FPL

The best premium forwards for FPL 2021/22

Our position-by-position analysis of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) options for 2021/22 continues as we scrutinise the handful of FPLs premium forwards on offer this season.

We’ve got every position covered, so take your pick!

From goal threat to expected stats, you can find Opta data on the players listed below in our Premium Members Area.

FPL price reveal and launch reaction from three-time top 200 finisher Lateriser 1

NINE TO FIVE

Can Aubameyang prove a worthy FPL alternative to Bruno Fernandes? 2

Back in the ancient mists of 2018/19, FPL offered no fewer than nine forwards in the premium £9.0m+ bracket. The following season this was cut to seven as Álvaro Morata was whisked away from Chelsea to Atlético Madrid on loan and Romelu Lukaku tumbled in price just before being sold to Inter Milan when Ole Gunnar Solskjær preferred to play Marcus Rashford (£9.5m).

There were seven in the premium class again last season. Arsenal lost both of their members as Alexandre Lacazette (£8.5m) slipped straight from £9.5m to £8.5m and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£10.0m) left to join the ranks of midfielders on a season-long loan. Anthony Martial (£8.0m) went the other way and moved up in price to £9.0m while Timo Werner (£9.0m) arrived at Chelsea from RB Leipzig with expectations of goals galore after his exploits in the Bundesliga.

This time Aubameyang is back, but Sergio Aguero has left Manchester City to ‘wind down his career’ at Barcelona, his former team-mate Gabriel Jesus (£8.5m) has finally completed his long, slow slide out of the premium zone that he first joined in 2017 at £10.5m and an injury-plagued campaign has seen Anthony Martial’s value move back down to mid-price territory.

Of the five that survive, Werner is the newest recruit with only a single season under his belt, but the ‘father’ of the group has been doing this since 2014…

HARRY KANE

Version History

For the last five years there was a real ding-dong when the bell went for the annual FPL price announcements. Who would be the most expensive striker in the game? In the last five campaigns, that accolade has gone to either or both Harry Kane (£12.5m) or Sergio Aguero.

Kane started 2019/20 at his lowest price in five years, having not kicked a competitive ball from New Year’s Day until June because of a thigh injury and then the enforced break.

Change Management

From being top in December, Tottenham Hotspur’s season gradually sputtered out until they were left with nothing but seventh place and the dubious honour of qualification for the Europa Conference League play-off round.

The experience of also losing another final, this time the League Cup to Manchester City, seems finally to have stretched Kane’s patience to breaking point with the club he clearly loves. Management insist he is not for sale, but while it seems probable that he will line up for Spurs’ opening weekend fixture as they host City, there is a lot of doubt as to which dressing room he will get changed in.

For the first time since his goal-scoring rivalry with Aguero began, nobody can be certain at which major club Kane will start the season, whether or not that club will be in the Premier League or abroad and, if he really does step into his old sparring partner’s boots at the Etihad, whether or not Pep Guardiola will have turned him into a wing-back by the time the teams run out for the Community Shield.

Pricing Model

Tottenham Wolves Brighton West Ham

In terms of premium FPL forward pricing, when the list was published Kane couldn’t have been more alone if he had been Daniel Levy at the mid-summer barbecue of the League Managers Association.

Kane costs a clear £2.0m more than Jamie Vardy (£10.5m) and is back up to the £12.5m valuation he had after his two earlier peak seasons between 2016 and 2018. However, he does not make it to £13m as Aguero did five years ago.

Last season’s personal best of 242 FPL points, second by only two points behind Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m), demonstrates emphatically that serious injury concerns are behind him and that Kane is an asset to be feared if you don’t own him.

Yet such is the gap between his price and other strikers, the uncertainty over his future and the awkwardness of his opening fixture both on and off the field that we can see him actually being a differential when the season begins as managers play safe and make their big spending splurges on more reliable-looking premium midfielders.

If England’s captain remains with Spurs then, after City, he would get Wolverhampton Wanderers, Watford and Crystal Palace in the next three. Under Pep Guardiola, he would get Norwich City in Gameweek 2 with Arsenal and FA Cup holders Leicester City to follow.

Any sort of move would be bound to cause disruption and it would be unwise to assume that Kane would justify being the joint-highest priced asset in FPL from the off, even if where he lands is exactly where he would like to be. It would be prudent in that case to keep a watching brief on him at least until your first Wildcard.

In the event that he ends up staying with Spurs, and seems nevertheless to be comfortable and focussed rather than agitated and frustrated, then he might just be in the mood to give your FPL season the kind of kick-start he delivered for his owners last autumn.

JAMIE VARDY

Version History

Every season since he came to prominence in the Premier League with Leicester City in 2015, Jamie Vardy has been involved in at least 20 goals. Twice he’s been involved in 30 and last season it was 29.

