We are back with another Fantasy Premier League season for the 21/22 calendar year, and FPL managers far and wide are busy tinkering with their Gameweek 1 teams, designing the inch-perfect draft that optimizes the best players from the broad selection of assets to choose from.
FPL Managers look at a variety of factors when choosing which players to include in their fantasy teams; however, one crucial bit of information that FPL managers will want to consider are teams they can target for the first few weeks of the season.
This is important because, by targeting the correct teams, these managers will enjoy a fruitful head start and not have to worry about the imminent rush to get these players into their teams.
In this blog, we will focus on one particular team of interest that FPL managers could set their targets on during the team-building stage before FPL GW1: Everton F.C.
Why Everton Assets?
In the 20/21 season, we saw Everton enjoy a strong start to the Premier League season, with a draw against Liverpool and 4 wins against Tottenham, West Brom, Crystal Palace, and Brighton, in their first 5 games.
Their form dipped as injuries claimed key players such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, James Rodriguez, Lucas Digne, and Jordan Pickford. It was evident that, when all of these players were fit, Everton were a strong unit that defended in unison and attacked aggressively.
With the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez, former Liverpool and Newcastle manager, has stepped up to the helm of the club. As much as there is a lot of uncertainty of how Benitez will manage, there is a bit we can look forward to as FPL managers if he gets his tactics right.
1. Everton FPL Fixtures
Everton have a standout run of fixtures at the start of the season that run from GW1 to GW7, where a lot of teams begin experiencing major fixture swings.
When the season kicks off, Everton face Southampton, Leeds, Brighton, Burnley, Aston Villa, and Norwich, all with a combined FDR total of 15. Everton’s FDR for the first few gameweeks of the season are top 3 for the most favorable, along with Manchester United and Brighton.
Additionally, the home advantage for the Southampton, Burnley, and Norwich games could sway in Everton’s favor as fans return to the stadiums in-person.
2. Everton FPL Value
Let’s take a look at some of the prices of the more popular picks from the Everton squad, in comparison to their prices last season:
| Player | Position | Price 20/21 | Price 21/22 |
| Dominic Calvert-Lewin | FWD | 7.5 | 8.0 |
| Richarlison | FWD | 7.7 | 7.5 |
| Sigurdsson | MID | 6.8 | 7.0 |
| James Rodriguez | MID | 7.7 | 7.0 |
| Michael Keane | DEF | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Lucas Digne | DEF | 6.2 | 5.5 |
| Ben Godfrey | DEF | 5.1 | 5.0 |
| Mason Holgate | DEF | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Jordan Pickford | GKP | 4.8 | 5.0 |
For the most part, the prices seem reasonable. No crazy outrageous prices here. DCL is still considered a bargain forward at his price, and the value offered by Lucas Digne is very appealing, given his attacking threat as a defender.
The defense could be nice budget enablers for you to spend cash in other parts of your squad, such as Godfrey or Holgate.
3. Everton Formation and Tactics
Benitez’s most preferred formation is the 4-2-3-1. I wouldn’t be surprised if Everton were to line up in this default formation, with possibly a bit of variability according to the circumstances.
With this in mind, I predict Benitez to run with the following starting XI:
DCL, as we know from last season, thrives best when chances are supplied to him. He’ll be playing in the lone striker role where he does best, as Richarlison, Sigurdsson, and Rodriguez work their way to get the ball to him.
The width provided by the overlapping fullbacks of Digne and Holgate will assist in the attack, while the defensive support of the defensive midfielders of Doucoure and Allan will assist Godfrey and Keane in defensive duties.
One important point to note is that Benitez historically has been known to be a “defensive-minded” manager, making defensive duties imperative for his teams. This is evident in the use of two defensive midfielders as they will help to support the four in the back.
For FPL managers, this could signal towards higher clean sheet potential. Combine that with the opening fixtures that Everton have and we could see a couple of clean sheets from the Toffees.
Standout Everton FPL Picks
If I were to narrow it down to three Everton assets to possibly consider, here are the three I would go for:
1. Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Position: FWD Price: £8.0
With 16 goals and 6 assists last season, DCL will yet again be an FPL favorite, especially with the first few fixtures. He should be the standout pick in the attack.
His aerial threat is incredible, and, with Lucas Digne’s world-class delivery, he should be looking to get on the end of them. And, at £8.0, he presents immense value to allow you to allocate funds to other aspects of your squad.
2. Lucas Digne
Position: DEF Price: £5.5
Especially with Benitez’s defensive-minded style, the opportunity for clean sheets as well as the constant attacking threat Digne provides makes him the best pick from the Everton defense.
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His value at £5.5 is incredible, and it’s always fun to watch him join the attack, offering his amazing delivery services to the players in the box. He is also Everton’s most creative player and is on most set-pieces such as free-kicks and corners, further enhancing his assist potential.
3. Michael Keane
Position: DEF Price: £5.0
If you need a cheaper defender, Keane could offer immense value. He should be an assured starter, and he scored 3 goals and 1 assist last season, accompanied by 11 clean sheets. His aerial threat on set-pieces, particularly corners, could scream a couple of goal returns.
Again, under a defensive-minded Benitez, Keane could enjoy more consistent clean sheet points.
Conclusion on Everton FPL assets:
That concludes my analysis of Everton as a team to target for the first couple of game weeks. With their appealing fixtures, decent value in the prices of standout players, and the possible potential that Benitez’s tactics may have on the squad, Everton assets could maybe make a few spots on your GW1 drafts.
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Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL Ahead of the 2021/22 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
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Nick Khor (FPL Nitro)
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