There has been plenty of Fantasy Premier League interest surrounding Marco Silva’s new-look Everton side in 2018/19, but is it justified?
Richarlison (£6.7m) and Theo Walcott (£6.8m) have at different times this season been at the centre of the debate and are currently the Toffees’ two most-owned outfielders, so we’re assessing the pros and cons of holding onto either player in the coming weeks.
We’re also taking this opportunity to analyse what impact their new manager has had at Goodison Park since his appointment.
Walcott’s injury-enforced exit after 57 minutes of Everton’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town at the weekend capped off a frustrating day for the Toffees and the circa one million FPL managers who owned the former Arsenal winger.
Further updates are awaited on the extent of Walcott’s rib problem and, although he currently is the most-sold midfielder of this round, a large chunk of his owners are sitting on the mid-priced option for now with a plum home fixture against West Ham United to come in Gameweek 5.
While Richarlison has had his deserters since his dismissal in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth a fortnight ago, the Brazilian has – like Walcott – been retained by just under 15% of FPL managers.
That the mass exodus for either player hasn’t happened on a much wider scale is perhaps explained by two factors: Everton’s forthcoming fixtures and Silva’s reputation for delivering attacking football.
A cursory look at the Season Ticker long-term doesn’t cast the Toffees in a favourable light, given that they have trips to Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City to come between now and mid-December.
Filtering by home fixtures, however, gives cause for optimism. Everton top our Season Ticker for matches on home soil between now and Gameweek 16, with the Hammers, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion, Cardiff City, Newcastle United and Watford all to visit Merseyside during that period.
Even the trips to Stamford Bridge and the Emirates aren’t too daunting from an offensive perspective, given that Chelsea and especially Arsenal have looked a little suspect in defence this season.
Silva’s renown for favouring a more aesthetically pleasing brand of football is something we will explore here, looking at the early impact the former Watford manager has had on Everton’s more attack-minded players from a Fantasy perspective – as well as any notable difference in the performances of his backline.
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