Fantasy Premier League 2021 – 13th-17th Place Preview

Crystal Palace

Fixtures

Attack 36%
Defence 54%

It’s not a good start for Crystal Palace, and it could be a long season. They struggled in front of goal (it’s almost like having Benteke and Ayew as first choice strikers could cause a problem) and their defence is ageing! With a tricky start that includes Man United, Chelsea and an in-form Southampton they could be in the bottom 3 for a while and it’s hard to get out once the confidence drops…

Main Pick

Wilfred Zaha (MID, 7.0m)

Zaha is Palace’s talisman and without him, they would be truly lost. He didn’t make his usual impact last year and it was felt, with just 4 goals and 6 assists, but it was not for lack of trying!

He had the 5th most shots in the box of all cheap mids (under 7.5m) and 2nd most in the box (only behind Antonio who was playing as a striker). If Palace are going to survive (and my model says they won’t…) then they will need him to step up that return, which is perfect for FPL managers.

Differential Pick

Eberechi Eze (MID, 6.0m)

If the weight is going to be lifted from Zaha, Eze is the signing they hope will be up to the task. He arrived from QPR over the summer with a lot of expectation and interest from other Premier League clubs.

He scored 14 goals and got 8 assists in the Championship last season for mid-table QPR, and will hope to follow Maddison and Maupay (ish) in making a successful step up to the Premier League.

Defensive Pick

Tyrick Mitchell (DEF, 4.0m)

If you’re looking for the cheapest of cheap options, here is one for you! Tyrick Mitchell has played a decent amount of preseason for Palace due to the injury issues at the club and is likely to at least start the opening games.

He is obviously as cheap as it is possible to be and, beyond that, I can’t tell you much about him, but those 2 facts together make him a decent FPL prospect, even just for the 3rd spot on your bench.

Steer Clear

Strikers

Like Sheffield United previously, the strikers at Palace do not fill me with any kind of confidence. Benteke has an injury issue, Ayew has an attitude issue, and Wickham just has issues.

Ayew was almost an option last year due to price, but he has been bumped up to 6.0m now, which means you could and should look at Mitrovic (proven goalscorer), Rodriguez (former FPL hero on the rise again), and Adams (potential new FPL hero) instead.