Making a For and Against Case For Three Premiums FPL Assets | Threemiums

The question on every FPL manager’s mind right now is that whether they should go for a THREEMIUM(Three Premium FPL assets) structure or not. There are both sides to this argument, and it all eventually comes down to your preference and thought process. In this blog, I will first go through, why a structure with Three Premium FPL assets is viable for this particular season, and then the opposite counterpart of the same.

Before going further, Do vote in this week’s FPL GW7 allaboutfpl captaincy poll. The same will be available in the captaincy analysis and metrics blog written by@AK_FPL1. The metrics has been delivering consistently with a 100% record this year. Last week the metric predicted Salah as the best captaincy candidate and he returned once again in GW6 with a goal. Stay tuned for the GW7 Captaincy metric to see who tops it. Link to all our FPL Gameweek 7 blogs.

[Total_Soft_Poll id=”16″]

The results and the captaincy metric blog will be published soon based on the votes.

Please note: Stats mentioned is prior to GW6 fixtures and prior to TAA’s injury

For Threemiums(Three Premium FPL assets):

The 2021/22 season has provided FPL managers with a lot of budget midfielder and forward options, who are not only delivering but have got the stats to back it up as well. Switching between these pool of players and keeping three premiums and Trent, constant, can help maximise points. The Three Premiums give enough captaincy options, and ample players in the mid-priced and low-priced bracket can be switched, with respect to their fixtures and form. I’ll be going through various other factors associated with this structure, to get the holistic picture of the same.

• 

• 

Why Three Premiums?

At this point, it’s obvious why going for Three Premiums + Trent is being highly considered. Trent Alexander Arnold has been delivering points consistently, and totally worth the 7.5m price tag. Of the other three Premiums, Salah and Ronaldo seems like the best option. However, GW7 onnwards is when Lukaku becomes the best option, with the onset of Chelsea’s glorious fixture run. Kevin De Bruyne, if fit should also be considered as Manchester City also have great fixtures coming up. Also, Sadio Mane should not be forgotten, considering the amount of chances he is getting. Not to mention, the flexibility in selecting the captaincy this structure provides, albeit some added headache of choosing the best option out of the three. Therefore, the sheer number of premiums available this season, having three of them and switching between them accordingly, could be the key this season.

Further Read: When To Play Your First FPL Wildcard? GW7/8 Or GW12 | Fixture Guide

Points per Million (2020/21 vs 2021/22)

• 

• 

To understand why this season in particular, there is a lot more value in these mid/low-priced players, lets compare the players with highest points per million, in 2020/21 season’s first five Gameweeks to this season’s first five:

The table above, includes the top 5 Players for Points per Million, in 2020/21 and 2021/22 season. The last season’s top five, is a bit skewed due to abnormalities caused by VAR, and penalties being awarded for anything. This season, more than ever, the value these players are providing is surreal. The average price of players in the 2020/21 list is 6.86, as compared to 6.22 of 2021/22 season. Moreover, this season, players like Benrahama and Gallagher even have the stats to back their performance up.

• 

• 

Let’s compare some Mid-Priced(7-9m) to Low-Priced(under 7m), to get a better outlook of a team with three Premiums and Trent.

Mid-Priced Players vs Low-Priced Players Comparison

• 

• 

In this section, I will compare the stats of some Mid-Priced players to Low-Priced players. With some negligible differences, and some low-priced midfielders over performing these mid-priced players portrays the exact reason, why we can set out One-Third of our budget for the Premiums. The Mid-Priced Players belong to bracket, 7m-9m, whereas low-priced are all players under 7m.

In this list, there are many players who are underperforming their stats, and missing open chances(YES, JOTA!), who are becoming frustrating to own. What makes them less appealing is that, the players in low-priced bracket are matching/out performing them. With a few exceptions like Antonio and other forwards, midfielders are loosing their shine. With Firmino set to make a return on Saturday, Greenwood drifting wide on Ronaldo’s arrival, and not to mention the 70 minute substitutions, players in the table below, have come into serious considerations as their replacements.

• 

• 

In the Low-Priced Player list, there are many great options in the very budget friendly, 5-6m bracket. Gallagher has recorded an xGI of 3.7, bettering most of the higher priced assets, being priced at just 5.6m! Demarai Gray who has risen to 5.8m has scored 3 goals this season already. Sarr, playing up top and full 90 minutes in the Watford team, has NEW and LEE in his next two. With his current form combined with these fixtures, it seems inevitable for him to not deliver some points. Same case can be made for other players from the list, and switching between them as per their fixtures is the way to go.

Further Read: FPL GW7 Watchlist – Stand Out Players Who Impressed In GW6

Comparing Various Combinations:

1) Gallagher(5.6m) + Sarr(6.1m) + Raphinha(6.5m) Vs Grealish(8.0m) + Son(10.0m):

With the same amount of money spent in both the cases, the former allows managers to fill 3 positions in the midfield. Here is the comparison between the two combinations:

• 

• 

• 

For the expected stats, big chances, SiB, the former combination is ahead of Grealish and Son. Also, Sarr and Raphinha have better fixtures and Gallagher has the form to balance the team out. The 3 premium forces the remaining team to settle on low-priced midfielders, however, on comparing these stats, it is not really settling, as they are out performing them in some aspects.

