With 37 goals and 36 assists across his first three seasons at Chelsea Eden Hazard has proved to be one of the Premier League’s best ever Fantasy assets.
But then came 2015/16, when injury and poor form threatened to leave his reputation as a heavy hitter in tatters.
Although he finished that disastrous campaign with just five goals and four assists, his strong end of season form, as well as some exciting performances for Belgium at Euro 2016, offer Fantasy managers considerable hope for the coming season.
With this in mind, we asked our team of contributors the “Burning Question” – “Can Hazard revive his heavy-hitter status?”
Paul says…
In a word, yes.
The Chelsea wide man bettered his Fantasy Premier League points score for three successive seasons before last year’s disaster and already we’ve seen the possibility of a new role under Antonio Conte.
Hazard’s cameo against Real Madrid, where he scored twice in 30 minutes thanks to a central role up front, suggests he could thrive with the Italian on board.
Even if played out wide, though, the Belgian has shown he’s a viable option as a midfield big-hitter.
With injuries and a lack of self-belief blighting his output last time around, Hazard looked a shadow of his former self but that match against Real indicates he’s maintained the momentum that saw him score four times in the final five fixtures of 2015/16.
Nonetheless, Conte’s decision to opt for two up front may yet promote cheaper Chelsea players in our thinking.
If Diego Costa departs, the likes of Michy Batshuayi could suddenly emerge as better value options, particularly if Hazard is no longer the Blues’ number one for spot-kicks.
Jonty says…
Even taking into account his poor 2015/16 campaign, Hazard still averages an impressive 182 Fantasy Premier League points a season since joining Chelsea four years ago.
Although last season he only mustered 104 FPL points, Hazard’s end of season form offers considerable hope that a revival is already well on its way. Over the final four Gameweeks of 2015/16 he scored four out of his five goals, saw his goal attempts double and his shots on target average more than quadruple compared to the first 34 Gameweeks.
Over the summer he also showed convincing form for Belgium in Euro 2016 and already in pre-season he has scored twice, against the Champions League winners Real Madrid no less.
Notably, that brace came while fielded in a central attacking role, which could be where Hazard plays under new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte next season. If he can continue this revival that started at the tail end of last season Hazard looks a prime candidate to once again finish a season as one of the top performing Fantasy assets.
Mark says…
To be fair, Hazard has already signposted his revival.
An end of season revival, a stunning goal and performance in Euro 16, two more goals on his first pre-season appearance.
Added to that, Antonio Conte is make all the right noises. It seems that the Italian has already put his faith in Hazard and seems likely to hand him a license to roam and weave havoc from a central role.
Hazard has always produced his best Fantasy output darting in from the left but, if Conte shapes his attack around the Belgian, there’s every chance he’ll rediscover the form that made him so indispensable as an asset in 2014/15.
Then there’s the fact that Chelsea have no European distractions. That’s expected to allow Conte to show consistency in his line-up and that can only be a good thing for Hazard’s pitch time and his understanding of the system and team-mates.
I don’t think there’s a doubt that Hazard will rank up there with the very best midfield assets this season. Whether he can justify the 10.0 price tag could simply depend on whether he can snatch penalties from Oscar – a factor that could should push him closer to that elusive 15-goal target that would once again restore him as a captain candidate.
“Dufflinks” aka Simon March (2014/15 FPL Champion) says…
Starting with the positives; Hazard’s form towards the end of last season had improved a lot. He did okay in the Euros and his pre-season form has been encouraging. The fear comes from the experience of last season where, like a problem gambler, many of us threw good Gameweek after bad in the ultimately misguided belief that he couldn’t possibly have fallen so far from grace quite so fast. Many of us, myself included, learned the truth the hard way.
Having said that, I probably am going to take another chance on him this year.
He’s the only Chelsea attacking player that really interests me at the moment and, hopefully, Conte can get more out of him than Jose Mourinho or Guus Hiddink managed last season.
Also, Hazard has lined up in the number 10 role in pre-season and so, if that should continue, it could serve to augment his output further. And, if it doesn’t work out, it should be reasonably easy to find a viable alternative given Hazard’s premium price tag. I’ll just need to make sure I let go at the right time this season.
Az says…
It was great to see Hazard back to his best at the end of last season, and in patches he demonstrated at the Euros that he has not lost the talent that made him such a Fantasy great a couple of years ago.
I do have some reservations about Hazard as an option, however. Conte, who reportedly let full-back Baba Rahman go because he was ‘too attacking’ seems to strongly favour defence over attack.
In some ways, I see Hazard as the Riyad Mahrez of Leicester towards the end of last year. While capable of a spectacular goal, Mahrez was definitely shackled to some degree as Leicester sought to tighten up at the back. Much in the same way, under Conte, Hazard might crop up with a wonder goal, but I simply cannot see him delivering consistent, explosive returns.
Hazard currently sits in my team due to a strong opening set of fixtures for Chelsea. But only a truly explosive start would persuade me to keep him over the likes of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne (10.5) or Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez (11). Even Sanchez’s team mate Mesut Ozil (9.5) tempts me more than Hazard once his fixtures take a turn for the better.
Then, when you consider Liverpool assets who are fully primed to form one of the most attacking and exciting units in the league, under a manager who loves to attack, Hazard’s appeal, for me, diminishes even more.
Hazards 10.0 price tag, despite being more than I would like to pay for him, does allow some flexibility with who we are able to swap him out for, if my predictions are correct. Even a single points hit for De Bruyne or Sanchez should be relatively straightforward. A free transfer to Ozil or Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino are perhaps likely in the first couple of Gameweeks should Hazard fail to convince. I simply do not think Chelsea attackers are the way to go this year.
Evs says…
Hazard has never struck me as a heavy hitting, midfield must have.
When I think back to the Fantasy greats in midfield, such as Christiano Ronaldo or Frank Lampard, I just cant see Hazard as part of that elite group.
Is it his inconsistency in getting big goal returns that puts me off. He’s all step overs and flicks and not enough shots, for my taste.
Having said that he has scored just under a league goal in every three games for Chelsea, and that includes a poor five goal tally last year.
Plus there’s a glimmer of hope from Conte that he may play in a central, attacking position, which can only help his goal and maybe assist output.
Chelsea’s fixtures are pretty decent from the off, with three home games against West Ham, Burnley and Liverpool coupled with trips to the Swansea & Watford, which is another tick in his box.
I am not sure if Hazard will ever reach the echelons of heavy-hitter status for me, but what I do know that from the start of the season playing the fixtures is a must and he is clearly a key player in a team with a great early run of games.
So, will he be a Big Hitter this year round? I’m still not convinced, but maybe ‘he’s due’ as we say around these parts.
