Reece James Replacements Comparison and Verdict Ahead of FPL GW21

The busy festive period has been complicated by COVID postponements, but with this comes the possibility of double gameweeks that will be key to getting the edge over your opponents. FPL legend Ben Crellin (@BenCrellin) has created this spreadsheet mapping out the possible double gameweeks in FPL GW21 and GW22. I’ll be referring to this when I talk about them. In this blog, we compare the ideal Reece James replacements going into FPL GW21.

PS: This blog was written before the DGW21 announcements for Westham, Brentford and Everton.

Reece James Replacement Compared ahead of FPL GW21

• Reguilón vs Davies vs Emerson Royal vs Dier

• Cash vs Coufal

• Lamptey vs Cucurella

• Castagne vs Thomas

• Lowton vs Mitchell vs Dalot vs Johnson

[All stats are taken from FBREF where possible; when this data was not available it was taken from FFSCOUT]

[All maps taken from FFSCOUT]

Link to all our FPL Gameweek 21 blogs.

Spurs Defenders Comparison

Reguilón (£5.3m) vs Davies (£4.5m) vs Emerson (£4.9m) vs Dier (£4.6m)

Spurs defenders the stats

	Reguilón	Davies	Emerson	Dier
Starts / Minutes	15 / 1202	7 / 661	12 / 1103	17 / 1451
Total Points	70	31	36	63
Points per Game	4.4	3.9	2.8	3.7
Clean Sheets	6	3	3	7
Goals Conceded	15	10	17	17
Goals	1	0	0	0
npxG / per 90	1.2 / 0.09	1.1 / 0.15	0.4 / 0.03	0.4 / 0.03
Fantasy Assists / Assists	0 / 3	1 / 1	0 / 1	1 / 0
xA / per 90	2.9 / 0.22	0.4 / 0.06	1 / 0.08	1.3 / 0.08
npxG + xA / per 90	4.1 / 0.31	1.5 / 0.21	1.4 / 0.11	1.7 / 0.11
Shots / on Target	8 / 1	6 / 2	3 / 1	6 / 3
Key Passes / per 90	18 / 1.34	4 / 0.55	11 / 0.89	6 / 0.37
Crosses	41	3	30	0
% Goal Involvement	22	10	6	0
% FPL Goal Involvement	22	20	6	4

Reguilón is definitely providing the best-attacking numbers over his other rivals.

After this, Emerson is also a promising asset that has started every game under Conte. Davies has also registered some good numbers despite his smaller sample size.

Dier’s more central role means he has less attacking threat, so maybe if money is an issue then Davies will be the best affordable route to the Tottenham defence.

Reguilón’s Maps

Reguilón’s heatmaps are obviously explosive, and he occupies a typical position for a wingback.

Davies’ Maps

Davies has a more central role, and although he does make attacking runs and passes, he occupies a deeper position than the wingbacks.

Emerson’s Maps

Emerson’s positioning is very similar to Reguilon’s, and he definitely provides great attacking threat at a slightly cheaper price and perhaps as a more ‘nailed on’ starter.

Dier’s Maps

Heatmaps from FFSCOUT. Signup and access stats, heatmaps and more

Dier has a completely different role to the others, as a central defender, where he is more of a threat during set pieces.

Tottenham at a Glance

W / D / L	9 / 3 / 5
Goals (Pens)	20 (2)
npxG / xG	23.8 / 25.3 (7th)
npxG / xG per 90	1.47 / 1.52 (5th/6th)
Chances Created	145 (15th)
Goal Attempts	200 (15th)
Shots on Target	74 (7th)
Crosses	287 (16th)
Goals Conceded	20 (5th)
SoT Conceded	64 (3rd)

Tottenham have looked more promising over the last few games, but are still a little unreliable in their attacking ability. However, they are defensively quite solid so taking a chance on their explosive wingbacks could provide great reward.

Here are Tottenham’s next scheduled games:

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ARS

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SOU

WOL

mci

lee

EVE

However, Spurs are likely to have a double gameweek in GW22 (where they face Arsenal); and Ben Crellin has predicted that it will likely be against Leicester, but it could also be versus Burnley or Brighton. These fixtures aren’t ideal, but considering Chelsea and Arsenal assets are hitting some unfortunate form and fixtures, there will likely be a space in our teams for a Tottenham player, who are looking much stronger under Conte. However, some tricky fixtures might lead us away from spending money on their wingbacks.

The Verdict

Although Reguilón has been a very popular asset, Emerson’s place also looks fairly nailed (whereas there may be a slight minutes risk with Reguilón), so he is definitely a viable alternative. If you’re going for a wingback, considering budget, rotation risks, and attacking threat, it is close – maybe Emerson is the slightly safer pick, but both have the potential for huge upside.

The cheaper options Davies and Dier also have their upsides, despite operating in less attacking positions. I think saving money with one of these guys is also a viable option. Davies has played some very good games and has been more attacking in general than Dier, but Dier has some set-piece threat on his side. I also think Spurs are going into the January transfer window looking for someone who plays in Davies’ position, so that is something to look out for. Overall, Davies is getting in those more attacking positions, and if you’re short on cash he’s a valid alternative to Emerson or Reguilón.