All of those campaigns were better than two of Harry Kane’s last three, but Vardy has never threatened to burn up the league to the tune of 220+ points which Kane has now achieved twice.

Change Management

Looking at the underlying statistics for Vardy’s last two campaigns what’s really striking is how similar they are. Averaged per appearance his penalty area touches, goal attempts in the box, number of big chances, chances created and attempts from set plays are all only either 0.1 different or unchanged.

A pair of touch heatmaps are never going to be exactly the same, but these two, with 20/21 on the left and 19/20 on the right, are pretty close:

The most prominent difference seems to be that a bit more of his activity is on Leicester’s right, and generally a little deeper, but there’s nothing here to suggest he’s suddenly become a very different player.

Nevertheless, his goals scored is down from 23 to 15 while his assists are up by almost the same amount, doubling from 7 to 14, the most he has ever provided in a season. 2020/21 marks the first time he has not been Leicester City’s leading scorer across all competitions (he was leading scorer in the Premier League) since he finished a distant second to Leonardo Ulloa in 2014/15.

What seems to be happening is that Vardy is essentially the same player, but Leicester have changed around him and that’s having an effect on his end product. This is perhaps best illustrated by Vardy’s chances created heat map for last season (again, on the left) versus the season before (on the right):

That ‘boomerang’ shape around the left corner of the six-yard box is an area where in 2019/20 Vardy was taking shots, but he’s now more often making a decisive pass to, or towards, Kelechi Iheanacho (£7.5m) as in the first and fifth goals at home to Sheffield United when Vardy also provided an assist to his strike partner for the third, but from further out. The chances he made two seasons ago led to half as many assists as the ones he’s now making, but the number of key moments he’s involved in has remained constant.

Pricing Model

Jamie Vardy is more expensive in FPL than he has ever been. Whichever angle you look at this from, it’s hard to see how it makes sense. Vardy will be 35 in January (Kane will be 28 next month) and it’s hard to envisage him having a significantly better season than either 15/16 or 19/20 after which he was valued £0.5m lower than he is now.

The imminent arrival of Patson Daka (£7.5m) at the King Power Stadium also suggests that Leicester are starting to plan for a future without Vardy, who has two years left on his current contract, although we’d be surprised to see a significant changing of the guard before the end of the coming campaign.

Vardy is known to be managing some long-term injury problems, but they didn’t stop him making 34 league appearances last season nor performing at the same kind of level that he always has. There’s little doubt that if you select him you’ll be getting a reliable asset that should return at least 175 FPL points, and probably better, in the season to come.

However, when you’re paying this much you really want to feel you could captain him reasonably often and be fairly certain that his much-cheaper striking partner isn’t going to score more points than he is. Vardy is always a solid acquisition, but this season the asking price looks about £1.0m too high.

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG

Version History

(grey shading indicates seasons and starting prices where he was classified as a midfielder)

Since his arrival at Arsenal in January 2018, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has always been viewed by the denizens of FPL Towers as an elite asset, and until 2020/21 it was easy to see why.

Priced originally at £10.5m, he scored in his first league outing within four days of joining and went on to reach double figures by the end of the season. He followed that up with 22 goals for 205 FPL points in only 80% of the available minutes and then, almost as if to make some sort of statement about consistency, he scored exactly 205 FPL points and 22 goals again in the following season (though it took him 400 more minutes on the pitch to get there).

Worried, perhaps, that Aubameyang might break the game by giving managers absolute certainty of outcome, FPL’s overlords made the dramatic move to change his position designation from forward to midfielder, simultaneously increasing his price to account for the 22 extra points for goals he seemed destined to acquire along with some clean sheet returns.

Sadly, we’ll never really know how that might have turned out. The Arsenal captain’s season began with striking the winning penalty in the Community Shield and scoring the crowning goal in an opening day victory as a prelude to signing a new contract. However in January he needed to take time off to help look after his ill mother and in April he was himself poorly, spending several days in hospital fighting a bout of malaria contracted on international duty with Gabon. In between, he stormed out of the Emirates in March only 30 minutes after the final whistle of a north London derby where he’d been relegated to the bench and was an unused substitute in a 2-1 victory for the Gunners after he had reported late to the ground.

Change Management

The club’s season was no less turbulent, with the Gunners finishing 8th (one point behind Spurs) and just short of any chance at European football having been top after the first round of fixtures and 15th for a while just before mid-season.

Entire end-of-season post-mortem articles about the Gunners roll past without so much as a mention of Aubameyang, however. Instead, there’s a lot about the directorial management of the club (and the ‘Super League’ turmoil that brought fans out onto the streets), the coaching, the recruitment and uncertainty surrounding youngsters breaking through or the fate of loanees in or out such as Martin Ødegaard, William Saliba (£4.5m), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£5.5m) and Joe Willock (£6.0m).

