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The Case for Dele Alli

With the “big hitters” all seemingly coming into form at the same time, there has been plenty discussion during the week regarding how many, and which of these players you should strive to have in your squad.

There may be some debate as to exactly who the big hitters are, but most would agree that currently Mohamed Salah (£13.0), Harry Kane (£12.6), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.5), Raheem Sterling (£11.6), and Eden Hazard (£10.9) are in a class of their own (with Sergio Agüero (£11.2) waiting on the sidelines to be included when fit again). You can only captain one a week though and they all come at a premium price tag, so having too many seriously hampers the rest of the squad, especially in rotation heavy December.

“Cover”

I don’t really like the term cover in fantasy football terms. I often see it in the context of statements like “I’m not sure I can go without Man City cover” either because a team have great fixtures, form, or both. Just any Manchester City player doesn’t quite do the job though, you can’t realistically expect Bernardo Silva (£7.5) to “cover” Raheem Sterling’s points or even Sadio Mané (£9.7) covering Mo Salah. In general, FPL tend to get the pricing structure down quite well even though a couple of players always manage to slip through the cracks (Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez in Leicester’s title winning season springs to mind, or even Harry Kane in his breakthrough season).

I think every player has to be considered (mostly) in isolation for their own potential though, not just who they line up next to. Sure, having a player like Salah to pass the ball to (or get it from) obviously helps your chances of scoring points, but if you are unable or unwilling to pass the ball at the right time, then assists are still going to be hard to come by. I’m not having a go at Sadio Mané (no, really) but just 2 assists on the season so far with all that playing time for such a talented Liverpool attack, I mean come on?

Sometimes though, we get a team that has both good fixtures and are starting to pick up some form (Tottenham and West Ham for instance), coupled with also having multiple decent FPL-options. With a limited budget and the need for building a balanced squad for rotation, getting Kane in isn’t always that straightforward. Unlike many other teams, going with Christian Eriksen (£9.3), Dele Alli (£8.9) or Heung-Min Son (£8.5) has always been decent complements to the prolific Harry Kane, sometimes in a double/treble up and sometimes just dipping your toes in the north London waters with the one midfield asset.

Why Alli?

But enough background, let’s get down to brass tacks. As the title says, I genuinely believe there is a case to be made for the inclusion of Dele Alli in our squads. Coming in at £8.9 with an ownership of just 3.6% (in comparison to Harry Kane at almost ten times the ownership) he is very much in the “differential” category. This isn’t just your average everyday Gerard Deulofeu/Willian-styled differential though, Dele Alli has a history of scoring bucket-loads of points.

His best tally came two seasons ago with 18 goals, 11 assists and 17 bonus points clocking up to a solid 225-point season. Last year when he “struggled”, he still scored 9 goals, 13 assists and 12 bonus, gathering 175 points in the process. This year he’s missed 5 games through injury and played 15 minutes or less on three other occasions, which can go some way to account for his meagre returns of 3 goals, 2 assists so far.

He has also been tasked with playing a lot deeper at times which has hindered his ability to get in the box and finish off chances. Last game was different though. Yes, Kane was on the bench which did change the dynamic of the team quite a bit and this has to be taken into account… Stats-wise he didn’t exactly pull up trees in the goal attempts department as his only attempt in the form of a header went in, but penalty area touches and dribble attempts were way up (between three and four times as much) compared to his average over the season and in my humble opinion, I think he is coming into form. Although no one is nailed in the coming weeks he should also be fit enough to play most minutes. I think that there still is a potent goalscorer hiding in the young Alli, and that part is just dying to get out and go absolutely ballistic over the coming weeks!

Caveats

To be fair the stats so far aren’t backing me up on this. Playing time, the price, Heung-Min Son and a potentially deeper role would also be reasonable arguments against Alli. I think his injury does have a lot to do with him not performing to our expectations so far though, and I believe a lot will change over the coming weeks as he gets back up to speed. If choosing between him and Son, I can see the logic in going with the electric South Korean who has so far been playing further up top, but this doesn’t mean that Alli can’t also get good returns and he “should” be able to get more minutes than Son.

Conclusion

As a very relevant side note, I think Heung-Min Son looks a very good option but I feel like there really is no need to write an article about him for that point to be made, Dele Alli is creeping more under the radar and he also has the makings of a great option. Son is heading off sometime in January to the Asian Cup and Spurs fixtures look good all the way through February, so there is going to be ample opportunity for Dele Alli to start banging in the goals like there is no tomorrow, regardless of Son.

