Digest

The FPL Digest: Fraser’s creativity and what to do with Wolves assets

Our final Digest piece of the season is here ahead of Gameweek 38.

In this article, we scrutinise a player, team and discussion point that attracted our interest in the previous weekend’s matches – be it for good or bad reasons.

The Player – Ryan Fraser

What a season Ryan Fraser (£6.3m) has had.

Yes, there have been lean periods: the Scottish winger blanked in ten matches between Gameweeks 19 and 29.

Fraser is, however, the best-value Fantasy midfielder or forward in 2018/19, based on points per million spent (28.4 at the time of writing).

A total of 21 attacking returns (seven goals, 14 assists) is more than in his previous two campaigns combined, with no midfielder under £8.5m directly involved in more of his side’s goals this season.

Fraser provided the cross for Nathan Ake‘s (£5.1m) winner against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday and only Eden Hazard (£11.0m) has more assists to his name this season.

Bournemouth’s win over nine-man Spurs has to be taken with a pinch of salt, of course, given that the Cherries had two men over on the Lilywhites for almost all of the second half.

Nevertheless, Fraser posted some eye-catching statistics.

No Premier League player supplied more crosses, successful crosses, key passes or “big chances” than the pint-sized winger in Gameweek 37.

Fraser’s individual total of ten successful crosses was more than any other Premier League side managed as a team at the weekend.

This wasn’t a freak occurrence that only owed to Spurs’ ill-discipline, however.

Fraser has delivered more crosses and successful crosses than any other midfielder this season, while his total of 28 big chances created is not only the best in the division but also hasn’t been bettered as far back as our records for that statistic go (eight years).

It is perhaps no surprise that Callum Wilson (£6.8m) was missing for large periods of Fraser’s aforementioned dry spell.

Wilson has supplied five assists for Fraser, while the Scotland international has created half of Wilson’s 14 goals.

The pair have proven deadly on the counter-attack in Bournemouth’s two most recent away fixtures at Brighton and Southampton, which saw the Cherries score on a combined eight occasions.

Eddie Howe’s side are again away in Gameweek 38, visiting a Palace side that have the second-worst home record in the division.

There is further encouragement for Fraser and his Fantasy owners in the form of the Eagles’ recent defensive statistics.

When clubs are filtered by their last six matches, no side has conceded as many headed chances as Palace – a possible good omen for Fraser’s assist potential given his dominance at dead-ball situations.

Roy Hodgson’s side also rank 17th for attempts from set plays conceded over this time, while no Premier League team has allowed more crosses.

The Team – Burnley

One of umpteen teams with effectively nothing to play for in Gameweek 38, Burnley take on Arsenal on the last day of 2018/19.

The Gunners’ recent away record (two wins from 12 league matches on the road) and their lack of clean sheets on their travels this season (their only shut-out being the 1-0 win over ten-man Watford in Gameweek 34) will no doubt be of interest to Fantasy managers looking for a final-day differential.

Only Huddersfield Town have allowed more big chances than Arsenal when clubs are filtered by their last six matches, while Cardiff City are the only team to have allowed more opportunities from set plays in this time.

No Premier League side has allowed more headed chances than Unai Emery’s troops over this period, with the Gunners also ranking joint-17th for shots on target conceded and joint-16th for attempts in the box conceded.

On top of this, Arsenal are in Europa League action in Spain less than 72 hours before they head to Turf Moor.

After the 1-1 draw with Brighton effectively ended their hopes of a top-four finish, Emery said the focus was now on the Europa League.

Those considering Chris Wood (£6.3m) or Ashley Barnes (£5.6m) will no doubt be encouraged by Arsenal’s vulnerability in the air and from dead-ball situations, something that may also benefit James Tarkowski (£4.7m) and Ben Mee (£4.6m).

Up until the special case that was the Gameweek 36 defeat to Manchester City, Burnley had scored in all 12 of their preceding dozen home league matches.

There wasn’t much to be positive about in the 2-0 defeat to Everton last Friday, however, with Burnley very much second best for most of the evening.

