Cole Palmer’s (£5.6m) goal and assist against Sheffield United showed why he will be a must-have for managers in the upcoming period in Fantasy Premier League.
The Chelsea star also collected the maximum three bonus points in the 2-0 win on Saturday to deliver his season-high haul of 14 points.
Palmer's goal v Sheff Utd
Putting us ahead. 👊#CFC | #CheShu pic.twitter.com/hsND1ifgAR
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 16, 2023
Despite his budget price tag, Palmer can be found in just 21 per cent of squads ahead of Thursday’s 18:30 GMT deadline for Gameweek 18.
He looks set to soar in popularity next month when Mohamed Salah (£13.2m) and Son Heung-min (£9.8m) depart on international duties, with both potentially absent from Gameweeks 21-24.
However, Palmer’s displays for Mauricio Pochettino’s side show why the 78 per cent of managers who don't own him should already be finding a place for him in their starting XI.
Since making his full debut for Chelsea in Gameweek 7, he is third only to Salah and Son among midfielders on 69 points, thanks to six goals and four assists.
Indeed, both his 10 goal involvements and his average of 6.8 points per start in that run are identical to that of Erling Haaland (£13.9m).
If he can maintain that output over the course of the campaign, Palmer can become one of the best ever budget picks in Fantasy.
Top-scoring players in Fantasy, GW7-18
| Player | Pts | Returns | Goals | Assists | Pts/start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salah | 87 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 7.9 |
| Watkins | 77 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 7.0 |
| Son | 71 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 6.5 |
| Palmer | 69 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 6.8 |
| Alexander-Arnold | 68 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 6.7 |
| Haaland | 61 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 6.8 |
| Kudus | 61 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 6.5 |
The underlying statistics also show Palmer's huge all-round influence on the Chelsea attack since he established himself as a regular.
His 28 shots, eight big chances, 13 shots on target and six big chances created all rank among the top eight players from Gameweek 7 onwards.
Statistics from GW7-18
| Total | PL rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 28 | =5 |
| Big chances | 8 | =8 |
| Shots on target | 13 | =7 |
| Key passes | 18 | 23 |
| Big chances created | 6 | =5 |
While Palmer should be viewed as a long-term acquisition, Chelsea’s very appealing upcoming schedule suggests his team-mates can also enjoy a successful next few Gameweeks.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), six of their next seven matches score only two.
Chelsea's next seven fixtures
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | WOL (A) | 2 |
| 19 | CRY (H) | 2 |
| 20 | LUT (A) | 2 |
| 21 | FUL (H) | 2 |
| 22 | LIV (A) | 4 |
| 23 | WOL (H) | 2 |
| 24 | CRY (A) | 2 |
Encouragingly for FPL managers, Chelsea ended a run of nine matches without a clean sheet against Sheff Utd on Saturday.
Notably, all four of their clean sheets this season have come in matches which scored only 2 in the FDR, also keeping out Fulham, AFC Bournemouth and Luton Town.
That indicates their cut-price picks at the back can profit from their fine run of opponents.
Back-up goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic (£4.5m) looks set for a run of starts due to an injury to No 1 Robert Sanchez (£4.7m).
In defence, Pochettino’s decision on where to play Axel Disasi (£4.9m) following Reece James’ (£5.4m) injury setback will ultimately determine the cheapest route for managers in Fantasy.
A role at right-back for Disasi lifts the appeal of centre-back Benoit Badiashile (£4.4m), while a move to centre-back for Disasi could allow Malo Gusto (£4.1m) to return to the line-up.
Gusto, who has just recovered from injury, was a budget gem at the start of 2023/24, delivering 21 points in five outings from Gameweek 2.
Nkunku a welcome option
Meanwhile, the imminent departure of Nicolas Jackson (£6.9m) for AFCON with Senegal could bring Christopher Nkunku (£7.3m) into contention for managers’ forward lines.
The Frenchman has finally recovered from long-term injury and was in the Blues’ squad as an unused substitute against Sheff Utd.
Having scored 36 goals and supplied 21 assists in the previous two Bundesliga campaigns with RB Leipzig, Nkunku will be a welcome option in a forward position that has been dominated by Haaland and Ollie Watkins (£8.6m) all season.
Also in this series
Part 2: FPL experts: What to do with Nunez?
Part 3: The Scout’s FPL Gameweek 18 Ones to watch
Part 4: The Scout’s FPL Gameweek 18 Differentials
Part 5: Scout Selection: Best FPL team for Gameweek 18
Part 6: Who is the best FPL captain for Gameweek 18?