Who's the best Brighton pick in FPL for their strong fixtures?

A very favourable mid-term run of opponents looks set to lift the prospects of Brighton & Hove Albion’s key players in Fantasy Premier League.

According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), seven of the Seagulls’ next eight matches score only two, including their home encounter with Wolverhampton Wanderers in Gameweek 21.

Brighton's next eight matches

The recent return to action of Pervis Estupinan (£4.9m) could shake up managers’ defences.

Despite playing only eight matches this season due to injury, the left-back has two goals and three assists. Indeed, he is Brighton’s top-scoring defender in Fantasy on 37 points.

Estupinan’s average of 4.6 points per match (ppm) puts him joint-second with Pascal Gross (£6.4m) for the Seagulls and ranks third among all defenders in Fantasy this season.

Gross has been Brighton's top performer, earning 82 points thanks to three goals, six assists and a further 15 bonus points.

Meanwhile, seven goals and two assists have helped Joao Pedro (£5.4m) collect 71 points in his debut campaign for Roberto De Zerbi’s side. 

The Brazilian has delivered big hauls of 13 and 16 points but has been very inconsistent, blanking in 14 of his 20 appearances.

Brighton's top-scoring players in FPL 23/24

Who has the greatest goal threat?

Joao Pedro has been the main goal threat for Brighton, with his 40 shots and 38 shots in the box being team-high totals.

His potential for goals is boosted further by penalty duties, while his 17.5 per cent goal conversion rate certainly looks sustainable.

Gross ranks second for shots, but only 15 of his 35 efforts have come from inside the opposition box. 

Kaoru Mitoma (£6.4m) places among the top two Brighton players for both shots in the box and big chances, but a poor goal conversion rate of 9.7 per cent has resulted in only three goals.

Lewis Dunk (£5.0m), meanwhile, has offered a substantial goal threat from defence. The centre-back’s 21 shots and 15 shots in the box both place fifth for the Seagulls. 

However, Dunk has managed only four shots on target, a total already surpassed by the five of Estupinan in his mere eight appearances.

Who has been the most creative?

Gross’s dominance of set-pieces has helped him supply 52 key passes, more than double the total of any other Brighton player.

The departures of Mitoma and Simon Adingra (£5.0m) for international duty at the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations have deprived De Zerbi of two of his top five creators until potentially Gameweek 25, with the pair producing 23 and 18 key passes respectively.

It is somewhat remarkable that Estupinan also features among Brighton’s top creators given how much time he has spent on the sidelines.

The left-back’s average of 42 minutes per key pass is second only to Gross’s 30 minutes among Brighton players who have made more than three appearances this season.

Furthermore, Estupinan has created four big chances this season, just one fewer than Gross, despite playing over 900 minutes fewer than the German.

Brighton's top creators in 23/24

So who's the best Brighton player to own?

Estupinan looks the standout Brighton pick for their excellent run of opponents, with the Ecuadorian adding to his form with a goal against Stoke City in the FA Cup at the weekend. 

In a season where clean sheets have dried up, his huge potential for attacking returns could make him a “season keeper” in many managers’ defences.

It is also worth noting that when Estupinan made his return from injury against West Ham United in Gameweek 20, Brighton immediately kept their first clean sheet of the season, so he may improve the Seagulls' backline in general.

Elsewhere, Gross’s all-round style of play considerably boosts his potential for bonus points and, with Mitoma absent for now, the German looks the best option for those looking to double up on Brighton.

View all the latest FPL tips ahead of Gameweek 21 in Fantasy Premier League