BURNLEY
Season Preview
Experience is a virtue when in relegation battles and it would appear that Burnley has experience on its side. However, a lack of delivery on the pitch has caused a decent side to continually be below par in the table standings. This season appears no different on paper with high experience players like Aaron Lennon, Robbie Brady and Steven Defour needing to drastically improve frequency and efficiency of quality performances. If it hadn’t been for Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes last campaign combining for 22 goals Burnley could be playing in the Championship right now. Without these heights being hit again it looks likely they will be come next season.
Key Player: Ashley Westwood
Top Goal Scorer: Ashley Barnes
Predicted Finish: 18th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Tom Heaton, Joe Hart, Nick Pope
Defenders
Ben Mee, Charlie Taylor, James Tarkowski, Matthew Lowton, Phil Bardsley, Kevin Long, Ben Gibson
Midfielders
Jack Cork, Ashley Westwood, Jeff Hendrick, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Dwight McNeil, Aaron Lennon, Robbie Brady, Steven Defour
Forwards
Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes, Matej Vydra
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – N. Pope
RB – M. Lowton, CB – J. Tarkowski, CB – B. Mee, LB – C. Taylor
RM – J. B. Gudmundsson, CM – J. Cork, CM – A. Westwood, LM – D. McNeil
ST – C. Wood, ST – A. Barnes
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – A. Barnes, C. Wood, M. Vydra
Free Kicks – R. Brady, J. B. Gudmundsson, D. McNeil
Corners – A. Westwood, D. McNeil, J. B. Gudmundsson
Top Target
Ashley Barnes | FWD | £6.5 | 0.8%
For the first time in his career, Barnes broke the 100 point FPL mark in 2018/19, ending the season with 122 points. This was primarily thanks to 12 goals and 13 bonus points. This 12 goal haul could have been more for Barnes though, who missed 13 clear cut chances and also hit the woodwork twice. Facing Southampton (H), Wolves (A), Brighton (A), Norwich (H) and Aston Villa (A) in the first 7 weeks, Barnes could find the back of the net multiple times early in the season.
Punts/Differentials
Johann Berg Gudmundsson | MID | £6.0 | TSB 0.3%
Despite scoring 25 less FPL points last season than he did in 2017/18, Gudmundsson actually scored at a superior PPM. Over the past two seasons, the Icelandic winger has registered an attacking return once every 3 games. Although he doesn’t have a large ceiling, his involvement in the attacking third for Burnley should see him be a consistent performer again this season.
Be Wary Of
Ben Mee | DEF | £5.0 | TSB 0.8%
Ben Mee has never scored over 100 points in an FPL season. Can we really fork out £5.0 for someone like this? There are better options available.
Cheapie Watch
Ben Gibson | DEF | £4.0 | TSB 2.8%
Gibson has been a great FPL option in the past, scoring 121 points for the Middlesbrough in the 2016/17 season. He is just one injury or player departure away from becoming a starting centre back.
Cheapie Rating: A
Additional Notes
- Jay Rodriguez (£6.0) returned to goal-scoring ways last season, netting 22 goals for West Brom in the Championship. He has the potential to be a solid cheap striker option if he can nab a starting spot
- Chris Wood (£6.5) has 9 goals in pre-season, and will be relevant from GWs 5-7 when Burnley face bha, NOR and avl.
CHELSEA
Season Preview
Like others, the Blues are going to have a hard time this season in catching the top teams in the league. Although we believe that Chelsea will still make the top 4 by season’s end, it is more of a who can stave off poor form the longest rather than who plays the best in the 2nd bracket of teams in the Premier League – this consisting of Chelsea, United and Arsenal. The looming transfer ban, new untested manager in Frank Lampard and the limited forward stocks, along with the injury list to potential starters and the gaping hole in quality left by Eden Hazard, Chelsea will have to be resolute in defence to prevent a slip down the table this season.
Key Player: N’Golo Kante
Top Goal Scorer: Olivier Giroud
Predicted Finish: 4th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Willy Caballero
Defenders
César Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Antonio Rüdiger, Marcos Alonso, Emerson Palmieri, Andreas Christensen, Davide Zappacosta, Kurt Zouma
Midfielders
Jorginho, N'Golo Kanté, Willian, Pedro, Mateo Kovacic, Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Danny Drinkwater, Ethan Ampadu, Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount, Kenedy
Forwards
Olivier Giroud, Tammy Abraham, Michy Batshuayi
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – Kepa
RB – C. Azpilicueta, CB – K. Zouma, CB – D. Luiz, LB – Emerson
CM – Jorginho
CM – N. Kanté, CM – R. Barkley
RW – Pedro, ST – O. Giroud, LW – C. Pulisic
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – Jorginho, Willian, D. Luiz
Free Kicks – D. Luiz, Willian, M. Alonso
Corners – Willian, C. Hudson-Odoi, C. Pulisic
Top Target
César Azpilicueta | DEF | £6.0 | 10.1%
Azip has now scored over 150 points for three FPL seasons in a row. He has been a very consistent performer in recent years, returning 1-2 goals plus 5-6 assists for four seasons running. A 10 point drop in his bonus point total accounts for his regression last season, but he is still a very safe option at the back.
