Fantasy forward lines are the focus here as we weigh up the credentials of Premier League strikers heading into Gameweek 9.
Man-of-the-moment Ollie Watkins (£8.2m) is showing no signs of slowing down in terms of his FPL output, with Gameweek 8 seeing him register his 11th attacking return of the Premier League season. No player can match his seven assists in FPL to date, and the fact that he found the net for England over the international break is bound to have boosted his confidence even further. Aston Villa host West Ham in Gameweek 9.
Recording his second 13-point haul of the season, Alexander Isak’s (£7.5m) brace against West Ham last time out meant that the Newcastle striker was the only player in his position to reach double figures for FPL points in Gameweek 8. Only three forwards have accumulated more points at this stage of the season, but potential investors should hold off until Eddie Howe’s pre-match press conference as the Swede is currently carrying a knock that puts his participation in doubt for Newcastle’s meeting with Crystal Palace this weekend.
There was disappointment for owners of Man City forward duo Erling Haaland (£14.0m) and Julian Alvarez (£7.0m) in Gameweek 8, who both blanked in the reigning champions’ defeat to Arsenal. That is now successive Premier League games without a return for Haaland, whose ownership – although still exceedingly high – has now crept below 90%. With Man City facing a leaky Brighton side in Gameweek 9 though, it would be no surprise to see the pair back among the points again.
With a fairly kind fixture run ahead for Liverpool, Darwin Nunez (£7.4m) could be a tempting option for some, although it may be best to wait until after Gameweek 9 as the upcoming fixture with local rivals Everton is never an easy one to predict. In a similar price bracket, Rasmus Hojlund (£7.2m) has a much kinder fixture this weekend, as Man Utd face a Sheffield Utd side who are conceding plenty of goals this season. Hojlund is yet to get off the mark in the Premier League, but his performances in the Champions League have shown off his potential.
