Fantasy Premier League 2021 – Final (ish) Draft before opening day
Experiment Number 2
Last year I looked at the difference between chasing points every week regardless of the cost and holding on to players unless there’s a desperate need to change. It didn’t end well as neither team were particularly good, but now it’s time to start again!
This year I want to look at the value of loading up on premium players versus spreading the money around more evenly. The first team will be banned from picking any premium players (defined as 6m or over goalkeepers and defenders, 10m or over midfielders, and 9m or over forwards), therefore freeing up more cash to have an evenly balanced team across the board.
The second team will be the opposite. As many of those premiums as possible, filling the team up with players who cost 4.5m/5.0m in midfield and attack, or 4.0m and 4.5m in goal and defence. Will the premiums do enough to outweigh the cheaper options dragging them down?
Big Hitter Central
Goalkeepers & Defence
Sam Johnstone (West Brom, 4.5m) / David Button (West Brom, 4.0m) / Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool, 7.5m) / Jan Bednarek (Southampton, 4.5m) / Stuart Dallas (Leeds, 4.5m) / Ben Johnson (West Ham, 4.5m) / Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace, 4.0m)
The West Brom keeper pairing is the cheapest in the league. 8.5m for a guaranteed starting keeper is perfect for this experiment. The same is true of Mitchell and Johnson in the backline, they are cheap bench fodder that will hopefully provide a decent option for now.
Alexander-Arnold, on the other hand, is my premium defender. He is easily one of the best players in the league and the definition of a premium option. When you’re building a team of the best, accept no substitutes.
Bednarek and Dallas are 4.5m defenders with decent fixtures and a chance of some extra bonus points or attacking points. Like my chosen options in my first team, the plan is to move around in this price bracket.
Midfielders
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal, 12.0m) / Sadio Mane (Liverpool, 12.0m) / Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, 12.0m) / Tomas Soucek (West Ham, 5.0m) / Sander Berge (Sheffield United, 5.0m)
Here we’ve gone big! The double Liverpool midfield means I can change over to a Man United or Man City midfielder in a heartbeat, but also means I have double exposure to that incredible attacking force. Aubameyang is potentially a season keeper and I look forward to him making a mockery of his new designation as a midfielder.
Berge and Soucek are as I described them in my team by team analysis. Cheap, 5.0m, most likely going to play options. If Soucek gets a few goals that’s a bonus, but really, we’re not counting on him!
Forwards
Harry Kane (Spurs, 10.5m) / Charlie Austin (West Brom, 5.5m) / Keinan Davis (Aston Villa, 4.5m)
Kane is there for obvious reasons. He is the premium striker and without Aguero in GW1, there wasn’t much competition. With an excellent opening run of fixtures, he will hopefully be firing this team up the rankings.
Austin does break the rule a little, seeing as he is 5.5m. But the options at 5.0m or 4.5m are dreadful (see Keinan David as proof of this)! If Brewster doesn’t get a loan then I’m not sure any of them are dependable.
And I had Brewster but got rid so I could have TAA/Salah/Mane. The good news is, if needed I can dump one of the midfielders for Bruno/Sterling/KDB and get Brewster back if he becomes an option.
This week Aubameyang will be the captain, with Kane as VC.