Punts/Differentials
Olivier Giroud | FWD | £7.0 | TSB 2.8%
Giroud didn’t play many minutes last season, but he still performed reasonably well. With a shot frequency of 1 every 25.9 minutes, Giroud scored 2 goals and provided 4 assists. Giroud’s potential is evident when study his PPM. Here is a list of his PPMs from 2016/17 – 2018/19: 0.096, 0.078, 0.066. These PPMs are better than gun forwards such as Firmino and Kane. Therefore, is Giroud gets the minutes, expect him to score well.
Be Wary Of
N'Golo Kanté | MID | £5.0 | TSB 10.0%
At the start of every season, Kanté is always a very popular option. The question is, why? Yes, he is cheap. Yes, he plays for Chelsea. But, under the current scoring system, Kanté has next to no FPL appeal, and if you own him don’t expect regular returns.
Christian Pulisic | MID | £7.5 | TSB 8.9%
We don’t think Pulisic will perform badly, but expectations might need to be tempered. He is filling the shoes of Eden Hazard, and the American is not Hazard. In 52 appearances over the last 2 seasons, the Pulisic has only scored 8 goals and provided 10 assists. Moreover, his shot frequency for Dortmund last season was 1 every 51.3 minutes, and he created 1 chance every 48.6 minutes. This doesn’t make for great reading. Finally, Pulisic is also injury prone, missing 17 games through injury over the past two seasons, including suffering from 5 separate injuries last season, and 5 separate injuries the season before.
Cheapie Watch
Jorginho | MID | £5.0 | TSB 3.4%
Like other defensive midfielders, Jorginho doesn’t have much FPL appeal, creating 1 chance every 101.8 minutes, and taking 1 shot every 166.1 minutes. However, he is on penalty duty, and Chelsea won 5 penalties last season. This increases his appeal.
Cheapie Rating: B
Additional Notes
- Ross Barkley (£6.0) has excelled in pre-season, and looks likely to start in the Chelsea midfield come GW1. In our opinion, he is a great option.
- Despite Tammy Abraham (£7.0) and Michy Batshuayi (£7.0) providing competition, we expect Giroud (£7.0) to be Chelsea’s first choice striker to begin the season.
- Once fit, Callum Hudson-Odoi (£6.0) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (£6.5) will become FPL relevant
- Emerson Palmieri (£5.0) and Kurt Zouma (£5.0) are cheap routes into the Chelsea backline
CRYSTAL PALACE
Season Preview
Palace were up and down in the last campaign. Struggling at times and amazing in attack at other times, they managed to only finish a measly 12th. Palace will be hoping to finish in the top half of the table this season, but with the rise in quality of other mid table teams and the impending sale of Wilfried Zaha, they will be stretched thin in the attack. Christian Benteke, Andros Townsend and Connor Wickham will have to score a bulk of goals and this doesn’t seem likely. Due to this decreased potency, Palace will struggle to beat many teams, thus finishing lower than their aspirations.
Key Player: Luka Milivojevic
Top Goal Scorer: Luka Milivojevic
Predicted Finish: 15th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Vicente Guaita, Wayne Hennessey
Defenders
Patrick van Aanholt, James Tomkins, Mamadou Sakho, Martin Kelly, Scott Dann, Joel Ward
Midfielders
Luka Milivojevic, James McArthur, Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend, Cheikhou Kouyaté, Jeff Schlupp, Max Meyer, Luke Dreher
Forwards
Christian Benteke, Connor Wichkam, Jordan Ayew
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – V. Guiata
RB – J. Ward, CB – B. Sakho, CB – M. Kelly, LB – P. Van Aanholt
RM – A. Townsend, CM – L. Milivojevic, CM – J. McArthur, LM – J. Schlupp
ST – C. Benteke, ST – W. Zaha
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – L. Milivojevic, C.Benteke, A. Townsend
Free Kicks – L. Milivojevic, A. Townsend, M. Meyer
Corners – L. Milivojevic, A. Townsend, M. Meyer
Top Target
Wilf Zaha | MID | £7.0 | 26.6%
Assuming he doesn’t leave the club, Zaha is without a doubt the best FPL option at Crystal Palace. Over the past 3 seasons, he has averaged 143 FPL points per season. He is a constant threat and has the ability to record attacking returns in any given match.
Punts/Differentials
Christian Benteke | FWD | £6.0 | TSB 0.9%
The big Belgian is one of the most wasteful players in the Premier League. Over the past 3 seasons, Benteke has scored 19 goals, but missed an incredible 38 clear cut opportunities and hit the woodwork 10 times. Although this isn’t very good, it is positive that he is regularly getting himself in goal scoring opportunities. With a soft opening draw, Benteke has the potential to find some early season form.
