for a goal after being massively dropped by managers in the past few days.

Let's talk about Cesc, baby. Too expensive to own (9.7MM) but perhaps coming into form (2 assists in his last two matches, and 2 bonus points against United - not too shabby), Fabregas should be at the center of all things good for Arsenal. If the Spaniard can control the midfield and subdue the combative Reo-Coker or Sidwell, Arsenal will be in total control.

Prediction: Arsenal 2 - 1

II. Chelsea @ WBA: Ronaldo-reliers may be a bit worried after seeing Stoke beat Arsenal at home and hold Liverpool to a draw at Anfield, so I've gone with Chelsea on the road as the most "fantasy friendly" matchup. WBA have won three games out of 12 and sit at the bottom of the table. Worst versus first. It's a fantasy no-brainer.

Chelsea will perhaps have a bit more in the tank for this one after a disappointing Carling Cup exit. Alex (5.7MM) should continue as a brilliant bargain blog favorite in the centre of defence alongside the due-for-a-goal John Terry. Lampard will, as always, produce. Look for an assist or goal, at least for Frank. Those bold managers chasing league leaders should probably give Lampard the Captain's Armband and hope for Stoke to park the team bus in the box and hold United to a low-scoring, dull affair. Too much quality on the pitch for Chelsea not to thrash WBA.

Prediction: Chelsea 4 - 0 

III. Studs: Bendtner (5.3MM) and Diaby (5.3MM) as value plays at home. Anelka (9.7MM) has scored 5 goals in his last two matches and featured prominently in our "Best Eleven" last week, but faces a bit of competition from coin throwing crazy man Didier Drogba. I see Anelka going 60 minutes, so if you own him, stick with him, he could easily put one in past the Stoke defense. Stay away from Drogba (10.9MM) until Scolari establishes his first choice striker. In-form Election Day vote getter Dirk Kuyt (8.8MM) is straddling the "stud" / "dud" fence this week as Fernando Torres comes back into the reckoning to become the focal point of Liverpool's attack and The Reebok Stadium is a tough place to visit.

Duds: Highly-owned Portsmouth defenders Glen Johnson (10%) Armand Traore (8%) and Sol Campbell (7%) may have squeaked out an away victory at Sunderland last time out, but looked very shaky and vulnerable in the process. West Ham's form is terrible, and many fantasy managers are jumping on Belhadj (4.5MM) or sticking with Traore (4.8MM) but even though Zola's boys are pitiful at the moment, they still have attacking talent in Bellamy and the returning Carlton Cole.  Scott Parker also looked lively last weekend. I expect West Ham to score at home, disappointing the many new Johnson/Traore/Belhadj owners.

IV. A gameweek 13 fantasy premier league best eleven for you to debate (updates in bold):

GK: Van Der Sar

D: Alex (Ivanovic) - Agger - Jagielka

M: Ronaldo - Lampard - Arteta - Modric - Geovanni

F: Anelka - Santa Cruz

All Tottenham, All the Time.

The fantasy premier league world is going bananas over blog favorites Bent, Bentley, and Modric. Tottenham reached the Carling Cup Quarter-finals in style, downing in-form Liverpool's second string side with ease.

But that's not the only good news coming out of White Hart Lane. Reports have surfaced that Harry Redknapp is prepared to launch a bid for Barcelona stud Gai Assulin in the January transfer window.

Take it from me, since I'm practically his cousin, but the Israeli could make a superb (long-term) impact on fantasy premier league managers' score totals if he joins his good friend Giovani Dos Santos in the Tottenham midfield.

I've had the privilege of seeing Assulin play for the Israel youth setup and for the national team in a friendly match against Chile, and the youngster is a promising talent. His speed is easily equivalent to Frazier Campbell/Darren Bent but his greatest attribute is his vision. A mini-Modric (but much faster) perhaps, and a good understudy/substitute in that position. 

You haven't heard of him before, but you have now. Gai Assulin. You'll thank me when you win your 2011-2012 fantasy premier league.

Cheers.

Scouting Sixteen Year-Olds. Yes, It's Legal.

