As always, if you'd like some last minute advice feel free to contact me on Twitter or by using the comments section at the bottom of the page. I'll also be doing my weekly live Fantasy A-League chat for Zeebox at 2pm Eastern on Friday - join in the conversation here. You can find all of the official squad lists for Round 4 here.
Western Sydney Wanderers v Adelaide United
United unavailable: Daniel Bowles (injured)
Captaincy options: Mark Bridge, Tomi Juric, Brendon Santalab, Shinji Ono
After comfortably accounting for their cross-town rivals, the Wanderers greet Adelaide United at Parramatta, who are coming off a disappointing 1-0 loss against the Mariners. If Western Sydney are to notch their first win at home for the season, they'll have to do it with no Youssouf Hersi, who they of course have never won without. Hersi is likely to be replaced by Brendon Santalab for his first start of the season. Santalab has been disappointing so far, registering only 2 points from his 3 appearances off the Bunnings. As such, he's not really turned out to be the fantasy prospect some were hoping for. However, if you've got him I'd hold onto him for at least this week, as he may profit from his side's likely attempts to exploit Adelaide's high defensive line. Tomi Juric (1 shot against Sydney: off target) has also let his owners down after exciting us all with a goal in Round 1; he'll be hoping to score against his former team to get his season rolling. Goal scorer Iacopo La Rocca is not a true fantasy prospect - he plays too deep in midfield to be a regular point scorer, and may even drop out of the side should Aaron Mooy have sufficiently recovered from his concussion.
The Reds clearly suffered through some key absences in Round 3, as this excellent analysis points out. Adelaide failed to register a single shot on target against the Mariners, and though they had 66% of the ball, most of their possession was limited to defence, as United failed to penetrate Central Coast's defensive structure in any meaningful way. Thus, the Reds were totally irrelevant to fantasy last weekend. The return of Jeronimo and Marcelo Carrusca to the side should go some way toward improving the Reds football as well as their chances against the reigning Premiers - though they'll need to be wary of being caught out when playing their high defensive line against a team known for its counter attacking and with Shinji Ono (1 goal, 2 shots on target, 1 goal assist and 1 shot assist last week) firing.
Last season the Reds got the better of the Wanderers in their first ever meeting at Coopers Stadium, with a Jeronimo strike proving the difference. However, in the two subsequent games, the Wanderers belted Adelaide 6-1 in Parramatta and then 4-2 in Adelaide. Mark Bridge scored 4 times against the Reds, including a hattrick in the 6-1, while Hersi grabbed a brace in the 4-2. Other scorers include Ono and Matteo Poljak, while the only other Red to score still at the club is Bruce Djite. The sides also met in preseason, with a goal from Cirio cancelling out an own goal for a 1-1 draw. Despite the absence of Hersi, I'm hesitant to recommend any Reds for captaincy this week - Carrusca, Cirio, Fabio Ferreira and maybe even Jeronimo, despite the fact he's never scored away, would all be outside chances of a goal. Meanwhile, the Wanderers have no strong candidates, though I'd bet given the way the two teams like to play there will be chances for both wide men - Bridge and (probably) Santalab - along with Juric and Ono. Jerome Polenz may be a sneaky shout for a clean sheet and perhaps an assist, but the Wanderers have not looked convincing defensively as yet this season.
Perth Glory v Sydney FC
Sydney unavailable: Rhyan Grant, Peter Triantis, Terry Antonis, Corey Gameiro, Pedj Bojic (injured)
Captaincy options: Sidnei
After a poor start to the season, the Glory registered their first 3 points at home to the Heart in Round 3, with cheapie forward Jamie Maclaren finally getting off the mark and rewarding the coaches who have held onto him. However, with the return of star striker Shane Smeltz this weekend, the joy may be short lived; this is especially the case if you also own Ryan Edwards. As Tony Tannous points out in this fantastic article, there is a possibility that, instead of relegating Maclaren to the Bunnings when Smeltz is fully fit (Smeltz will come off the bench against Sydney), he may replace Edwards at #10. Either way, this is bad news for fantasy coaches - Maclaren is not much use to us playing off the bench or as reverse out of position (playing in midfield when listed as FWD). It also limits Edwards' effectiveness to fantasy coaches further. So far the coach's lad has shown us he's cheap bench cover at best, as he's far too negative in his play to be a true fantasy option - and if he's out of the side, then he's not even good for that. I wouldn't panic just yet but it's something coaches need to monitor closely if they own one or both players. I'd instead prioritise ensuring you have cover for your Wellington and Central Coast players for their bye in Round 6.