If Aubameyang, the club captain nine months into a new contract, is mentioned among Arsenal fans at all it seems to be with a resigned shrug and a belief that the 32 year-old should probably be sold to save on his wages and make way for players like Bukayo Saka (£6.5m), Gabriel Martinelli (5.5m) and Nicolas Pepé (£7.5m), who scored as many league goals (10) as Aubameyang this season. Alexandre Lacazette was the leading league scorer with 13.

Pricing Model

Last season was the first since 2014/15 at Borussia Dortmund where Aubameyang had failed to score at least 22 goals (he scored 13 in Germany before arriving at Arsenal mid-season in 2017/18 and scoring more). To see him register as few as 10 you’d have to go back a decade to his time in Ligue 1 with teams like Dijon, Lille, Monaco and Saint-Étienne.

In his Dortmund and early Arsenal days he was regarded unquestionably as a striker. His rate of scoring has been declining ever since he joined Arsenal, but last season it fell particularly sharply:

The drop-off in scoring rate has correlated with the number of matches per season in which he has been playing predominantly as a left-sided attacker cutting in rather than as a more traditional centre-forward. His change in designation to midfielder last season and then straight back again is indicative of how that split between the two roles has become close to a 50-50 time share.

For FPL managers considering Aubameyang his status as a forward frees up a premium midfield slot, but his goal scoring goes back to being the be-all-and-end-all of his value given that his contribution to assists has always been limited to a handful.

£10.0m is Aubameyang’s cheapest starting price ever in FPL. For a striker coming off a ten-goal season with an uncertain future and starting position at a club in a great deal of flux it is probably still too much for most managers to swallow, especially with second and third fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester City.

However, for those willing to gamble that he’ll get plenty of chances against promoted Brentford in the first game he could be a rewarding differential captain. By the time Arsenal welcome Norwich City in Gameweek 4 we’ll have a much better idea of whether last season was just an outlying low point or whether Aubameyang’s elite FPL status is genuinely ebbing away.

ROBERTO FIRMINO

Version History

(grey shading indicates seasons and starting prices where he was classified as a midfielder)

Unlike Aubameyang, Roberto Firmino (£9.0m) was classified as a midfielder in FPL when he arrived at Liverpool from the Bundesliga in the summer of 2015. It took two years for him to be reclassified as a forward.

Firmino’s 15 goals and eight assists in 2017/18 kept his FPL points at the same level as when he had been considered a midfielder and duly prompted a £1.0m rise in his starting price. Despite that valuation remaining unchanged for three seasons the points have never made it back to those near-elite levels. A lowest-ever FPL return of 141 points has finally seen his pre-season price fall, but only by the slimmest margin available of £0.5m.

Change Management

Liverpool’s recent worldwide success has been built around the potency of their attacking triumvirate of Firmino, Sadio Mané (£12.0m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m). A constant concern has been what might happen to the team if any of those three were to be missing for any length of time. Players such as Xherdan Shaqiri (£6.0m) and Divock Origi (£5.0m) have made important contributions here and there, but it’s never felt as if one of them could slot in and keep the goals coming until the arrival last season of Diogo Jota (£7.5m) from Wolves.

Jota made such an impact that, not only was it felt prudent to allow Firmino’s existing backup Takumi Minamino (£5.5m) to look for some game time at Southampton, but some even suggested that Jota might become the first choice instead of Firmino. A knee injury for the Portuguese midfielder just before Christmas curtailed that debate just as it was picking up steam, but for the first time since the trophies started rolling in the top trio have serious competition for starts when all four of this group are available at once.

Pricing Model

Firmino’s price has been the most stable of any of the established premium forward quartet. For the first time this season he is priced at exactly £9.0m, rather than £0.5m above or below, hinting that FPL’s price-makers believe he is unlikely to repeat the 180 point campaigns that are now three years in the rear-view mirror.

Nevertheless, Firmino finished as the sixth highest points-scoring forward in FPL last season. With 180 points he would have finished fourth behind only Kane, Vardy and Patrick Bamford (£8.0m). But that last name brings up one of two significant problems with selecting Firmino for your Fantasy team.

The Brazilian has not made fewer than 34 league appearances in the last five seasons, which is great for those with short benches, and he is very likely to put around 150 points on the board, which is a valuable commodity in an FPL forward, but there are alternatives around that will probably do that job more cheaply.

Thirteen forwards bettered Firmino’s return of nine goals and eight assists last time out including Callum Wilson (£7.5m), Danny Ings (£8.0m), Chris Wood (£7.0m) and Michail Antonio (£7.5m). That Firmino finished ahead of them all in FPL points is down to his typical absence of injuries and his 33 starts, which was more than all but three of those other 13 forwards (Kane, Bamford and Ollie Watkins (£7.5m)).

What you’re paying extra for is stability and predictability and for FPL managers who take a long view and like to set and forget as far as possible that might be attractive, except for the other main issue in selecting Firmino which is that it limits your choice of his team-mates.

