After a dreadful start things may be turning around for Tim Howard. A second clean sheet of the season against Aston Villa last week, has the potential this week to turn into a third against Burnley. Howard has been behind an unsettled defence but they finally got a couple of nice match ups, and, most importantly, got Seamus Coleman back and they seem to be gelling which should spell success for Howard.
Coleman and his running mate, Leighton Baines, top the options in defence this week but they have been joined by another surprisingly full back combination in Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne and Ryan Bertrand. Southampton kept another clean sheet last week while their attack walloped a struggling Sunderland group meaning their main three defenders all rank in the top 10 this year.
In Midfield, David Silva and Aaron Ramsey have slipped out of the elite options after a few barren weeks but they are still must starts in the top 20. They are joined by Ross Barkley who returned from injury last week with a clean sheet and an assist. Southampton’s Dusan Tadic put up 23 points last week and that has catapulted him up the rankings because he showed he could take solid performances and deliver amazing potential. Angel Di Maria is the big worry among midfielders after leaving during Monday’s game with a slight strain and you will see my opinions on him below.
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Up top, Sergio Agüero is flying high alone in the top tier with the question marks over Diego Costa seeing him slide out of the top tier. Confirmation of his availability would see him slip in just below Agüero alongside the top five options, but we’re unlikely to get that out of Jose. Graziano Pelle has put together a great set of performance and he sits in that top five group with Danny Welbeck and Romelu Lukaku, who should deliver this week.
After my rankings for each position is the latest injury news on the players I judge to be fantasy worthy. If your player isn’t listed here but is injured it means I don’t think he is worth owning and you should drop him immediately for a streaming option.
Goalkeepers
Elite
| Names | Team | Opponent | YTD |
| Howard | Everton | Burnley | 18 |
Must Starts
| Lloris | Tottenham | Newcastle | 39 |
| Hart | Man City | West Ham | 30 |
| Forster | Southampton | Stoke | 33 |
| Courtois | Chelsea | Man Utd | 25 |
| Mignolet | Liverpool | Hull | 22 |
| Szczesny | Arsenal | Sunderland | 18 |
Good Starts
| Fabianski | Swansea | Leicester | 28 |
| Guzan | Aston Villa | QPR | 28 |
Risky Starts
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| Green | QPR | Aston Villa | 18 |
| Foster | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 23 |
| Begovic | Stoke | Southampton | 25 |
| De Gea | Man Utd | Chelsea | 28 |
| Krul | Newcastle | Tottenham | 22 |
| Speroni | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 29 |
Desperate Starts
| Mannone | Sunderland | Arsenal | 27 |
| Heaton | Burnley | Everton | 28 |
| Schmeichel | Leicester | Swansea | 14 |
| Jakupovic | Hull | Liverpool | 2 |
Avoid at all Costs
| Adrian | West Ham | Man City | 21 |
Injuries
McGregor (Hull) Shoulder (22nd November): As I’ve said before the length of time he is out is too much to hold onto but with only 20 legitimate options weekly there isn’t a lot of match up plays out there. If you have him and you trust your current #1 then hold onto him and hope he comes back strong.
Green (QPR) Illness (75%): He missed last week but I am expecting him to return this week. Only start him if your other goalkeeper is ranked lower than him. Goalkeepers in the same tier should be picked over him this week.
Harper (Hull) Arm (Unknown): He had the potential to be useful for you for a few weeks but now that goes to Jakupovic.
Ospina (Arsenal) Thigh (75%): Not fantasy relevant but there are so few goalkeepers I thought I’d list him.
