The Scout delves into the data to help managers in Fantasy Premier League decide the best way to invest in AFC Bournemouth players ahead of their very favourable schedule, including a home fixture in Blank Gameweek 29.
The Cherries are set to embark on a run of opponents that lifts their potential for points at both ends of the pitch.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), FIVE of their next seven matches score only two.
Crucially, one of those is at home to Brentford in Blank Gameweek 29, when four clubs – Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Newcastle United – are WITHOUT a fixture due to the latter two clubs’ progress to the EFL Cup final.
That schedule has certainly caught the eye of many managers ahead of Friday's 18:30 GMT deadline.
Midfielder Justin Kluivert (£5.9m) is the most in-demand player in the Gameweek, earning 438,000+ new owners, while Milos Kerkez (£5.0m) is the most-bought defender, with over 186,000 transfers in.
Bournemouth's next seven matches
| GW | Opp. | FDR* |
| 25 | Southampton (A) | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Wolves (H) | 2 |
| 27 | Brighton (A) | 3 |
| 28 | Spurs (A) | 3 |
| 29 | Brentford (H) | 2 |
| 30 | Ipswich (H) | 2 |
| 31 | West Ham (A) | 2 |
*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture
Who are Bournemouth's form players?
It's easy to see why Kluivert has attracted so much attention. The Dutchman is Bournemouth's top-scoring player in Fantasy over the last four Gameweeks, producing 45 points, thanks to five goals and two assists.
As many as four of the Cherries' top performers during this spell are listed as midfielders in Fantasy, with Dango Ouattara (£5.1m) and Antoine Semenyo (£5.7m) also impressing. Indeed, just a single point separates the pair, each producing four attacking returns, one clean sheet and three bonus points.
Kerkez is the only defender to feature in the analysis here, combining a goal with a clean sheet to collect 15 points.
Bournemouth’s top points-scorers, GW21-24
| Player | G + A | CS* | Bonus pts | Pts |
| Kluivert | 7 | 1 | 6 | 45 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ouattara | 4 | 1 | 3 | 29 |
| Semenyo | 4 | 1 | 3 | 28 |
| Adams | 3 | 1 | 1 | 18 |
| Kerkez | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
*Clean sheets: Goalkeepers and defenders in FPL earn four points for a clean sheet, while midfielders get one point and forwards get none
Who is most likely to score or assist?
By analysing the underlying data, managers can get a better idea of each player’s potential for goals and assists.
The last four Gameweeks are a crucial time-frame when assessing Bournemouth’s attackers, as this period coincides with a move up front for Ouattara following an injury to their first-choice forward Evanilson (£5.6m).
When it comes to big chances, or situations where the player is expected to score, Ouattara and Kluivert are the clear front-runners.
Between them, they have had nine of the Cherries’ 11 big chances during this spell, with Ouattara just edging it by five to four.
However, it’s fair to say that both will struggle to score goals at the same pace. Ouattara has three goals from just eight shots, which equates to a 37.5 per cent goal conversion rate, while Kluivert’s five goals from 13 shots mean he has scored with 38.5 per cent of his attempts.
The Dutchman is the most creative of the duo with six key passes, double the three of Ouattara.
Semenyo, meanwhile, leads the trio with 11 shots in the box. But only one of those was a big chance and, as a result, he has had the lowest conversion rate of the three, scoring with 15.4 per cent of his efforts.
Attacking stats, GW21-24
| Player | Shots in box | Goal conversion | Chances created | Big chances |
| Ouattara | 7 | 37.5% | 3 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kluivert | 9 | 38.5% | 6 | 4 |
| Semenyo | 11 | 15.4% | 5 | 1 |
Who is the best pick in defence?
When assessing the defenders, the season statistics help give a better idea of their attacking threat.
Kerkez and centre-back Dean Huijsen (£4.4m) have each scored twice this season, with the former also supplying three assists from his left-back berth.
In terms of goal potential, there’s very little between the duo – Kerkez leads the way for shots, by 13 to 11, but Huijsen betters his rival for shots in the box, by nine to seven.
When it comes to creativity, though, Kerkez is the clear winner – his 22 key passes are TWICE as many as Huijsen.
Kerkez v Huijsen attacking comparison
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Chances created | G + A |
| Kerkez | 13 | 7 | 22 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huijsen | 11 | 9 | 11 | 2 |
So, who are the best Bournemouth picks?
Kluivert’s all-round potential for both goals and assists just gives him the edge over Ouattara as the best Bournemouth midfielder.
Granted, both will struggle to maintain their recent goal conversion rates, but the Dutchman’s penalty duties, combined with his far greater creativity, make him worth the investment.
At the back, Kerkez’s superior creativity marks him out as the best option, although Huijsen boasts a very similar goal threat and can prove a handy alternative if you are looking for a sub-£4.5m defender instead.
