Fantasy Premier League

Fan insight can give managers extra edge

By The Scout 8 Oct 2017
Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester City

Supporters watch their team's players week in, week out, so who do these experts favour for their own FPL squads?

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When Fantasy Premier League managers are looking for insight on the best options at each club, who best to consult than those teams' fans, who watch the targeted players week in, week out?

So we have looked at the most popular players from each club among the FPL squads of that side's own supporters.

It reveals some selections that differ from those of the 5million managers, choices that go beyond mere club partiality.

City fans favouring De Bruyne

For example, among Manchester City fans, there is greater love for Kevin De Bruyne (£10.0m) than there is for David Silva (£8.5m), a reverse of the order among the wider FPL family.

De Bruyne is in 31.5% of City fans’ line-ups, almost double the level across the game as a whole (16.6%).

This is greater than Silva, pictured above, who is City's most popular player in FPL with an overall ownership of 23.2%. But that level of support only increases to 27.9% among City fans.

Equally, City fans are showing caution when it comes to investment in Pep Guardiola's defence.

Nicolas Otamendi (£5.7m) is part of 16.0% of their squads, but this only a slight increase on his 14.7% ownership overall.

Richarlison popular with Hornets

Watford fans have been quick to react to their first-hand experience of the performances of Richarlison (£6.1m).

Abdoulaye Doucoure (£5.3m) is the top-owned Watford player in FPL, with 12.1% ownership, but his presence in 20.4% of squads among his own supporters is inferior to the 28.4% who have Richarlison.

Considering a mere 6.4% of FPL managers overall have Richarlison in their squads, this show of faith from Hornets fans could force others to reassess the Brazilian as a midfield bargain over the remainder of the season.

Love for Lanzini

At West Ham United, fans of the club have made Manuel Lanzini, who has just returned from injury, their third-most popular pick among their squad.

Overall the Argentinian lies a lowly 12th in terms of the popularity of Hammers players. 

Are FPL managers overlooking the West Ham playmaker's potential for points that those with a greater interest know well?

Top three players selected by own fans
Team Player 1 Player 2 Player 3
Arsenal Lacazette Kolasinac Xhaka
AFC Bournemouth Daniels Ake King
Brighton & Hove Albion Gross Dunk Knockaert
Burnley Mee Heaton Brady
Chelsea Morata Alonso Azpilicueta
Crystal Palace Loftus-Cheek Zaha Benteke
Everton Pickford Rooney Keane
Huddersfield Town Mooy Lossl Zanka
Leicester City Vardy Maguire Schmeichel
Liverpool  Salah Firmino Mane
Man City De Bruyne Jesus D Silva
Man Utd Lukaku De Gea Mkhitaryan
Newcastle United Elliot Ritchie Lascelles
Southampton Bertrand Cedric Forster
Stoke City Butland Choupo-Moting Shaqiri
Swansea City Fabianski Abraham Mawson
Spurs Kane Alli Eriksen
Watford Richarlison Doucoure Gomes
West Brom Foster Hegazi Dawson
West Ham  Chicharito Hart Lanzini

See: Magpies flying high in Fantasy fan rankings

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