Weekly Fantasy Premier League With Weekly Cash

Ever wonder if you can earn a living playing Fantasy Premier League? What if you could earn some cash this coming gameweek? I’m using the word “earn” because fantasy football is very much a game of skill and effort (unlike what outsiders think).

FanXT is now offering a “fast and furious” fantasy football that lets you form an EPL fantasy team each gameweek and earn cash instantly. In general, it’s one gameweek fantasy game with cash to earn. You don’t have to stick with the whole season, users can opt to join the variety of contests that run for the duration of the gameweek so users start fresh every gameweek. Users can earn cash prizes immediately after the end of the game week – eliminating the wait for an entire season to be over to cash out.

This so-called daily fantasy sport is experiencing massive growth in the U.S with NFL, NBA and MLB, led by two major companies - FanDuel and DraftKings, who recently acquired DraftStreet. So, daily/weekly fantasy sport is destined to enter the fantasy soccer market with FanXT spearheading the way.

To start playing the game, you need to create an account, but you can also use your Facebook account to login. There are two different kinds of contests and one of them is free and the other is paid. A free contest allows one to play games for free with cash prizes. These contests are meant to help you test your skills in the paid contests. FanXT offers paid contests with USD2, USD5 or USD10 entry fees. You have to deposit money to pay in order to participate in the paid contests but you get to be rewarded with cash earnings each gameweek. Making a deposit via PayPal, credit card or Skrill is possible when you’re logged-in. FanXT ensures that players’ money is well protected and thus players need not panic that they may lose their money.

You may choose to withdraw your deposit anytime via PayPal, wire transfer, check or bank transfer. Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours. Some withdrawal methods can incur some charges on your part. Once the last match of the EPL for a particular gameweek is over, your earnings will be credited into your account.

As of now, the contests are restricted to the English Premier League. However, other sports and football leagues may be incorporated in the near future. So start playing Weekly Fantasy Premier League, you may just get some cash this coming gameweek!

How Do You Solve A Problem Like...Arsenal's Midfield?

Is it a problem? I would argue "yes". And in truth it isn't just the midfield, it's the whole bloody Arsenal team! The problem in hand is one I'm guessing most - if not all - of us are struggling with; WHICH three players to pick from a high points scoring team.

I will concentrate on the midfield specifically, but let's quickly look at the other positions that are no doubt influencing your decision making:

With Arsenals normally leaky defence tightening up in recent weeks (4 out of 5 clean sheets with only the 1-0 loss to Man Utd to break the run) it is tempting to include at least one of the Arsenal back line in your team. They do have two home games in a row coming up, (Hull & Everton) but then go to Man City in GW16 and face Chelsea at home in GW17.

Szczesny is 2nd in the overall points table for goalkeepers. Mertesacker is 7th in the overall points for defenders. Koscielny, Gibbs and Sagna sit in 19th, 20th and 28th position respectively. All of these are displaying good form and are worth considering for your back line.

Giroud is still hanging around the top of the leaderboard for strikers, ahead of Suarez and just below Aguero and Rooney.

But why "waste" a place in your team with a goalkeeper, defender or striker when Arsenal have a midfield that is - and could continue to be - an FPL goldmine?

Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott, Cazorla, Wilshire, Arteta, Flamini, Rosicky, Gnabry.

Well, ok, let's discard the last 3 - although Flamini did come on in GW13 and score a great goal. This is the exception, definitely not the norm for him!

That still leaves 6 players that would walk into most PL sides, and who are currently, or have the potential, to score big over the next half a dozen or so GW's when squad rotation is almost an inevitability.

So, who do you pick?

It's impossible not to start with Aaron Ramsey. Who could have predicted what a season he was going to have?!? He has already scored 8 and assisted 4 this season, compared to scoring 7 and assisting 3 during the previous 5 seasons COMBINED. Available for £5.5 million at the start of this season, he will now cost you a staggering £7.4 million and rising weekly. But why am I telling you this? You already own him right? Well, not everybody. Admittedly, an astonishing 60.3% of all FPL managers do, but some of you are still holding out (I'm looking at YOU @matejp23!)

Ramsey is head and shoulders above all other midfielders in the FPL at the moment with an overall score of 94 points (second only to Aguero with 100) and is 5th in the Form table with an average return of 6.7 points per game. He is this years Gareth Bale! What more evidence to you need! Buy now, or forever curse your stubbornness to conform!

