Every year it seems just that little bit harder to make a team from the £100 million budget. Last season’s bargain basement players are this year’s mid-priced options, while the emerging talents are now fully fledged superstars in the eyes of the Fantasy Game pricing gurus.
Any Tom, Dick or Jon Reeson will tell you that the key to succeeding in this game then, is spotting those up and coming young talents just as they break into the first team, or those foreign players bought last year who have now settled and are ready to burst onto the scene in a big way.
Most top Fantasy managers will have ended up with Branislav Ivanovic in their team at some point last year, and Leighton Baines and Jose Bosingwa were the gems from the previous season. Who will be this year’s “Breakout” players? Here’s our take on some possible candidates…
Defenders
Seamus Coleman
Coleman only played once for the Everton first team last season, but was very impressive while on loan at Blackpool after Christmas, and his performances in pre-season have been nothing short of excellent. He has started in four of Everton’s six pre-season games, and his displays will surely have caught David Moyes’ eye. In the game against Melbourne, he set up both goals, and also won a spot-kick, while he also earned a further assist against Norwich.
His attacking runs down the right will surly bring regular attacking points and assists, so if he is does get a run of games in the Premier League then his Fantasy potential is assured. At just 4.5M in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game and 3.3M in Metro, he is much cheaper than the left-sided equivalent, Leighton Baines and if he can get close to matching Baines’ fantasy returns then he would prove to be one of the best cheap defenders available. His starting position is not clear though, as Neville, Heitinga and Hibbert all able to play right back. It would be a big risk putting him in your initial lineup then, but be ready to bring him in if he does gain ownership of the right-back slot.
Kieron Gibbs
Arsenal youngster Kieron Gibbs will be hoping that this is the season when he can finally overtake Gael Clichy as first choice left back, and any indication that he is first choice would place the attacking full back firmly on our Fantasy radar. The FPL organisers clearly expect this to be his year too; frustratingly he is priced at 5.5M in FPL, just 0.5M short of Clichy, and the same price as first team regulars Michael Dawson and Phil Jagielka. Metro’s 3.3M valuation is much more affordable, however, when compared to fellow Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen at 6.7M. Arsenal’s defensive record is the weakest of the big three sides in recent years, but Gibbs attacking threat more than makes up for this and despite his price hike from last year, he is still considerably less than the other popular full backs: Patrice Evra, Leighton Baines, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson.
Rafael Da Silva
The idea of having two twins rampaging down both wings at Old Trafford is something that obviously appealed to Sir Alex Ferguson when he bought Fabio and Rafael Da Silva from Fluminense two years ago. While both have struggled for first team appearances so far, it is Rafael that seems to have caught the eye the most, earning 8 starts last season.
With Gary Neville on the verge of drawing his pension, the right-back spot at Man United is firmly up for grabs this year, and Rafael will be hoping to prove to be first choice over more experienced alternatives, John O’Shea and Wes Brown.
While he clearly needs to work on his defensive qualities if he wants to become United’s first choice, his typically Brazilian performances at full-back have seen him constantly looking to play an expansive, attacking game, and from a Fantasy perspective his potential is obvious. His controlled display against Ribery last year (before he was sent off, obviously) showed he can actually defend as well as attack so maybe this could be his year. Priced at 6.0 in FPL this year (0.5M more than both O’Shea and Jonny Evans), he will need to show some serious form before he makes his way into our FPL teams, but in Metro he is only 3.7M so could be worth a punt there.
Midfielders
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov
Signed for £10 million from Locomotiv Moscow last summer, Russian International Bilyaletdinov failed to settle last year but showed flashes of brilliance that suggests he could play a key part in Everton’s campaign this time around.
On his debut in the Europa league tie against AEK Athens, he setup the first three goals, and also scored Everton’s goal of the season with this belter against Man United.
As the Russian season runs over England’s summer break, he played for 16 months without any break last year so with a proper rest and preparation this year we could see a big improvement in his performances. A natural left footer, his usual position is on the left wing, but it’s more likely we’ll see him on the right while Steven Pienaar occupies the left flank. Decent from a dead ball situation, if he’s on the pitch, he could take some corners and free kicks from playmaker Mikel Arteta; something to be wary of if you are considering the Spaniard. “Bily” is priced at just 6.5M in both the Metro and FPL.
