Fantasy Premier League

FPL mini-leagues: Differential attackers can be decisive

By The Scout 23 Jul 2020
Manchester United v West Ham United - Premier League

The Scout on why overlooked players could help managers make up ground on the final day of 2019/20

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Managers in Fantasy Premier League who are chasing down a mini-league opponent should consider differentials with their final trades.

Those at the top will take few risks in order to protect their lead, allowing their rivals to pinpoint low-owned picks with the explosive potential to pay off.

Handing the captaincy to an overlooked player could give managers that extra edge over those above them.

Antonio gains 

This was shown as recently as Gameweek 36+, when only 3,777 managers captained Michail Antonio (£7.1m) at Norwich City.

The West Ham United attacker rewarded their faith by scoring four goals, earning a 52-point armband haul that shook up many mini-leagues.

And he backed that up with a Gameweek 37+ goal in the 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

Goals galore

The statistics from the last few seasons show that FPL managers should focus their transfers on attackers for Gameweek 38+.

The final day of the season is typically full of goals and clean sheets could be scarce on Sunday afternoon.

Last term, 36 goals were scored in Gameweek 38. Six teams found the net on three or more occasions.

In the 2016/17 campaign, 37 goals were scored in Gameweek 38, the joint-highest in a Gameweek of 10 fixtures that season.

A further 31 were scored on the last day of 2017/18.

Pinpointing those with favourable fixtures, even for a points hit, has the potential to reap big rewards.

Alternatives in attack

West Ham's Antonio can again be a major success at home to Aston Villa. He still sits in under five per cent of squads.

David Silva (£7.4m) has produced 30 points in Manchester City's last two home matches yet is owned by only 7.2 per cent for the visit of Norwich.

His team-mate Riyad Mahrez (£8.6m) has six double-figure hauls this season.

Burnley forward Chris Wood (£6.2m) has scored in back-to-back Gameweeks and is at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

And Son Heung-min (£9.7m) provides a strong alternative to Harry Kane (£10.9m) for Tottenham Hotspur's visit to Crystal Palace.

The South Korean scored twice and earned 16 points in his last meeting with the Eagles.

Also in this series

Part 1: How will ties be decided in FPL mini-leagues?
Part 2: FPL mini-leagues: Risk-free approach can ensure success

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