Moving on then, you could go for Ramsey's more expensive sidekick, Mesut Ozil. The master of assists with 7 already this season (Hazard comes in second with 5) and 2 goals to his name. Inexplicably, managers have been rushing to offload him recently because he had a couple of poor points returns in GW11 and 12. In fact, nearly 200,000 of you have bombed him out since GW10, despite a decent points return in GW13. This has seen his ownership percentage drop to 28.1% - still the 4th highest of all midfielders. He sits at 6th in the overall points table with 64 points, with an average return of 5.3 points. Personally, I strongly suspect the hurry to sell him is down to the fact that managers have realised that they must find a way to squeeze in Aguero/Suarez/Rooney (or certainly at least two of them). Sacrificing Ozil is probably the only way to do this. For those of you with the cash, you could now pick up a relative bargain. The rush to sell Ozil has seen his price drop from a peak of £10.8 million in GW10, to £10.3 million at the time of writing.

The alternative is to take a calculated risk on what is still (at the time of writing) a great differential. The return to action of Theo Walcott. Missing from GW5 to GW11, he returned for a 21 minute substitute appearance against his old club Southampton in GW12. Picked on this site as Matej's "Called It" for GW13, this looked like it was going to backfire when he was again on the bench and only came on for the dreaded 1 minute cameo. However, this was just enough time for him to provide an assist for Ramsey, a points return of 4, and a 'get out of jail' card for Matej!

In all seriousness though, this could just be the differential you are looking for. His return to the starting line-up could reduce the pressure on Giroud and see Walcott shouldering some of the goal-scoring burden. His ownership is currently at a meagre 3.8% and he costs a relatively cheap £9.1 million. Under 3000 managers have put him back in their squad since his return to action, so is this a risk or a nailed on certainty to jump onboard before everyone else does? Depends how desperate you are to make up some ground I guess...

The next option for you is last season's player of the year (for Arsenal), Santi Cazorla. The Spanish maestro hasn't really picked up where he left off unfortunately. Missing from GW4 to GW7, his only goal so far this season came in GW10 against Liverpool. One assist is also poor, especially when compared to last seasons return of 12 goals and 13 assists. But he is now getting game time, albeit only an average of 70 minutes. If he finds his form he could yet recapture the points return of last year. A decent differential, but I would say riskier than Walcott. He is currently owned by 2.2% of you, but has only returned 31 points to date. The other thing to put you off is his high price of £9.6 million - the second highest overall, level with Yaya Toure and ahead of Eden Hazard.

This brings us onto Jack Wilshire. For a player who is rated so highly (alledgedly) I personally think the only consistency he shows is to annually underachieve as an FPL player. Low goals return, low assists, low points. Currently sat on 34 points with a couple of goals and 1 assist, he is owned by 6.6% of you. Quite high I thought. Again, probably by some undeserved reputation not borne out by fact. Surprisingly, 9634 managers bought him in for GW13, despite absolutely no evidence to suggest he was likely to do anything. Oh wait - he scored twice against Marseille in the Champions League four days previously! One of my personal rules in FPL is to TOTALLY DISREGARD what a player does in Europe, or for that matter at International level for their country. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Your final option is Mikel Arteta. He missed the first 4 GW's but since his return to the starting line-up from GW7 onwards, he tends to complete 90 minutes more often than not. However, a return of 1 goal and no assists is pretty rubbish for a player that costs £6.8 million. Still, historically he provides about half a dozen goals a season, and the same number of assists so maybe worth a punt if you are still searching for that elusive differential. I predict he will do well over the hectic Christmas period, but would I be willing to put him in my team? Not a chance! 1.3% of you seem to think he's worthy of a place in your squad though.

So, in summary, on current form you are probably looking at the League Champions*. So surely it's worth finding space for the maximum number of three in your starting XI? My personal view is that Giroud is finding it tough up front of his own, but Walcott could release some of that pressure. Walcott is certainly a bit of business I am looking at doing in the next few GW's.

There is a school of thought out there that it is "dangerous" to have two players from the same club in the same position. To that I would say Suarez/Sturridge, Lovren/Fonte, Hazard/Oscar?

My own team currently has Koscielny, Ozil and Ramsey in it. I admit to being one of those above mentioned managers who has agonised over ditching Ozil for Rooney, but his GW13 performance just confused me more than ever! Ramsey is an absolute "must have" and has been since GW4. If you didn't have Gareth Bale last year, chances are you didn't finish very high come the end of the season.
Enough said.

How do you solve a problem like Arsenal? Look at the stats, decide if you need a differential or if you can afford to play safe, and for the love of God...buy Ramsey before it's too late!!!!

*I do not think Arsenal will be League Champions!

@Meet_the_Gadfly

Chief's Projected 13/14 Premier League Table (11th-20th)

11th Everton (-5):

People often say that Martinez is a decent manager based on his achievements at Wigan with a shoestring budget.  Fair enough.  After all, other Premier League clubs were also linked with him last summer.  Aside from the shock FA Cup victory and avoiding the drop for a few seasons, he hasn't really done much else.  Yes, his style of play is interesting and can only improve with Everton's stronger defence.  But can you really see the likes of Baines and Fellaini staying or being inspired by him for that matter?  I doubt Martinez will plunge the Toffees into the relegation zone, but he won't be doing as well as Moyes did last season.  Expect transition and experimentation.

