This week in our fantasy football leagues we have some interesting match-ups with some teams on a revival against some who are looking to consolidate their positions in the leagues, as well as a high ranked humdinger and a personal derby match in the draft league.
The NineSixFourTwo Fantasy League
First we have the improving I Don’t Like Football, who has come back from two heavy losses in the first two weeks to have a 3-3 record, against top placed Skivers United. Last week Skivers United racked up a massive 68 points against Old Warsonians, whilst I Don’t Like Football won a low scoring match against Giroudsandstorm 38-36. However, it does appear that I Don’t Like Football’s success has more to do with luck than any great skill, as he is probably inactive, with 10 players not scoring any points last week. Therefore, barring any major catastrophe it looks like Skivers United should easily take this game, possibly by a large margin.
The second game features Number Nine’s West Side Warriors going up against the somewhat out of form Old Warsonians. Old Warsonians find themselves in 9th place, having only won 2 games so far this season. However, there were some close and unfortunate losses early on, and again last week against the in-form Skivers United, which may show that the situation is less Old Warsonians being poor, and more the opposition being excellent. The West Side Warriors, on the other hand, find themselves in 5th place, behind Dewtastic on goal difference. However, all of NumberNine’s wins have come from playing against the newer teams at a time those teams were struggling. Each of his games against established teams have been a loss, including a 60-48 loss last week to the Brummie Bumblers. So this may be a game where the Old Warsonians re-find their form from the last few years.
The third game is a bit of a classic, with Dewtastic vs Edster’s Dreamteam. Dewtastic is having an average start so far, with 3 wins and 3 losses, to find himself fourth on the ladder. Much like Number Nine, his wins have come against the newer teams, and NumberNine, whilst Dewtastic has also lost against established teams, and my Fools. Edster’s Dreamteam on the other hand have had a poor season so far. After winning their first two games against My fools and newcomers Giroudsandstorm, Eddie has failed to win another game. Compounded to this, his normally high scoring team has not been as free scoring as normal. The first two games were 65+ games, but since then he has only scored over 40 once, last weeks 68-53 loss to Men Behaving Chadli. This looks like it will be Dewtastics game, and a chance to cement fourth spot and put daylight between himself and the rest of the pack
Next up is Brummie Bubmlers vs GIroudSandStorm. The Brummie Bumblers have started this season like they ended last year and find themselves 3rd after 4 wins and 2 losses, including a first week win over current leaders Skivers United, as well as Old Warsonians, Dewtastic and NumberNine. This is showign that the Bumblers are in fine form, whilst Giroudsandstorm is in anything but good form. They have only won one game, the first game against Old Warsonians, and the only game to have two teams scoring 60+ points. Since then they have lost to Eddie, Men Behaving Chadli, Skivers, NumberNine and I Don’t Like Football. However, looking at his teams each week, it appears his issue is more with the amount of transfers he is doing (-20 points last week), so if he can settle on a team he might do well (although he will need to get rid of
Agüero
now). Still, I see the Bumblers taking this one easily.
The last game of the week is Men Behaving Chadli vs Teh Chelski Fools. Men Behaving Chadli had a bit of a poor start, losing the first two weeks against Dewtastic and NumberNine, before winning the next two against Giroudsandstorm and Brummie Bumblers. However, last week they had a complete makeover with the playing of the transfer wildcard which brought about a 68-53 win over Eddie. Unfortunately for Men Behaving Chadli, this overhaul included
Agüero, who is now out for 10-12 weeks, so he will have to find a new striker (not hard when you have all
Agüero’s money floating about). My Fools, on the other hand, are sitting in second, having only lost to Eddie in the first week, and Skivers in week 5, both times scoring 50 points. Overall I am scoring 51.67 points per game, whilst Men Behaving Chadli is only scoring 44.67, albeit that was before his makeover. Still I will still back myself to win, which will ensure I keep pressure on Skivers at the top, and don’t lose position to the Brummie Bumblers.
