In a season where the attacking exploits of a number of defenders have been quick to catch the collective eye, John Arne Riise has remained firmly under the Fantasy radar. Already, we’ve witnessed the unlikely scenario where defenders have returned the highest Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points haul in five of the opening seven Gameweeks, with Branislav Ivanovic and Leighton Baines vindicating those who opted for big-money investment at the back:
The Fulham full-back has also impressed going forward. So far, a total of three assists is higher than any other defender, with Riise’s left-flank forays thriving in a team full of attacking menace under Martin Jol. Indeed, only Man United have found the net more times than the Cottagers, with a total of 15 goals on par with the likes of City and Chelsea.
With two clean sheets and a couple of assists in his opening three home games, Riise has so far averaged over seven FPL points per appearance at Craven Cottage as Fulham continue the strong home form produced under Jol last time round. On the road, though, while they have conceded two or more goals in three of their four fixtures, an upturn in attacking intent hints at a cause for optimism – already, they have scored half the number of away goals as they managed last season.
Picking up points at both ends of the pitch, Riise is second only to Damien Duff for points accrued for Fulham this season and he now is faced with an enticing schedule that could well bring him under scrutiny. The Norwegian has three home fixtures in the next five (AVL, EVE, RDG) and also faces a Gameweek 9 trip to a Reading side that have no wins and three points from their opening six fixtures.
Priced at 5.5 in FPL and 6.2 in the Sky Sports game, Riise is the most expensive option amongst Jol’s defence but his displays to date have justified those respective price tags. The left-back should not only comfortably surpass his total of five assist last time round but looks capable of bettering it over the next few Gameweeks, if he can continues in his current rich vein of form.