2) Saint-Maximin(6.7m) + Benrahama(6.5m) + Sarr (6.1m) Vs Jota(7.7m) + Greenwood(7.7m):

• 

• 

• 

In this comparison, spending 3.9m more on the low-priced players is not completely justified. However, they all are nailed on to play full 90 minutes, whereas, Jota and Greenwood will always remain a rotation risk, as they get substituted around the 70 minute mark. With Firmino set to make a return, it would result in even lesser minutes for Jota. Considering that they have almost similar stats (except for shots – Jota’s 2/3 open chances), it is a close call between the two combinations, and low-priced players would help in accommodating the three premiums.

Further Read: FPL GW7 Watchlist – Stand Out Players Who Impressed In GW6

Now, let’s look at how going for three premiums can be disadvantageous:

Against Threemiums(Three Premium FPL assets):

Although, going for three premiums sounds exciting, as you get to choose from three options to captain. Realistically, two premiums are enough, if timed perfectly, to switch captaincy between. For example, the popular move of Ronaldo to Lukaku in GW7/8, due to Ronaldo’s fixtures getting tougher is reasonable as most managers would nat captain him against teams like Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, as they are the best defences in the league and its unlikely that the they’ll concede even more than 1 goal. Therefore switching him to Lukaku, who faces vulnerable defence, and rather captaining him, is also a sound strategy.

• 

Why Mid-Priced Players?

In the previous section, I compared how low-priced players can cover mid-priced players like, Grealish, Jota, Greenwood, Jota etc. However, the one drawback to it is that these players play for some of the best teams in the league, and getting their players at such a price is definitely a bargain. Playing for these teams, they are capable of getting a goal or two, even in the dying moments of a match. Also, had not Jota missed all those chances, he would have been the highest scorer this season. Therefore, Mid-Priced player cannot be ignored, and going for Threemiums, will make it difficult to even jump on these mid-priced players, to catch their hot streak.

• 

• 

Big at the Back

Currently, defenders from teams like Manchester City and Chelsea, are the best picks for this position. With both of the teams entering an easy run of fixtures, they are going to be the most popular picks on the Gameweek 7/8 Wildcard. Manchester City are currently best defence , having conceded only 2.0 xGC so far. Chelsea loo too good of a team, to concede against any given team. Due to this, players like Reece James, Cancelo, Dias and Rudiger have come into consideration and eventually in our teams.

• 

Low Flexibility

The obvious drawback of this structure, is the lack of flexibility it causes. Especially, without a Wildcard in the back pocket, it can become too risky to go ahead with. Swapping a premium with 2 mid-priced players would require at least 2 transfers, if not 3. Also, three premiums, clearly leads to a relatively more unbalanced team, which is ultimately reliant on the three premiums. If the premiums have an underwhelming week, it is more likely that the team will also have a low score, as they take up the majority of the squad value.

Further Read: FPL GW7 Watchlist – Stand Out Players Who Impressed In GW6

A Threemium Draft(Three Premium FPL assets):

Here are two drafts, that accommodate the three premiums, and fill the remaining team by the in form low-priced players and defenders.

• 

• 

Option 1 – This draft includes Trent Alexander, which results in more constraints on the rest of the team, and makes it look a bit unbalanced. However, playing Sarr, Gallagher and Gray in their current form, doesn’t seem to be the worst idea as things stand.

Option 2 – The major difference in this draft is that, this one is without Trent Alexander. Sacrificing the Liverpool full back, allows to get a more opportunistic team. Going with two Chelsea defenders on a Wildcard would be a great differential, and also managing to get Raphinha and ASM in the front seven, on paper, seems to be the better option.

• 

• 

Conclusion

It ultimately comes to your transfer plans and perception. If the remaining part of the team, along with the three Premiums appeals you and your strategy, then it is no doubt, a good one to go for. However, if you feel there is too much dependance on your main three, going for two, and swapping them around can be the go to strategy for you. What I would like to add is that – this is a new season and a new season calls for new strategies. Managers should be willing to adapt to different structures, and not be stubborn. At this point, no one knows, what is going to work out and what isn’t. Therefore, ending up on the worse road, is not too bad, till you realise and make the necessary changes!

Thank You for reading this blog!

Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL Ahead of FPL Gameweek 7:

When To Play Your First FPL Wildcard? GW7/8 Or GW12 | Fixture Guide
FPL GW7 Watchlist – Stand Out Players Who Impressed In GW6
Bukayo Saka The Explosive FPL Differential Ahead Of GW7 Fixture Swing

We have also made an elaborate guide covering every rule and chip available in FPL for the 2021/22 FPL Season ~ 2021/22 Fantasy Premier League Season Rules, Tips | The Ultimate Guide

Link to all our FPL Gameweek 7 blogs.

Thanks for reading the ‘FPL GW7 Watchlist’ blog. Keep checking allaboutfpl.com for regular blogs. Also, follow our 37000+community on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay updated on regular Posts and FPL updates. Link to all our FPL Gameweek 7 blogs.

What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 7?

We’ll be covering fixture analysis, differential picks, GW7 Wildcard drafts, captaincy metrics, transfer trend analysis, expected line up, press conference summaries, Buy, hold, sell analysis for FPL GW7, our expert panel team reveals and more. Keep checking allaboutfpl.com for all our blogs and subscribe to our free newsletter through the link below. We’ll also be posting regularly about the same on our social media accounts so follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook keep our notification ON.

Our content is always free and if you like our content do drop a comment, follow, subscribe, and support us. Your love is what keeps us going:)

FPL Gameweek 7 FPL Deadline Countdown

Login and set your team for FPL GW7 now!