Salah, Mané, Jota, Andy Robertson (£7.0m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m), the returning Virgil Van Dijk (£6.5m) and even Alisson (£6.0m) are all players at Liverpool that managers might well think of choosing before giving even a moment’s thought to Firmino. A steady diet of 4.5 points per appearance is unlikely to promote him in their consideration above players capable of returning 20 points in one game, perhaps with a captain’s armband on them for good measure. Opening fixtures against Norwich and Burnley only serve to emphasise that distinction.

TIMO WERNER

Version History

In his last full season at RB Leipzig, Timo Werner scored 28 league goals in 34 appearances. He was expected to start the last campaign at Chelsea as their main striker and was priced at £9.5m in FPL.

In his best (not his final) season at Hoffenheim, Roberto Firmino scored 16 goals in 33 matches and came into the game as an £8.5m midfielder. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, in his last full season at Borussia Dortmund, scored 31 goals in 32 games and when he joined Arsenal six months later after a further 13 goals in 16 league appearances FPL priced him initially at £10.5m.

Given those precedents, Werner’s initial pricing last season actually looks a little generous. He was much closer to Aubameyang’s Bundesliga numbers than Firmino’s, so an opening price of £10.0m or even £10.5m wouldn’t have looked ridiculous in that context.

However, despite all the help his play gave to Chelsea in their very successful season, his FPL haul of 128 points from 35 appearances, featuring a mere six goals, made him look like he had been hugely overpriced. Accordingly, his transfer value has fallen towards the top end of mid-price, though only by £0.5m which keeps him in line with Firmino.

Change Management

Werner was bought under Frank Lampard’s management and now works under Thomas Tuchel, but, Chelsea’s approach to the employment of head coaches being what it is, it wouldn’t be that astonishing for there to be someone else again selecting the team by next May.

The adjustment already seen of how Werner is used by his club means most observers don’t really think of him as a central striker one year on from his transfer. In his 35 league appearances he has often been deployed at least theoretically as a centre-forward, but the outworking of this on the pitch has tended to frame him more as a wide attacker cutting in from the left, which may sound familiar.

These touch heatmaps for last season show just how similar the roles of Werner and Aubameyang have been for their respective clubs. If you compare their expected FPL return involvement statistics the resemblance is even more (excuse the pun) striking:

The comparison splinters at the point of delivery.

As highlighted by the first and last statistics in that table, it’s Werner who gets the majority of the chances, but it’s Aubameyang who puts them away.

Pricing Model

The aura around Werner and his goal scoring in the Bundesliga was such that many FPL managers who eventually abandoned him after his poor statistical start to the season nevertheless went back at some point on the assumption that, crudely put, he couldn’t go on being this bad, especially in a side that was doing well and where he was still regularly being picked.

Sadly, that faith wasn’t really rewarded as, between November 8th and the end of the Premier League season, Werner scored precisely twice (once in February and once in April). What, perhaps, has gone under the radar is what he was doing to help his team score even if he himself wasn’t.

Twelve assists on the season was third best amongst strikers behind only Kane and Vardy on 14 each. His 10 big chances created was also third behind Kane (again) and Roberto Firmino. Somebody else contributed six goals and twelve assists in FPL last season. It was Kevin De Bruyne (£12.0m).

Now, we’re not suggesting Werner is primed for a huge breakout, especially as it looks as if Chelsea will continue to use him in that Aubameyang-style wide attacking role, backing up a more conventional striker going through the middle (for which there at least currently four candidates).

What we are saying is that he is still almost certain to be featured heavily at the sharp end of the attack of the current European champions, he has already posted a dozen assists in a season finding his feet under two new managers and if he can just regain something close to his Bundesliga composure and bring his goal conversion storming up to average (from shocking) you could be looking at a dozen goals to go with the assists.

That would put him in the top five strikers in FPL and, with persistent blanks for Werner unlikely, that has to count for something in these days where multiple points-harvesting titans no longer roam the Premier League’s penalty areas.

140 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Dynamic Duos
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 8 months ago

    It is all about 7.5m bracket this season

    1. schlupptheweek
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      The most interesting 7.5M is Jimenez given his pedigree. The fact Wolves have an attacking manager playing 4-4-2 and the fact he is the talisman makes the price very appealing. He should start the season given he is in the Mexico squad but I can see why people are waiting to see how rusty he is and the performance in more tough fixtures.

  2. Fake Madrid
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 2 Years
    2 years, 8 months ago

    Sánchez & Henderson

    TAA Coufal Digne Lamptey Fofana

    Salah Grealish Mount Raphael Gilmour

    Toney Watkins Iheanacho

    First Post, lad's

    What do think of the team

    Still have 3 million in the bank fir probably Sancho

    1. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      I think by the time the season starts you’ll laugh at this team.

      So many things will change, big signings and injuries.