I feel like I'm back in high school, fixating my eyes on the fittest birds in my physics class. Arsenal's youngsters are at it again, this time slaying Zaki and his Wigan squad. 

The Gunners' oldest player on the pitch was 23-year old goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. An interesting fact (perhaps you could submit that fact for your chance to win a free Arsenal jersey).

Arsenal's youngest stud today was Jack Wilshere (16 years old and valued at 4.9MM in the Premier League fantasy game) whilst 19-year old Carlos Vela (pictured above and carrying a fantasy value of 5.9MM) scored a brilliant goal. 

Keep an eye out on these two lads for the 2009-2010 fantasy season. If either are priced under 6.0MM to start next season, and/or van Persie or Adebayor leave the Gunners, and/or Vela or Wilshere are loaned out (like Armand Traore) to other Premier League clubs, we could all be in for a bargain treat.

But enough talk of tomorrow. Hope. Change. The future. Let's leave that to Obama, and stick with "today."

Today: Have a spare free transfer to make this week and feeling lucky? Take a punt on Arsenal's cheap frontman Bendtner (5.3MM) or midfielder Diaby (5.3MM - Ireland owners take notice) as they look to lead the line against Aston Villa's shaky defense this weekend.

Both players were rested for the Carling Cup after featuring in the 2-1 win over United. 

Brilliant Butt Buddies - Show off your Brains at Soccer Pro this week...

My friends, Never Captain Nicky Butt's favorite soccer shop Soccer Pro is collecting soccer trivia facts this week and giving away free replica jerseys every day November 10th - 16th.

Share some of your favorite soccer facts and who knows, maybe you'll win a great jersey.

Good luck.

This is the contest site.

PS - In the "comments" section - why don't we all let each other know the clubs/countries we support.

Drop Your Trousers Ireland. Actually, Forget the Trousers. Just Drop Ireland.

In what's becoming a common theme for our blog recently, those "one month bargain wonders" (First Denilson (remember him?!?), then Armand Traore, and now Stephen Ireland) that fantasy premier league managers oooed and ahhhed over for the first 1/4 of the season now look like dead weight...

Only 32% of the season is over, but managers are in mid-season crisis mode - wondering if their high-priced studs Ashley Young and Mikel Arteta will break out of their slumps, or if their mid-priced bargain buys Ireland and Traore should be shipped out.

Speaking of 32%, that is the percentage of managers that own Stephen Ireland.  He is the most owned midfielder in the game. Incredible. The shorts-dropper, however, has not scored or assisted in 4 matches, and faces Manchester United and Arsenal in two of his next three. Unless he was your next door neighbor growing up, you must seriously consider dropping him immediately after this weekend's match against Hull. 

Ireland's price is stuck at 6.4MM (and will likely fall to 6.3MM within the week) so for those of you who got in at 5.5MM or even 6.0MM like I did, now seems as good a time as any to just let him go. Please.

32% of managers. That's more than own Gerrard (16%) and Fabregas (15%) combined. Wow.

As we've mentioned previously, if you can afford the bump up in price - look at Modric (6.9MM) or Bentley (7.2MM). If you want to go with the "bandwagon" play - look at Hull's Geovanni (5.9MM) and if you want to differentiate yourself from your peers and get risky (always fun) look at Osman (5.9MM), Bullard (6.3MM), or Kranjcar (6.1MM). Those last two in particular (with free kick duties in quality sides Fulham and Portsmouth, respectively) look definite bets to out-score Ireland from here on out.

Any Manchester City fans disagree?

We've Traored for Months, but All Good Things Come to an End...

We jumped on the bargain option very, very early - way back in September, when he was less than one percent owned.  We hope you did too.

But just as we predicted last month, the short term love affair is officially over.

Armand Traore gave us a nice run of clean sheets, a modest price increase, and a bit of attacking flair under Harry Redknapp - but with 'Arry now in London - it looks like our man Armand must turn from a blog favorite to a blog bust.

