Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Jamie Vardy in ruthless front three
Wednesday 8 April 2020 16:16, UK
Who makes a Premier League team of the season so far when it comes to Fantasy Football? We've rounded up the points to calculate a top XI.
Dean Henderson has excelled in his first Premier League season. His loan side Sheffield United have found themselves hunting down a Champions League spot with the second-best defence in the league, behind champions-elect Liverpool.
The English goalkeeper is top of the Fantasy Football goalkeeping charts, with a hefty 168 points. His 10 clean sheets have accounted for 70 of those, but where have his other points come from?
Henderson has reached tier one save bonus points (three or more saves) on 13 occasions this season, while saving two penalties (five points apiece) and earning three man-of-the-match awards, more than any other goalkeeper this year. The Sheffield United No 1 has recorded 26.25 points per £m, more than any other player in the Premier League.
The statistics do the talking once again for Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Englishman has recorded 12 assists, equalling his total of last season already. He is in close competition with Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, which is testament enough considering Alexander-Arnold is a full-back.
Along with 11 clean sheets, the rampant right-back has claimed three man-of-the-match awards and scored two goals. It is hardly surprising to see that 86.5 per cent of the top 1,000 Fantasy Football teams have recruited his services. Alexander-Arnold seems a must-have for success in the game - and it could stay that way for years to come.
Ricardo Pereira is another flying right-back who slots in at centre-back in our XI to accommodate Alexander-Arnold. Do not underestimate the Leicester defender, as he has recorded the most tackles in the Premier league this season with 70. Tackles themselves have made up 22.3 per cent of Pereira's seasonal total; he has earned tier one tackle bonus (three) on nine occasions and tier two (four or more) another seven times.
On top of 10 clean sheets, the main objective of a defender some would say, Pereira has proven a handful going forward, contributing two goals and three assists, as well as earning three man-of-the-match awards. A steady 18.6 per cent selection rate before his ACL injury tells you how valued he is among Fantasy Football players.
Where do you start with Virgil van Dijk? Could the most expensive defender in the game top the Fantasy Football points chart once again? Van Dijk has reclaimed his throne…for now. A period which saw the Dutchman brag 133 Fantasy points from just 14 matches, including seven consecutive clean sheets, saw him return to the top of the tree.
No other player in the Premier League boasts 12 clean sheets like the 2019 PFA Player of the Year, while no other defender has bettered his four goals for the season either. He has hit a staggering 2182 successful passes, over 500 more than the next in line, Caglar Soyuncu, and has recorded over 70 passes in one game 16 times. The stats further highlight his superiority in defence.
The main source of Andy Robertson's Fantasy points have derived from all 11 of Liverpool's clean sheets, but the Scot has delivered in other aspects of the pitch too.
Alexander-Arnold has taken the plaudits as an attacking force but Robertson has recorded seven assists of his own. Considering he recorded 11 last year, he is not far off repeating that level of consistency with his supply. He has still posted more assists than the likes of Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling.
Riyad Mahrez has perhaps been a frustrating player to monitor or have in your Fantasy Football side at points this year. Despite starting only 15 times due to Pep Guardiola's rotation policy, the Algerian has registered seven assists and scored seven goals, directly contributing to almost a goal per game.
His substitute appearance (one point) in City's defeat at Manchester United was enough to see him sneak into the Team of the Season, at Jack Grealish's expense (135 points). There is no doubt that had Mahrez started more games, he could well have been challenging for the top midfielder spot in Fantasy Football.
Many had their doubts about whether the Brazilian was worth the £10.2m price tag in Fantasy Football. Richarlison has done more than prove those people wrong, picking up 170 points thanks to his 10 goals and five assists. A healthy 40.2 per cent of the top 1,000 Fantasy Football teams have reaped the rewards of having Richarlison in their XI.
Fantasy Football is a game designed to focus largely on upcoming fixtures, which allows players to swap and change their sides accordingly. But the Everton forward has been a consistent threat, scoring against Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester, as well as two goals against Wolves.
The most expensive midfielder in Fantasy Football is living up to the billing yet again. Not only has Kevin De Bruyne scored eight times this season, but he has also created a staggering 16 goals and is just five away from surpassing Thierry Henry's record of 20 in a single campaign.
The Belgian, who has earned seven man-of-the-match awards, has been picked by 59.2 per cent of the top 1,000 Fantasy teams. With De Bruyne 30 points clear of Richarlison in the midfield department, could he have his eyes set on surpassing Virgil van Dijk's total? With hauls such as his 23 against Arsenal or 19 against West Ham, there is no reason why not.
Sadio Mane always seems to pop up with big goals and he isn't bad from a Fantasy Football perspective either.
The Liverpool winger has 14 goals and seven assists to his name this campaign, but eight man-of-the-match awards have also come his way. Even still, only 25.11 per cent of Fantasy Football players have recruited the Senegalese international, as he continues to be a prominent point-pulling power in the game.
Jamie Vardy continues to notch the goals for Leicester, and currently leads the hunt for the Premier league Golden Boot with 19 goals, two clear of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. With five assists, the Englishman has lead the way again for Brendan Rodgers' side and was even leading the Fantasy Football points chart at one stage.
He could well have been the outright leader if it wasn't for the 10 matches before his two goals against Aston Villa, in which he accrued just 16 points. Could he be set up to mount a charge towards the top spot once more when football returns and head towards the 25-goal mark?
It is fitting that Mohamed Salah continues the trend, from defender to attacker, of being the highest points scorer and the most expensive forward in Fantasy Football, with 195 points. The Egyptian has notched another 16 goals and could pass the 20-goal mark for the third consecutive season.
On top of this, Salah has claimed the man-of-the-match award five times and created six goals, proving to be a team player as well as a goalscorer once again. This remains one of the reasons behind the 48.5 per cent selection rate among the top 1,000 Fantasy Football teams. He may not deliver in every single game, but his points are consistent throughout, even reiterated through the shot bonus points tiers, registering eight from tier one (two shots on target) and five from tier two (three or more).
