Our final article reviewing the updated Watchlist rankings, having assessed the changes among the goalkeepers, defenders and midfield over the past week, takes a look at the recent rise and falls up front.
For those new to the site, the Watchlist is designed to offer a view on our current mid-term player recommendations, based on the prospects spanning the next four-to-six Gameweeks.
You will find our current Watchlist standings in your right-hand menu on desktop and mobile.
The big news among the forwards sees the return of Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane to the reckoning.
Given he’s owned by just 5.6% of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) bosses, Kane has the potential to shake things up, having scored 25 and 21 goals in his previous two campaigns.
Spurs face four potentially profitable home fixtures (WHM, SWA, HUL, BUR) in the next six, though two tough away trips to Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford, along with the fact he may take some time to build up his match sharpness, leads to him achieve a mid-table position in our rankings for now.
There’s no change at the top, with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero announcing a return to form with three goals and an assist in his last two outings.
While Chelsea’s Diego Costa has been more consistent than the Argentine and is kinder on the budget, the fact that he remains on the Suspension Tightrope, plus he’s competing with the Eden Hazard option in our squads, limits his ability to topple Aguero.
We remain faithful to Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, with the blank against Chelsea almost understandable given the Blues’ current run of clean sheets.
However, the Belgian does face a tough run of fixtures from Gameweek 13 onwards that will test his consistency. While he’s demonstrated the ability to maintain a high scoring rate, he is perhaps the most vulnerable of the heavy-hitting forwards given the turn in Everton’s fixtures and the clamour to fund further investment in midfield.
Elsewhere, Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe and Southampton’s Charlie Austin remain our preferred mid-price choices.
Despite all of Sunderland’s travails, Defoe has continued to deliver and has been involved in 77% of the Black Cats’ goals.
While Dusan Tadic, Nathan Redmond and Sofiane Boufal may rival Austins’ role in Southampton’s front three, there’s little doubt that the former QPR man is the Saints’ most natural goalscorer.
His predatory instincts mean he’s unlikely to be usurped by Boufal’s eventual installation into the starting XI, and should he score against Liverpool tomorrow, he’d be in line for another climb in our rankings ahead of some improving fixtures.
Another mid-price option on the rise is West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon. He enjoys four strong fixtures (BUR, hul, WAT, SWA) in the next five to rival both Defoe and Austin, although the fact he has surrendered spot-kick duties to Nacer Chadlis does slightly limit his appeal. Rondon may well be on penalties on Monday night against Burnley should Chadli miss out through injury.
A new face towards the bottom of our standings is Burnley’s Sam Vokes, who looks a viable option for those Fantasy managers who are considering opting for a 3-5-2, but with an active option in attack.
Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic is, almost inevitably, the major faller on the Watchlist. He slips to the lower reaches given he’s suspended for tomorrow’s clash against Arsenal.
With the dominance of the names at the top, and the current trend towards considering a two-man attack, the Swede seems unlikely to recover too much ground upon his return over the coming weeks.
