End of Season Awards – The Forwards

This afternoon, we’re rolling out the final article in our End of Season awards. With Clint Dempsey taking top spot for the midfielders, we now turn our attentions to the forward options. Once again, you’ll find the poll in the middle of the main page, just underneath the Captain Poll for Gameweek 38:

As always, bear in mind that the vote is from an overall Fantasy perspective – total points, price, performances and FPL value should all come into consideration here.

Also be aware that each person is entitled to vote for two forwards here..

Robin Van Persie
The Gunners skipper was slow out the starting blocks, with just a single goal in the first five matches, but then exploded into form from Gameweek 6 onwards. Van Persie set the tone for what was to follow by racking up six double figure hauls in the following eight Gameweeks and proved to be the most reliable armband option available to Fantasy owners. Such was his consistency that Van Persie only twice went more than one Gameweek without scoring or assisting, with each drought lasting only two games.

An injury-free campaign saw him start 37 of Arsenal’s fixtures – even in that one game where he began as a sub, the Dutchman still had time to climb off the bench and grab a double against Stoke in just 25 minutes at the Emirates. Leading the way for goals and bonus points, with 30 and 45 respectively, and, with 13 assists and a total of 12 double figure hauls also accrued, Van Persie’s incredible total of 269 FPL points was head and shoulders above any other player in the 2011/12 campaign.

Wayne Rooney
Unlike Van Persie, the United man hit the ground running, grabbing nine goals in the first five matches, including a three-goal, two assist haul against Arsenal which harvested 22 points in Gameweek 3. Rooney then hit the brakes, producing just two assists in the next nine Gameweeks but rediscovered his consistency as the season picked up pace, producing attacking returns in all but three of his appearances from Gameweek 24 onwards.

A personal best 27 goals was supplemented by eight assists and 35 bonus points – Rooney also returned double figures on eight occasions and proved a viable alternative to Van Persie for the captain’s armband as United racked up the goals. In the end, he was – like his team – somewhat overshadowed, with Van Persie simply irresistible but with 230 points accrued, Rooney still managed to produce his most impressive Fantasy season to date as the title race went to the wire.

Sergio Aguero
The summer signing from Atletico Madrid couldn’t have asked for a better start to his first season at the Etihad. Aguero’s debut saw him climb off the bench against Swansea in Gameweek 1 and, in just 32 minutes, announce his arrival as a Fantasy force in sensational style, with a brace and assist in the 4-0 win handing his Fantasy owners a 15 point haul.

While his home form harvested 16 goals and six double figure returns, Aguero struggled for much of the season on the road – after scoring in the 6-1 win at Old Trafford in Gameweek 9, he picked up just a single assist in ten away appearances, deterring many from investing in his services. The installation of Carlos Tevez has alleviated that problem, with Aguero grabbing attacking returns in all three away fixtures the pair have started together up front. With the title-clinching winner against QPR taking his total to 23 goals, nine assists and 30 bonus points, Aguero’s debut campaign saw him finish third on the overall FPL rankings, with a score of 211 points.

Emmanuel Adebayor
Starting the season priced at 8.0, Adebayor’s prospects looked bleak. Frozen out by City, he had played just 244 minutes and scored a single goal in the previous campaign but Harry Redknapp’s decision to take him on loan to the Lane proved ideal for Spurs fans and Fantasy managers alike.

There’s no denying he can be a frustrating Fantasy asset, though Adebayor has shown it’s worth keeping faith in his abilities. His season is perhaps summed up by a run from Gameweek 19-24 which produced not a goal or assist, only to be followed by a 21 point haul against Newcastle, with a goal and four assists against the Magpies. With spot-kick duties also in the bag, he finished the campaign with 17 goals and 12 assists, playing a part in more goals than any of his team mates, and finished on 194 points – only one behind Gareth Bale for Redknapp’s outfit.

Papiss Cisse
Arriving at Newcastle in the January transfer window, Cisse’s installation to Alan Pardew’s first XI saw a change of fortunes for Demba Ba. The latter had been superb in the first half of the season but was shifted wide left to accommodate his compatriot as the Magpies moved to a 4-3-3; while the former West Ham man suffered as a Fantasy asset, Cisse’s ability to find the net from all angles saw him soar in ownership.

An incredible return of 13 goals in just 14 appearances, with a couple of assists also thrown in, made a mockery of his 7.0 starting price in FPL. Cisse hit full stride in a six-match spell between Gameweeks 29-35, grabbing nine goals and returning maximum bonus in all but one of those appearances. With Ba failing to find the net in any of the games they started together, the move from one Newcastle man to the other was an obvious one, and with Cisse returning a total of 20 bonus points, he ended the season with an average of 7.5 points per game – the highest of any player over the 2011/12 campaign.

Nikica Jelavic
Similar to Cisse, his January introduction allowed Fantasy managers a chance to shake up their forward lines in the second half of the season. Jelavic’s scoring record in Scotland with Glasgow Rangers was superb and he took little time to acclimatise to the rigours of the Premier League.

With the Croatian leading the line, Everton looked an altogether different prospect, with their creative endeavours finally being rewarded by the clinical finishing of the 6.5 priced forward. Netting nine times in just 10 starts, including three back-to-back braces between Gameweek 32-36, he helped the Toffees finish the season on a nine-match unbeaten run and, with 11 bonus points also accrued, averaged 6.6 points per start for David Moyes’ outfit.

Yakubu
Blackburn’s summer signing from Everton turned out to be an inspired piece of business for Fantasy managers. While Yakubu’s goals failed to keep the Lancashire outfit in the top-flight, his starting price of 5.5 afforded us a dependable cut-price option for our frontlines, allowing us to invest budget in other areas.

A four-goal haul against Swansea back in Gameweek 14 was undoubtedly the highlight of the Nigerian’s season, with a 21 point return produced for his Fantasy owners. Yakubu’s spot-kick duties also helped, taking his tally to 17 goals for the campaign – only Van Persie, Rooney and Aguero found the net more often. With five double figure points hauls and 18 bonus points also thrown in, few players offered the same sort of value as Yakubu, with a total of 144 points seeing him sit sixth overall for forwards.

Grant Holt
The Norwich skipper was another cut-price sensation last time out. Starting at 5.5, Holt scored just once in the opening eight matches as his price dropped down to 4.9 by Gameweek 10 but, despite Paul Lambert’s penchant for rotation, he finished the season with 15 goals as the Canaries sealed their top-flight survival with ease.

Holt missed just two matches, starting 24 of Norwich’s fixtures, with a further 12 coming off the bench, and scored against the likes of United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea in a memorable debut top-flight campaign. The most reliable Fantasy performer for Lambert’s side, he also returned 19 bonus points and, with a score of 138 points, was second top in terms of value for any outfield player.