The Watchlist Updated – Gameweek 9 – The Forwards

Having run through the changes among the defence and midfield over the past few days, we’re completing our look at the latest movements on our Watchlist with an analysis of the forwards. With three goals and four assists in his last trio of appearances, Graziano Pelle moves all the way to the top of our ladder in light of Sergio Aguero’s hamstring injury, whilst Swansea’s Bafetimbi Gomis takes a tumble after drawing blanks in each of his last four matches.

With that sensational form and some favourable fixtures (LEI, liv, BOU, sun, STO) over the next five Gameweeks, Southampton’s Graziano Pelle moves to the top of our rankings. The Italy international is the second most transferred-in player over the international break, with over 174,000 new owners in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), seeing his price rise to 8.1. The former Feyenoord man leads all forwards for shots inside the box so far this season with 32, seven clear of his nearest rival Aguero.

Another forward that has been unstoppable over the last few weeks is Leicester’s Jamie Vardy. Priced at 6.7, he has scored six goals in his last five outings, and leads all frontmen for shots inside the box (17) over the last four Gameweeks. With a reasonable slate of fixtures (sot, CPL, wba, WAT, new, MUN) on the horizon, the England international’s strong run of form could continue for some time yet.

The stock of Romelu Lukaku continues to rise with Everton’s difficult start to the season nearly behind them. The Toffees face Man United and Arsenal over the next two weekends, but thereafter their schedule is very favourable (SUN, whm, AVL, bou). The Belgian has averaged 11.5 points per appearance over the last two Gameweeks, and looks poised to become a genuine contender for a spot in our three-man frontlines in the coming weeks.

Although Anthony Martial has been very impressive in the early stages of his career at Old Trafford, the fact he’s only managed five shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks is a cause for concern. United also face a tricky stretch on their schedule (eve, MCI, cpl, WBA, wat, lei), particularly in the short-term, and while the France international represents great value at 8.4 in FPL, now is probably not the time to invest in the former Monaco striker.

Watford’s Odion Ighalo continues to be the stand-out budget option for Fantasy managers, having netted four times in as many matches. The Hornets frontman only sets us back 5.3 in FPL, and while he faces difficult home match-ups against Arsenal and Man United over the next six Gameweeks, he also faces four reasonable fixtures (sto, WHM, lei, avl). The Nigerian also leads all forwards for bonus points accrued this season, with 10.

Sergio Aguero remains on the Watchlist as we await confirmation of his hamstring injury from Manchester City. Certainly, the Argentine’s suggestion that he could be out for a month has already sparked plenty of sales and if, as expected, he is indeed ruled out, then it’s fair to say that Wilfried Bony, at 8.2, would be elevated in the rankings ahead of clashes against Bournemouth, Norwich and Villa in the next four Gameweeks.

The big faller in our latest refresh is Swansea’s Bafetimbi Gomis, who has seen his price in FPL drop from 7.5 in Gameweek 6 to 7.1 now. The good news for the Frenchman’s remaining 20.1% ownership is that he faces four favourable fixtures (STO, avl, ARS, nor, BOU) over the next five Gameweeks, and has managed a reasonable 10 goal attempts in his last four outings. Should the former Lyon forward fail to deliver the goods against Stoke and Aston Villa, however, his ownership looks certain to keep dwindling.

With four home matches on the upcoming schedule (LIV, bou, AVL, ars, WHM, CHE), Harry Kane moves up a couple of spots on our ladder this week. The 9.2-rated forward was very unfortunate to score an own goal against Swansea last time out, but with chief creator Christian Eriksen now back to full fitness, his prospects certainly look brighter. Bearing in mind he’s only found the back of the net once this season, though, Kane is unlikely to attract significant investment until we see him rediscover his sharpness in front of goal.

The start of the campaign could hardly have gone much worse for Diego Costa, but with the Spain international now back from suspension, and facing a favourable run of fixtures (AVL, whm, LIV, sto, NOR, tot), we may start to see the best of the Chelsea striker. Available at 10.9 in FPL, the former Atletico frontman could be worth taking a chance on, given he has an ownership of just 5.5%, for those looking to make up lost ground in mini-leagues.

Although Liverpool are bottom of our Season Ticker for the next six Gameweeks (tot, SOT, che, CPL, mci, SWA), Daniel Sturridge sneaks into the final place on our ladder in the hope that Jurgen Klopp’s arrival will provide some fresh impetus at Anfield. The 10.5-priced forward has managed an impressive 10 goal attempts in just 251 minutes of pitch time this season, and providing the new boss hands Sturridge the lone striker role, he could yet defy the tough schedule and reward his 4% ownership over the coming weeks.