The Time has come- A new season comes reckoning. As FPL managers start the endless cycle of fine-tuning their drafts before the start of the new FPL season 21-22, in this series of blogs, we are here to make the case for a few players who might not be currently, at the center of the public eye. We will share our insights into why this player is someone you should consider for a successful start to the season, however as always, the final choice remains in the hands of you as FPL managers.
One of the positions which might act as a key differentiator this season is the Forwards section. With most teams going heavy in the middle (Salah/Bruno combo) as well as in defense ( Liverpool, United Assets), this year forward section seems to be underfunded. Hence, it is key for FPL managers to find the mid-premium forwards who have the capability to really launch you in the opening GWs.
Today, we are going to make the case for one of the most lethal strikers in the world- Edinson Cavani as an FPL asset.
Cavani starts this season with confidence, having finished last season with 10 goals and provided 4 assists in 26 appearances. He gave 99 points last season & was honestly an unpredictable player for FPL managers. While initially, Ole took time to start Cavani in PL matches as Cavani started off the bench for 8 times in first 19 matches as well as missing 3 games via injury.
However, Cavani did ensure to score goals even off the bench which resulted in a more consistent run in till mid 20 GWs before missing out on another 4 games with a knock. Overall of his 26 appearances, Cavani started only 13 matches which remains a cause for worry for most FPL managers.
Let’s look at some of the critical factors into deciding whether we should take the punt with Cavani in our first FPL lineup: –
Expected Manchester United FWD Lineup for 2021/22 Season:
While Rashford is out for the first 2 months, both Martial & Greenwood will be ready to compete with Cavani for the minutes. With the arrival of Sancho, the RW should ideally move to Sancho (who does well from both wings) with Martial moving left & Cavani/Greenwood eyeing the central areas.
Greenwood does start with the advantage of a full pre-season where he will be ready to impress Ole as a starting option. Alternatively, if Sancho moves LW, Greenwood will ideally retain RW & Martial would be left to compete with Cavani. Martial himself is returning from injuries of last season & this option would give more security for anyone looking to start the season with Cavani in his team.
FPL Forwards in the same price range offering Competiton to Cavani:
Now, looking outside United, one of the major challenges, when we look at Cavani (Price 8.5m with 15% TSB), is the variety of options you have in a similar price bracket. Below are the popular picks for FPL managers this pre-season so far: –
- Watkins at 7.5m (33% TSB)
- Calvert Lewin at 8m (29% TSB)
- Bamford at 8m (17% TSB)
- Iheanacho at 7.5m (16 % TSB)
- Antonio at 7.5m ( 11% TSB)
Cavani is currently the 5th favorite pick by managers in a list of 6 strikers who have captured the imagination of everyone last season. Given the uncertainty wrt his playing time, you can understand why Cavani is not exactly topping the chart despite playing for a highly attacking team- Manchester United. However, I think the quality of Cavani has often shone despite the limited minutes last season- something that is worth keeping an eye on.
Let us have a look at the key attacking metrics for these strikers ( Courtesy- Fantasy football Hub)
Key Attacking Stats comparison between FPL Strikers:
GW 1-38
( )- Figures inside brackets denote per 90 mins. numbers
GW 30-38 (Per 90 only)
Looking at overall nos. for last season, Bamford, DCL & Watkins lead the points table also the goals scored. However, I have added the per 90 mins stats in brackets to add a bit more perspective especially when it comes to players like Cavani & Nacho who both had more starts in the second half of the season. Nacho had a stellar second half and when you look at his /90 mins start, it really shines out.
He leads 7 metrics out of 9 & is 2nd in 1 metric- Shots in Box. Interestingly, when you look at Cavani’s /90 min metrics, he has actually come 2nd in 5 metrics losing out only to Nacho in those metrics & more importantly, he leads the metrics in Big Chances/90.
However, like most FPL managers, we really like focusing on how players end their season to have a higher correlation in how they are going to start the next season. Hence, we have created another table for GW 30-38 & here we are looking purely into per 90 mins stats as we had players rotated and rested for key matches in Europe or on account of double/triple GW, etc.
Cavani now leads 3 metrics out of 9, is 2nd in Big Chances behind Bamford while also coming 3rd in Big Chances Created as well. Thus, completely standing out in forwards table. Nacho drops off a bit now leading only in xPoints but dropping off to 2nd place in Points, Goals, xG & SoB while Bamford had a stronger performance ending the season as well. Both DCL & Watkins really dropped off in these final games while Antonio did slightly better compared to the two.
Now, one thing that would generally strike you is that while Cavani generally has lower shots in the box & hence on target, for some reason that really doesn’t reflect on his xG / G metrics. There is however a very strong reason for the same. We are sharing below the graph prepared by Ninad Barbadikar (@NinadB_06) giving us a deeper insight to help us understand why.
As you can see, Edison Cavani has the lowest avg shot distance compared to any other striker and this has ensured that despite a lower no. of SoT/SiB, he manages to score good no. of goals & has a strong xG. Just to add, these stats are before he gets an additional gem of a creator, Sancho who joins Manchester United this year.
With certain noise in the Twitter world that Manchester United would be employing 2 advanced no. 8s with Bruno being one of them, it is really exciting to have a striker like Cavani who is really good at putting away his big chances.
And folks that’s why we are Making the Case for Edison Cavani to be one of your first choices for that mid-priced forward slot. We will be back next week with a different profile for the midfielders slot. See you soon people !!
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Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL Ahead of the 2021/22 Season:
Team to Target for Initial Few GW’s – Brighton & Hove Albion | FPL 21/22 Season
2021/22 FPL Team Structure | One premium Mid and Forward with Drafts
2021/22 FPL Team Structure | Two Premium Midfielders with Drafts
FPL Budget Strikers (£4.5 – £6.5 Mil) Analysis Ahead Of 2021/22 Season
Official FPL- Making Your First GW1 Draft |Top Picks For 21/22 Season
FPL 2021-22: Best Rotational Pairs of Teams for Alternate Easy Fixtures
Best Premium Defenders To Target For The 2021/22 FPL Season
FPL Season Review – How I became a Top 500 FPL Manager! | FPL Tips
FPL Scouting Report: Jadon Sancho | Is It Worth Getting Sancho in FPL?
Team to Target for Initial Few GW’s – Everton | FPL 21/22 Season
An In-Depth Look at Team Structure 1: Three Premium Assets
2021/22 FPL Season: FPL Price Changes Explained | FPL Guide
2021/22 Fantasy Premier League Season Rules, Tips | The Ultimate Guide
What is Effective Ownership(EO) in FPL? | FPL Guide
A Guide to FPL Team Structure | 21/22 FPL Season (Pre Wildcard)
How Structure and Approach can Shape your 2021/22 FPL Season
What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of the 2021/22 FPL Season?
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Sankalp Nanda
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