Fantasy Premier League

GW3 Lessons: Rodrigo has fixtures to keep thriving

By The Scout 22 Aug 2022

Leeds star is among low-cost players who have the schedule to continue offering great value

A second successive double-figure haul has helped Rodrigo (£6.3m) establish a 10-point lead at the top of the Fantasy Premier League standings.

Leeds United’s Spaniard delivered a goal, an assist and 13 points in Sunday's 3-0 home win over Chelsea.

Rodrigo has produced his two career-high returns over the last two Gameweeks, also claiming 15 points in the 2-2 draw with Southampton in Gameweek 2.

Rodrigo's goal v Chelsea

🤩 "Absolutely perfect!" pic.twitter.com/HdFx2abQNz
— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 21, 2022

Listed as a midfielder in Fantasy, he has profited from a move up front, with Patrick Bamford (£7.4m) missing through injury.

Indeed, Rodrigo’s totals of 13 shots and 12 shots in the box both place second among all players.

Fixtures point to more returns

Leeds’ upcoming run of opponents adds to his appeal as a long-term acquisition.

According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), six of their next seven matches score only two.

Rodrigo is among a host of budget-friendly picks who are dominating the player standings.

So far, a total of 17 players have produced 20+ points in the first three Gameweeks.

Only three of them cost more than £7.5m: Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus (£8.1m), along with Manchester City pair Kevin De Bruyne (£12.1m) and Erling Haaland (£11.7m).

Value targets

Crucially, the FDR suggests a host of form players can continue to offer value to managers.

Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford each have four matches that score only two in the next five Gameweeks.

At the back, that points to more success for budget picks such as Robert Sanchez (£4.5m) and William Saliba (£4.6m).

And attacking players Gabriel Martinelli (£6.4m), Pascal Gross (£5.7m), Danny Welbeck (£6.5m) and Ivan Toney (£7.2m) also have the form to supply further value for a number of Gameweeks to come.