Fantasy Premier League 2013: Projecting Optimal Lineup for Week 11

The effort to create a perfect line-up rolls on as the fantasy Premier League campaign hits Week 11. Striking the right balance between star players capable of putting up huge scores and good value selections is an endless battle.

Ultimately, the two biggest factors remain a player's current form and their matchup. Fantasy owners should even be willing to sacrifice a little bit of star power if it means optimizing their individual matchups, which increases players' scoring upside.

With that in mind, let's examine players who belong in fantasy squads for Week 11. All values are courtesy of the Premier League's official fantasy game.

Goalkeepers

Role	Player	Club	Value
Starter	Tim Howard	Everton	£5.5
Bench	David Marshall	Cardiff City	£4.5

Tim Howard has used a pair of clean sheets and a combined 21 fantasy points over the past two weeks to vault into a tie for the highest score among keepers with Artur Boruc. His strong form should continue against Crystal Palace, which has just six goals in 10 matches.

David Marshall is a solid reserve option at a reasonable price. He held a clean sheet in a win over Swansea last week and gets to face an Aston Villa attack averaging less than a goal per match.

Defenders

Role	Player	Club	Value
Starter	Jan Vertonghen	Tottenham	£7.1
Starter	Dejan Lovren	Southampton	£5.8
Starter	Winston Reid	West Ham	£5.2
Starter	Chico	Swansea	£5.0
Bench	Ben Turner	Cardiff City	£4.0

Jan Vertonghen and Dejan Lovren are the top two overall scorers among defenders. Since both should enjoy favorable matchups, there's no reason to exclude either of them from the optimal squad. Vertonghen's high price tag hurts, but it's manageable.

Winston Reid had one monster performance—15 points against Tottenham—that bolstered his total score. A player with that type of upside is always going to attract attention, and it helps that he remains a solid producer even when he doesn't score big.

Rounding out the defensive group are Chico and Ben Turner. The Swansea defender should benefit from a low-scoring affair against Stoke. Turner is an underrated option coming off an eight-point outing against the Jacks last week.

Midfielders

Role	Player	Club	Value
Starter	Mesut Ozil	Arsenal	£10.7
Starter	Oscar	Chelsea	£9.0
Starter	Adam Lallana	Southampton	£6.6
Starter	Ross Barkley	Everton	£5.6
Bench	Ravel Morrison	West Ham	£4.7

The midfield is where the toughest decisions have to get made on a weekly basis. There are so many players with terrific fantasy potential, and it all comes down to making the right guesses as to which stars will step up.

For the starters, the lineup features two costly big names and a pair of players on the rise who have built up their value in the early going. Ravel Morrison is a boom-or-bust option for the bench.

Mesut Ozil and Oscar will provide a solid foundation. They both rank among the top five midfielders. Ozil and Arsenal should have opportunities moving forward in a free-flowing match against Manchester United. Chelsea should have a good showing at home against West Brom, led by Oscar.

Adam Lallana and Ross Barkley have given great return on investment to fantasy owners who took a chance on them early in the campaign. Even though their prices have gone up due to strong play, they still possess good value for Week 11.

Forwards

Role	Player	Club	Value
Starter	Sergio Aguero	Manchester City	£11.7
Starter	Daniel Sturridge	Liverpool	£10.0
Bench	Saido Berahino	West Brom	£4.5

Up front, it's tough to go against Sergio Aguero. The Manchester City striker has tallied 42 points over the last three weeks and has 82 on the season, 13 more than any other forward. He should continue to roll against Sunderland.

The other starting nod goes to Sturridge. Although his weekly production has become a little more variable since the return of Luis Suarez, he's still put up 38 points over the last five matches. The Reds' attack should be able to take advantage of a struggling Fulham side.

With limited funds left in the bank for a reserve striker, Saido Berahino is a high-upside value option that has provided a spark off the bench for West Brom and could do the same in the fantasy world.