As of this writing, 2.6% of fantasy managers have Mario Balotelli on their roster. If they keep him, they are crazier than the Italian nut job.

Balotelli, a pathetic, arrogant, narcissistic, boorish, and cowardly waste of flesh is Exhibit A of what happens when people bury their heads in the sand and put athletic talent over managerial common sense. Exhibit B is Carlos Tevez.

Balotelli carries a fantasy value of 8.3 million and when his current suspension is up, he will have missed a third of the season for his transgressions. The FA decision not to penalize him for his shock tackle on Alex Song was as ridiculous as Shaun Derry’s red card not being overturned.

With just a handful of games remaining in the season, roster adjustments are recommended. Branislav Ivanovic is suspended for three matches, so his value of 6.5 million would bring in a strong fantasy replacement. If you have a bit of surplus budget left, Man Yoo’s Phil Jones at 6.6 is a good pick. Spurs Younes Kaboul appears to be on the shelf for a number games with a bad knee injury. His value of 5.8 should bring a suitable replacement. Sir John is considering Jonas Olsson of WBA who has a value of 5.3 million. Another player worth considering who is priced slightly higher is Chelsea’s Gary Cahill, valued at 6.0 million.

Manchester City’s David Silva, once mentioned as player of the year is in a wretched slump. Even so, he is on more than a third of fantasy manager’s rosters. Currently in the fifth spot for fantasy midfielders, Silva has returned 160 points with a value of 8.1 million. Contrast that with Clint Dempsey, by far the best bargain at any position. The American is the best scoring midfielder with 215 points, yet still has a value of only 7.1 million. Nearly 60% of fantasy managers have the Texan on their rosters.

End-of-the-season gambles might be midfielder David Dunn of Blackburn, the lowest priced player at his position with a value of only 4.0 million. Raul Meireles of Chelsea may have some surprises in him. His value is 4.3 million. Yohan Cabaye of Newcastle has a wealth of players ready for his assists. He is priced at 5.7 million. And how can Kenny D not play Maxi Rodriguez more after his brace against Blackburn? When Maxi starts, he usually scores and is priced at 5.6 million.

Kevin Davies is back in Owen Coyle’s plans and would be a good replacement striker for slumping players such as grumbling Demba Ba who now has to share the scoring spotlight and had a snit on the sideline when subbed by Alan Pardew. Bolton will be going all out in their remaining games to avoid relegation. Davies value is only 5.1 million.

And finally, there is the Liverpool goalkeeper fiasco. Jose Reina is out for another two matches and his replacements are not listed in the available players. Reina carries a value of 5.5 million. The closest quality GK in salary would be Tim Krul of Newcastle at 5.8 million.

Late note:
Manchester City's 4-0 crushing of WBA added a pile of fantasy points to the totals of Aguero, Silva and Tevez and will bolster those managers who hold them. Aguero and Silva may be back on track; however, Tevez with his spare tire is still damaged goods.