Barrel-chested journeyman Grant Holt was hotly tipped for success at the start of the season after his 21 goal haul helped secure Norwich City’s promotion to the Premier League. For some, though, doubts lingered as to whether the 30-year-old striker, who made his name at clubs such as Barrow, Rochdale and Sheffield Wednesday, could make the step up to the top-flight.
Holt’s opening to the campaign was positive. Starting all of the Canaries’ first four fixtures, there were flashes that his lower league goal scoring prowess could be replicated in the highest tier of English football, as he netted away to Chelsea in Gameweek 3.
Gameweek 5 brought a turnaround in fortunes, however. Holt began to find himself all-too-often warming the bench, as Paul Lambert increasingly turned to Steve Morison to supply the team’s goals. Throughout the autumn, Holt rarely played a full 90 minutes, with 20 to 30 minute substitute appearances becoming a common occurrence.
Nevertheless, this seasoned pro is clearly not one to let his head drop and whenever he was given playing time, Holt offered Lambert a reminder of his attacking potential. He climbed off the bench to net against Liverpool and Blackburn in Gameweeks 9 and 10 and, having replicated this feat in the Gameweek 13 win over QPR, many had suspected Holt’s role as impact sub was more suited to his playing style.
The past few months have put paid to that theory, however. Holt has started ten of Norwich’s last twelve and, as the season unfolds, has re-established himself as Lambert’s first-choice frontman once again, with Morison afforded just 25 minutes in the past three gameweeks, in comparison.
A recent run of games has included a Gameweek 25 brace away at Swansea, a feat that earned Holt maximum bonus points and returned his second double-digit haul of the season. In Gameweek 26 he continued to punish the Premier League’s top teams, notching in the 2-1 home loss to Manchester United. Already this week, Holt’s exploits have earned more than 8,500 transfers in, with a price rise likely within days.
With a return of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) 98 points – including 10 goals and 13 bonus points- Holt is now the highest-scoring Fantasy asset in the Norwich squad. Priced at 5.1m (following a 0.4m drop since the start of the season) he is looking like the best source of attacking investment for those looking to tap into the Canaries favourable run of fixtures over the next six weeks (sto, WIG, new, WOL, ful, EVE).
Amongst all strikers, he is joint-top with Swansea’s Danny Graham for “Value” and, in terms of points accrued, Holt is eighth, above the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Yakubu and Steven Fletcher. With an ownership of just 3.6 per cent, he could be that budget differential Fantasy managers are looking for as Lambert looks to secure his side’s place in the crucial final third of the campaign.
