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Community August 11

The FPL Hunt for the next Pukki

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Teemu Pukki had a great start to last season, but who will be the next player that will get that early Premier League boost? Should we be considering strikers that were promoted from the Championship at the beginning of the season?

Last season Pukki returned Fantasy Premier League points in four of his first five games. He scored goals against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City and a hat trick against Newcastle United. The Pukki party didn’t last long but if had an early invite your season would have gotten off to a great start. Pukki scored 11 goals all season, six of those were in the first five games, which is 55% of his total goals. Obviously fixtures weren’t an issue so it could have been the form he showed in the Championship the season before. Pukki was the top scorer in the Championsip in the 2018/19 season with 29 goals in 43 games.

Pukki’s Championship stats

  • Minutes – 3,810
  • Shots on Target – 57
  • Goals – 29
  • Goals per 90 – 0.67
  • Assists – 9
  • Chances Created – 63
  • Big Chances Missed – 19

In order to hunt for the next Pukki lets turn our attention to the forwards from the teams promoted from the Championship in 2019/20 – Leeds United, West Brom and Fulham.

Leeds – Patrick Bamford
  • Minutes – 3,445
  • Shots on Target – 53
  • Goals – 16
  • Goals per 90 – 0.4
  • Assists – 2
  • Chances created – 26
  • Big Chances Missed – 33

Bamford was involved in 18 of Leeds 77 goals in 2019/20. He’s played in the Premier League before but has never been successful. The number that sticks out for me is that he’s missed 33 big chances. To put that into context Norwich only made 34 big chances this season in the Premier League!
I don’t think Bamford will be the next ‘Pukki’ because of the amount of chances he missed last season.

West Brom haven’t had a designated striker this season. Hal Robson-Kanu and Charlie Austin have shared the minutes up top. Both have scored ten goals. From an FPL point of view we hate rotation. I’m giving both players a pass. Neither will be the next Pukki because of a lack of game time.

Fulham – Aleksandar Mitrović
  • Minutes – 3,589
  • Shots on Target – 56
  • Goals – 26
  • Goals per 90 – 0.65
  • Assists – 2
  • Chances created – 44
  • Big Chances Missed – 12

With Premier league experience Mitrović has once again shown that he’s too good for the Championship. He was the Championship top scorer but he’s got a hamstring injury that could keep him out until the end of August. This could result in him being slightly unfit.

But as we saw last season Mitrović can score. He netted 11 goals for Fulham. I’m sure that he’ll be even more prepared to show people that he should be playing in the Premier League each season.

So what do you think of the promoted strikers, will you be starting with any? I’ll be considering Mitrović.

23 Comments Post a Comment
  1. quickstop
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    It´s gonna be Mitrovic this year!

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    1. FPL_Swan
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I agree

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  2. Andy_Social
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I'm keeping an eye on Ollie Watkins of Brentford. Good chance a promotee, Villa or Hammers will have him. If he comes in at 6m or less I'll go for him.

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    1. FPL_Swan
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Out of Mitrovic and Bamford Watkins looked the better pick if they would've been promoted. I've heard that Palace are also looking at him.

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      1. Andy_Social
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Yeh, Ayew can't keep scoring like he has. I don't think I'd be interested at Bamford unless he's 5m, but Mitro at 6-6.5 and Watkins at say 5.5m would interest me a lot.

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      2. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        unlikely imo Palace will be willing to pay anything like enough for Watkins. He’s been on the Palace radar for a long time but even if Zaha goes for a sizeable amount I don’t see that sort of money being paid for an unproven PL talent. He’ll be 20 million plus surely - too much for the current transfer policy

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  3. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Mitro looks a good shout early on - he’s not a 12.5 mind you, so won’t be expecting miracles

    But for 6.5 he has a fighting chance to deliver value

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    1. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Hopefully Fulham will have better attacking options, to create chances for him, than last time in PL.

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  4. Hedge
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Is there a strong correlation between performance in the championship and starting performance in premier League first season.

    Although Pukki continued that form, you have people like Jota who didn't. I don't have the data, but my feeling is it's a bit hit and miss as to who can continue with the step up

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    1. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Wonder if team style and team strength are factors here

      Pukki and Jota appear to be contrasting cases but Wolves have never been that prolific/attacking. Pukki at Norwich - partly but not wholly in retrospect - was the more likely to succeed early on because Norwich were much more about attack.

      This is just looking at the first stretch of matches. The one I’d want to be on would be the one in the team that was more likely to continue the attacking style that worked at championship level. Longer term I’d be looking for value from the player in the better side - or at least weighting strength of team more highly

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      1. Andy_Social
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Dunno. I'd rather have Mitrovic in a sinking Fulham than Mousset at a mid-table Sheff United.

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        1. pingissimus
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Wouldn’t go near SU attack in any event. Wolves may not be prolific but you do expect goals and there is a goal scorer there

          Mitro? I don’t see Fulham being so gung ho this time - suspect his output may disappoint, Ill need to see sustained form before I inevitably get trolled 🙂

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          1. Andy_Social
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 8 months ago

            I was just picking up on your last sentence. It's quite possible to have a striker who scores sufficiently for a budget striker in a team that is heading for the drop (especially if he's the only source of goals), and a useless striker in a team that is acquiring more points, maybe with goals spread around the team.

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            1. pingissimus
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 8 months ago

              Quite possible of course

              I’d still be wary of any “relegation bound” striker almost out of principle and I’d need to see steady returns - wouldn’t punt into it. The standard pattern is to tighten up defence - normally also involving a new manager.

              I do weight team strength but it’s only one factor of course

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              1. Andy_Social
                • 11 Years
                3 years, 8 months ago

                Well it's not really an issue at the start of the season. After that all plans go out of the window anyway!

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              2. Fit of Pique
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 8 months ago

                In my mind I'm not sure a team being relegation threatened matters. Nor position on the table at all. It's about how many goals they score.

                Because a team could be bottom with no points. But if they're losing every game 5-2, and it's the same player(s) scoring, then those players will be getting FPL points

                Charlie Austin at QPR perhaps the best example I can think of.

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      2. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Put another way getting on Pukki in week 2 last time felt an easy move for me. Norwich were evidently going to go for it. The move off Pukki around week 7 was also a relatively simple call - Norwich were being found out.

        It won’t always work that you WC into a hat trick I quite accept 🙂

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  5. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Mitro comes with a health warning re his dissent. Expect several yellows and the odd red if Fulham are getting walloped and he gets frustrated.

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  6. Fit of Pique
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    It's a short list!

    Well done for writing, respect people who take the time to write, edit and post content

    Consider adding the non-promoted budget strikers to this list? Who are the other sub 6.5s likely to be?

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    1. FPL_Swan
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Thank you mate! Possibly someone like ayew could be less than 6.5. Joelinton? McBurnie. I dont know. Let's see!

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  7. Sizzlers (@FPL_SMR)
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Didn't Mitrovic come in as a sub in the play off final? Wouldn't this mean he is fit already?

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    1. FPL_Swan
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      He came on late too score a goal but he wasn't 100% fit.

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  8. headfried
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Thought i had already found this seasons sleeper, In West Broms Matheus Pereira, but he doesn't seem to be included in the game... Yet....... Any info, thought he triggered a transfer in June.

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