The NineSixFourTwo Fantasy Football Draft League
In the draft league we have a round full of established teams vs newbies. First up is Toe_Hack United vs my Chelski Fools. Toe_Hack United finds himself in 4th place, after 4 wins over NumberNine, Twxt, Xenon, and his great rival [Team Name for Sale]. However, he has not been scoring a lot of points each week, and has mostly won on the backs of others doing worse than him. Toe_Hack United has only averaged 31.50 points per game, which is the worst of the league, barring the bottom two teams. His 30.33 points conceded per game average, however, is the best of the league; which shows in great clarity where Toe_Hack’s wins have come from. In contrast, my fools are at the top of the table, having only lost one game to Old Warsonians, 46-41 in week 5. My team has scored 41.33 points per game (3rd best in the league), and conceded 34 points, with only Toe_Hack bettering that in the league. This all leads me to believe that my Fools will prevail.
Second in the draft league is Average vs Old Warsonians. Much like our first few years in the standard league, Mr Average has shown the rest of us up as the hacks we really are, with only Twxt so far being able to beat the average week’s score. The bar hasn’t even been set that high, with the average average score being 36.67 points/week on average…. average. Old Warsonains, however, does have a decent points per game average of 40.5, 4th best in the league, but has come up against good weeks from others, conceding the 49.33 points per game, the highest except for bottom placed Xenon. He did however, score 61 points last week against Xenon, so is probably well placed to beat the average this week.
The third game in the draft league is Bluetastic vs Xenon. Bluetastic have not quite found last years form which took them to the top of the league, finding themselves mid-table at 7th, with 3 wins and 3 losses, scoring 38.17 points per game and conceding 40.00. However, this week they are playing the bottom side of the league, Xenon, who has not managed a win yet and has conceded 50.33 points per game on average, whilst only scoring 31.17. Both of these stats are the worst in the league, and unlikely to get any better this week, as Bluetastic should easily win.
Next up is Dewtastic vs [Team Name for Sale]. Dewtastic have had a good draft league so far this season, sitting third just behind Mr Average and my Fools. He has scored 41.50 points per game, the second best in the league, and conceded 37.50. On the other hand [Team Name for Sale] is in their first fantasy football season and are sitting 10th, after only winning 2 games so far this season. [Team Name for Sale] have managed to score 37.50 points per game on average, which is the best of the new teams after Guns N’Moses (who have the best in the league). In [Team Name for Sale]’s benefit, they have only conceded 36.67 points per game, leaving them with a positive goal difference. However, this week may prove that stats are not always everything, as [Team Name for Sale] has a lot of Spurs players in his squad, including Kane, who are playing Huddersfield this week, and so should get good points from that. Meanwhile Dewtastic has a much more wide ranging squad, but is based a lot around Chelsea’s Morata, who will be finding it hard to score against Manchester City this week. Therefore, I think an upset is on the cards and [Team Name for Sale] will take this match.
Next is an West Auckland Derby, between Number Nine’s Massey Marauders and Henderson at heart, Twxt. This game will have a lot of personal pride riding on it, and will allow Twxt a lot of bragging rights if he wins. There is a good chance he might as well, he is currently in 5th position, 4 spots and 4 points ahead of Number Nine. His stats are worse, having scored 34.00 points per game, and conceded 39.17, leaving him a differential of -31, but with a recod of 3 wins, 2 loses and a draw. Meanwhile Number Nine has 2 wins, 4 losses, 37.83 points per game, and conceded 36.17. Squads are also interesting, as Twxt has a lot of Arsenal players, who play Brighton this week, whilst Number Nine has a much broader base, but also includes Man City’s Jesus who will now be a more focal point of the City attack, albeit against Chelsea this week. I am also going to call this for the newbie, with Twxt’s Arsenal squad doing more than enough to beat Number Nine this week.
Last up is I Don’t Like Football vs Guns N’Moses. I Don’t like football is having a much harder time in the draft league than the standard league (although is likely as inactive in both) and finds themselves in 11th spot, with just 1 win against Toe_Hack United. He has scored 31.00 points and conceded 40.00 points per game (only team to have a round figure for both scored and conceded). Meanwhile Guns N’Moses is showing that Casey is focusing much more on the draft league than his standard league Giroudsandstorm team, as he is 6th in the draft, scoring 43.83 points per game (the highest in the league), and conceding 38.00. Given I Don’t Like Football had 4 players in their scoring team that didn’t actually score any points at all (8 total, including all subs), and Guns N’Moses have a decent squad, I will give this game to Guns N’Moses.
NineSixFourTwo 