No side in the division had fewer attempts on goal, shots in the box or efforts on target than Burnley in Gameweek 37.

We ought to cut the Clarets some slack – Everton are one of the form teams in the top flight and have now kept eight clean sheets in the last ten Gameweeks.

Of more concern would be Sean Dyche’s decision to tinker with a hitherto settled side, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson (£5.5m) and Robbie Brady (£5.4m) getting rare run-outs on the flank.

Rotation is a widespread concern in Gameweek 38, with numerous dead rubbers up and down the country handing Premier League managers the chance to give starts to some of their long-suffering bench players.

Speaking of whom, Matej Vydra (£5.6m) has had to wait patiently as Wood and Barnes have started the last 18 league matches together up front.

Peter Crouch (£4.4m) is also now back to full fitness after appendix surgery.

Joint-club-record signing Ben Gibson (£4.8m), meanwhile, has made just one start at centre-half all season.

On the flip side, though, is the desire to finish the season on a high and reward a dedicated fanbase with a positive performance.

Dyche echoed those sentiments in quotes published in the Lancashire Telegraph on Wednesday, saying:

I don’t mean we weren’t up for it [v Everton], but that edge when there’s something riding on it, good or bad. You have to deliver and when it’s not there it’s a strange kind of feeling.

But we want to finish right against a good side in Arsenal, for the way we go about our business, and for the fans, who’ve been amazing.

It’s easy to support when things are going well. But we’ve had really good support even when things haven’t been going as well, the fans stuck with it, home and away, and it would be nice to take on a big side in Arsenal and give something to the fans.

Asked about the possibility of rotation, Dyche gave out mixed signals.

The Burnley boss said:

It depends because equally, the players who have been out there doing it will want to see the season out for their own needs.

Ben Mee, I thought was outstanding again tonight and he, in theory, could play every minute [of the season] next week which is an amazing achievement.

Corky I think did it last year and it is an amazing thing for a Premier League footballer.

It is not just about changing it, it is about the reward for the players that have played and finishing the season. Most players want to finish the season fit and well and performing.

The threat, no matter how small, of rotation in Gameweek 38 is something we can do without as Fantasy managers but Burnley and Arsenal’s underlying stats seem to be aligning nicely for the final-day encounter at Turf Moor.

The Discussion Point – What to do with Wolves assets in Gameweek 38?

Away at title-chasing Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers have one of the toughest fixtures of Gameweek 38.

Owners of Wolves’ Fantasy assets, therefore, face something of a dilemma ahead of Sunday’s deadline, with many amongst us facing a ‘play, bench or sell’ conundrum going into this weekend’s match at Anfield.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were well-represented in the top 10k as of the Gameweek 37 deadline, as the below table (taken from Ragabolly’s livefpl site) shows:


Combination % owned by top 10k
Doherty, Jimenez and Jota26.63%
Jimenez and Doherty49.1%
Jimenez and Jota48.65%
Jota and Doherty28.1%

Diogo Jota (£6.3m) and Matt Doherty (£5.3m) each have ownerships of just over 50% in the top 10,000, with Raul Jimenez (£6.9m) owned by a whopping 93.82%.

There is certainly a movement towards selling in the wider FPL community: Doherty and Jimenez are the most-sold players of Gameweek 38 in their respective positions, with Jota the fourth-most-sold Fantasy midfielder.

Wolves come into Sunday’s game on the back of three successive wins, however, along with a track record for competing well against the ‘big six’ clubs.

The latest win for Santo’s side was a 1-0 victory over Fulham, which would have been more emphatic in nature had it not been for wayward finishing and some smart goalkeeping.

Jota’s owners, in particular, will wonder how he didn’t register an attacking return, with the Portuguese midfielder twice dragging inches wide and forcing Sergio Rico (£4.4m) into two excellent saves.

Jimenez frustrated for different reasons, registering only one shot in the box (compared to Jota’s five) and blanking for the third home fixture in a row.

Doherty, at least, registered his first double-digit return in a match since Gameweek 8.

