Hindered by an ongoing hernia problem, Junior Stanislas was overshadowed by the exploits of free-scoring Bournemouth team-mate Josh King in the previous campaign.
Restricted to 21 appearances, the winger served up just 106 points – lagging some way behind King’s 178 points – and scored seven times last term.
But having found the net in each of the final three fixtures, the Cherries’ flier is shaping up as one to watch for 2017/18.
- When fit, Stanislas was a regular on Eddie Howe’s teamsheet – 18 of his 21 outings arrived in the first XI. Frustratingly, his hernia injury meant that the winger failed to start more than five successive league matches but, having undergone surgery immediately after last season finished, he’s expected to be fully fit and raring to go for the campaign ahead.
- King’s rise to prominence in the second half of 2016/17 will certainly earn the Norwegian a price hike to around 7.5 or more, whereas Stanislas will be backed to remain under the 6.0-mark. Furthermore, King could also be reclassified to a forward due to his switch up front in the final few months under Howe. Considering no other Bournemouth midfielder netted more than three times, Stanislas could emerge as a budget-friendly pick in the centre of the park.
- When it came to points per match (ppm), Stanislas more than held his own against King and, indeed, bettered him by 5.1 to 4.9. That average was inferior to only seven regular midfielders and on a par with big hitters such as Mesut Ozil, Roberto Firmino and Son Heung-min. Although a 21-point haul against Hull City in Gameweek 8 was the undoubted highlight of his season, the Cherries’ winger is more consistent than you’d perhaps expect – although he managed 90 minutes on just six occasions, he produced a goal or assist in 10 of his 18 starts.
- In addition to his seven goals, Stanislas also chipped in with six assists and essentially played a part in 50% of his side’s goals when on the pitch – up significantly from 31.3% in 2015/16. That was also more than King’s 46.2% involvement and matched only by Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson among FPL midfielders with a minimum of 10 starts. With the prolific Jermain Defoe added to the Cherries forward line, the Stanislas supply line could be vital for the Cherries and profitable for Fantasy managers.
- Although his minutes per chance created dropped over the two seasons – down from 43.6 to 67.1 – the statistics indicate that Stanislas’ eye for goal has benefitted from a more single-minded approach. Indeed, both his shot accuracy (from 20.5% to 44.2%) and goal conversion (from 6.8% to 16.3%) more than doubled when compared with 2015/16. As a result, his minutes per goal quickened from 480 to 210.9 in the previous campaign.
- Bournemouth proved a reliable source of attacking returns last term, placing seventh for both goals (55) and big chances (64). By and large, the Cherries’ attack was fairly fixture-proof – they netted at least three times in separate matches against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton. That could help them, and Stanislas, prevail over a tricky opening to 2017/18 that hands them clashes with West Brom, Manchester City, Arsenal, Everton and Spurs in the first eight Gameweeks. On the upside, visits from Watford, Brighton and Leicester heighten their early-season potential.
