Fantasy Premier League – Player List Analysis – Budget Forwards

We roll out number eight in our series of articles focusing on the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Player Price List this lunchtime. Having looked over the Goalkeepers, Budget Defenders, Mid-Price Defenders, Premium Defenders and Budget Midfielders,Mid-Price Midfielders and Premium Midfielders, we turn our attentions to the forwards, starting with what’s on offer at the bottom end of the market.

Arsenal’s Joel Campbell could be an interesting option amid reports that Arsene Wenger is keen to loan him out to a Premier League side this season. The Costa Rica striker served up 11 goals and 12 assists at Greek side Olympiakos last term and with both Everton and Southampton reportedly sniffing around, could be a viable option at just 5.5. Certainly, with Alexis Sanchez added to the mix, Campbell will surely need to move away from the Emirates this term in his quest for regular game time.

With Christian Benteke still sidelined through injury, Andreas Weimann and Gabby Agbonlahor will be crucial to Villa’s chances over the first few months. Both come in at 5.5 apiece after poor displays over 2013/14 – Weimann managed five goals and five assists, whilst Agbonlahor produced four goals and seven assists; hardly prolific form. Bearing in mind that the midlands side have six tough fixtures in the first eight Gameweeks, few will be willing to take a punt, though Darren Bent, at a mere 5.0, notched twice in the club’s first summer friendly and may yet come into contention for a starting berth again.

Burnley’s Danny Ings will set you back 6.0 after producing 21 goals and seven assists for the Clarets in last season’s promotion campaign. With strike partner Sam Vokes (20 goals and five assists) sidelined for the first few months with knee ligament damage, Ings looks the likeliest source of goals for Sean Dyche’s side, though Ashley Barnes (4.5) could retain his starting berth in Vokes’ absence and has already notched twice in pre-season.

After scoring just 33 times last term, Palace’s forwards are understandably low-end assets. Five goals in 32 appearances sums up Marouane Chamakh’s (5.5) impact, whilst Dwight Gayle (5.5) will be hoping for improved pitch time after scoring twice in each of the final two Gameweeks of 2013/14. With the Eagles defence likely to offer far better value and Jason Puncheon available for just 6.0 in midfield, it’s fair to say that snapping up a Palace striker will be far from a priority. Gayle’s form and opportunities are worth monitoring, however.

Three goals and two assists in his final eight appearances for Everton last term underlines Steven Naismith’s attacking potential. In spite of his 5.0 price tag, a lack of guaranteed starts will ensure most steer clear – the Scot is perhaps more likely to feature off the bench for the Toffees as Roberto Martinez rotates in the final third in order to cope with their Europa League schedule. Arouna Kone (5.5) managed just 82 minutes before falling foul of injury last season. Martinez clearly favours the Ivorian, having also acquired him for Wigan, but a regular starting role looks highly unlikely as the Everton boss attempts to step up his pursuit of Romelu Lukaku once again.

Hull pair Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long are both available for 6.0 ahead of a decent opening schedule. Admittedly, neither player was prolific after arriving at the KC in January, with four goals apiece from 16 and 15 appearances respectively but the addition of Robert Snodgrass and Tom Ince on the flanks should improve prospects in the final third. With QPR, Stoke, Villa, West Ham, Newcastle and Palace in the first seven Gameweeks, Jelavic, with spot-kicks in his armoury, has appeared on a few radars. Certainly Hull attacking coverage looks a viable option for the opening few Gameweeks and, while Snodgrass will likely be the favoured route, both Jelavic and Long have clear merits as third striker options.

Championship winners Leicester hand us an intriguing option in the form of David Nugent. The Foxes main forward racked up 20 goals and 12 assists over 46 appearances last season and, available for 5.5, is also number one for penalties. Nugent (who notched twice in Leicester’s first pre-season friendly) is a little more expensive than James Vardy (5.0), who produced 16 goals and 10 assists last time around but with just one start in the final seven fixtures, seemed to fall down the pecking order – the recent acquisition of Leonardo Ulloa from Brighton compounds matters. A horrendous opening six matches (EVE, che, ARS, sto, MUN, cpl) should be reason enough to steer clear until the schedule improves around the Gameweek 7 point.