Wolves’ overall record against the big six in the league is competitive, having won four of their 11 matches and only failed to score in two of them:


Played 11
Won4
Drawn4
Lost3
Clean sheets0
Didn’t score2

On top of this, Wolves have also beaten Manchester United and Liverpool at Molineux in the FA Cup.

Their record against the top half-dozen sides on the road is not bad either, with their only defeat being a 3-0 loss to Manchester City in which they played over 70 minutes with ten men:


Played5
Won1
Drawn3
Lost1
Clean sheets0
Didn’t score1

Three of the above matches were 1-1 draws, while they also dispatched Spurs 3-1 at Wembley.

This record might also be of interest to the many of us with Liverpool assets going into Gameweek 38, given that Spurs, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal all failed to score more than once when facing Wolves on home soil.

Looking more closely at the three main players in the Wolves team – Doherty, Jimenez and Jota – against the big six leads to some interesting findings.

Overall, their records against the top half-dozen clubs in the league are:


PlayerAppsGoalsAssistsBlanksPoints per match
Jimenez114545.9
Jota8 (inc 1 sub)3144.5
Doherty111282.5

Away from home, this record reads:


PlayerAppsGoalsAssistsBlanksPoints per match
Jimenez52215.6
Jota4 (inc 1 sub)0132.5
Doherty50142.0

It is easy to see why Doherty is deemed surplus to requirements by many in Gameweek 38, without a league clean sheet against the big six all season and with only one attacking return in five away appearances against these clubs.

There has to be a disclaimer against Jota, though, with three of his four overall blanks against the big six coming before his conversion into a bona fide striker in Gameweek 15.

Since then, he averages 6.2 points per match against the top half-dozen clubs.

Jimenez meanwhile has only blanked once against a big six side on the road – that being the 3-0 defeat to City when his legs were preserved with a half-time substitution.

There are other factors in play here, of course, including Liverpool’s record of clean sheets at Anfield (11 in 18) and the fact that the Reds held Wolves to nil in the reverse fixture in December.

Jota and Jimenez sit second and eighth respectively among all players for xGI over the last five Gameweeks, though, shrugging off any talk of an FA Cup semi-final hangover.

As the stats in the above tables suggest, playing one of these two players at Anfield in Gameweek 38 mightn’t be the worst idea in the world – particularly if City swiftly race into a commanding lead at Brighton and extinguish a deflated (relatively speaking after the euphoria of Tuesday night) Liverpool’s chances of winning the league title.


1,225 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Ginkapo FPL
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Very impressed that BT kept up the high quality puns all season

    1. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Lol

    2. Do I Not Like Orange
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Tbh I really enjoy their adverts with the vindictive FA Cup, Lineker getting merked etc. Whoever's in charge of BT Sport has a better sense of humour than the head of BBC comedy these days.

  2. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Let's have a worthy winner tonight

  3. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Who will score more? Goiing back and forth between the two

    A) Redmond - Home against the worst team in the league
    Or
    B) Fraser - The assist king away to Palace

    1. VanDijksToWatchOutFor
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Big call. I'm between these two and pogba as a third. Leaning fraser for now because I see a 3-3 type game with palace

      1. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        I can see that aswell mate. But at the same time I can see Southampton beating Huddersfield by 3-0.

  4. Richd
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Was Son massaging a child ?

  5. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    No fear in these baby faced assassins.

  6. gellinmagellan
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Foster Ryan
    Robertson Vertonghen Bennett Duffy Bednarek
    Son Mane Bilva Sterling Højbjerg
    Jimenez Zaha Aguero
    1 FT 0.6 ITB. What should I do/who should I bring in for Son?

  7. McSauce
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    2 FT

    Son and Jota OUT -->

    A) Pogba & Fraser
    B) Pogba & Redmond
    C) Sane & Redmond

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      C if you can wait till Sunday and hope for early team news.

      B otherwise.

    2. WVA
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      B

  8. WVA
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Not a fan of the green kit, can barely see them on the green pitch!

  9. WVA
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Spurs getting destroyed

  10. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Uh-oh.