Will you stick with Traore and hope he retains his spot? Will you jump on Bolton's cheap (4.3MM) out of position option, Ricardo Gardner?  Perhaps the (dare I say it, over-rated) Hull back line will lure you into a move for Zayatte (4.2MM)?  If you own Traore, now is your chance to speak up. WWATOD? What would a Traore owner do?

Let us know in the comments. 

Nasri!

He's no Franck Ribery. Hell, he's not even a "studly" fantasy selection, but you have to give the little Frenchman some respect.

Chelsea and Liverpool fans - a little French love for you on an early Saturday morning.

Arsenal fans - We've been hard on you in the past, but as Ali G would say, "Big Ups."

Does Diego "Know the Score?" I do.

I gamble. I probably shouldn't, but I do. I keep Excel spreadsheets, stick to the maths, play the numbers, and only bet on what I know best - the Premier League. More often than not, I'm left at the end of the weekend exactly where I started: no big losses, no big gains, nothing special.

So, as Argentina "gambles" on Diego Maradona, I figured I'd share some of my "I Know the Score" choices for the upcoming Premier League gameweek - a week that offers some very tricky matchups and a lack of real "clear cut" choices. Your best bet (literally) is probably to choose the opposite of every one of my picks.

Manchester United to Win + 130   ($20 bet pays out $46 total)

Man City - Tottenham Over 2.5 Goals Total - 153 ($20 bet pays out $33 total)

Aston Villa to Win - 153 ($20 bet pays out $33 total)

Fulham - Newcastle to Draw + 220 ($20 bet pays out $64 total)

Sunderland - Portsmouth to Draw + 220 ($20 bet pays out $64 total)

EPL Gameweek 12 Fantasy Preview: A Weekly Best Eleven "Inaugurated" (with Obama's Approval)

Since we're feeling the inspirational "change" momentum in the U.S., we figured we may as well take a cue from Obama and "change" our weekly preview just a bit.

We're still going to discuss 1) the best "real life" Premier League fixture, 2) the most "fantasy friendly" matchup, and 3) "studs" and "duds" to keep in mind, but we've decided to add a "Weekly Best Eleven" to the format.

Hopefully, this will offer another chance to debate and grow our community of opinions. We have some brilliant readers, and want to keep you guys on your toes. We aren't "Professors," and this isn't a lecture, we are just "Teaching Assistants" and we hope this will become a superb fantasy footie round table.  

Now, let's get on with the week.

I. Manchester United @ Arsenal: The Gunners face an absolutely must-win matchup on Saturday after going down to lightweights Stoke last weekend. Add injury (Adebayor's ankle) to insult (van Persie's straight red card) and it looks like Arsene's men (boys) don't stand much of a chance on Saturday. 

Surprisingly, this Big 4 clash offers some bargain options for those (very) adventurous managers.

Danish international Nicklas Bendtner (5.3MM) should start for Arsenal up front but is a long shot to hit the scoresheet, even at home. Gary Neville (5.5MM) was rested midweek, and featured for United at Chelsea in a similar "big game" earlier this season, so he should see action.

The real question, naturally, rests with Ronaldo. Should managers give the stud the Captain's Armband, even away from home at a Big 4 club? I think the answer is yes. Arsenal conceded 4 at home to Tottenham, and Ronaldo is, well, Ronaldo. Be bold and go with Lampard at Blackburn if you'd like, that wouldn't be as strange as Mascherano rejecting the armband from Maradona, but it would be pretty strange nonetheless.

Prediction: Arsenal 1 - 2 Manchester United

II. WBA @ Liverpool: Torres did not even make the bench against Atletico Madrid mid-week, so it looks like Kuyt & company will have to take care of WBA without their Spanish golden boy.

Agger (5.9MM) ventured forward with reckless abandon in Champions League action and looks a long term bargain despite the threat of super-old super-servant to the club, Sami Hyypia (5.3MM). Any inside Liverpool connections or tips here would be greatly appreciated. Email us at nevercaptainnickybutt [at] gmail [dot] com with any Hyypia/Agger news or other Premier League tidbits. We'd love to hear from you.