      You’re at least 3 weeks to early.

    2. Evil_Ash
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      IMO you need at least 2 Big Hitters, minimum to start with, bordering on 3 if possible (but can be someone a bit cheaper who think will come close).
      Sancho, could be that second big hitter, but I'd say wait and see.
      My advice: pick a second big hitter now, either to swap for him if he starts scoring straight away and a backup plan to swap two players for him + cheaper easily enough - in case he shows promise but doesn't deliver immediately (or your 2 main men do well and you want to keep)

  3. DBW - Slug's Mortgage …
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 8 months ago

    Best to captain an English defender on fanteam?

    1. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Sterling or kane for me. Not decided which yet

    2. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Kane for me. If going for an England defender though it has to be Shaw.

    3. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      What's your OR btw?

      I'm about 600 and have a 2nd late entry team in about 7000. I'll be taking at least one hit on both but the question is, if you think it will be an Italy and England final do you take an extra hit or two to remove Denmark and Spain players to get players in for the final? (given no transfers post semi finals)

  4. GreennRed
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 8 months ago

    Southgate seems to go horses for courses depending on opposition. What changes might he make to beat Denmark.

    1. Alisson WondHaaland
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Kyle Walker in goal

    2. Flaming Flamingo
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      I'd guess back to 3-4-3 because like Germany he'll be worried about their wingbacks.

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

        So Saka for Sancho?

        1. Flaming Flamingo
          • 7 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          Mount in the front three with Kane and Sterling I reckon.

    3. St Pauli Walnuts
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Heard a good point earlier; if England make it to the final then it is pretty much guaranteed he'd go 5 at the back against Spain or Italy so that seems to make it more likely he will go with it against Denmark to (when in isolation the opposition strength is probably borderline which way to go) as otherwise switching to it fresh off two games playing 4 at the back. If he does play 5 then I guess Mount misses out?

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

        Southgate has consistently put out the strongest XI with the best tactics to defeat the opponent in hand. He'll do the same v Denmark.

        1. St Pauli Walnuts
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          Them being?

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

            Denmark will be the first side England face with no obvious weaknesses. It'll be a tough call. I think I'd have Henderson start alongside Rice, and I think Saka on the right.

            1. St Pauli Walnuts
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 5 Years
              2 years, 8 months ago

              Back 5 and Mount on bench or flat back 4?

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

                4 at the back in my book. Walker on the right with Saka ahead of him covers the threat of that left wingback. So Mount to start for me, yeh.

                1. St Pauli Walnuts
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 5 Years
                  2 years, 8 months ago

                  Okay. Personally I'd prefer that, but I have a feeling he goes for the 5. Whether that means Mount dropped or shoehorned into a 3 (likely at Sancho/Saka expense) I'm not sure.

    4. Sterling Archer
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      think i'll go with 5 England players, pretty obvious picks..

      Maguire
      Shaw
      Stones
      Sterling
      Kane

      seems to risky going for any of the other forward players

  5. Alisson WondHaaland
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 8 months ago

    I tend to think theres less value in defence and more in attack at the start of a season since teams are still quite disorganised at the back and clean sheets are rare.

    With that in mind, thoughts on this draft?

    Sanchez Foster
    Fofana Ayling Lamptey White 4.0
    Bruno Salah KDB Raph 4.5
    Toney DCL Watkins

    1. Thinkering like a Boss
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Wow that attacking!!!

      Looks good tbh

    2. Yes Ndidi
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Its a brave person who goes in search of clean sheets with triple Brighton defence. Personally, I'm considering double Liverpool FBs and to hell with the cost, because I think they are quite settled at the back, plus that opening fixture run and the fact that they score like mid-priced Mids.

      1. Alisson WondHaaland
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        This is assuming White moves to Arsenal. If not Ill look for a different 4.5

    3. Vlekz
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Liverpool EO will be more than 250%(maybe more than 300% if they do well in the first game)[including captain eo].
        With that team structure it will be very difficult to adjust with 1 transfer for gw2 (Burnley)

      • Evil_Ash
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        I like it. But I'm of the same opinion so...
        Only player I'd question is DCL. Struggled for periods last year, and new manager so good player but I'd wait and see.
        Maybe Antonio / Nacho?
        Or Grealish for the first 3 fixtures?

      • HitSquad
        • 4 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        KDB to Gundogan
        Ayling to TAA
        4.0 to Coufal

    4. Thinkering like a Boss
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      How my FPL draft looks?

      Banchman
      Robertson Lamptey AWB
      Pepe Fernandes Salah Buendia
      Iheanacho DCL Antonio

      Foster | Ayling Gillmour Manquillo

      1. Yes Ndidi
        • 4 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Not a lot wrong with that. Lamptey & Nacho might be open to rotation, but Pepe could be a great shout; I've been burnt by him before and wouldn't touch him with yours these days, but he who dares wins, as they say.

