Fantasy Premier League

FPL Lessons: Position and price crucial for Salah interest

By The Scout 21 May 2018
Mohamed Salah, Liverpool

The Scout on how a change in role and cost can influence the Liverpool winger’s 2018/19 Fantasy prospects

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With the 2017/18 Fantasy Premier League ended, The Scout reviews each position to highlight the players managers should consider for 2018/19.

Midfielders

FPL managers will have to accept paying more for Mohamed Salah next season.

After claiming the highest-ever FPL score, 303 points, the Liverpool winger looks set to increase in price when the game is relaunched in the summer.

Salah cost £9.0m at the start of 2017/18 but finished the season at £10.6m, with an ownership of 56.7 per cent.

Fielded on the right of the Liverpool front three, he supplied 32 goals and 12 assists in a remarkable debut season on Merseyside.

He is now expected to be the most expensive player in FPL next season. 

Price worth paying

But Salah can still justify his selection.

He delivered a goal or an assist in 27 of his 36 Gameweek appearances and was the most consistent source of points.

The Egyptian also proved an outstanding captain choice, returning 15 double-figure scores.

Midfielders were again the dominant position, supplying seven of the top 10 overall scorers for the second successive season.

This is because the FPL scoring system boosts their potential.

Midfield returns

Midfielders earn five points for a goal, more than the four that forwards get, and are also awarded a point whenever their side earn a clean sheet.

If Salah is no longer classified as a midfielder, FPL managers may have to reassess his prospects. 

Based on his statistics this season, Salah would have scored 256 points as a forward.

Although that is a drop from his total of 303, he may have received more bonus points as a forward to bridge that gap.

Firmino comparison

As an example, Roberto Firmino was changed from a midfielder to an FPL forward for this season.

The Liverpool forward scored 29 bonus points from his 32 starts, at a rate of one every 95.1 minutes. This compares with one every 180.1 minutes as a midfielder in 2016/17.

So even as a forward, Salah will remain a major target.

But should he be kept as a midfielder, his ownership for August's kick-off could even surpass its peak of 3.68million this season.

Also in this series

Part 1: FPL Lessons: De Gea's season a game-changer
Part 2: FPL Lessons: Burnley battle is key for managers
Part 3: FPL Lessons: Promoted goalkeepers can save seasons
Part 4: FPL Lessons: Chelsea defence still on top
Part 5: FPL Lessons: Liverpool full-backs set to fly
Part 6: FPL Lessons: Cresswell a rare bargain
Part 8: FPL Lessons: Watch out for 'forward' midfielders
Part 9: FPL Lessons: Set-pieces key for midfield bargains
Part 10: FPL Lessons: Kane still the go-to Fantasy forward
Part 11: FPL Lessons: Firmino soars as a forward
Part 12: FPL Lessons: Can Perez save the 3-4-3?

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