End of Season Awards – The Forwards

With the main contenders for the Goalkeeper, Defenders and Midfielder spots already assessed, we finally turn to the men up front. The new poll is on the home page (middle column), with two forwards available for your selection and three votes at your disposal. As always, please bear in mind that the vote is from an overall Fantasy perspective – overall points, price, performances and value should all play a part in your thinking:

Robin Van Persie
A move to Man United last August raised questions over his initial 13.0 price tag. With Wayne Rooney looking likely to share the goals and bonus points, many held concerns over Van Persie’s value but he silenced the doubters with a sensational debut season that has left Rooney on the Fantasy periphery and looking for a way out of Old Trafford. Van Persie has lived up to the “Robin Reliant” moniker once again, racking up 25 goals, 15 assists and 49 bonus points – with a single game to go, he sits at the top of the overall Fantasy Premier League (FPL) leaderboard on 256 points, 44 points ahead of any other forward. With a share of set-piece duties, Van Persie has also edged ahead of Rooney for spot-kicks – a goal or assist in 28 of his 37 appearances is indicative of the armband consistency that, to many, has proven priceless this term.

Christian Benteke
Given his contribution to the Aston Villa cause, it’s fair to say that the midlanders would almost certainly be facing up to life in the Championship if it wasn’t for the burly Belgian. Arriving in the Premier League back in August, Benteke quickly became the club’s number one striker as Darren Bent took up the role of bench-warmer. Three goals in the first 16 Gameweeks highlights a difficult settling-in period but a 15 point haul at Anfield in Gameweek 17 set the tone for what was to ensue, as Benteke proceeded to bully backlines the length and breadth of the country. Since the turn of the year, Benteke has produced 14 goals, an assist and 15 bonus points in just 17 appearances for Lambert’s side, making a mockery of his initial 6.5 starting price – expect a substantial hike next term.

Rickie Lambert
The Southampton striker arrived with a superb record in the lower leagues but concerns were raised as to whether he could replicate such a cold-eyed consistency at the top level. Lambert’s impact was immediate, however, with goals against City and United by Gameweek 3 signposting his potential as a cheap third striker. With spot-kicks and set-pieces also in his locker, the Saints forward – initially coming in at 6.0 – has since racked up 14 goals, eight assists and 31 bonus points and has remained key to his side’s attacking prospects under both Nigel Adkins and Mauricio Pochettino. Lambert sits on 180 points with a game left to go – third highest scoring forward and top value outfield player in the game.

Luis Suarez
The arrival of Brendan Rodgers at Anfield turned the Uruguayan into a bona fide Fantasy performer this season. In spite of his undoubted talents, Suarez struggled in the previous campaign and stuttered his way to just 135 points – resultantly handed a starting price of 9.5 this time out, his installation as the lone forward in Rodgers’ default 4-3-3 has proven a masterstroke. A 20 point haul at Norwich in Gameweek 6 served notice of what was to follow as Suarez registered 23 goals, 10 assists and 34 bonus points for the Reds. Despite the arrival of Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea back in January, Suarez continued to hoover up the points with a consummate ease – indeed, he still sits second for forwards, having accrued 212 point before that incident with Branislav Ivanovic put paid to his season back in Gameweek 34.

Carlos Tevez
While Sergio Aguero limped out of City’s narrow Gameweek 1 win over Southampton, his team-mate was up and running. Priced at just 9.0 at the start of the season due to his falling out with Roberto Mancini in the previous season, Tevez offered a budget friendly route into City’s forward line and with a goal or assist in seven of the first nine Gameweeks, he was a hugely instrumental figure in the opening few months our Fantasy seasons and quickly rose to 9.9. With only four sets of double figures, his explosive returns have been kept to a minimum, though a 19 point haul back in Gameweek 12 highlighted his capabilities. Currently sitting on 168 points, Tevez is the third top scoring forward and has served up 11 strikes, 14 assists and 25 bonus points for the deposed champions.

Romelu Lukaku
Farmed out to West Brom on a season long loan, the Belgian has been the Baggies most reliable Fantasy asset this season. Initially priced at 6.5 for Chelsea, Lukaku’s season was slow to get underway as Steve Clarke continued to rotate him up top along with Shane Long but, as the season has progressed, he’s become a key member of the midlanders’ first XI: has now started 14 of the last 16 games he’s been available for. With 14 goals, seven assists and 18 bonus points accrued, Lukaku has racked up 143 points in his breakthrough season in the Premier League and with rumours already linking him with loan moves to West Ham and Swansea, Fantasy managers are keeping a keen eye on his destination with potential investment in mind.

Dimitar Berbatov
Starting the season at 7.0 for United, the Bulgarian’s decision to reunite with former manager Martin Jol afforded Fantasy managers a real flair option for their three man forward lines. Berbatov had been handed a mere five starts by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011/12 but under Jol, he was vital as the lone frontman, with Bryan Ruiz buzzing around behind him. Granted, the Costa Rican’s hamstring problems have had a knock-on effect in Berbatov’s output, forcing him to drop into a more withdrawn role without much success but, when employed further forward, the Bulgarian has produced the goods on a regular basis. Ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Swansea, Berbatov has found the net on 14 occasions and has also chipped in with four assists and 26 bonus points for the Cottagers – with 155 points to his name, he’s the sixth top scoring forward and fourth most impressive frontman in terms of value over the season.

Daniel Sturridge
A late contender who has simply exploded in Fantasy terms since his arrival at Anfield in January. A blast of ten goals in just 11 starts in the Liverpool red have left us in little doubt that Sturridge will be a hot property for next season’s campaign, having delivered exceptional value since he snuggled under Brendan Rodgers’ wing. His introduction to our Fantasy lineups has not been straightforward. A troublesome thigh injury and the suggestion that Rodgers may yet deploy Sturridge in a wider role, or even keep him benched as an impact sub, stalled our initial interest. However a flurry of goals has reached a crescendo since Luis Suarez was slapped with a ten match ban. Sturridge goes into tomorrow’s clash with QPR as an almost essential asset having delivered returns in nine of his 13 Liverpool appearances.