      2. Hotdogs for Tea
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        will Banchman be first choice ?

        1. kobewan
          • 4 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          He is nailed, started the last 25-30 games of Watford.

          1. Hotdogs for Tea
            • 8 Years
            2 years, 8 months ago

            wasn’t that because Foster was injured ? Foster was first choice and actually came back for the last game ?

            I am not too sure who will start, has the manager said who is first choice ?

            Also hasn’t Bachman been playing in the Euros and will be undergoing a mandatory 3 week holiday and resting for the early pre-season with Foster getting the jump on him regarding game time ?

            1. kobewan
              • 4 Years
              2 years, 8 months ago

              There were times towards the end of the season were Foster was already in full fitness but Bachmann was still preferred as the Starting GK, this summer could be vital for both GK.

    5. gers23
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Lundstram to Rangers. Anybody tell me if that's a good signing?

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

        Could get Champions League group stage football.

      2. St Pauli Walnuts
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Seems better for player than club

    6. Soto Ayam
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Great article. Thanks.

    7. SuperG
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Outstanding article. Interesting, informative and (in a good way) opinionated. Bodes very well for the new editorial team.

    8. kobewan
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Hasn't seen much line up with last year's most owned GK E. Martinez, that 5.5 price must really turn off many FPL manager, Currently Argentina has not conceded a goal in Copa América he still in top form, will be looking to sneak him up in one of my draft.

      1. Hotdogs for Tea
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        highest owned keeper in the game for far

        1. kobewan
          • 4 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          Yes, for the casuals, I hadn't seen much of his name here in Fantasy football scout drafts, I've seen a lot of Sanchez though.

          1. Hotdogs for Tea
            • 8 Years
            2 years, 8 months ago

            this place is full of casuals too, a very small section of the FPL community and generally copying each other even if they don’t really recognise it … so I wouldn’t take much notice 😉

            Martinez is nearly 40% owned

            1. kobewan
              • 4 Years
              2 years, 8 months ago

              cheers mate,

      2. GreennRed
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Has three nice looking openers and, while FDR can be misleading, 4/5 tricky games.

        1. kobewan
          • 4 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          yeah, it's really tricky. losing Ben White also might have a big impact on that BHA defense

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

            Lot of people loading up on attacking assets - Watkins, Grealish, Buendia. Plus Targett and Cash are cheaper.

            1. colby_
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              2 years, 8 months ago

              Right. If I'm going to go with Villa defense, it's going to be Targett. The double up, especially with Martinez at 5.5, is just a bit too rich for my blood.

              1. HitSquad
                • 4 Years
                2 years, 8 months ago

                Martinez easily outsores them all at 5.5 and is a bonus magnet.

    9. DazF90
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Nice article, liked the piece about Vardy very informative thanks!

      Starting with 3 lower priced forwards for now but there's a lot of questions to be answered still, hopefully pre season can clear a few up but it usually just raises even more questions haha

    10. EmreCan Hustle
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Early draft for FPL.

      Sanchez - 4.0
      TAA - AWB - Coufal - Fofana - 4.0
      Salah - Bruno - Sigurdsson - Buendia - 4.5
      Wilson - Antonio - Watkins

      Nothing in the bank.

      AWB might become Shaw, if he is likely to start in GW 1.
      Bruno might become KDB in GW 2.
      No Kane.
      Sigurdsson is a punt.

      Thoughts?

      Thanks.

      1. Eze Really?
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        A wait and see with Siggy.

        1. Dogs Of War
          • 2 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          Agree about Siggy. Not certain he’ll be on pens anymore either.

      2. Karan14
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Double up on Villa attack with Grealish future in a limbo doesn't look promising. I'm looking to have one of Watkins or Buendia.

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

        It's basically the current template, apart from Siggy. I like a draft that goes off-template generally, but Siggy is not an option for me with too much unknown about the Toffee midfield currently. I hate to say 'Go Raphinha' given that everyone has him, but "Go Raphinha"!

        1. EmreCan Hustle
          • 11 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          Cheers.

          I did pick Siggy to break the template a bit. But also because Ayoze Perez did well under Rafa and I feel Siggy can nail down that position.

    11. Drexl Spivey
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Dicing with death trying to predict Vardy's output this season, imo. Sporadic at the best of times, however many games he plays, and one bad tackle from the knackers yard. Can't see for the life of me why they'd displace Nacho to make way for the newby.

      1. Eze Really?
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        If there is anything I can be remotely sure of is Nacho starting the season. Good rest, ready for friendlies and 3 mil less than Vardy. The new boy will start slowly and moved into old man Vardy position. I cannot think of anyone more deserving in an FPL side than Nacho. My opinion only.

