MX23RW : Thursday, April 25 12:19:14| >> :120:12084:12084:

Fantasy Football advice: Week 2

Sports Mole looks ahead to the second weekend of Premier League action from a fantasy football point of view.

Thank goodness for Diego Costa! Without the new Chelsea frontman, our list of three players to include within your fantasy football team last week would not have gained many points.

This time around, though, we are hoping for improved fortunes, both when it comes to who to select and which players are worth giving a wide berth.

See who has made both of Sports Mole's lists below.

Who to pick

1. Cesc Fabregas: He may cost a fortune where fantasy football is concerned, but the Spaniard showed on his Chelsea debut against Burnley on Monday why he is worth making allowances for. He set up two goals and featured heavily in the other as the Blues recorded a routine victory at Turf Moor. This weekend Fabregas will be up against another newly-promoted side in Leicester City, who will not have dealt with midfielders of the former Arsenal man's class in the Championship. It would be a major surprise if he doesn't either score himself, or lay on an assist for one of his teammates.

Cesc Fabregas of Chelsea controls the ball during the Barclays Premier League match between Burnley and Chelsea at Turf Moor on August 18, 2014© Getty Images

2. Allan McGregor: Hull owe a debt of gratitude to their goalkeeper McGregor for the role that he played in helping them to win 1-0 at Queens Park Rangers last weekend. The Tigers come under some intense pressure at times, but the Scot was equal to everything that was aimed at his target. This weekend Hull return to the KC Stadium, where they conceded just 21 goals last term. What's more, they are up against a Stoke City side that failed to find the net against Aston Villa last weekend and a team that found the net just 18 times on the road last season.

3. Wilfried Bony: If Bony has been mentally hampered by speculation surrounding his future at Swansea, he didn't show it against Manchester United. The Ivorian may not have scored at Old Trafford, but his physical presence and movement as the lone striker caused numerous problems for the United rearguard. This weekend he and Swansea will be up against Burnley, who to be fair to them, did look a well-organised unit against Chelsea despite the loss. Even so, Bony will fancy his chances of opening his goalscoring account for the season at the Liberty Stadium.

Who to avoid:

1. Kasper Schmeichel: The Danish goalkeeper is highly regarded in the world of football, but Saturday afternoon could be a long one for Schmeichel junior. Chelsea produced the standout performance of the opening weekend, particularly during the first 45 minutes at Burnley. This weekend they will play in front of an expectant Stamford Bridge crowd for the first time this season and with the likes of Fabregas, Costa and Eden Hazard all bound to be eager to impress, Schmeichel may find himself picking the ball out of his net on a few occasions.

Everton's Irish midfielder Aiden McGeady scores the opening goal past Leicester's Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel during the English Premier League football match between Leicester City and Everton at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England o© Getty Images

2. Martin Skrtel: Defensively, Liverpool weren't good enough to win the title last season and despite the summer additions of Dejan Lovren, Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno, question marks still remain, especially after their performance against Southampton at the weekend. The visiting Saints found the net once and but for some wayward finishing would have scored more. On Monday night, it's unlikely that Manchester City, with Sergio Aguero potentially fit and firing, will pass up those gifts. Skrtel gets the nod because he is liable to pick up a yellow card, which costs extra points, but it would perhaps be best to avoid all Liverpool defenders for one week.

3. Saido Berahino: The England Under-21 international scored twice on the opening day and in truth, he did put in a mature performance as his West Bromwich Albion side were held by Sunderland. There should be some caution, though, because after some positive displays over the festive period last season, Berahino scored just one goal in his last 18 outings. Add to that the fact that Southampton showed enough at Anfield to suggest that at home they will continue to dominate possession despite the large number of exits from the club, picking Berahino to lead your attack could be a tad on the knee-jerk side.

ID:172200: cacheID:172200:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:7715:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Bayern Munich's Bastian Schweinsteiger sits on the bench during a game with Hoffenheim on March 10, 2012
Read Next:
Premier League club-by-club transfer latest
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Liverpool34228475344174
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!