Top 5 forwards to pick in the 2015/16 Fantasy Premier League
With less than a week to go for the new season, Fantasy Premier League managers will be busy assembling their squads and balancing between budget options and big name players ahead of the big Premier League kick-off on Saturday, 8 August.
Everyone loves a bit of Fantasy Premier League, but it is not always easy to get your selections right, which is why over the next few days we will bring you the top five players to pick from each position, which will help you to beat your friends in private and public leagues. Having analysed the top five goalkeepers, the top five defenders and the top five midfielders in our first three articles, we now shift our attentions to the costliest position in the game that is up front.
Top quality forwards win you games. They are the difference between winning the league or narrowly missing out, and the same can be said for your Fantasy Premier League team. You have just three forwards to pick and you need to have balance in your side. It is important to have players contributing points from every position, but if you don’t have forwards who are scoring goals on the regular basis then you have no chance of winning the top prize.
In short, you need to pick poachers, who can sniff out chances and convert week in, week out. You need to pick forwards who are playing in front of the little geniuses, who can spot a pass and thread through killer balls. You want it served on a plate, you don’t want your forwards to work too hard for it.
If you are opting for three up front, you will likely need to get in a budget option, but that may be less of an issue if you are going for a strike partnership or just one up front. Here, we have a look at the top five forwards to pick this season.
5) Aleksandar Mitrovic – Newcastle United
Premier League fans need no reminder of what Mitrovic, Newcastle’s new £12m summer signing, can do after he scored in Anderlecht’s 3-3 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League last season. A powerful striker, the Serbian international boasts considerable experience for a player still only 20.
After breaking through the ranks at Partizan Belgrade with 13 goals in 28 appearances, he took the Belgian top flight by storm with 36 goals in 69 league outings, including 20 last season which made him the top scorer in the league. A host of top clubs were reportedly interested in securing his signature including Roma and Porto, but in the end the Magpies managed to get their man.
At 6’2”, he is more of a target-man type than Papiss Cisse and will offer Steve McClaren’s side a for more robust presence up top. Newcastle have a tough start to the season as they face six of last season’s top eight in the first eight game weeks, but if the Serbian is able to acclimatize to his new surroundings quickly and recapture his form from last season, then at 6.5 he could be a real steal.
4) Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur
What a season it turned out to be for Harry Kane. Having previously spent time away on loan and only made a handful of first-team appearances for Tottenham, the 22-year-old was given his chance as Mauricio Pochettino grew tired of Roberto Soldado missing chance after chance.
Kane grabbed the opportunity with both hands and quickly made a name for himself, becoming one of the most lethal forwards in the Premier League by scoring 21 goals including a memorable brace against London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal. It is no surprise that his price has skyrocketed from 5.0 to 9.5 in the last 12 months.
There are some unanswered questions about Kane, whether the previous campaign was one-off amazing season or is he about to become a consistent goal scorer. There are less risky cheaper alternatives available, but if he can reproduce the form of last season where he racked up 191 points including 32 bonus points, then he will still prove to be a great value for money.
Spurs have a favourable start to the season as they face just one team from last season’s top eight in their opening six game weeks, and so expect Kane to find the back of the net sooner than later.