Defenders
Elite
| Names | Team | Opponent | YTD |
| Baines | Everton | Burnley | 44 |
| Coleman | Everton | Burnley | 27 |
| Clyne | Southampton | Stoke | 42 |
| Bertrand | Southampton | Stoke | 43 |
Near Elite
| Ivanovic | Chelsea | Man Utd | 46 |
| Jagielka | Everton | Burnley | 35 |
| Kompany | Man City | West Ham | 23 |
| Mangala | Man City | West Ham | 6 |
| Fonte | Southampton | Stoke | 35 |
| Alderweield | Southampton | Stoke | 16 |
Must Starts
| Mertesacker | Arsenal | Sunderland | 18 |
| Gibbs | Arsenal | Sunderland | 15 |
| Koscielny | Arsenal | Sunderland | 20 |
| Chambers | Arsenal | Sunderland | 16 |
| Kaboul | Tottenham | Newcastle | 25 |
| Rose | Tottenham | Newcastle | 25 |
| Vertonghen | Tottenham | Newcastle | 16 |
Solid Match ups
| Cissokho | Aston Villa | QPR | 22 |
| Hutton | Aston Villa | QPR | 22 |
| Vlaar | Aston Villa | QPR | 17 |
| Cahill | Chelsea | Man Utd | 24 |
| Terry | Chelsea | Man Utd | 24 |
| Luis | Chelsea | Man Utd | 2 |
| Ward | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 18 |
| Kelly | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 14 |
| Caulker | QPR | Aston Villa | 18 |
| Shawcross | Stoke | Southampton | 31 |
| Bardsley | Stoke | Southampton | 24 |
| Wilson | Stoke | Southampton | 25 |
| Pieters | Stoke | Southampton | 20 |
| Williams | Swansea | Leicester | 27 |
| Rangel | Swansea | Leicester | 20 |
| Taylor | Swansea | Leicester | 26 |
Tough Match ups
| Robertson | Hull | Liverpool | 23 |
| Davies | Hull | Liverpool | 14 |
| Johnson | Liverpool | Hull | 7 |
| Rojo | Man Utd | Chelsea | 10 |
| Rafael | Man Utd | Chelsea | 17 |
| Shaw | Man Utd | Chelsea | 5 |
| Jones | Man Utd | Chelsea | 16 |
| Wisdom | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 27 |
| Dawson | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 28 |
| Pocognoli | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 18 |
| Lescott | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 14 |
Question Marks
| Monreal | Arsenal | Sunderland | 10 |
| Senderos | Aston Villa | QPR | 21 |
| Baker | Aston Villa | QPR | 12 |
| Clark | Aston Villa | QPR | 1 |
| Zouma | Chelsea | Man Utd | 0 |
| Hangeland | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 9 |
| Mariappa | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 7 |
| Fryers | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 1 |
| Dann | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 26 |
| Distin | Everton | Burnley | 5 |
| Alcaraz | Everton | Burnley | 6 |
| Rosenior | Hull | Liverpool | 7 |
| Chester | Hull | Liverpool | 19 |
| Bruce | Hull | Liverpool | 2 |
| Moreno | Liverpool | Hull | 19 |
| Skrtel | Liverpool | Hull | 9 |
| Lovren | Liverpool | Hull | 17 |
| Manquillo | Liverpool | Hull | 13 |
| Sakho | Liverpool | Hull | 10 |
| Toure | Liverpool | Hull | 1 |
| Jose Enrigue | Liverpool | Hull | 2 |
| Zabaleta | Man City | West Ham | 13 |
| Clichy | Man City | West Ham | 14 |
| Kolarov | Man City | West Ham | 18 |
| Demichellis | Man City | West Ham | 17 |
| Sagna | Man City | West Ham | 5 |
| Ferdinand | QPR | Aston Villa | 12 |
| Isla | QPR | Aston Villa | 9 |
| Hill | QPR | Aston Villa | 6 |
| Dunne | QPR | Aston Villa | -1 |
| Yun | QPR | Aston Villa | 1 |
| van Aanholt | Sunderland | Arsenal | 19 |
| O’Shea | Sunderland | Arsenal | 19 |
| Vergini | Sunderland | Arsenal | 17 |
| Jones | Sunderland | Arsenal | 6 |
| Brown | Sunderland | Arsenal | 14 |
| Coates | Sunderland | Arsenal | 0 |
| Fernandez | Swansea | Leicester | 11 |
| Tiendalli | Swansea | Leicester | 2 |
| Richards | Swansea | Leicester | 2 |
| Amat | Swansea | Leicester | 14 |
| Dier | Tottenham | Newcastle | 33 |
| Davies | Tottenham | Newcastle | 1 |
| Naughton | Tottenham | Newcastle | 1 |
Injuries
Azpilicueta (Chelsea) Suspended (8th November): It sucks to be without him and fantasy owner should be worried. If Luis steps in and does well then Azpilicueta could find his place under threat going forward. You have to hold him because of his quality but keep an eye out for possibly waiver wire pick-ups that could be replacements if he loses his job
Dann (Crystal Palace) Knee (50%): Has surprised fantasy owners this year ranking high in total points and FPR but he is no sure thing so if you need the space then drop him.