      2. Haa-lala-land
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        I love Leicester so always select Vardy. This year Ill join him with Nacho and Barnes.
        BR is loyal, so won't throw Vardy on the scrap heap just yet. Patson Daka's game time won't come until the end of this coming season I think

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

          I’d love to have gotten him - but 10.5 is too rich even for me as a massive Vardy fan (was hoping for 9.0 or 9.5)

          Nacho on the other hand at 7.5 could be set for a big, big season plus Barnes & Maddison at 7.0’s look great too

          When you think you can get Barnes, Maddison & Nacho for a combined 21.5 (Leciester scored 68 goals last year, those three got 43 attacking returns in 81 appearances)

          And Bamford, Harrison & Raphinha for 20.5 (Leeds 62 goals, those three got 62 attacking returns in 104 appearances)

          And even Grealish, Watkins, Buendia for 22.0 (albeit villa’s attack wasn’t as good at 55 goals - but that was without Grealish for almost half a season, and no Buendia)

          There’s just so much nailed mid price attacking value, really helps with avoiding the Man City & Chelsea rotation quagmires

    12. 03farmboy
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Who’s the best 7.5m striker to get?

      I like the look of Wilson and jiminez

      1. Eze Really?
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Nacho for me. Wait and see with Jimi playing friendlies. Wilson fitness check.

      2. Bavarian
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Watkins

      3. Holmes
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Watkins, Iheanacho and Antonio are all good. Tough to pick one of them, play the fixtures.

        1. Eze Really?
          • 9 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          My thoughts too. Wilson could be in the frame if fit. The Wolves manager is attacking so Jimi for friendlies. I am steering clear of Everton until we have a lot more info.

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

        For me currently it's Nacho or Watkins. However, they and Antonio could end up with serious competition and rotation, reducing their appeal.

    13. Bavarian
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      your thoughts please?

      Martinez (Foster)
      TAA-Shaw-Coufal (Lamptey-Fofana)
      Salah-Bruno-Rafinha-Dallas (Bissouma)
      DCL-Watkins-Toney

      1. Holmes
        • 10 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Leeds double mids, especially with Dallas is a no for me. Would go for Digne at same price.

        Other than that, looks fine to me. Are you ok with Martinez at 5.5?

        1. Bavarian
          • 6 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          Thanks for the input mate , will look into this...

      2. Eze Really?
        • 9 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Martinez and to some extent Pope proven but always a guess who comes out of the blocks. A 4.5 or Even the ManU keeper should be considered.

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

          Should we presume you're also against Pickford, FP? He has the form and fixtures (other than a late brainfart on Saturday!)

          1. Eze Really?
            • 9 Years
            2 years, 8 months ago

            Pickford is odd as all of us know. Our defending away has been ok because we employ a low block. At home we get caught because there is no pace in our midfield. Again, mu view is stay clear of all Everton assets including Digne.

    14. Milk, 1 Šuker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      MODS: Harrison has now been updated as a Leeds player on the official game. Would it be possible to update his SGP/overall season projections please? Thanks x

    15. The Orienteer - find me in …
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Excellent article - more like this please.

    16. KieraninChina
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Slightly Templately (is that a word) but hoping for a couple of potential differentials to come through.

      I have 1 main concern with lots of love so far for shown Digne on various sites and videos but felt that Mings and Lamptey may bring in similar chance of clean sheets and can perhaps rotate from the bench admittedly without the potential assists. Villas first 3 games (WAT, NEW, BRE) and Brightons (BUR, WAT, EVE) are pretty tasty too.

      Would love to hear anyones thoughts.

      Sanchez (Foster)
      Mings Forana TAA Shaw (Lamptey)
      Salah Fernandes Havertz (Romeu, Bissouma)
      Antonio Richarlison Watkins

      Thanks All

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

        Looks good. Havertz is a nice pick, not in many teams I've seen. Not sure about Brighton double defence though.

        1. KieraninChina
          • 4 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          Thanks. just got the one Brighton player in defence Lamptey. Bissouma is simply a sub that brings in 2 points in an emergency. I am hoping Havertz may be an Out of position option.

          1. KieraninChina
            • 4 Years
            2 years, 8 months ago

            Oh. Sanchez. Put him as a set and forget and never looked back up. good call

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

        Decent. The thing about Digne is his assists which Mings doesn't have. Brighton rotate well with Leicester (Fofana), so 4 of your defenders are solid picks. Targett is the better Villain in defence as he also plays wingback.

        News today that Richarlison is unhappy and want to play in the Olympics, so keep an eye on that. Otherwise, all good!

        1. KieraninChina
          • 4 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          Cheers. I have not seen much about Ashley Young yet. Is he likely to be playing at right/left back. That was the concern with Cash/Targett

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

            I see Young as making up the numbers, a squad member. Can't see him ousting Targett or Cash.

    17. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Will the Alonso Chilwell rotation continue?

      1. KieraninChina
        • 4 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        It may well.Chelsea have Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool and Tottenham in their first 6. They may look to use the relative strength tactics wise.