Louis Van Gaal’s arrival at Old Trafford has the potential to shake things up. Whilst Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie are expected to nail down starting berths, both Javier Hernandez (6.0) and James Wilson (4.5) will be hoping to force their way into the new manager’s plans – the latter scored twice in his only appearances of 2013/14 after being handed his debut by Ryan Giggs and could feature more off the bench this time around if he impresses the Dutchman during pre-season.

QPR’s Charlie Austin (6.0) seems set to lead the line for the season ahead after serving up 17 goals and three assists in 31 appearances last term. The former Burnley man ended as the R’s top scorer, despite missing a number of matches after undergoing shoulder surgery. If Harry Redknapp continues with last season’s 4-4-1-1 formation, spot-kick taker Austin looks the man most likely to produce for the Loftus Road outfit – he grabbed the only goal in the R’s first pre-season friendly earlier this week. Bobby Zamora may be 4.5 but the veteran is far more likely to rely on game time off the bench, with his manager looking to strengthen his options up top. Having scored just 60 times in 46 Championship matches in 2013/14, it’s safe to assume that Redknapp’s side may struggle to find their top flight scoring boots. Even so, with three kind home matches (HUL, SUN, STO) in the first five, Austin looks a strong option for those decided on big midfield investment. Unlike Hull, QPR currently lack a standout alternative in the middle of the park to cover attacking returns.

For those weighing up the merits of Austin and Burnley’s Ings, the latter’s opening away schedule may sway matters, though. Redknapp’s side have five very tough road trips to kick off the campaign (tot, mun, sot, whm, che), suggesting may will be more inclined to bench Austin on his travels, whereas Burnley pay visit to Swansea, West Brom and Leicester in their first four away matches, making Ings more of a “fire and forget” option for our front three.

Young Harry Kane will be looking to step up under new Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino this season. The 5.0-priced striker scored three times in 500 minutes for Tim Sherwood last term, though with the Argentine likely to retain the 4-2-3-1 system utilised at Southampton, it’s debatable whether he’ll place his faith in Kane to lead the line ahead of Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado. Certainly, the situation is one to monitor, given Kane’s impressive displays towards the tail-end of the previous campaign.

Peter Crouch remains amongst the low-priced forward despite serving up seven goals and six assists for Stoke. Available for 6.0, there’s a real fear he may lose his starting role to new boy Mame Biram Diouf, though – Mark Hughes attempted to sign the latter during both transfer windows last year, with his pace and power up top perhaps more in sync with the Potters’ new playing style. If Crouch can see off the new boy’s challenge, the opening few fixtures are certainly filled with potential – Stoke’s first six home matches (AVL, LEI, NEW, SWA, WHM, BUR) are supplemented by trips to Hull, QPR and Sunderland in a run that pits Hughes’ side against only three of last season’s top eight in the opening 12 Gameweeks. With the acquisition of Bojan Krkic from Barcelona adding to he mix, in addition to 6.5-priced midfield pair Marko Arnautovic and Peter Odemwingie, many will overlook Crouch as Hughes continues the Britannia revolution at pace.

End-of-season hero Connor Wickham and injury-prone Steven Fletcher will set you back 6.0 and 5.5 respectively for Sunderland. Bearing in mind that Gus Poyet prefers a 4-3-3 formation, though, the duo are likely to be in direct competition for the lone forward role – Wickham’s five goals and two assists in the final six fixtures of 2013/14 underlined his potential, whilst Fletcher has recovered from an ankle problem and bagged a brace in the Black Cats’ first summer friendly. If the pre-season matches can shed more light on Poyet’s intentions, the Wearsiders have five decent fixtures in the first seven Gameweeks (wba, qpr, bur, SWA, STO) to reap reward.

Saido Berahino is available for 5.5 after finishing last season as West Brom’s joint-top scorer on five goals. The youngster’s attacking threat may well keep him in contention for a starting berth under new boss Alan Irvine, though with summer signing Brown Ideye lined up for the lone forward role, Berahino’s best bet looks likely to be a role on the flank unless the Baggies move away from a 4-2-3-1 formation utilised by Irvine over the pre-season matches so far.