Personally, I’m looking at potentially (depending on other fires to put out) getting Alli in place of Leroy Sané (£9.5) who surely has to be rested if not this week, then next week by Pep Guardiola. Even with Mendy out I just don’t see Sané starting all of the next games and he does have a tendency to get a short cameo, which is rarely particularly great. Full disclosure though: I already have Son in my squad and Aubameyang instead of Kane, so I’m looking at it from the point of a Spurs double up. In a head to head between Alli and Son it gets a bit more tricky but in my opinion, both can be great options the coming weeks.

So are you going with one, two or no Spurs mids?

Is Kane the only asset that interests you, or are you steering clear entirely from Tottenham for now?

Meltens

42 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Geoff
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Thanks for submitting, and really nicely edited/formatted!

    I hadn't considered Alli if I'm totally honest - I'm going to take a look now though. I do need a David Silva replacement!

    1. Meltens
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Thanks Geoff! 🙂

      Well, Alli does give some food for thought, even though I felt slightly more optimistic about him before writing the article and going through my arguments more critically haha. I do still think both Son and Alli could do great things in the coming weeks and that people with "only" Kane might be missing out.

      I've got Martial, Wilson and TAA creating problems in my squad for now though so will have to think a bit before making a decision on what to do this week.

      1. El Lobito 10
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Alli is a good option but Poch also rotates a lot, so your argument to get rid of Sane due to rotation lacks cohesion.

        1. Meltens
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          Well traditionally Poch has mostly rotated the wing-backs and Son, leaving Eriksen, Alli and Kane to play most minutes. You are most certainly right in that not appearing to be the case this year, though I still think Alli should get more minutes than Sané going forward but that is more based on a hunch than anything concrete.

          To be frank I don't think there are that many players that will see all minutes from any of the top teams over December so I guess it just comes down to what you think they will do does times they are on the pitch.

          1. Meltens
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 3 months ago

            those times*

          2. Ruth_NZ
            • 9 Years
            5 years, 3 months ago

            "...traditionally Poch has mostly rotated the wing-backs and Son, leaving Eriksen, Alli and Kane to play most minutes."

            Problem is that Lamela and Moura are much more of an issue now. Lamela had a long-term injury in the "traditional" period you are talking about but has played well whenever called on this season. Moura only arrived last January and took a while to bed in but has played a lot (and played well) this season. So that "traditional" era is over. Pochettino has more options than he did and even Kane us not safe from the very occasional rest.

            And that makes Alli, often playing deeper, not as good a FPL option as he once was without his price tag having fallen enough to compensate. There are 3 Spurs attackers I'd prefer so he's really not of much interest to me.

            1. Meltens
              • Has Moderation Rights
              • 8 Years
              5 years, 3 months ago

              Well, I won't really argue with those points other than that my own opinion is that Alli is a better player than Lamela and Moura, possibly Son getting more competition could affect Alli. That is (as much is in FPL) a highly subjective view of course 🙂

              I did say that the "traditional" way does not appear to be the way he goes about doing thing this year so in that we are in agreement. I think the injury to Alli has skewed things a bit though, and I'm not sure we truly know how he will work in the team going forward.

              Regardless, thanks for the input, always interesting to hear what other people think 🙂

            2. Geoff
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • Has Moderation Rights
              • 11 Years
              5 years, 3 months ago

              Are you considering a double up? I assume the attackers are Kane, Son and Eriksen?

              1. Ruth_NZ
                • 9 Years
                5 years, 3 months ago

                Yes, those three. And no, Kane is enough Spurs for me. The alternative would be to have both of the other two. But Son has Asia Cup looming and I'm still not 100% sure about Eriksen's fitness to play games in quick succession.

                In addition, I think the striker cupboard is very bare at the moment and can more easily accommodate Kane than 2 Spurs midfielders.

      2. Geoff
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        How do you rank Eriksen?

        1. Meltens
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          Well I would be a bit worried about how many set-pieces he remains on when Trippier is on the pitch, he does seem to need them to rack up the assists. If he can keep a hold of most set-pieces, he is always a decent option if you hold him long enough. I'd still put Kane, Son and Alli above him though at the moment.

          I've always liked the midfielders who score goals rather than assists more so it's Alli for me though!

          1. RonChi
            • 5 Years
            5 years, 3 months ago

            I don't rate Eriksen in particular as an fpl asset this season. I have not looked at the data yet, but I surmise that when Eriksen plays, Kane does not have to fetch the ball at '8' or '10'. The presence of a passer in midfield( as opposed to player who mainly progresses through dribbling) allows Kane to recieve the ball further up the pitch at 9. The higher filed position is naturally advantageous to Kane's FPL score.

            When you have a double pivot of Sissoko and Dier( who are not particularly great at passing) and 3 Attacking midfielders in Alli, Moura and Son ( who all want either run beyond or recieve on the half turn) Kane has to drop deep.