12th Norwich (-1):

Some may be surprised of my projection that Norwich will regress this year, despite signing Hooper and v. Wolfswinkel.  They are decent players and will most likely score at least 10+ PL goals each.  I regard Norwich to be the atypical mid-table team, i.e. satisfactory home record but so-so on the road.  Perhaps they should have bolstered their defence too.  I expect Snodgrass to shine again and the Canaries may have a decent start.  But they lack in depth and could yo-yo from 6th to 16th through out the season before settling in at 12th.

13th West Brom (-5):

Steve Clarke proved me wrong last season, when I slated WBA for relegation.  They exceeded expectation and punched above their weight to finish 8th.  But that was with loanee Lukaku leading the attack.  They now have an unsettled Odemwingie, over-the-hill Anelka and PL novice Vydra to fill the void.  West Brom aren't bad enough to be relegated, far from it.  But I can't see them finishing 8th again.  Then again, never say never with them...

14th Aston Villa (+3):

Put simply, if Villa didn't have Benteke last season they would be relegated.  He picked up his team from the scruff of the neck and dragged them to safety.  Lambert's young squad had a massive learning experience last season, which helped them to mature.  I still don't fancy them to break into the Top 10.  But new midfield muscle and Benteke's goals will keep them safe in the mid-table doldrums.  Moreover, if Benteke repeats his goal glut, expect suitors pursing him in the January transfer window.

15th Cardiff (n/a):

Caulker. Medel. Cornelius.  What a spine for a team!  Most of you may not have heard of the latter 2.  But if things click in place, Cardiff could be the Southampton of the previous season.  They aren't in the PL just to make up the numbers, as is evident with the new signings.  At home they will be a force to be reckoned with.  I doubt relegation will be an issue for them, provided they shift into gear 5 from GW 1.

16th Newcastle (+0):

What a damp squib last season was after the success of the 11/12 French Revolution?  Even the January transfer window signings failed to boost the fortunes.  It was sad to think that Newcastle could have been relegated as late as mid-April.  Europa League distractions didn't help admittedly.  However, post 12/13, the "Kinnear factor" has simply made things worst in my opinion.  His appointment as director of football is simply outrageous.  Provided the likes of Cabaye, Sissoko and Cisse stay, I can't see Newcastle being relegated.  But they won't do any better than last season either.

17th Sunderland (+0):

I don't rate Di Canio as a top class Premier League manager.  He almost got Sunderland relegated last season and, had he not made some interesting signings over the summer, could have put them in trouble come GW1.  Expect "Kevin Keegan" style football, i.e. passionate but lacking the relevant tactical know-how.  I think Sunderland may start well but may dither as the business end of the season commences.  Just enough quality to avoid the drop, but not enough managerial might to progress up the table.

18th Stoke (-5):

Stoke to be relegated? Yes.  Weren't they FA cup finalists and playing in the Europa League with continental middleweights not so long ago? Yes.  But the fact of the matter is that you can only park the bus for so long.  I think Pulis realised this when he departed the club over the summer.  Whether Hughes will stick to the same formula is another topic of discussion.  However, his managerial record hasn't been decent post-City.  In his last two club appointments, he failed to win more than 7 out of 10 competitive matches.  The summer signings lack proven pedigree and I can't see any of their strikers scoring 15+ in the league.  You can't stay up with a half-decent keeper, mediocre outfield (at best) and a manager lacking in form.

19th Crystal Palace (n/a):

I am a fan of 'Ollie from his Blackpool days (his outlandish quotes are second to none!).  I think he was unlucky to get them relegated in the 10/11 season, despite the initial promising start.  Fast forward to this summer... Holloway's summer signing have the touch of "Football Manager 2005" to them!  Chamakh and Phillips can no longer cut it in the Premier League.  As for Gayle, he is unproven.  For star striker Murray to be out for a while is already a kick in the shins for them pre-GW1.  Expect attacking football and goals, but Palace's joy will be short-lived with a squad lacking in top tier talent.

20th Hull (n/a):

I think Hull have some interesting players in their midst with the likes of Boyd and Koren.  But I just don't fancy them to stay up.  Sure, Bruce has Premier League experience at hand.  But failure to invest on par with Cardiff is indicative of Hull's limitations.  The defence contains a player that was involved with a relegated team last season (Figueroa) and, aside from the name checks provided, their midfield does look a bit sparse.  I can see Hull causing the odd shock here and there, but if you crunch the numbers you will find it difficult to ascribe 40 points to them.  Wooden spoon... but I hope they have fun!

