He might have picked up the Golden Boot award in 2015/16, scoring 25 goals, but Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane did not begin the season as a popular Fantasy option.
Kane entered the campaign following a fruitless Euro 2016 with England, as he struggled to shake off his reputation for starting seasons slowly. The arrival of big-name forwards – particularly Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic – dealt a further blow to Kane’s early Fantasy stock.
But despite an injury-disrupted start, he soon found momentum, particularly during the second half of the season, embarking on an extraordinary run of goal scoring to eventually snatch a second successive Golden Boot gong.
Kane finished as the highest scoring forward in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), with 224 points from just 30 appearances, and gains selection in our Team of the Season for a third successive season.
The Statistics
Handed a price tag of 11.0 in FPL, Kane was selected by 618,838 managers heading into Gameweek 1, with Ibrahimovic and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero proving far more popular options, with over 1.2 million owners apiece.
He mustered just a single assist over the first three Gameweeks before opening his account in the 4-0 win over Stoke City.
He scored nine points the following week, via a goal and maximum bonus points, but picked up an ankle injury which kept the striker out of the next five outings.
By the time he returned in Gameweek 11, Kane’s price in FPL had dropped to 10.7 with his ownership standing at just 203,826 managers.
But a goal in the north London derby against Arsenal proved to be something of a catalyst and his first double-digit score followed in the 3-2 win over West Ham United in Gameweek 12.
That 13-point haul was followed by another in the 5-0 victory against Swansea City in Gameweek 14, while further big double-figure scores came in emphatic victories over Watford and West Bromwich Albion.
It was during this stage of the season that Kane’s home form would prove irresistible, with a 20-point haul against Stoke City followed by another 13 points in a 3-2 win over Everton a week later.
Another ankle injury saw him sit out a further three matches, but on his return to the starting XI, he plundered 12 points in a 4-0 win over Bournemouth.
And his sensational performances over the final two Gameweeks, which included two hat-tricks and eight goals and an assist in total, helped secure a second consecutive Golden Boot.
Kane ended the campaign averaging a chance every 23 minutes, which only put him fifth among forwards who made a minimum of 20 appearances, but he did register more shots on target (58) than any other FPL forward.
He finished the season with 29 goals – his best return, while he produced seven assists, equaling his tally from 2014/15.
In terms of points per match, Kane led all FPL forwards with 7.5 – far superior to Ibrahimovic (5.8), Aguero (5.6) and Chelsea’s Diego Costa (5.6), and he also racked up 33 bonus points, with no player registering more in the game.
Kane’s standing as one of the most reliable captain options is illustrated by the fact only Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez made the FPL Dream Team as many times (nine) as the Spurs forward.
He ended the campaign at a season-high price of 11.9, while his FPL ownership peaked at 1,048,445 in the final Gameweek.
The Prospects
Three outstanding seasons means that Kane looks set to rival, and likely supersede, Aguero as the most expensive player in the game next time out.
The City forward set us back 13.0 at the start of the 2016/17 campaign, but could see his price fall slightly after only accruing 175 points, while the emergence of Gabriel Jesus is also expected to be a factor.
It appears likely that Kane will warrant a rise to at least 12.0 next term and he could well be the most expensive player across all the Fantasy games.
However, following his outstanding form at the end of 2016/17, Kane’s popularity will surely be unshakable with Spurs’ initial fixtures perhaps the only factor that could calm the initial rush.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side built on their title challenge of 2015/16, when they eventually came third with 70 points, to go one better and claim runners-up spot last season.
Spurs accrued a hugely impressive 86 points and also netted 86 goals, making them the highest scorers in the league.
Kane, ably supported by Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-min, was part of an attack which just could not be contained.
With all four players improving year on year, there’s every expectation the Spurs attack will remain among the most potent in the top flight next season.
One potential issue could be the club’s move to Wembley, given that White Hart Lane proved such a fortress in 2016/17.
They won 17 and drew two of their 19 home fixtures, scoring 47 goals. At Wembley, they only managed to win one of their five matches.
But with Kane enjoying a first summer off since 2014, he should be well rested and offer an option that will likely prove irresistible to Fantasy managers, particularly if he can show convincing pre-season form.
While Aguero has been the trusted captaincy option for Fantasy managers in recent seasons, the baton looks set to be handed on to Kane in 2017/18, offering an unrivalled consistency and ability to provide big points hauls.
6 years, 11 months ago
Cant remember the last time he done anything 🙁 🙁