    2. RonChi
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      I agree, excellent editing sir.

      1. Meltens
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Cheers mate!

  2. Karan14
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Dont think its wise selling Sane before 2 home games and he is in such good form. He could start both and be rested for the midweek cup game.

    1. Meltens
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      He most certainly could, no one really knows. I've sort of half by design, half by accident loaded up on too many rotation risks and now have slight niggles to go with that so a Sané benching really would be annoying this week for my team.

  3. MTPockets
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Have Kane and can't afford Alli yet (not selling Sterling/Sane) but he's definitely under-discussed.

    • Forget Special, I am the ON…
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Got him 2 weeks ago, so far I am happy expecting a Goal feast from Spurs against Burnley at Home.
      I'll monitor Alli's deep lying performance, if it continues I'll change him but if he continues to play in hole and playing more upfront - I may keep him for the whole month January.

      He definitely is a ticking bomb who can change the FPL season in a matter of 2-3 games by producing 3 goals and 2 assist.

      1. Meltens
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Yeah the Burnley game is a bit difficult to get a good read on, it could be one of those games we all expect to be a 4-0 but ends up going right to the finish line with Kane notching one in at 89'. Or Spurs scores an early goal and the floodgates open...

      2. Deli Alli OxenFree!
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Got Alli in at the exact same time, and have literally been thinking the exact same thing

    • El Lobito 10
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Lowe nailed?

    • FPLWOLVESFAN
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Nice article, much appreciated. I think Son is at risk of rotation this week with Lucas coming back in after the Champions League match so Alli would be a good option. I'm considering a straight swap for D.Silva but that leaves me without a City midfielder...

      Alli or Mahrez or Hazard (latter would require me to weaken elsewhere). WWUD?

      1. Meltens
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Well Mahrez could be good the games he plays but Sterling/Sané/Mahrez will probably all rotate to some extent in the coming weeks. Going back to the "cover" argument, I don't think a City attacker is essential in themselves, they have to be considered for their individual benefits and drawbacks. Of the three listed, I think Haz and Alli will do the best over Christmas but if you don't have an obvious candidate for downgrading to get the money for Haz, I'd say Alli.

        If you don't have him I'd have a look at Felipe Anderson as well, should be a good replacement 🙂

    • reubster
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      I sold Arnie and Salah (omg! I can't bear to think about it) last week for Alli and Aubameyang. I agree that Alli is coming into form. He's also well rested and rarely gets taken off. Him and Kane make each other better.

      Even more than this though, Spurs' have played extra away games so far this season AND have a good run of fixtures to come. I think they'll taper off as usual come April (possibly even March.. the World Cup hangover will last through the season), but between now and then I think they're going to be hot.

      I also have Trippier.

      But then, I'm a spurs fan, so somewhat blinkered.

      1. Meltens
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Ouch with Salah, that's gotta hurt in that particular GW :/ I started the season with Salah but got rid on wildcard in GW4, haven't really missed him at all until last week. Now not quite sure how to deal with him, think I just might hold off for a couple more weeks at least.

        Agree with all your points and Spurs have been grinding out results while missing Eriksen (mostly form) and Alli (injury) for most of the season, with Kane being forced to drop deeper. With all back fit again, they should start rolling a bit more smoothly!

    • fayons
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Good article, I'm in the predicament of not having any spurs attacking assets in my team.
      Currently considering the merits of Alli or Son to replace Sigurdsson

      1. Meltens
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Thanks mate, I appreciate it! 🙂

        The straight head to head between Alli and Son is a bit tricky really. I think if you average it out over the next four gameweeks they will probably score roughly the same but it is annoying if the one you transfer in this GW starts on the bench... Leaning towards Son in a straight comparison (for december) but feel he's due a rest quite soon, possibly even this week (hope not).

        Good luck no matter what you decide!

    • tomscott88
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      SON vs ALI? who will get more points over the next 5 gw's??

    • doy
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Nice article. I sold Siggy for Son this GW and already own Kane. I have a vested interest in Sonny as I have Korean heritage. One must jump on board when he gets handed starts and hits his purple patches! Alli is a decent shout and I will most likely trade Sonny for Alli when the former jets off to the UAE for the Asian Cup. I had a look at the fixtures and Sonny will most likely depart straight after GW22 (vs Utd), as he will miss the 1st 2 Group Stage games (a deal was made with the KFA & Spurs back in the summer prior to the Asian Games). South Korea should progress deep into the tourney being one of the faves, so I expect Son to miss a maximum of 3 GWs and be eligible for contention for GW26. Of course he might be knackered and what not, so he would most likely come off the bench at best in that particular GW!