Bardsley (Stoke) Back (75%): As always Stoke are good at the back and their defenders are assets to fantasy teams. I expect him this week so I would risk him.
Senderos (Aston Villa) Thigh (50%): I am not expecting him this week and he isn’t worth holding onto for me.
Koscielny (Arsenal) Achilles (This Weekend): Should slot right back in replacing Monreal who filled in last week. A solid match up should see him starting to live up to his fantasy potential this year.
Williamson (Newcastle) Knock (75%): Newcastle’s defence has barely been good enough to start anyone so far this year but last week may be a turning point. However, I am not risking Williamson until I see more from Newcastle.
Delaney (Crystal Palace) Suspended (3rd November): Has been solid this year but his suspension doesn’t hurt you really. If you need a player this week then feel free to drop him to stream a player from free agency.
Evans (Man United) Ankle (This Weekend): I am not expecting him to come back into the team this week with Rojo and Jones in possession of the centre back jobs and unlikely to be moving any time soon.
Amat (Swansea) Knee (This Weekend): Swansea haven’t been as good lately as they were at the start of the season so Fernandez is at risk of losing his spot to Amat. Neither is worth starting this week until we see who Monk prefers at the back.
Stones (Everton) Ankle (Unknown): Unfortunately he is likely out until deep into 2015 so he isn’t worth holding onto for me.
Baker (Aston Villa) Hamstring (75%): I expect him this week but I don’t expect anything good enough from him to consider starting him. Not worth owning in my opinion with Senderos returning and Vlaar back.
Dawson (Hull) Ankle (29th November): Not high end enough to stash for me so feel free to drop him.
Debuchy (Arsenal) Ankle (27th December): If you have the space you may as well keep stashing him but if you need to stream a player this week then you can drop him.
Sakho (Liverpool) Thigh (This Weekend): Not sure how Rodgers is going to play it this week with all three main CB’s fit so I may steer clear of them all.
Oviedo (Everton) Knock (75%): Just an interesting guy if he finds a role so he is included here as one to watch.
Fazio (Tottenham) Suspended (2nd November): A disastrous debut may have cost him his opportunity for a while. Not worth stashing.
