In our latest community article, Bordeaux FC looks at the rise of set pieces – and how Fantasy managers can benefit from this tactical trend.

The reincarnation of dead balls

Set pieces are the talk of the Premier League town – and the team atop of the pile is, fittingly, the master of the art. Over 55% of Arsenal’s goals this season have come from these situations. Perhaps more remarkably, they are joint-fourth-bottom for goals from open play. The ‘dead ball’ is alive and well.

Above: Premier League teams sorted by fewest goals from open play (OP), with their set-piece goals (SP) for comparison

The tactical evolution of football is a fascinating aspect of the game. Five years ago, the Premier League vogue was the gegenpress of Liverpool, and Manchester City’s iteration of tiki taka. At that time, you would have been going out on a limb to predict that 2025/26 would be the season of the long throw. But the path of change in football isn’t linear. Often, ‘new’ tactical innovations are a reimagination of ideas past. After all, there is nothing new under the sun…

Inspiration from across the Atlantic

The intensity of competition to stay in the Premier League is so fierce that teams, with their armies of analysts, are always looking for ways to gain an advantage. Teams like Bournemouth, Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford took inspiration from baseball’s vaunted ‘Moneyball’ approach and have transitioned from clubs that were more familiar in League One company to established and lauded Premier League outfits.

The Premier League’s most recent trend takes further inspiration from across the Atlantic, but it’s more NFL than MLB.  There has been much discussion about the increasing prominence of ‘Special Teams’ in American Football, driven by an analytical recognition of its importance in determining field position.

After Aston Villa’s victory over Manchester City, Matty Cash (£4.6m) referenced the “special corners” that the team’s set-piece coach has up his sleeve. Set-piece coaches are now a mainstay of every PL team (as are special teams coaches in the NFL), in a way that there weren’t 20 years ago. Their importance has been elevated to the extent that Brentford, who have led the way in this trend, even appointed their set-piece coach, Keith Andrews, to succeed Thomas Frank. And it’s not just coaching appointments that are being influenced by this trend. In signing Michael Kayode (£4.5m), reports suggest a key factor in Brentford’s scouting was his long throw (although his all-around play has also been excellent this season).

Above: Where Michael Kayode has created his chances from in 2025/26

From free-kicks, corners and long throws, there is a controlled opportunity to set players in motion and deliver a planned and practised routine from the playbook. Perhaps the most obvious comparison to American football is the increased importance of blockers, whose intention isn’t to head the ball (or receive a pass), but simply to create a better opportunity for the intended target to do so.

The focus on set pieces is best illustrated this season by the long throw. Across the first eight Gameweeks, there were 113 shots from throw-in situations, compared to nine in 2020/21. This is pragmatism over philosophy. Neil Warnock or Tony Pulis aren’t being lined up to succeed Pep Guardiola or Enzo Maresca –  but the data suggests that it’s a worthwhile endeavour. Most spectators would rather see a goal scored by a flowing move than a six-yard box scramble, but football values them equally. Until more teams figure out how to defend these set pieces more effectively, detractors are shouting at clouds.

Adapting our Fantasy teams

Whatever your views about set pieces, the latest tactical trend does present opportunities for Fantasy managers. Most obviously, we want the players who are targets, and those who deliver them.

For long throws, this is tricky. While some teams utilise a specialist from both sides, most of the time, the productivity of a long throw stems from the chaotic pinball of second and third balls, which creates a greater degree of randomness. Some teams have consistently targeted players for a near-post flick on (Nathan Collins (£4.9m), Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.5m), Dan Burn (£5.1m)); perhaps these players are best placed to profit from an assist.  

Above: The leading players for chances from throw-ins in 2025/26

Despite the increased attention on long throws, corners and free-kicks around the box remain the most profitable set pieces. This season, many teams are preferring in-swinging deliveries from corners, which makes targeting takers more tricky as duties are split. With the exception of Declan Rice (£6.7m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.0m), who benefit from Arsenal’s high conversion rate, set-piece delivery is an added bonus for the likes of Cody Gakpo (£7.6m), Bryan Mbeumo (£8.2m) or Mikkel Damsgaard (£5.8m) – but probably not sufficient cause to buy a player.

However, one group of players stand out, and as Fantasy managers, we benefit from a helpful correlation. It is a simple one, too. The best players at attacking these set pieces – ‘the targets’ – are centre-backs who often share two qualities: they are underpriced and they are defensive contribution (DefCon) magnets. Players who are good at attacking the ball are, largely, good at it in both penalty boxes. This means that owners of Gabriel Magalhaes, Joe Rodon (£4.1m), Omar Alderete (£4.1m) and Marc Guehi (£4.9m) have profited not only from a regular two points for defensive contributions, but goal and assist potential.

Above: The leading players for headed set-piece attempts in 2025/26

Expect the likes of Collins, James Tarkowski (£5.5m), Joachim Andersen (£4.5m) and Burn to join them soon. If you can bring together a goal, a clean sheet and DefCons, you’re looking at a 17-point haul. We’d be over the moon about these returns from a striker costing upwards of £10m, let alone a defender who is certain to be less than £6.5m – and could be as cheap as almost anyone in the game.

Like all Fantasy Football decisions, there is an element of luck involved in being on the right defender at the right time (congratulations to Micky van de Ven (£4.7m) owners this week). There are teams whose inability to defend set pieces you can target (e.g., West Ham), and as ever, you can put your team in the right position to be lucky.