Kane's FPL value is a small price to pay

The Scout has been revealing budget and premium options for each position in 2017/18 Fantasy Premier League.

After naming three pricey forwards worthy of investment, the series concludes with this season's essential option. 

Harry Kane (Spurs) £12.5m

There are few, if any, more prolific players in FPL than Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane (£12.5m).

A consistent points scorer, Kane has netted 21, 25 and 29 goals over his last three seasons, winning the Golden Boot in each of the last two.

The numbers also highlight Kane’s improvement under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Despite missing eight matches through injury last season, he scored a goal on average every 87 minutes.

This was more frequent than any other player and superior to his average of 134.5 minutes per goal in 2015/16. 

When on the pitch last season, Kane scored or assisted 56.3% of Spurs’ goals.

That helped him finish as the top-scoring FPL forward on 224 points.

Across the positions, that tally was bettered only by Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez (£12.5m and 264 points) and Spurs team-mate Dele Alli (£9.5m and 225 points).

But Kane’s average of 7.5 points per match (ppm) was the best of all players, highlighting his potency as an FPL captain. 

Although there is stiff competition for places in our three-man frontlines, Kane’s consistency makes him a peerless option for the armband.

Owned by 34.2%, only Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku (£11.5m and 48%) has proven more popular among FPL forwards.

Kane v Lukaku 2016/17

Kane scored seven goals in his final two matches last term and the opening schedule hands him the chance to continue where he left off.

According to the Fixture Difficulty Rankings (FDR), six of Spurs’ first eight Gameweeks score no more than two.

The hefty price tag is a stumbling block, but FPL managers must be sure to have suitable captain candidates in mind if they dare to overlook Kane.

See: The Scout's other premium forward picks