Be Wary Of
Luca Milivojevic | MID | £7.0 | TSB 11.5%
Milivojevic backed up his 144 point 2017/18 season with a mammoth 166 points in the 2018/19 season. These totals are down to his penalty taking prowess, scoring 17 penalties in the last two seasons, and only missing 2. He has also scored 1 free kick goal in each of the last 2 seasons. This means that 19/22 of his goals have come from set pieces. Apart from scoring all these set pieces, Milivojevic’s attacking potential is limited, taking only 1 shot per game. He probably will score well again this season due to all the penalties Crystal Palace win, but it’s risky paying £7.0 for a player whose only upside is his penalty taking ability.
Cheapie Watch
Martin Kelly | DEF | £4.0 | TSB 24.8%
Kelly’s only way to get into the starting side would be at centre back, where he played 12 league games last season. First choice centre backs Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins are quite injury prone, and Scott Dann has fallen down the pecking order. So, if Sakho or Tomkins aren’t fit to start the season, Kelly will be a great option.
Cheapie Rating: A
Connor Wickham | FWD | £4.5 | TSB 3.2%
Only playing 61 league minutes over the last two seasons due to injury issues, there’s not much data to analyse. However, he did score in his only start last season (4th round FA game against Tottenham). Palace used 7 different strikers in the Premier League last season (Jordan Ayew, Benteke, Sørloth, Batshuayi, Zaha, Townsend and Wickham). This suggests that Wickham will get his chance to lead the line at some stage this season.
Cheapie Rating: B
Additional Notes
- Patrick Van Aanholt (£5.5) is an attacking beast, having scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in the past 5 seasons.
- Andros Townsend (£6.0) is a risk probably not worth taking. Last season, he scored 135 points, but blanked in 75% of his games, registering his first return in GW10.
EVERTON
Season Preview
The Toffees were much underrated last season. Only conceding 46 goals all campaign, Everton’s defence was high quality, with Lucas Digne becoming one of the best attacking defenders in the league. His emergence and the sustained quality of Gylfi Sigurdsson and Richarlison in midfield and attack respectively puts Everton again in a strong position to remain in the top bracket of the league. The ability to rotate Cenk Tosun, Dominic Clavert-Lewin and Richarlison at the striker role gives many outlets for sustained scoring. If Jordan Pickford further improves and increases the amount of total clean-sheets from 14 last campaign to around 16-17 this campaign, Europa League is back on the table.
Key Player: Jordan Pickford
Top Goal Scorer: Gylfi Sigurdsson
Predicted Finish: 7th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Jordan Pickford, Maarten Stekelenburg, Jonas Lössl
Defenders
Lucas Digne, Seamus Coleman, Michael Keane, Yerry Mina, Leighton Baines, Fabian Delph, Lewis Gibson, Mason Holgate
Midfielders
Gylfi Sigurdsson, Richarlison, André Gomes, Theo Walcott, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bernard, James McCarthy, Tom Davies
Forwards
Dom Calvert-Lewin, Cenk Tosun
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – J. Pickford
RB – S. Coleman, CB – M. Keane, CB – Y. Mina, LB – L. Digne
CDM – F. Delph, CDM – A. Gomes
RW – Richarlison, CAM – G. Sigurdsson, LW – Bernard
ST – D. Calvert-Lewin
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – G. Sigurdsson, Richarlison, C. Tosun
Free Kicks – G. Sigurdsson, L. Digne, L. Baines
Corners – G. Sigurdsson, L. Digne, L. Baines
Top Target
Richarlison | MID | £8.0 | 10.0%
Having 1 shot every 32.9 minutes, Richarlison started last season on fire, netting 6 goals and providing 1 assist in the first 9 GWs. The season before last, the Brazilian scored 5 goals and provided 4 assists in his first 12 starts. With a soft opening run of fixtures, Richarlison could open this season with a flurry of FPL points.
Punts/Differentials
Dom Calvert-Lewin | FWD | £6.0 | TSB 3.3%
DCL played 60+ minutes in 17 games last season, returning in 53% of these games. He mightn’t have a large ceiling, but the young forward started 10 of Everton’s last 11 games of the 2018/19 season, scoring 2 goals and providing 3 assists over these 10 games. At £6.0, Calvert-Lewin is one of the best budget forwards.
Be Wary Of
Theo Walcott | MID | £6.5 | TSB 0.8%
Bloody Theo Walcott. I’ve owned him in each of the last 4 seasons, and he’s burnt me every time. This might just be a personal thing, but don’t expect Walcott to be a regular source of points. Last season he blanked when starting against HUD, CRY, BHA, WAT, bur, bha, car.
Cheapie Watch
No relevant cheapies
Additional Notes
- In the six games Idrissa Gueye missed last season, Everton kept only 1 clean sheet, conceding 16 goals.
- Fabian Delph (£5.5) is classified as a defender, but will play in the midfield. This does little to increase his FPL prospects. In his two big minute seasons at CM for Villa before his move to City, he failed to crack the 100 point barrier.
- Gylfi Sigurdsson (£8.0) consistently provided returns last season, never going more than 4 games without a goal or assist.
- Creating 72 chances (13 big chances) last season, Lucas Digne (£6.0) was the most creative defender in the league, and the 7th most creative player in the entire Premier League. He is a tremendous option, and it’s worth paying the extra £0.5 to get Digne over Coleman