Jordan Henderson
Now in his second league in the senior team, 20-year-old Jordan Henderson is an athletic box to box midfielder, who can play on the right of midfield, or in the centre. He has been getting rave reviews from Steve Bruce, and was voted the club’s best young player last year, so expectations are certainly high. With Lorik Cana leaving for Galatasaray, and Andy Reid out with an Achilles problem, Henderson will be almost certainly have a starting role in the side, and although he was forced to take on a more defensive role last season, the purchase of Riveros to play a holding role and the return to fitness of Lee Cattermole could free Henderson up to get more involved in the attack.
Last season Henderson accumulated 40 appearances, getting just one goals and 5 assists, but a more attacking role with free kick duties, combined with his technical ability and boundless energy should help him score much better fantasy-wise this time around. Sunderland’s pre-season saw him issue a reminder of his talents with a goal and an assist against Leicester, potentially indicative of what is to come once the Premier league begins. Priced at 6.5M in Metro, and just 5.5M in FPL, he could end up competing with the likes of Bolton’s Chung Young Lee and Martin Petrov for our attention in the mid-price bracket this year.
Marc Albrighton
Albrighton will be hoping to properly break into the Aston Villa first team this season, and if his pre-season displays are anything to go by, then he could be an excellent Fantasy prospect. A quick and skillful winger, his attacking threat on the right has been rewarded with three assists and a goal (a 35 yard screamer) from Villa’s pre-season. He is competing against Ashley Young and Stewart Downing for a starting spot, so while he is unlikely to displace either of those, Martin O Neill’s experiments in pre-season with Ashley Young playing as a second striker, could be a way for the 20-year-old to fit into the team. That could of course be thrown of the window with O’Neill’s recent shock departure.
Obviously, pre-season tinkering has to be taken with a pinch of salt, but if this is a sign of things to come then it could be an opportunity for him to get a run of games, and if he does manage to nail down a starting spot, then he would be a steal at just 4.5M in FPL and 5.1M in Metro.
Forwards
Nikola Kalinic
Twenty year old Croatian International Nikola Kalinic is so highly regarded in his homeland that Bilic described him as “the future of Croatian football”; lofty praise indeed. Like most foreign imports, his first season saw him struggle to settle into the Premier League, scoring just twice in 26 games (14 starts) but his goal scoring pedigree is unquestionable. Before joining Blackburn he played his football at Hadjuk Split and managed an impressive 32 goals in 53 games. Even more impressive is his International record, an amazing 30 goals in 32 games playing at every level from the U17s through to the U21s.
Kalinic has missed much of pre-season with a knee injury, but returned in the recent win over Celtic and unless Allardyce puts faith in loan signing Mame Biram Diouf from United (another Breakout consideration), the lack of alternatives up front should see Big Sam throw Kalinic into the side for the season opener. Blackburn’s fixtures are pretty horrendous (EVE bir ARS mcy FUL) until gameweek 5, but at just 5.5M in FPL, and 5.7M in Metro, he is definitely one to consider when fixtures get a touch kinder for Rovers. We’re expecting a marked improvement – our Member’s Player Projections currently have Kalinic improving on last season’s FPL returns by 57 points.
Danny Welbeck
Another of Man United’s promising youngsters, Danny Welbeck looks likely to go out on loan to a Premier League side this year and depending on where he ends up, he could be an excellent purchase at just 5.5M in FPL and 5.4M in Metro. Capable of scoring some pretty spectacular goals, the skillful forward has yet to prove his fantasy potential but his limited appearances for United and on loan to Preston last year are enough to suggest that Ferguson has uncovered another real gem in the young Englishman.
Sunderland are hot favourites to land the lanky 19 year old, but with experienced players like Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones alongside ex United man Frazier Campbell, already settled at the Stadium of Light, he could face a real battle to make the first team. Blackpool, another club being heavily linked, would perhaps provide him with more starts, but you have to feel goal scoring opportunities would be pretty limited if he ends up at the newly promoted side. One to monitor once a move materialises.
Frazier Campbell
Campbell’s record of 4 goals and 6 assists in 36 league games for Sunderland last year is far less impressive than his 24 goals in 38 games for Antwerp, partly because he was often deployed out wide, but also because he rarely played the full 90 minutes. His goal scoring quality cannot be questioned though, his 4 goals in 25 minutes against Hull in pre-season was a welcome reminder of the impact he could have this year. Steve Bruce has been singing his praises, so a regular starting spot could be on the cards, and if Bruce continues to play him alongside Darren Bent up front, we can expect him to be a regular goalscorer for the Black cats. At 7.7M in Metro and just 6.0M in FPL, he is a much cheaper option than his strike partner and could pick up some interest in the budget bracket.