Midfielders
Elite
| Player | Team | Opponent | YTD |
| Sanchez | Arsenal | Sunderland | 38 |
| Fabregas | Chelsea | Man Utd | 49 |
| Hazard | Chelsea | Man Utd | 42 |
| Sterling | Liverpool | Hull | 47 |
| Di Maria | Man Utd | Chelsea | 48 |
Top 20 Options
| Silva | Man City | West Ham | 30 |
| Ramsey | Arsenal | Sunderland | 30 |
| Oscar | Chelsea | Man Utd | 34 |
| Barkley | Everton | Burnley | 6 |
| Gerrard | Liverpool | Hull | 38 |
| Henderson | Liverpool | Hull | 36 |
| Mata | Man Utd | Chelsea | 31 |
| Tadic | Southampton | Stoke | 48 |
| Sigurdsson | Swansea | Leicester | 46 |
| Chadli | Tottenham | Newcastle | 44 |
| Eriksen | Tottenham | Newcastle | 42 |
| Downing | West Ham | Man City | 39 |
High End #3 Options
| Cazorla | Arsenal | Sunderland | 14 |
| Willian | Chelsea | Man Utd | 27 |
| Puncheon | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 28 |
| Schneiderlin | Southampton | Stoke | 39 |
| Larsson | Sunderland | Arsenal | 30 |
| Routledge | Swansea | Leicester | 31 |
| Matic | Chelsea | Man Utd | 29 |
Low End #3 Options
| Boyd | Burnley | Everton | 18 |
| Jedinak | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 32 |
| Diame | Hull | Liverpool | 38 |
| Lallana | Liverpool | Hull | 16 |
| Mane | Southampton | Stoke | 12 |
| Moses | Stoke | Southampton | 25 |
| A.Johnson | Sunderland | Arsenal | 20 |
| Dyer | Swansea | Leicester | 35 |
| Lamela | Tottenham | Newcastle | 25 |
Potential Flex Options
| Richardson | Aston Villa | QPR | 22 |
| Arfield | Burnley | Everton | 26 |
| Jones | Burnley | Everton | 15 |
| McArthur | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 15 |
| McCarthy | Everton | Burnley | 18 |
| McGeady | Everton | Burnley | 20 |
| Elmohamady | Hull | Liverpool | 24 |
| Huddlestone | Hull | Liverpool | 23 |
| Toure | Man City | West Ham | 20 |
| Milner | Man City | West Ham | 22 |
| Blind | Man Utd | Chelsea | 17 |
| Kranjcar | QPR | Aston Villa | 15 |
| Fer | QPR | Aston Villa | 21 |
| Wanyama | Southampton | Stoke | 25 |
| Brunt | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 29 |
| Dorrans | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 29 |
| Sessegnon | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 17 |
| Amalfitano | West Ham | Man City | 14 |
Solid Options with Limited Upside
| Westwood | Aston Villa | QPR | 16 |
| N’Zogbia | Aston Villa | QPR | 16 |
| Bolasie | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 24 |
| Barry | Everton | Burnley | 18 |
| Livermore | Hull | Liverpool | 19 |
| Gouffran | Newcastle | Tottenham | 22 |
| Cabella | Newcastle | Tottenham | 16 |
| Sissoko | Newcastle | Tottenham | 16 |
| Colback | Newcastle | Tottenham | 16 |
| N’Zonzi | Stoke | Southampton | 17 |
| Rodwell | Sunderland | Arsenal | 19 |
| Cattermole | Sunderland | Arsenal | 21 |
| Ki | Swansea | Leicester | 22 |
| Shelvey | Swansea | Leicester | 19 |
| Capoue | Tottenham | Newcastle | 18 |
| Song | West Ham | Man City | 9 |
Question Marks with Top 15 Upside
| Chamberlain | Arsenal | Sunderland | 20 |
| Walcott | Arsenal | Sunderland | 0 |
| Schurrle | Chelsea | Man Utd | 21 |
| Zaha | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 13 |
| Coutinho | Liverpool | Hull | 13 |
| Lampard | Man City | West Ham | 20 |
| Navas | Man City | West Ham | 16 |
| Januzaj | Man Utd | Chelsea | 8 |
| Herrera | Man Utd | Chelsea | 24 |
Question Marks with Flex Upside
| Sanchez | Aston Villa | QPR | 4 |
| Wallace | Burnley | Everton | 10 |
| Pienaar | Everton | Burnley | 9 |
| Atsu | Everton | Burnley | 3 |
| Quinn | Hull | Liverpool | 17 |
| Ben Arfa | Hull | Liverpool | 4 |
| Fernando | Man City | West Ham | 11 |
| Valencia | Man Utd | Chelsea | 13 |
| Fellaini | Man Utd | Chelsea | 10 |
| Obertan | Newcastle | Tottenham | 18 |
| Cork | Southampton | Stoke | 22 |
| Davis | Southampton | Stoke | 20 |
| C.Gardner | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 20 |
| Morrison | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 20 |
| Noble | West Ham | Man City | 24 |
| Markovic | Liverpool | Hull | 5 |
| Adam | Stoke | Southampton | 26 |
| Walters | Stoke | Southampton | 11 |
| Montero | Swansea | Leicester | 7 |
Injuries
Di Maria (Man United) Thigh (75%): Against the best team in the league there is little chance he doesn’t play. You have to just go with it and start him because he is one of the best midfield options in the league this year so far.