Xabi Alonso (6.1MM) is in form (6 bonus points in his last four matches), and has started 11 straight Premier League fixtures. Could he be a replacement for the fading Ireland (6.4MM) or is Geovanni still a better long term choice? Even if he's not selected, at least he still has a brilliant looking bird to come home to after training.

Prediction: Liverpool 3 - 0 WBA

III. Value Studs: Hull's Myhill (4.1MM) and Geovanni (5.7MM and rising!) take on Ricardo Gardner and Bolton at home while Alex (5.6MM) continues to offer an excellent bargain for Chelsea, despite the away matchup.

Surprise Studs: Fulham's Jimmy Bullard (6.3MM) is a form selection and takes on Newcastle at Craven Cottage. Bentley (7.2MM) and Modric (6.8MM) are two huge blog favorites who should see their fantasy fortunes change under Redknapp in the future, but are teetering on the stud/dud fence this weekend as they travel to the always unpredictable Manchester City.

Duds: I love them as much (or more) than the next guy, but Peter Crouch (7.8MM) and Jermain Defoe (8.5MM) face a "tougher than you think" matchup at Roy Keane's Sunderland. Sunderland conceded 5 at Chelsea last weekend, so Defoe/Crouch owners may be tempted to stick the Captain's Armband on their little/big studs since Ronaldo faces Arsenal away, but look for Sunderland to tighten up at the back in a lower scoring affair.

IV. A Gameweek 12 Best Eleven for you to debate:

GK: Reina

D: Agger - Alex - Zayatte

M: Ronaldo - Lampard - Kuyt - Arteta - Geovanni 

F: Zaki - Anelka

Please leave us suggestions in the comments for sections you'd like to see in the future and/or give us your weekly studs and duds... Good luck to everyone.

Election Day Decision: Dirk Kuyt or Ashley Young?

Blog favorite Ashley Young has been a staple in our fantasy lineups since his good old newly-promoted Watford days, years ago.  But with only one assist (and zero goals) in his last five matches, the out-of-form speedster has hit a rough patch, and faces Manchester United and Arsenal in his next 2-of-3 Premier League fixtures.

On the other hand, similarly priced Dirk Kuyt has scored 4 goals in his last 5 matches, and faces West Brom, Bolton, and Fulham in his next three. Wow-a-wee-wa.

It looks like Young won't come close to last year's 8 goal and 17 assist campaign this year, so, on Election Day, I leave it up to you - the brilliant Butt readers - to decide. 

Ashley Young or Dirk Kuyt? Imagine the season started today and you had a clean 8.6MM slate to spend, but you could only spend it on one of these two studs. No Arteta's, Ireland's, or Bentley's. Who would get your vote?

Let your voices be heard. 

Jamaica's Captain Gardner Worth an Out of Position Fantasy Premier League Punt?

He started his career at Bolton as a left winger (that explains the # 11 jersey), but was converted to left-back under former boss Sam Allardyce.

Why, oh why, did "Big Sam" employ the Jamaican speedster in his back four rather than galloping up and down the wings? It looks like we may have a new "Armand Traore," for those Traore owners looking over your shoulders as Niko regains his fitness (and Portsmouth place).

Ricardo Gardner (4.3MM) featured as a left winger for Gary Megson's Bolton on the weekend and caused headaches for Manchester City's defense on the counter-attack.

Here at Never Captain Nicky Butt, we love "out of position" value plays. While Kompany's tenure as an attractive bargain has run out, and Armand Traore's value looks like it's about to plummet, Gardner could offer an interesting, cheap option, if he continues playing in midfield.

Players like Traore and the currently 1% owned Gardner won't win you a fantasy title, but they will offer decent returns at bargain prices and allow you to free up cash to spend elsewhere. Last year, Clinton Dempsey featured as Fulham's main striker, but listed as a midfielder in the fantasy premier league game, he helped those owners who went for the bargain punt - at least for 2-3 months. 

Keep a close eye on the speedy Jamaican, this may just be his 2-3 month window to come up with a few assists here and there and the occasional home clean sheet.

If you own Garrido and/or Traore, you may now have another decently priced option should you choose to drop one or both of those selections.