FANTASY LEAGUE WEEK 1 - THE SURMISE

So the first weekend of Fantasy League is over and I am happy with a very solid start. My daughter Jasmine on the other hand leads almost all of the leagues she is in. apart from the Fitzroy League. More of that.

What to do now is the question? Every year I scream “No Quick Reactions”. Give it a week or two for everything to settle. A look at this week’s stats would have everybody rubbing to sign City’s Rodri. A goal and an assist but he is £5.5 for a reason. He is a defensive midfielder. Mind you he scored in the Champions League Final too.

An injury to John Stones was a big disappointed to many including myself BUT again be careful of quick over reactions. 

I have my own issues. I got “lucky”. Two of my strikers started on the bench but came off that bench to score. I immediately wonder if Brighton’s Ferguson should be changed to team mate Pedro and Callum Wilson should give way to Isak. I am going to show patience and wait and see…

So what is happening across my main 3 Leagues.

 

FITZROY LEAGUE

Stephen Orr has not threatened for a year or two though I always watch him as I rate him highly. A dormant volcano like his precious Arsenal. Orr takes the an early 7 point lead with 91points, a little lucky because his first choice keeper Verbruggen didn’t start for Brighton and Leno his substitute was the highest scoring keeper with 12 points. 

My opinion is that subs should only score half their points because Stephen shouldn’t be awarded for a bad judgement in his first choice team BUT that’s only me and a statistical nightmare!

Just behind Orr’s team, Old Havertz Kai Hard (nice), there is another Orr, his teenage son Isaac in 6th, two Stockies, Jasmine and my fortunate self. As expected John McMullan, perennial winner and Jonny Fitch after an atrocious season are the rest of the Top 6 with steady starts.

 

FACEBOOK PUNTERS

My daughter Jasmine with a team name on the cutting edge of the Women’s World Cup, Earps, I Did It Again, has a 4 point lead with 84 points. An impressive start, she leads Neil Sedgewick and Steve Pointon by 4. 

McMullan, Andrew Patterson and I are another point back and the dangerous Dave Magee just one off us. 

 

ONLY AN EXCUSE HEAD TO HEAD LEAGUE

The head to head league is a whole other skill. I even wondered about playing a different team in this one. The biggest issue for me is do I risk two transfers in one week to lose 4 points. I can kind of justify that in a points league but in head to head those 4 points could be crucial.

Head to Head is also about luck in that you might have the second best score in the league and lose your game having 40 points more than the second worst team who beat the worst team and end up 3 points better than you.

There wasn't much drama in my friend Stuart’s Head To Head. This is a league of 15 teams from Scotland, Nepal, New Zealand, Czech and Northern Ireland. A steady start with wins for all the expected clubs on the statistics for the past few years. However, newcomer Jasmine again sits at the top of the pile, on points difference.

The only shock was Ross, who is usually hard to beat, taking an early defeat, his Sporting Esemi losing to Naveen’s Kathmandu FC 78-77. Ouch! Naveen did have Rodri!!! Ross would have taken the points had he played Chilwell instead of Shaw. These are the breaks.

 

So on wee all move. Changes? Oh they will be needed but I’ll be taking my time to see who plays every week, who gets transferred to who, where the cheap points scorers appear from and will Liverpool’s defence make Alexander-Arnold more valuable than Salah.

Blessed providence in the weekend ahead everyone!