Ozil (Arsenal) Knee (Unknown): Was just starting to come around when he went down with injury. Stash him and hope he can re find early 2013 form.
Herrera (Man United) Rib (75%): He has been a really solid option and I expect that to continue. I can see him playing this week but in a defensive role with Chelsea’s attacking talent.
Schurrle (Chelsea) Illness (75%): They won’t push him into the line-up if he isn’t ready with the way Willian and Oscar are playing so you probably have to sit him. If he doesn’t get regular time soon you may have to consider ditching him!
Ramires (Chelsea) Knee (75%): They don’t have a need to rush him back this week so no need to risk him but I do expect him to have a role when he is back so he is worth storing.
Wilshere (Arsenal) Suspended (1st November): Has been a totally inconsistent option this year due to his more naturally defensive role. This will shock you but I cannot see an advantage to stashing him!
Mirallas (Everton) Hamstring (Unknown): One of the main men in the Everton team and he is definitely worth stashing until we hear he is out longer than January.
Ward-Prowse (Southampton) Foot (29th November): Not high scoring enough to stash
Delph (Aston Villa) Shoulder Dislocation (Unknown): As above
McArthur (Crystal Palace) Muscle (50%): Not worth the risk for what he returns this week
Whelan (Stoke) Leg (6th December): Not worth stashing even with the surprisingly good start.
Valencia (Man United) Hamstring (This Weekend): Cannot see him walking back into the team and that means he is unusable this week. However, there is potential for a role going forward so it’s worth holding to see.
Nasri (Man City) Groin (2nd November): You HAVE to stash him for his stunning potential as a top 5 midfielder going forward the rest of the year.
Aarons (Newcastle) Hamstring (1st November): Flashed genius before getting injured so he is worth picking up if you have the space to see what he brings to the table.
Odemwingie (Stoke) Knee (Unknown): Sadly he is out so long he isn’t worth stashing
de Jong (Newcastle) Thigh (Unknown): Starting to worry he isn’t coming back anytime soon! If we do not get a date soon then he is droppable for me.
Snodgrass (Hull) Knee (Unknown): You all know I love Robert but this is his last appearance in the article until he is closer to return. He is completely droppable.
Walcott (Arsenal) LMF (This Weekend): This could be the week we see him return even only in a limited form as a substitute. This is what you have stashed him for but just give it one more week until it is more likely he starts.
Forwards
Out of This World
| Players | Team | Opponent | YTD |
| Aguero | Man City | West Ham | 56 |
Top 5 Options
| Welbeck | Arsenal | Sunderland | 26 |
| Lukaku | Everton | Burnley | 33 |
| Pelle | Southampton | Stoke | 54 |
Top 10 Options
| Jelavic | Hull | Liverpool | 31 |
| Dzeko | Man City | West Ham | 26 |
| v.Persie | Man Utd | Chelsea | 22 |
| Sakho | West Ham | Man City | 41 |
Must Starts
| Benteke | Aston Villa | QPR | 3 |
| Campbell | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 28 |
| Naismith | Everton | Burnley | 36 |
| A.Hernanez | Hull | Liverpool | 22 |
| Balotelli | Liverpool | Hull | 16 |
| Falcao | Man Utd | Chelsea | 19 |
| Cisse | Newcastle | Tottenham | 30 |
| Bony | Swansea | Leicester | 22 |
| Berahino | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 45 |
| Ulloa | Leicester | Swansea | 41 |
| Valencia | West Ham | Man City | 25 |
| Adebayor | Tottenham | Newcastle | 26 |
Flex Options
| Agbonlahor | Aston Villa | QPR | 25 |
| Jutkiewicz | Burnley | Everton | 19 |
| Ings | Burnley | Everton | 8 |
| Austin | QPR | Aston Villa | 25 |
