By AVI CREDITOR

The first week of the Barclays Premier League season is in the books, and one of the things we learned is that either Blackpool is a lot better than we thought, or Wigan is just plain awful.

The truth probably wavers somewhere in the middle, but take notice of Blackpool striker Marlon Harewood (a rumored target of D.C. United earlier this season), whose two-goal, one-assist performance was the shocking fantasy line of the week. At the basement price of £4.5, he's definitely worth a spot on your bench, more so than inexpensive, inactive guys you might have drafted in order to use salary elsewhere or expensive big-name guys who don't have a starting job locked down. He has a tough matchup at Arsenal this week, but you could do much worse if you're in a salary pinch.

What else did we learn? Chelsea and Manchester United can still bring it, Joe Hart probably should have been starting in South Africa and Joe Cole's Liverpool debut was less than ideal, as he'll miss the next three matches after seeing red before halftime against Arsenal.

Here are a few other fantasy items of note followed by our captain pick of the week and an SBI League standings update:

MILNER-IRELAND FANTASY FALLOUT

The James Milner-to-Manchester City move grabbed some headlines this week, but Milner doesn't benefit the most fantasy-wise from the transfer. Stephen Ireland does.

Remember, just two seasons ago when Ireland was surrounded with a nice, but not star-studded, supporting cast, he put together a nine-goal, 10-assist campaign in league play and was among the best fantasy buys of the season.

Now he finds himself in a very similar spot. Assuming Ireland gets plugged into Milner's starting role at Aston Villa, he could easily put up numbers rivaling his 2008-2009 season. Milner, meanwhile, suffers a bit of a fantasy hit. Three of his seven goals last season were on penalty kicks, and there's little chance of him taking the spot kicks for City. I'm not suggesting to drop Milner in favor of Ireland, but at his current £6.5 value, the new Villa midfielder is a potential steal, and he's someone that should be on your radar if not an immediate add.

AMERICAN WATCH

Over the course of the season, you'll be fine if you own goalkeepers Tim Howard or Brad Friedel, Howard's error against Blackburn last week not withstanding. Marcus Hahnemann also makes for a solid keeper on a matchup basis. Friedel was the best of the bunch in Matchweek 1, posting a clean sheet against West Ham.

In terms of outfield players, one could argue that Stuart Holden might be the most successful American this season. With Clint Dempsey's place in Mark Hughes' starting XI anything but cemented, Holden might actually make for the better fantasy buy. He costs £2.0 less than Deuce, has locked down a starting spot in Bolton's midfield and is a favorite of manager Owen Coyle. Dempsey's experience and goal-scoring acumen makes him a more attractive asset, but until he starts playing regularly, he's a risky option.

INJURY QUICK HITS

Jermain Defoe picked up a knock (that didn't take long) in Tottenham's UEFA Champions League playoff play-in match against BSC Young Boys. Roman Pavlyuchenko (£6.0) is the beneficiary…Luka Modric also hurt his groin against Young Boys and his status for the weekend is unclear…Arsenal's Samir Nasri will miss the next month after injuring his knee in the Gunners' opener. If you own him, that should free up £7.5 for you to invest elsewhere. Don't let that sit unused on your bench…New Manchester City defender Aleksander Kolarov is expected to miss two weeks with an ankle injury…Stoke City's Kenwyne Jones also injured his ankle in his season debut and was subbed off after 13 minutes. He'll miss some time and likely isn't worth the £7.0 price tag in the first place…Frank Lampard played through an ankle injury in Chelsea's opener against West Brom. He should be OK to go again this weekend but check the final reports before deploying him.   

LAST WEEK'S CAPTAIN PICK

Frank Lampard, Chelsea (8×2=16 points)

WHAT I REALLY MEANT TO SAY WAS…

Didier Drogba, Chelsea (17×2=34 points)

THIS WEEK'S CAPTAIN PICK

It's hard not to like Drogba again, as Chelsea is at Wigan. Considering what Blackpool was able to accomplish at DW Stadium and how lethal the Blues looked last week, Chelsea should have a field day. If you need more convincing, watch this (unless you support Wigan).

That being said, Drogba is not 100-percent healthy and some reports offer that he could be rested for the match. Have a backup plan in place, and make sure you set your Emergency Captain settings, but if Drogba plays, another multiple-goal performance is in the cards.

Other options: Chelsea's Lampard and Florent Malouda, Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas (vs. Blackpool), Everton's Mikel Arteta (vs. Wolves), Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (at Fulham), Sunderland's Darren Bent (at West Brom) 

Soccer By Ives League Standings (Top 10)
1. DlewisChelsea……………………………91 points
2. Angel City Rovers………………………..87
3. Sloppy and Careless………………….85
4. Austin KillBotz!!……………………………82
5. Very Special Ones………………………81
5. Yid Army………………………………………81
5. LJArsenal……………………………………81
5. The 14ers FC……………………………..81
5. South Attleboro FC……………………..81
10. scoobys doos…………………………..79

LAST WEEK'S SBI LEAGUE TOP SCORER

DlewisChelsea (91 points)

—————————-Cech(6)————————–
–Samba(7)—Warnock(6)—Toure(6)—Shawcross(1)–
–Malouda(15)–Petrov(8)–Modric(3)–Malbranque(3)–
————–Drobga(C-34)——Tevez(2)—————–

——————-

Did you play Harewood last week? Who do you think is in for a big Matchweek 2? Who are you making your captain?

Share your thoughts below.