The form of Amad (£5.2m) and Enzo Fernandez (£5.1m) is shaking up many managers’ plans ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 GMT deadline in Fantasy Premier League.
Both have delivered 44 points across the last six Gameweeks, with Manchester United’s Amad emerging as the most-bought player on the back of a goal and six assists over this period.
The Ivorian has earned a massive 400,000+ new owners in Gameweek 17, with Morgan Rogers (£5.3m), Brennan Johnson (£6.6m) and Emile Smith Rowe (£5.5m) among the most popular makeweights who are being sold.
In terms of offering value, with points per million (ppm), Fernandez and Amad's 8.6 and 8.5 are more than TWICE the 3.1 of both Rogers and Smith Rowe, who have each managed just one goal across the same period.
Similarly, Justin Kuivert (£5.5m), Ismaila Sarr (£5.7m) and Alex Iwobi (£5.7m) have all offered more than double the ppm value of Rogers and Smith Rowe.
You can see in this table how a number of Fantasy attackers - midfielders and forwards - compare in terms of the value they are offering.
Selected attackers for points per million in last six Gameweeks
| Player | G | A | Pts | ppm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernandez | 3 | 4 | 44 | 8.6 |
| Amad | 1 | 6 | 44 | 8.5 |
| Kluivert | 4 | 0 | 37 | 6.7 |
| Sarr | 3 | 2 | 38 | 6.7 |
| Iwobi | 3 | 2 | 36 | 6.3 |
| Joao Pedro | 2 | 3 | 34 | 5.8 |
| Wissa | 4 | 0 | 34 | 5.5 |
| Evanilson | 1 | 3 | 28 | 4.6 |
| Vardy | 2 | 2 | 24 | 4.3 |
| Strand Larsen | 2 | 1 | 24 | 4.2 |
| Johnson | 2 | 1 | 24 | 3.6 |
| Wood | 2 | 0 | 24 | 3.6 |
| Rogers | 1 | 0 | 17 | 3.1 |
| Smith Rowe | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3.1 |
AFC Bournemouth's Kluivert has scored four of his five goals for the season in the last six Gameweeks, with three of those strikes being converted penalties.
Crystal Palace's Sarr and Fulham's Iwobi have each produced three goals and two assists, with the latter having the slight edge, by 38 points to 36.
Among forwards, Nottingham Forest's run of tough opponents has somewhat reduced the output of Chris Wood (£6.6m).
The New Zealander - who is the second top-scoring player in his position overall on 90 points - has two goals and 24 points in his last six outings, a total matched by budget-friendly duo Jamie Vardy (£5.6m) of Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers' Jorgen Strand Larsen (£5.7m).
Who has had the most attacking potential?
An assessment of the underlying statistics over the same period, across the last six Gameweeks, helps to highlight each player's potential for both goals and assists.
Bournemouth forward Evanilson (£6.1m) impresses the most for goal threat here. The Brazilian's 15 shots in the box are three more than any other player in the analysis, while his five big chances - situations where the player is expected to score - rank joint-top alongside Sarr, Kluivert, Johnson and Brentford's Yoane Wissa (£6.2m).
Strand Larsen, meanwhile, has been a handy differential up front. The Wolves star is owned by just 4.5 per cent of managers, compared with the 24 per cent of Wood, yet his four big chances and 12 shots in the box are both TWICE the total of the Forest forward.
Once again, Amad, Fernandez and Sarr all catch the eye here. Amad and Sarr rank joint-second for shots in the box on 12 each, while Fernandez sits first on 14 chances created and joint-first with Sarr on four big chances created.
Indeed, when his five big chances are added, Sarr has been involved in nine big chances over the last six Gameweeks, more than any other player in the analysis.
Contrast that with Rogers and Smith Rowe, who have managed two and one big-chance involvements respectively. It's fair to say that the Villa and Fulham midfielders are offering significantly less potential for attacking returns.
Budget players' attacking stats last six Gameweeks
| Player | Chances created | Big chances created | Big chances | Shots in box |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evanilson | 9 | 0 | 5 | 15 |
| Sarr | 7 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| Strand Larsen | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 |
| Amad | 8 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| Kluivert | 8 | 1 | 5 | 11 |
| Joao Pedro | 8 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| Iwobi | 9 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| Wissa | 4 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| Johnson | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 |
| Vardy | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Fernandez | 14 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Wood | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Rogers | 11 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Smith Rowe | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Who has the best schedule?
The fixtures across the next six Gameweeks should also help guide your transfers, with both Chelsea and Fulham set for exceptional runs of opponents.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), all six of Chelsea's next six matches score a mere two, and five of Fulham's next six, which looks very encouraging for both Fernandez and Iwobi to continue thriving as budget assets in Fantasy.
Meanwhile, Fulham's Raul Jimenez (£5.5m) could be the best-value forward across this spell. The Mexican, who has been involved in a team-high 15 big chances this season, faces ALL THREE promoted clubs over Gameweeks 17-22, with home matches against Southampton and Ipswich Town and a trip to Leicester City.
Amad also has the schedule to maintain his momentum, with four of Man Utd's next six matches scoring only two. However, back-to-back encounters with Newcastle United and Liverpool in Gameweeks 19-20 do dent his appeal slightly.
Clubs with best schedules in FDR over next six GWs
| Club | No. of matches | FDR average |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 6 | 2.0 |
| Fulham | 5 | 2.3 |
| Man Utd | 4 | 2.7 |
| Bournemouth | 2 | 3.0 |
| West Ham | 4 | 3.0 |
| Crystal Palace | 3 | 3.0 |
| Brighton | 3 | 3.0 |
| Spurs | 3 | 3.2 |
So, who are the best budget attackers in Fantasy?
Fernandez and Iwobi both have the underlying numbers and schedules to star in Fantasy managers' midfields for many Gameweeks to come.
While Amad can also reward immediate investment against Bournemouth and Wolves over the next two Gameweeks, those trickier matches in Gameweeks 19-20 are worth bearing in mind, particularly as Iwobi has home fixtures versus Bournemouth and Ipswich across the same period, while Fernandez is away to Ipswich and Crystal Palace.
Sarr's numbers suggest his name should also be part of this conversation, with Palace facing promoted pair Southampton and Leicester over Gameweeks 19-21.
Up front, Fulham's schedule makes Jimenez the standout forward in the sub-£6.5m price category, while Evanilson's numbers indicate his owners should consider holding him until Bournemouth's schedule takes a turn for the worse in Gameweek 21.