| Vargas | QPR | Aston Villa | 20 |
| Crouch | Stoke | Southampton | 30 |
Deeper Flex Option
| Weimann | Aston Villa | QPR | 30 |
| Vardy | Leicester | Swansea | 30 |
| Nugent | Leicester | Swansea | 17 |
| Diouf | Stoke | Southampton | 20 |
| Wickham | Sunderland | Arsenal | 23 |
| Fletcher | Sunderland | Arsenal | 24 |
Question Marks with Top 5 Upside
| Costa | Chelsea | Man Utd | 54 |
| Jovetic | Man City | West Ham | 18 |
Question Marks with Top 20 Upside
| Remy | Chelsea | Man Utd | 12 |
| Solanke | Chelsea | Man Utd | 0 |
| Drogba | Chelsea | Man Utd | 5 |
| Gayle | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 11 |
| Chamakh | Crystal Palace | West Brom | 14 |
| Eto’o | Everton | Burnley | 8 |
| Lambert | Liverpool | Hull | 10 |
| Riviere | Newcastle | Tottenham | 15 |
| Gomis | Swansea | Leicester | 8 |
| Kane | Tottenham | Newcastle | 5 |
| Soldado | Tottenham | Newcastle | 4 |
| Zarate | West Ham | Man City | 15 |
| Cole | West Ham | Man City | 16 |
Questions Marks with Low Ceiling
| Ayoze | Newcastle | Tottenham | 7 |
| Zamora | QPR | Aston Villa | 8 |
| Long | Southampton | Stoke | 11 |
| Mayuka | Southampton | Stoke | 1 |
| Emnes | Swansea | Leicester | 3 |
| Samaras | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 3 |
| Anichebe | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 7 |
| Ideye | West Brom | Crystal Palace | 5 |
| Vaz Te | West Ham | Man City | 5 |
| Barnes | Burnley | Everton | 8 |
| Sordell | Burnley | Everton | 6 |
Injuries
Diego Costa (Chelsea) Hamstring (50%): Every game without Costa will hurt fantasy owners deeply but there isn’t anything you can do but sit wait and hope.
Jelavic (Hull) Knee (This Weekend): Should come back this week after tweaking his knee in warm ups last week. Has been on fire this year so I expect him to get at least half an hour.
Rooney (Man United) Suspended (2nd November): Not much you can do but wait and hope Mata keeps failing to dominate so he doesn’t keep the space.
Riviere (Newcastle) Knock (This Weekend): Cisse has been on fire lately meaning I expect nothing more than a bench spot for Riviere and therefore is not worth starting.
Zarate (West Ham) Knock (75%): Stunningly West Ham have a number of options so I am expecting him to sit on the bench making him tough to start this week.
Remy (Chelsea) Muscle (50%): Tweaked his groin mid-week and for fantasy owners that is a massive disaster. With Costa potentially out Remy would be a must start but with this doubt it leaves no Chelsea striker a must start and that is a massive shame!
Sturridge (Liverpool) Calf (1st November): This is starting to get messy for Liverpool and they need him back. Fantasy owners will hope he is back next week but I cannot see Rodgers rushing him back so it may be a couple of weeks until he is usable.
Giroud (Arsenal) Ankle (10th January): I still expect him to have plenty of value when he returns so hold onto him because if he is a free agent then someone will be willing to stash him.
Rodriguez (Southampton) Knee (6th December): You have held him this long so you just need to wait six more weeks! One small issue is that Pelle has been amazing and if that continues then Southampton have no reason to rush Rodriguez back which will hurt fantasy owners who have used that space to store him. That said he is too good to drop!
Week 9 is sure to be exciting kicking off on Saturday with Man City visiting Upton Park and reaching a crescendo with the massive matchup between Chelsea and Man United at Old Trafford. If you have any questions about line-ups or injury developments then leave a comment below or contact me on twitter.
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