Projected 13/14 Premier League Table (1st-10th)

12/13 Projected Premier League Table (1st-20th)

Chief's Projected 13/14 Premier League Table (1st-10th)

1st Chelsea (+2):

The Special One is back and will literally inspire Chelsea back to the top.  Well, it's not that simple.  This will be the most open title race in Premier League history which means that experience matters greatly.  Mourinho has a knack of winning top-flight titles, including the Premier League more than once.  A Rooneyesque striker in their ranks would seal the title for them; but so would a matured Lukaku leading the attack and filling the Drogba role.  I don't underestimate Mourinho and his collection of top-flight titles, which is why I think he will do it again in 2014.

2nd Man City (+0):

New manager and an abundance of new players.  Sometimes this is a cocktail for gradual transition or dramatic setbacks.  I don't believe either is the case for Pellegrini and his men.  He inherited a team that won the PL the year before and has simply supplemented it with classy signings such as Navas and Negredo.  I think City will push Chelsea hard for the title, but perhaps they need time to gel as a prerequisite to reviving their fortunes.

3rd Tottenham (+2):

Bale saga and instability you say? Far from it.  Spurs have been wheeling and dealing tactically over the summer.  Purchasing Paulinho, Chadli and Soldado is indicative of their intent.  I personally think Bale will stay on for one more season.  Even if he goes, Spurs are now a decent offensive unit who should be able to challenge for a Champions League spot once again.  Not only that, I think they may even by capable of truly overshadowing their North London neighbours Arsenal for the first time in a very long time.

4th Manchester United (-3):

Hold on, didn't they win the Premier League in May? Yes they did.  But that was with Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm and his trophy-laden CV.  Moyes has only won one trophy in his career and that was this season's Community Shield!  You can't expect him to defend United's title with that sort of experience.  He needs time to adapt and learn the ropes of such a massive club.  RVP will help him out no doubt.  As will the up-and-coming United youngsters, who could make a name for themselves.  A good cup run is likely, but don't expect the league title back in their hands.

5th Arsenal (-1):

I am a fan of the "Wenger school of thought", i.e. financial stability, cultured atmosphere, patience and investing/using youth academy players.  But for some time now, that hasn't worked for Arsenal.  I believe even Wenger realises that (the Arshavin signing a few years back was a watershed moment).  Thus the pursuit of Suarez showed his desire of signing a proven goal poacher who would naturally fit into Arsenal's style of play.  Alas, they didn't sign him or anyone of his quality.  Yes, the midfield is fantastic, but Giroud is no RVP.  If only they bought Villa or Soldado...

6th Liverpool (+1):

The Barca Lite experiment continues under Brendan Rodgers.  Coutinho and Sturridge were decent purchases last season and Aspas during this off-season may do well from August onwards.  But will an unsettled Suarez lead the line in the same way as he did last season?  I doubt it.  Liverpool have enough quality to score goals without Suarez, but that quality is still short of Champions League standard in my opinion.  Expect the same Liverpool as last season albeit with a bit more bite.

7th Swansea (+2):

Laudrup's League Cup champions defied many last season.  Not bad for a team of average defenders and strikers.  But Swansea's midfield (including Michu) is formidable; one of the best in the league.  It has now been supplemented by a a decent player to lead the attack in Bony who is capable of scoring 20+ Premier League goals.  Swansea could be distracted with their foray in Europe, but I think they will focus on the League and do better than last season.

8th Southampton (+6):

Some may think it a shock that I would place them so highly.  After all, I slated them for relegation last season.  but I see them in a similar vein to Swansea.  I think a matured Clyne and Shaw will bolster their defence, as will the shrewd defensive midfield addition of Wanayama.  Pochettino is no novice.  He has now settled into PL life and his team should do better than last year, even if their main striker (Lambert) is aged over 30.

9th West Ham (+1):

They had a decent start last season, before getting a bit lost in the middle and semi-recovering in the end.  West Ham have made some new signings over the summer, including the purchase of last season's loan signing Carroll.  Sure Allardyce's style of football may not be pretty, but they will get the job done with some clean sheets to boot.  They will build on last season, but don't expect a Europa League spot in their grasp.

10th Fulham (+2):

Jol's squad on paper will hardly warrant universal mentions of a team that could easily finish in the Top 10 (their away form last season was abhorrent!).  The new owner's arrival may also add a level of uncertainty to the direction of the club in the upcoming season.  But they have Berbatov! A proven PL goalscorer - who arguably has one more 15+ PL goals season left in him.  Moreover, they have also acquired Stekelenburg (the Dutch goalie at the 2010 World Cup final) and the mercurial Taarabt on loan.  I think they will improve their away form and maintain their home form level to slip into the PL's Top 10.

Stay tuned for Chief's Projected 13/14 Premier League Table (11th-20th)...