Fantasy Premier League

GW30 Lessons: Managers rush to Jota

By The Scout 5 Apr 2021

The Scout says Liverpool star has form and fixtures to reward huge numbers of new backers in FPL

Two goals against Arsenal have made Diogo Jota (£6.8m) the top target for managers in Fantasy Premier League ahead of Gameweek 31.

The Liverpool midfielder claimed his season-high haul of 12 points in Saturday's 3-0 win.

That has earned Jota over 245,000 new owners, more than five times the amount of any other player ahead of Friday’s 18:30 BST deadline.

The Portuguese's brace against Arsenal took his tally to five goals in his last seven Gameweek appearances.

Jota's first goal v Arsenal

Unreal @TrentAA cross 👏
Fantastic @DiogoJota18 header ⚽️

A memorable opener tonight 👌 pic.twitter.com/Rzo8ramr1c
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 3, 2021

When selected, Jota has been involved in 50 per cent of Liverpool’s goals this season, identical to the premium-priced Mohamed Salah (£12.4m).

Jota has scored every 91.3 minutes in 2020/21, a rate quicker than any other player in Fantasy.

At a cost of just £6.8m, he has the form and fixtures to provide outstanding value over the remainder of the campaign.

According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), only one of Liverpool’s final eight matches scores more than three.

Liverpool's final fixtures

GW	Opp.	FDR	GW	Opp.	FDR
31	AVL (H)	3	35	SOU (H)	2
32	LEE (A)	3	36	WBA (A)	2
33	NEW (H)	2	37	BUR (A)	2
34	MUN (A)	4	38	CRY (H)	3

That schedule also raises the appeal of the Reds’ other key players in both attack and defence.

Salah’s goal against the Gunners leaves him just one behind Harry Kane (£11.6m) in the race for the Golden Boot.

In defence, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.3m) matched Jota’s 12-point haul against Arsenal, combining an assist with a clean sheet and three bonus points.

The right-back has claimed 21 points in his last two appearances and is finally showing the form that made him the top-scoring defender in Fantasy last season.