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Fantasy Premier League: Matchweek 16

BerbatovReuters

By AVI CREDITOR

Kudos to you if you stuck with Dimitar Berbatov through his slump.

After going nine matches without scoring a goal, Berbatov put up an insane five-spot against Blackburn last weekend, tallying 25 fantasy points in the process (50 if he was somehow your captain). Who are some other breakout-game candidates? Look no further:

  • Wayne Rooney, Manchester United – Desperately seeking a multi-goal game to restore his confidence, Rooney matches up against Blackpool this weekend. (UPDATED: The game has been postponed due to the pitch at Bloomfield Road being frozen)
  • Darren Bent, Sunderland – Yes, West Ham looked pretty stellar mid-week, but Bent hasn't posted a true monster of a game in some time, he thrives at home and he scored last week in his second game returning from injury.
  • Fernando Torres, Liverpool – Decent, but not lethal, since his return to the lineup, Torres could capitalize against an Aston Villa defense that yielded four goals last weekend.
  • Florent Malouda/Didier Drogba, Chelsea – With no goals in his last six matches and only one in his last 10, Malouda is a powder keg waiting to burst. Same goes for Drogba, who hasn't scored in his last eight matches. It's no coincidence that their and Chelsea's dips in form are happening at the same time, and all are due for an upward spike.

Here are a few more Fantasy Premier League notes along with our captain pick of the week and an SBI league standings update:

AMERICAN WATCH

Stuart Holden was a late scratch last week with a thigh injury and is a big question mark ahead of Bolton's match with Manchester City. Although he'd undoubtedly like to show up the City midfield (most notably Nigel de Jong), he may have to wait for the second matchup of the season to do so.

Clint Dempsey scored another monster goal for Fulham last weekend, giving him five on the Premier League campaign. He faces a daunting task against Arsenal's midfield at The Emirates this weekend, though.

Marcus Hahnemann is no longer the starter at Wolverhampton, meaning he can probably be transferred out of your team. Brad Friedel and Tim Howard each had forgettable matches last week, and both are on the road against Liverpool and Chelsea, respectively. If you had to pick one out of the bunch to start, it's Friedel.

Jonathan Spector's mid-week brace against Manchester United in the Carling Cup was quite the feat, but don't jump the gun and pick him up just yet. West Ham is still at the bottom of the table, and Spector has only played in one league match all year. If he starts to get playing time in the midfield, though, he might be worth a speculative add.

INJURY QUICK HITS

Rafael Van der Vaart is slated to miss the next four weeks with a hamstring injury…Steer clear of Van der Vaart's teammate, Younes Kaboul, who was injured in Spurs' victory over Liverpool…Speaking of the Reds, Jamie Carragher has been ruled out for the next three months, leaving a hole in Liverpool's defense. Greek international Sotirios Kyrgiakos – a bonus-point maven, but a card liability, when he gets the chance to play – could be worth a look…Cesc Fabregas is due to miss another match for Arsenal, making Samir Nasri a more important figure in the midfield. Nasri, too, is dealing with a knock, but he's expected to suit up against Fulham.

LAST WEEK'S TOP CAPTAIN PERFORMER

Dimitar Berbatov, Manchester United (25×2=50 points)

THIS WEEK'S CAPTAIN PICK

Darren Bent, Sunderland, £8.5

As stated above, Bent is back to full fitness and scored in his second game back from injury last weekend. With the emergence of Danny Welbeck up top for the Black Cats, defenses can no longer focus solely on Bent when game-planning for Sunderland. Add in Bent's spot-kick duties and the fact that he gets to face last-place West Ham at home, and the England international sure seems poised for a break-out game this weekend.

Other options: Arsenal's Samir Nasri, Andrey Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh (vs. Fulham); Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda (vs. Everton); Manchester City's Carlos Tevez (vs. Bolton); Tottenham's Gareth Bale (at Birmingham); Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres (vs. Aston Villa); Newcastle's Andy Carroll (at West Brom)

Soccer By Ives League Standings (Top 10)
1. The 14ers FC…………………………..853 points
2. typos by ives…………………………….852
3. SP…………………………………………….842
4. Welschpool FC………………………..837
5. Freddie Adu's Cru……………………832
6. scoobys doos………………………….829
7. Austin Killbotz!!………………………..827
8. rafaelbow da silva…………………..820
9. Bamboo Divided……………………..820
10. Zlatans Revenge…………………..820

LAST WEEK'S SBI LEAGUE TOP SCORER

AboveTheAverage (96 points)

—————————-Cech(2)—————————-
–Ridgewell(2)———-K. Toure(2)———-L. Young(0)–
–Arshavin(13)—–Nani(12)—–Malouda(5)—–Bale(2)–
—-Berbatov(C-50)———Carroll(6)——–Anelka(2)—-

———————-

Who are you making your captain this week? Did you have Berbatov as your captain last week? What's your lineup looking like?

Share your thoughts below.

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