Sydney FC, meanwhile, were again pretty awful. Lacking ADP to spark them into action, the Sky Blues could only manage 2 shots on target for the game, and though they managed to limit the Wanderers to 3, 2 of them resulted in goals - the second from a particularly poor bit of defensive play. ADP is in the squad and may make a surprise appearance against the Glory, but just the fact that he's being touted as a chance to play shows how desperate things are at Sydney FC currently. Other than ADP, no Sydney player should be considered a fantasy prospect at this time - even cheap bench fodder like Marc Warren, as they aren't much cover if they're not scoring points when playing.
Last season saw an even split of the points, with the Sky Blues winning 2-1 at home in the opener, before a 2-2 draw and a 2-1 win for the Glory in the two games in Perth - interestingly, this was Perth's only win in their last 11 games against Sydney. Smeltz struck 3 times for Perth, while ADP netted twice for the Sky Blues. Other scorers include Travis Dodd, Brett Emerton, Seb Ryall and Chris Harold. For your captain, if fully fit I'd have no issues recommending ADP or Smeltz, but I'd suggest looking elsewhere this weekend. The only other player worth considering at all in this game would by Sidnei, given that Perth seem to like their attacks going through him on the left. I'll leave it to the Fox commentators to make the obvious joke.
Newcastle Jets v Central Coast Mariners
Mariners unavailable: Daniel McBreen (returning from loan), Hayden Morton, Adam Kwasnik (injured)
Captaincy options: Marcos Flores, Joshua Rose, Storm Roux
The Jets added to their reputation as the league's entertainers with a goalless draw in Napier against the Phoenix last weekend, which also saw van Egmond tinker with his side - leaving owners of fantasy favourite Craig Goodwin absolutely fuming with the young winger omitted from the squad. The Jets aren't offering us much offensively, however another clean sheet suggests that some of their cheaper defensive options, such as Sam Gallaway, can be effective as bench cover or even considered for inclusion on the field, should you be looking to pour some cash into your midfield or forward line. That is, of course, should van Egmond resist the urge to make further changes. I'd be wary of spending big on any Jets player at the moment, and Goodwin will have to be moved on if he's not getting a game - he's far too expensive to be left on your bench. Emile Heskey returns to the squad this weekend, though it remains to be seen what condition he is in. He's not a player I'd be rushing to bring into my side anyway.
The Mariners knocked off the Reds comfortably, and really should have won by more than the single goal from Nick Fitzgerald. I'd be wary of considering Fitzgerald as a long term prospect, especially with another reshuffle likely to come as Daniel McBreen's loan spell in China has ended. Marcos Flores was one of a number of captaincy options to disappoint last round, though in truth he created 4 chances - suggesting that he is still quite capable of generating some serious points. Michael McGlinchey managed to create 3 chances himself despite being moved to the left of midfield - though I still think he's overpriced, especially compared to Flores. Mitchell Duke did not manage a single shot for the match, however he assisted the goal and created a further chance. If you own him, I'd be monitoring his role closely once McBreen returns and how it affects his points. And again, be wary of the bye coming up for the Mariners in Round 6. Ensuring you have cover should be a priority.
Last season the points were split evenly, with the Jets winning 2-1 at home before the Mariners won the second match away 2-0 and then a 0-0 draw in Gosford. Interestingly, none of the goal scorers from last season are available for this match except for Emile Heskey - McBreen (2) is on his way back from China, while Bernie Ibini and Ryan Griffiths have departed. When looking at captaincy options, I'd only suggest selecting a man in yellow. Marcos Flores should be considered again; Storm Roux and Joshua Rose may also be good options, as the Jets are yet to register a goal this season, so you could be looking at a clean sheet and maybe an assist given their attacking sensibilities.
Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Heart
Heart unavailable: Patrick Kisnorbo, Orlando Engelaar, Dylan Macallister, Jonatan Germano (injured)
Captaincy options: Thomas Broich
Things are not looking great for Brisbane at the moment, despite their promising start to the season. Star striker Besart Berisha - sorely missed in the 1-0 loss to the Victory - is again out with injury, as is Liam Miller, while Luke Brattan is a concern after coming off injured against the Victory. Brattan's injury saw Ivan Franjic shifted to a defensive midfield role - a horrible move for fantasy managers, especially those who selected him as captain. Franjic is rumoured to be suffering from a virus this week, plus left back Shane Stefanutto is also under an injury cloud. I'd recommend avoiding jumping on any cheapies that replace these players, as once they all return you'll be forced into making more trades, and Brisbane may underperform if missing too many key players.