    18. ClothedinSun
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      What are our thoughts on Ben Godfrey as an FPL asset this season?

      I can't decide if he's overpriced at 5 mil or if he provides a good middle road into that Everton defence that offers balance between Digne's high ownership and the lack of assurance over Holgate's starting place. He looked really decent towards the end of last season too...

      1. Stamford B
        • 2 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        No attacking threat but value if you think they’ll get clean sheets. New manager means uncertainty in selection at this stage. Pre season games will give us an idea in 3 weeks

      2. Chandler Bing
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        Digne or no one for me tbh. Bonus magnet + attacking potential. What's not to like? He's worth the 0.5 extra imo

    19. Chandler Bing
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      If my H2H league in FPL has 38 players. Everyone only plays everyone else once, correct? No two people can face each other twice? Just making sure of the algorithm the site uses. And what happens if it has more than 38 members? How are the fixtures then decided?

      1. Pasqualinho
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        If your league has 38 players then you will play all 37 opponents and then a reverse fixture of your GW1 match-up. The algorithm is, I believe, set up to play everyone once and then repeat those fixtures until the season ends - but if you have, say, 40 opponents then you will miss out on playing 2 of them.

    20. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Never thought I'd see Change Management and Version History in FPL hahaa

    21. fenixri
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Any news on Sarabia?

    22. kobewan
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Henderson and De Gea both at 5.0m. who is the 1st choice keeper for United? or is one of them on the way out of United?

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

        Ole will rotate them

        He says he won’t

        But he will

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

        What I'm currently doing is starting Henderson with Sanchez as backup in case Ole does the dirty.

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

      Hopefully Williams to Southampton goes ahead - would be great to have a 4.0 who looks pretty nailed given the only recognised fullback they currently have on their books is KWP after Bertrand left:

      https://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/southampton-favourites-to-sign-man-utd-fullback-brandon-williams-4376506

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

        Didn't they just bring in a new one? I see Billiams as sat on Saints' bench.

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

          Oh they did too - he’s just not on FPL yet

          Perraud is a fullback

          That’s that 4.0 option on ice then 😆

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

          Southampton have signed French left-back Romain Perraud from Stade Brest.

          Perraud, 23, has signed a four-year contract at St Mary's and becomes the Saints' first arrival of the summer.

          "This is an important first signing for us," said Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.

          "Clearly, left-back is an area in which we were looking to strengthen and we have tracked Romain for a long time because he fits our profile for this position very well."

          Perraud, who played eight times for France U21, began his career with Nice before moving to newly promoted Brest in 2019, where he made 61 appearances, scoring three goals.

          Southampton were on the lookout for a left-back after Ryan Bertrand decided to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of his contract.
          [BBC, 2nd July]

    24. adondek
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Join my league H2H : 3CITY ( GD-GA-GS). Code :tcdgk1

    25. amit1964
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      hi

    26. amit1964
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      ....1) bruno+romeol
      2)on+saka/any 6.5

      thank you
      -

      1. Inter Me Gran
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        For combined points 2 but Bruno is a solid captain option

      2. amit1964
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        but i can go with salach "c" all year and live with optin 2 for mor points

    27. Holy Boly
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Couple of questions. Cheers.:

      Who is Wolves number 1 now that Patricio is heading to Roma?

      Does Rodrigo start for Leeds or is he backup to Bamford?

      1. Dr. Rog
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        The latter question interests me. The projections tool has them both playing 3000 minutes, which seems to imply that it thinks that they both will be starters.

    28. Inter Me Gran
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 8 months ago

      Quick one…..

      Harrison and barnes
      Or
      Raphinha and saka

      1. Dr. Rog
        • 14 Years
        2 years, 8 months ago

        B

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

        Raphinha only joined in GW5, and didn’t get his first start until GW9

        In his final 21 appearances he got 14 attacking returns

        Whereas Harrison returned in GW1, made 36 appearances, and got 18 attacking returns

        So Raphinha over Harrison for me

        Saka is a strange one for me - he’s an absolute darling of FFS, any time he returns there’s massive, massive hype… and I’ve literally never saw him once criticised on this site

        And that’s Despite clocking up 10 blanks in a row from GW5-14 (9 starts/1 sub), and despite getting 1G 1A, (and 12 blanks)in his last 14 appearances

        Now - compare that type of output to Bamford (28 returns in 38 apps) or Watkins (23 returns in his last 35 appearances)… yet you will regularly see Bamford & Watkins being absolutely slated during pretty much every match day as “championship players”, “awful”, “absolutely shite” if they go more than 80 minutes without scoring a goal

        So not Saka for me

        Raphinha plus someone else - Buendia or Sarr

        1. Inter Me Gran
          • 8 Years
          2 years, 8 months ago

          Great analysis!! Thanks for the reply and I’ll stick with Raph