Fantasy Premier League 2013: Dangerous Picks to Avoid on Opening Weekend

The 2013-14 Premier League season begins on August 17, which can only mean one thing: Fantasy Football is back.

A combination of newly promoted clubs and an array of summer signings make the opening week extremely difficult to judge. While it's exciting to include new faces in your team, tough fixtures and adjustment time must be taken into account before committing early in the season.

Experienced Premier League players may also fail to inspire if circumstances conspire against them in the run-up to kickoff.

Which dangerous picks should you avoid during Round 1? Using the official Barclays Premier League Fantasy Football game, let's take a look at the squad and why you should give these players a miss:

Analysis

Goalkeepers

Despite having two fixtures during the opening week, Brad Guzan will be in for a torrid time during Aston Villa's visits to the Emirates and Stamford Bridge. His two chances at gaining a clean sheet are not worth taking, especially when you consider the American goalkeeper conceded 10 goals across the corresponding matches last season.

As reported by Whoscored.com, Guzan made a combined total of 13 stops during these games, including a penalty save in the 8-0 loss to Chelsea. Unfortunately, an error on his part also led to one of the goals in the memorable walloping.

Guzan would score no more than eight points in this season's game, and that's with the penalty save included. He is unlikely pull off another save from the spot and will do brilliantly to get a decent score, especially as his error would also see extra points removed this year.

Hull City's Allan McGregor is a decent season-long investment at £4.5 million, but he isn't confirmed to start against a Chelsea side that threatens rampancy.

Defenders

It's always a good idea to avoid defenders from promoted sides on opening week, especially when they are set to face the league's best.

Crystal Palace's Danny Gabbidon and Hull's Maynor Figueroa have previous Premier League experience, but don't let this fool you. They are set to start against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, respectively, two tasks that promise major disappointment.

Similarly, Cardiff City's Steven Caulker is well-versed in the world of top-flight football. The Welsh side travel to a West Ham United team that lost just four games at the Boleyn Ground throughout last season.

Sam Allardyce's men only failed to score twice in front of their fans, but still managed 0-0 draws with Manchester City and Newcastle United. As such, Caulker's £5 million tag is looking expensive during Round 1.

Jores Okore could prove to be one of the summer's best signings across the entire season. You should hold fire on the talented 20-year-old during opening week, though, as the fixtures against Arsenal and Chelsea take their toll once more. Throw in the fact the Danish defender needs to acclimatise to the English game and he becomes a difficult early investment.

Fabricio Coloccini's Newcastle future has remained on the ropes since he asked to leave in January 2012. His relationship with Alan Pardew and the club's supporters isn't healthy, and considering Manchester City scored in all of their home games last season, he is best avoided.

Midfielders

Whether Gareth Bale stays at Spurs or not, the Welshman has had a difficult summer. The Sun questions if reports of his injury are true, suggesting the former Southampton player isn't in the right frame of mind to represent Spurs at all.

For his price, an early punt on more settled world-class talents such as Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Santi Cazorla offer better value, especially as the Chelsea players have two games.

Crystal Palace's Kagisho Dikgacoi and Stoke City's Steven N'Zonzi face difficult tasks in the centre of midfield on opening day. Dikgacoi will face direct opposition against players such as Mousa Dembele, Paulinho and Sandro, indicating he is unlikely to retain possession and will be drawn into fouls.

N'Zonzi will experience a similar fate against Liverpool. The gritty midfielder recently had a transfer request rejected by the club, as reported by Goal.com, and might be unfocused on the task ahead.

For Frank Lampard and Antonio Valencia, it's a question of whether the two players will start for their new managers. Although they are expected to make some kind of appearance, time may be limited due to new arrivals.

It is unclear how Jose Mourinho will utilise his plethora of midfielders, while Valencia's poor 2012-13 season could force David Moyes into giving Wilfried Zaha his Premier League debut. Keep an eye on Manchester United's Community Shield lineup to judge the latter.

Strikers

Much like Lampard, caution should be taken when using any Chelsea striker. Romelu Lukaku is tipped for huge things after scoring 17 goals for West Brom last season, but Mourinho is likely to opt for the more experienced Fernando Torres or Demba Ba.

Similarly, Stevan Jovetic will find it difficult to make Manchester City's starting team for the first game against Newcastle.

Judging recent form, Danny Graham should be completely avoided until he settles. The on-loan Hull striker failed to score in any of his 13 games for Sunderland during the last campaign, and notched just three in 17 for Swansea before that. He averaged one goal in 10 games across last year, a record that is unlikely to improve against Chelsea.

Which players will you avoid on opening day? Let me know in the comments section and be sure to chat all things Fantasy Football with me on Twitter:

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