      1. Meltens
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Thank you! 🙂
        I read somewhere about that deal regarding Son with KFA and Spurs but couldn't find the link to support it so decided to not include it at all. Good news for Son-owners indeed and cheers for letting us know the expected GW stretch he's out for!

    • El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      2 weeks ago i asked about doing Martial > Son here. And everyone put me against.
      Last week i decided to get a Spurs cover, and got Eriksen. I still believe he's the most sensible player to own behind Kane.
      But he got me only 1pt.

      Whats his problem? Will he start the next games?

      1. clodhopper
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Eriksen a good option sometimes you get bad info here u just have too sift through th sh1t no one has a crystal ball good luck id keep him

    • Deli Alli OxenFree!
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Agree w/ others above, def a well written/edited article!
      I brought in Alli a few weeks ago w/ the hope that he was picking up form, and felt very vindicated watching their last league match. He was all over the final third & felt like it was 2016/17 again!
      However, the Barca match def took some wind out of my ‘excitement-sails’! With Kane + Son/Moura on the pitch, there is no doubt he’s playing a much deeper role... but could that position also be affected by the lack of a Right-Winger? IDK, but def interested to see what happens when tripper(who I also own) is playing in crosses from the right—allowing Eriksen to possibly play more central?
      At this point though, i’m Pretty much just hoping for a start vs Burnley; cause there are def points to be earned!

      1. Meltens
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Thanks! 🙂

        Yeah as you and others have pointed out, with more attacking options at Poch disposal this year he can "afford" to both rotate and play Alli deeper this year, which does hamper his potential. I still think he will do well over the coming weeks but after writing this and reading the comments from people here, I feel slightly less convinced that he is about to "explode", he might just trickle a bit more. All depends on the playing time and where on the pitch he is put I'd say.

        1. Deli Alli OxenFree!
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 3 months ago

          ...well; Dele Alli backers just cleared hurdle #1, w/ the Spurs Team Sheet!
          He’s Starting! While both Son AND Eriksen begin on the bench...

    • Get up ya bum
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      "getting Alli in place of Leroy Sané (£9.5) who surely has to be rested if not this week, then next week by Pep Guardiola."

      Seems bonkers to me. Sell one of the most lethal attackers in the league, in the form of his life, because of a hunch he will miss one game. Gotta cop rotation on the chin with these players man. And exactly the same applies to Alli. Son, Lamela, Moura, Eriksen, Alli, Sissoko, Dembele are competing for attacking roles in midfield. Hell he even benched Harry Kane the other day.

      "Full disclosure though: I already have Son in my squad and Aubameyang instead of Kane, so I’m looking at it from the point of a Spurs double up. In a head to head between Alli and Son it gets a bit more tricky but in my opinion, both can be great options the coming weeks."

      You made me smile when you opened with a smack down of the ridiculous notion about attacking coverage. Then you close with this confused double up statement which is the same thing you just said was nonsense. What does having son and Aubameyang and no Kane have to do with what Alli is going to score in the coming weeks?

      1. Meltens
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        The more I've thought about it, the more I agree that selling Sané in his current form just seems like trying to fix a problem that isn't there... I'll be contemplating it up till the deadline but probably won't sell Sané right now 🙂

        I think I put in too much about my own squad in the article, it was meant as background but seems to be interpreted as justification for the Alli pick, which wasn't my intention at all.
        My point about the double up (or going with other attacking picks from Spurs than Kane) is that I think Spurs have great fixtures, form AND multiple attacking options so the "cover" argument isn't quite the same as with some other teams. I think the part about having Son and Aubameyang was unnecessary now that I look back at it, good call!

        Thanks for the input, will try to stop contradicting myself in these articles 😉

    • Witty Pun: Not good at this…
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Sané is on for another 10 pointer... Perhaps Alli in is worth it, but not for Sané!

      1. Meltens
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Wound up keeping Sané in the end (had TAA to deal with) so that worked out this week at the very least 🙂

        Sané doesn’t really deserve getting the chop right now the way he is playing

    • Deli Alli OxenFree!
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      YES!!!
      [and I apologize to those that aren’t happy—not trying to be a dick]
      ...FINALLY! I got some joy from the Spurs Team Sheet!

      Seeing both Alli & Tripper Start is SO much Better than recent gw’s!
      ...NTM, Son & Eriksen are on the bench (this week at least)

      SO, the stage is set for your article to come good mate!
      Just need some FPL Returns; to make it a ‘MELTENS-MASTERCLASS!’ LOL

      1. Meltens
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Haha I appreciate the support but didn’t quite work out did it? 😉 atleast not this week!
        Missed the game, did he look any good?