Fantasy Premier League is a game built on who you pick in your team.
But, sometimes, who you don’t pick is just as important.
Below, I’ve gone through some of the top owned players so far this (pre)season and noted some bad choices being made already.
So, who makes the list?
Kieran Trippier (6.5)
Kieran Tripper was the top scoring defender in FPL last season and only cost 5.5mn. He was getting clean sheets and assists, particularly in the first half of the season.
This season, he comes in at 6.5 which is totally understandable given his incredible performance last year. So, why does he make this list?
Newcastle’s defensive form was not great in the second half of last year. They kept 14 clean sheets all year but only two of them came after 31 January. Hopefully the break has done them some good. But either way, I don’t care because they go up against Villa, City, Liverpool and Brighton in the first four games of the season and I don’t expect a clean sheet in any of them.
Trippier’s saving grace in the first half of the season was that, even when they did concede, he would get an assist. Again, this just didn’t materialise later on. Even though he was on most free kicks and corners he didn’t get great numbers of assists. He under-performed his xA for the season by almost 5 assists which suggests that it was his team mates letting him down. But, they have basically the same squad. The only addition so far is Sandro Tonali who could take some set pieces off him.
For the time being, he is a hard avoid for me. That is likely to change when we see him whipping in balls and when the fixtures get better around game week 5.
Reece James (5.5)
When Reece James is fit, he is up there with the best defenders in FPL. But he is never fit for long.
Add this to the fact that we expect Poch to be playing four at the back this year with Chelsea and I am not interested. James has been utilised as a centre-back frequently when they play four at the back. Plus, his attacking output is nowhere near as good when he doesn’t have the freedom to roam in a back five.
And then, add the fact that Chelsea defence was awful last year. I don’t know how they didn’t concede more! I hope they improve and he becomes an option, but for now he is an avoid.
Phil Foden (7.5)
I say the same thing to myself every year. Don’t buy city midfielders.
You never know who is going to start. Even when they go on a massive run, Pep is liable to just drop them for what appears to be no reason. Foden has never played more than 2,150 mins in any season. Contrast that with Bukayo Saka who played almost 3,200 mins last year or Bryan Mbeumo who played 2900 mins last year and there you have two players either side of his price point with better expected minutes.
Will I hold to my rule of never buying City midfielders? Inevitably no. But I will regret it I am sure.
Evan Ferguson (6.0)
It is for similar reasons that Ferguson finds himself here. He is a great player and a great prospect but Brighton notoriously rotate strikers in and out.
They have great fixtures which is why I get the appeal to buy him in FPL, but they also have 6 strikers that could start (realistically three but still!).
Alexander Isak (7.5)
Isak rounds out my top five to avoid. Isak is sooo good. But, so is his colleague Callum Wilson. Wilson seems to be trusted more by Howe when he is fit. And, when he is fit, Isak ends up playing left wing and barely registers attacking returns. If When Callum Wilson is injured, Isak will be a great option. But not to start the season with if all things stay the same.
Add on top, the dreadful fixtures we discussed for Newcastle earlier and then basically the whole team is an avoid right now.
That’s It.
FPL is a game of who you pick and who you don’t. Don’t fall into these early traps.
Have I missed anyone?
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Want to read more? Check out our price reveal piece.