The Bottom 6: Are there any good FPL transfer targets?
Eight Gameweeks to go and the relegation race is tense. With so much at stake, managers may opt to use an FPL transfer on bottom six assets.
The relegation situation
What immediately stands out is that Everton and Burnley both have three games-in-hand over Brentford and Leeds.
Four of the six have won at least one of their last two matches but there are many twists to come.
Final fixtures
That’s because there are still eight matches between these sides during the final run. Watford have games at home to all of these rivals except Norwich.
Burnley and Everton use their first game-in-hand in Gameweek 31, with the Clarets the only side to play twice both then and in Gameweek 33. Meanwhile, Leeds are one of three teams to blank that week. With Norwich’s survival hopes looking very dire, Everton will be very nervous about their post-Burnley fixture run.
The final day sees Brentford host Leeds, alongside a Burnley v Newcastle clash that may not be the winner-take-all it seemed a month ago.
FPL transfer targets
Brentford
Whilst the seven goals from four games of Ivan Toney made him last week’s most-bought asset, Bryan Mbeumo reminded managers of his existence by assisting their consolation at Leicester. The fixtures don’t look good for their defensive assets but midfielder Christian Eriksen has proven FPL quality.
Leeds
Their upcoming blank is a huge obstacle for any potential buys. Besides, Raphinha is their only player with over 3% ownership and that’s because he is their standout attacking tasliman. Rodrigo has scored in their last two matches but could be affected by the return of Patrick Bamford. At the back, they’ve conceded the league’s most goals and are without a clean sheet from 16 attempts.
Everton
The Toffees are one of only four sides to not yet have a player reach 100 points. In fact, their top scorer is lower than every other team’s, as Demarai Gray (79) is lower than Nick Pope (91), Neal Maupay (94) and Allan Saint-Maximin (94). Even he is without an attacking return since Gameweek 15.
So investing in Everton would be a real leap of faith, at a time when a riskier FPL transfer can be justified. Maybe Dominic Calvert-Lewin or Richarlison can get amongst the goals, although Anthony Gordon is such a cheap midfielder – one with attacking intentions.
Watford
Ben Foster is highly-owned because he is the game’s cheapest first choice goalkeeper. Beyond that, managers may want a forward for those four huge home games. Emmanuel Dennis has been one of the most-owned players throughout the season but let many captainers down with a -1 score during Double Gameweek 23. Alongside him, Cucho Hernandez seems to have replaced Josh King in the line-up.
The Colombian has played all 270 minutes of the last three games, scoring three goals and assisting one. He is a great alternative to Armando Broja for a cheap third striker option.
Burnley
As the league’s second-lowest scorers with 22 goals, Burnley’s strength lies in defence. FPL managers could certainly use their track record and double-double as a reason to purchase Connor Roberts, Charlie Taylor or Ben Mee. It may not have been as bad as with Emmanuel Dennis but scars still remain from the 676,000 managers that captained Wout Weghorst for Double Gameweek 27. Both games totalled just three points – he’s a forward with only one goal from nine appearances.
Norwich
It was a surprise to see Temmu Pukki reach 100 points. Norwich are the only side to score fewer than Burnley, yet Pukki has scored eight of the 18. He could be worth a purchase if the Canaries make one last push for survival but they offer nobody else.
Elsewhere on Fantasy Football Community:
Cucho Hernandez is one of several differentials looked at for managers contemplating a Gameweek 31 Wildcard. Additionally, there is a deeper look into the prospects of Burnley assets and Leeds’ Raphinha.