Luckily for Brisbane, their opponents this weekend are the Heart, who once again failed to win on the road last round. In his first appearance, striker Michael Mifsud looked lively and was one of two Heart players to register a shot on target. He'll no doubt be more effective once he links up with Harry Kewell, who is in the squad this weekend. Mifsud is very tempting at his price, but the only issue is he players for the Heart, not known for being big point scorers, nor are they currently playing a brand of football conducive to big scores. Top scorer David Williams is too erratic and (normally) plays too wide for a FWD for my taste, and he plays for a team who seemingly don't know how to win outside Victoria.
Last season the Heart surprisingly accounted for the Roar twice at home, beating them 4-1 and 3-2, before inevitably falling 2-0 at Suncorp. Patrick Gerhardt and Williams (2) are the only surviving scorers for the Heart, while Berisha notched 3 of the Roar's goals, Henrique and Thomas Broich getting the others. I'd avoid making Franjic captain this week, as we are unsure of what role he will play in the team and if he will even line up. I don't fancy any Heart players as strong candidates; for Brisbane, Broich may be the one to conjure the winner with most of their other game-breakers out injured or in doubt. That said, the Heart are something of a bogey team for Brisbane, having only lost once to them in the last six encounters.
Melbourne Victory v Wellington Phoenix
Phoenix unavailable: Lewis Italiano (injured)
Captaincy options: Mitch Nichols, Kosta Barbarouses, Archie Thompson, Jeremy Brockie
The final game of the round sees Ernie Merrick and Carlos Hernandez return to Melbourne to take on Kevin Muscat's Victory in his first game as manager. As mentioned previously, I don't see Muscat tinkering too much with the Victory's structure or line-up at this stage, the only question for me is if the players will respond to him as they did Ange. There's no reason to expect the wheels to instantly fall off, so I'd be keeping the faith with any Victory players you have at this stage. James Troisi scored for the second week in a row, perhaps doing his chances of staying in the starting XI a world of good. I still think Gui Finkler is a far better option than Troisi in the Victory midfield, so be wary of Troisi slipping out of the side despite his goals. Interestingly none of the Victory forwards have fired this season, with offside king Archie Thompson, Connor Pain and Kosta Barbarouses all yet to get off the mark. Barbarouses has probably looked the most likely of the 3, and Pain seems to be resigned to a bench spot for now. Mitch Nichols is also yet to open his account, however his scores have been beefed up thanks to 4 Alex Tobin award bonus points. He could be a very tasty prospect indeed if he continues his fine form while adding some goals. Victory's defence, which was a big question mark last season, has kept 2 clean sheets and may do so again against the Phoenix. For me, the jury is still out on whether Victory's cheap defenders are now serious options, but I'd certainly consider starting any if you have them this weekend.
Meanwhile the Nix hardly set the fantasy world alight last weekend, registering only 2 shots on target against the mediocre Jets while allowing 6 (from 19 attempts). If you played Reece Caira on the field, you should feel both happy and somewhat fortunate. I'd certainly consider playing someone else this time around as I don't see the Nix (1 clean sheet in the last 17 away games) keeping out the Victory on their own turf. Michael Boxall again was left on the Bunnings, so if you have the cash and need some added depth don't hesitate to trade him out. Jeremy Brockie (3 shots, none on target) would have disappointed any manager who traded him in for Berisha or ADP, a risky move considering he has the bye in two weeks. He is certainly a regular goal threat however, and may surprise with a goal against the Victory, though I'd think him far more likely to find the net at home to Perth. It's up to you if you have him whether you move him on this week, next week or the following week, or even if you keep him for the bye, but just be wary you will need cover and he could become an additional headache if you cop injuries and suspensions before then. Similarly, while Carlos Hernandez is Wellington's other main fantasy prospect, I wouldn't be trading him in until after the bye if you don't have him; and if you do, he's the same problem for you as Brockie is for his owners.
Last season the Victory swept Wellington, winning 3-2 and 2-0 at home and 3-2 away. Former players Marcos Flores and Marco Rojas were dominant, scoring 7 of Victory's 8 goals (Archie netted the other). Meanwhile for the Nix, Brockie scored 3 and Stein Huysegems got 1. When considering captaincy, Thompson and Brockie have form in the fixtures, however Rojas' and Flores' positional replacements in Barbarouses and Nichols may be more likely propositions. I'm still too wary of Troisi to consider him for captaincy despite his goals, but perhaps if you are braver than I am you could be rewarded. And if you are one for the poetic, then you'll probably look at Hernandez scoring and dominating against his former team - though I think that's a risky choice.