StaffIn the last three days, I have spent over 20 hours obsessing over my six season-opening drafts. And by today, most of my drafts are redundant since I’ve found a different ground-breaking combination altogether. 20 hours are pretty much wasted, you say? Absolutely not! That’s the best part about it.
That is the beauty of Fantasy Premier League. Yes, winning is great, and with our regular posts we will try to help you achieve that as well and it might sound clichéd – but taking part is just so immersive. So multifaceted. Endless variables and freak Gameweeks mean even the most diligent FPL managers can have a shocker. There’s so much to consider. So much to ponder.
In this article, we will highlight the Top 5 bargain forwards worth picking up in your fantasy premier league side for the 2021/22 campaign:
Also Read – Premier League: The 10 best Forwards of all-time
#5 Callum Wilson (£7.5m) – Newcastle United
This year, there are quite a few decent picks in the £7.5m price range. One that has gone under the radar somewhat, though, and can be a very shrewd differential pick, is Callum Wilson.
Wilson, at the time of writing, is selected by just six percent of the FPL managers, but is arguably just as useful as someone like Antonio in West Ham.
Although the Magpies are likely to finish lower than West Ham in 21/22. Wilson is essentially Newcastle’s crown jewel. Everything good coming out of that blunt Newcastle side was through Callum Wilson as he racked up 18 goal contributions (12 Goals + 6 Assists) in 26 league games last term.
Newcastle have a moderate set of fixtures in their first six Gameweeks, facing the likes of WHU (H), AVL (A), SOU (H), MUN (A), LEE (H), and WAT (A). Although nothing can be taken for granted in the Premier League, Newcastle and Wilson, in particular, should be comfortably finding the back of the net in at least half of these fixtures.
#4 Raúl Jiménez (£7.5m) – Wolverhampton Wanderers
Raúl Jiménez is an old favourite of the FPL managers and is set to make his comeback this year following that horrific head injury against the Gunners.
Before his season-ending injury, Jiménez would score 13 Goals and 10 Assists in the 18/19 season, before further cementing his credentials with 17 Goals and 7 Assists in the 19/20 season.
But Jiménez has since returned to training and taken part in Wolves’ pre-season fixtures, and should be one to watch out for in FPL. However, Wolves do have a fairly tough run of fixtures early on, facing Leicester, Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester United.
Moreover, from Gameweek 4 to Gameweek 15 they won’t face any of the top six clubs. So, once you have fully assessed his match sharpness and fitness, Jiménez could be worth taking the punt from Gameweek 4 onwards.
Also Read – Top 10 Promising Youngsters in Premier League, Forwards
#3 Danny Ings (£8.0m) – Aston Villa
Recently signed by Aston Villa, on his day, Danny Ings is one of the best strikers in the Premier League and would be a real bargain at just £8.0m. And Ings would be higher on his list if not for his poor injury record.
When he was able to keep himself fully fit during the 19/20 season, Ings played in all of Southampton’s 38 League matches, scoring 22 Goals and providing two Assists – outstanding returns for an £8.0m priced forward.
However, it is worth noting that it was the only season since 2015 where Ings played more than 30 games in a season. The 20/21 season saw him feature 29 times for the Saints where he scored 12 Goals and provided four Assists.
As far as fixtures are concerned, Villa have a decent set of opening fixtures with WAT (A), NEW (H) and BRE (H). But after that, Villa have a mountain to climb in their next six fixtures, facing the likes of Chelsea, Everton, Man Utd, Tottenham, Arsenal and West Ham. If there’s one thing that should give some solace to the FPL managers, Ings has and can score against all of these teams now that he has a better squad around him.
#2 Patrick Bamford (£8.0m) – Leeds United
Before the 20/21 season, Patrick Bamford had just one Premier League goal against his name. Fast-forward to May 2021, the Leeds United striker was one of the standout performers in the league last season.
The Leeds hitman scored an impressive 17 Goals and provided another 11 Assists, becoming a vital cog to Marcelo Bielsa’s attack. Of course, last season could have been something of a fluke, but with an xG/90 of 0.46 and xA/90 of 0.12, a drop in performance is very unlikely.
With Bielsa still at the helm, there remains a good chance that we might see Bamford emulate such form this time around as well, especially if Leeds do not sign a new striker.
Scoring 194 FPL points last term, Leeds and Bamford have a tricky set of fixtures in their first six Gameweeks, facing MUN (A), EVE (H), BUR (A), LIV (H), NEW (A), and WHU (H). Leeds’ fixtures considerably ease out after that as they face top six clubs twice in their next 10 fixtures. And if there’s one thing that we can be assured of is that this Leeds side under Bielsa is not goal-shy.
#1 Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£8.0m) – Everton
Dominic Calvert-Lewin enjoyed his best Premier League campaign to date in the 20/21 season. The English forward found the back of the net 16 times and also provided six Assists last season.
Indeed, Rafa Banítez has since taken over from Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park, and some fans may be concerned about how the Spaniard’s tactics will impact DCL’s game. But while Banítez is notoriously known for his defensive approach, it is worth noting that in the 18/19 season, Salomon Rondon scored 11 Goals and provided seven Assists in 32 games under Banítez, for a Newcastle side much lower in quality than the current Toffees’ side.
So, with Calvert-Lewin as the focal point of the Toffees’ play, his return should remain similar to last season if not more, provided the Englishman stays fit, and even more so if James Rodríguez stays on Merseyside this summer.
In addition, Everton have a favourable opening to the season, which sees them play just one of the top six in their first 10 fixtures. Their opening three fixtures look like this: SOU (H), LEE (A) and BHA (A). Everton face Man Utd in Gameweek 7 and it is not until Gameweek 11 that they start facing the big boys.
