After seeing his side slip back into the Championship at the end of 2014/15, Burnley manager Sean Dyche’s decision to acquire Andre Gray from Brentford proved inspired.
Arriving at Turf Moor in late August, the striker needed no time in settling alongside Sam Vokes as the spearhead of Dyche’s attack.
Gray ended the season as top scorer in the Championship, netting 23 times and also supplying eight assists. He played a part in 43% of the Clarets’ league goals on their way to topping the division.
Having worked his way up through the lower leagues, the 25-year-old is looking to replicate the feats of players such as Jamie Vardy and Charlie Austin to emerge as a viable option for Fantasy Premier League managers.
Looking back at his numbers from last term, Gray found the net every 148.2 minutes. Only six strikers with more than one Premier League goal in 2015/16 netted at a quicker frequency.
Handed a price tag of £6.5m in FPL, Gray has built a very convincing case for consideration thanks to his form in pre-season matches.
He has netted nine times, more than any player in the top flight, and has shown an impressive consistency by scoring in all six of his summer appearances.
Currently residing in 11.3% of FPL squads, Gray is the third-most popular striker priced at £6.5m or under, with only Southampton’s Shane Long (14.6%) and Middlesbrough’s Alvaro Negredo (11.5%) boasting higher ownerships at the same price.
The opening schedule bodes well for the Burnley striker as he looks to continue his strong pre-season displays.
Dyche’s men are the only side to play in front of their own fans in four of the first six Gameweeks.
With Swansea City, Hull City and Watford making their way to Turf Moor over that period, there’s a growing belief that Gray can quickly emerge as a value option for our three-man FPL frontlines.