  11. Licky
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    That was too easy. Not a good start here for Spurs.

  12. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    When was the last time there was an all English European final?

    1. Licky
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      2008?

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        Yes

      2. Botman and Robben
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        I see

    2. WVA
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Chelsea v United

  13. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Spurs bottling another big match

  14. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Son hits the post

  15. Supersonic Marv'
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Don't fancy facing this Ajax team in the final.

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Liverpool will demolish them

      1. Supersonic Marv'
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        I'd much rather face Spurs.

        1. Licky
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 10 months ago

          I feel like Spurs are dodgy for us.

        2. S.Kuqi
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 10 months ago

          Same.

      2. Silecro
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        they wont, solely because its finals and klopp playing in it

    2. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      As opposed to Spurs?

    3. WVA
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Ajax better than Spurs so would rather Spurs go through as want Pool to win it

  16. Saxe-Gotha
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Jesus. De Ligt is going to be able to get any pay day he wants.

    1. WVA
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      He has more goals than most of the Spurs squad

  17. S.Kuqi
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Has this site slowed down? Not much comments during weekdays. No new hot topics either.

  18. Bruno Bruno!!
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    dont mind who wins this game

    1. S.Kuqi
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      So you didnt get banned then

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        Banned?

      2. Bruno Bruno!!
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        got banned for 12 hours

        1. S.Kuqi
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 10 months ago

          Lesson learned right 😉

    2. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      I would like to see Spurs win but it ain’t going to happen

  19. WVA
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Trippier should not be a defender, had a terrible season.

  20. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Suppose goal doesn't change it too much. They needed 2 anyway to progress

    1. Licky
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Getting punched in the face early, if anything, should wake Spurs up, they've got a game on their hands.

  21. Bruno Bruno!!
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    jiminez or Jota (C) ?

    1. S.Kuqi
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      How about Mane?

      You triple captained Son last gw. Tough luck.

      I have had -4 captain once and it still hurts.

  22. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Is Auboomerang still around?

    1. Supersonic Marv'
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      He'll be back.

    2. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Aren’t they suppose to come back

      1. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        😆

    3. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      There’ll be a few of him around on Sunday 😆

    4. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Wasn't he banned for life ?

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        That's what I'm wondering

  23. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Poor from alli

  24. Syd.
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Alli needs dropped

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      No one there to drop him for.

      1. Syd.
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        He has been a passenger for near on 2 seasons now

        1. Rainer
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 10 months ago

          Living off the Leicester season.

    2. WVA
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Literally living off his old reputation

  25. DMil
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Tottenham’s champions league campaign: ctrl alt De Ligt

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Very good

      😆

    2. Licky
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Have an upvote. 🙂

  26. Bruno Bruno!!
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    I want to publicly apologise for my recent antics over the past 2 weeks. All i will say is I don't like Liverpool and leave it at that.

    1. Botman and Robben
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Had a great game last night.

    2. WVA
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      I don't support Liverpool but I love them for all the great memories including last night, Istanbul, Gerrards last minute goals oh and his slip

      1. Licky
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        Don't forget the beach ball...

        1. WVA
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 10 months ago

          Haha yes they are great for entertainment

    3. Smurf
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      Thanks god you are leaving it at that. I hope you stick to your word.

  27. Tsparkes10
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    Classic Lucas. Looking lively and threatening but will probs blank as final ball is awful

  28. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    No fluidity about spurs play going forwards

    Eriksen and Alli need to step up. Both not doing enough to influence the game

    1. Licky
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      They are kinda missing Harry, before he got greedy he linked up the play quite well.

  29. Licky
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    What is Sissoko doing?

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      I don’t think he even knows

      1. Licky
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 10 months ago

        True.

    2. WVA
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      He was quality against Huddersfield, to be honest that's probably his level

  30. WVA
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 10 months ago

    I know there were slightly different circumstances but Chelsea ending up with a transfer ban and City getting a fine is a joke! Not that these 'bans' every seem to mean anything.

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 10 months ago

      They are 2 completely different things