Further Read: FPL GW21 Wildcard Team Reveal | Best Wildcard Draft

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Cash (£5m) vs Coufal (£4.7m)

Before Villa’s recent postponements, Cash was a very popular transfer in due to their improved performances and favorable fixtures.

Coufal has been hit with an injury, but now that he will hopefully be able to get into a good run of games, he comes back into contention.

Coufal has a double gameweeks coming up and Cash likely having a double too, so jumping on some favorable fixtures could provide you with a double-digit haul.

Cash vs Coufal: The Stats

	Cash	Coufal
Starts / Minutes	18 / 1603	13 / 1184
Total Points	57	32
Points per Game	3.2	2
Clean Sheets	6	2
Goals Conceded	25	19
Goals	1	0
npxG / per 90	1.2 / 0.07	0.3 / 0.02
Fantasy Assists / Assists	0 / 0	0 / 2
xA / per 90	1.1 / 0.06	1.5 / 0.12
npxG + xA / per 90	2.3 / 0.13	1.8 / 0.14
Shots / on Target	18 / 4	7 / 2
Key Passes / per 90	11 / 0.62	11 / 0.83
Crosses	55	45
% Goal Involvement	4	8
% FPL Goal Involvement	4	8

Overall, Cash has provided more attacking threat. However, Coufal has missed several games with injury and suspensions. Looking at their respective teams will help decide if Villa’s improved performance justifies picking Cash over Coufal, who is a key part of West Ham’s attack.

Cash’s Maps

Coufal’s Maps

Heatmaps from FFSCOUT. Signup and access stats, heatmaps and more

Both attack in a very similar manner, though Coufal has had some anomalies in his positioning. He should, however, remain in that right back position, barring further injuries or rotations.

Villa vs West Ham at a Glance

	Aston Villa	West Ham
W / D / L	7 / 1 / 10	9 / 4 / 6
Goals (Pens)	24 (2)	34 (2)
npxG / xG	16.9 / 18.3	24.4 / 27
npxG / xG per 90	0.94 / 1.02	1.28 / 1.42
Chances Created	146	183
Goal Attempts	199	257
Shots on Target	59	81
Crosses	228	268
Goals Conceded	28	25
SoT Conceded	78	86

Although Villa have improved since Gerrard was appointed, West Ham are still superior in their performances.

Since their win against Liverpool, West Ham have lost 4, drawn 2, and won 2 – the only clean sheet i nthis time being in a goalless draw against Burnley. Their performances without the likes of Ogbonna, Zouma, and Creswell are definitely sporadic, and this weakened defence will deter us from opting for Coufal.

Aston Villa	West Ham
bre	cry
MUN	LEE
eve	mun
LEE	WAT
new	lei
WAT	NEW
bha	WOL
SOU	liv

• In FPL GW21 or GW22, West Ham have a double gameweek where they face Norwich and Palace
• During this period, Villa could have a rescheduled game against Leeds or Burnley

Both potential double gameweeks are very favourable, so Villa and West Ham look like good teams to target, with the rest of their fixtures also great in the long term.

Cash vs Coufal: The Verdict

If Cash wasn’t on 4 yellow cards, there would be a lot less speculation about whether he is a good asset to bring in. Villa have some great fixtures coming up, and some possible doubles, and their improvement under Gerrard make him a great pick. However, there are also other options that you have to consider.

Coufal should also be a lovely differential, who always has attacking threat in a strong side. However, West Ham’s defence seems a bit unreliable with some big names out injured. I think targeting their attackers is the best option, and perhaps opting for a defender with a sturdier defence as of now would be sensible.

Further Read: FPL GW21 Wildcard Team Reveal | Best Wildcard Draft

Before going further, Do vote in this week’s FPL GW21 allaboutfpl captaincy poll. The same will be available in the captaincy analysis and metrics blog written by@AK_FPL1. The metrics has a 17/20 record this year. Last week the metric predicted Salah as the best captaincy candidate but he ended up blanking having missed a penalty in the game. Stay tuned for the GW21 Captaincy metric to see who tops it. Link to all our FPL Gameweek 21 blogs.

[Total_Soft_Poll id=”31″]

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

Lamptey (£4.5m) vs Cucurella (£5m)

Brighton’s lively wingbacks have been on people’s radars for a while, so their possible double gameweeks are a perfect time to start considering them.

Lamptey vs Cucurella: The Stats

	Lamptey	Cucurella
Starts / Minutes	7 / 646	15 / 1289
Total Points	34	64
Points per Game	3.1	4.3
Clean Sheets	3	6
Goals Conceded	5	13
Goals	0	0
npxG / per 90	0.4 / 0.06	0.2 / 0.01
Fantasy Assists / Assists	0 / 1	0 / 1
xA / per 90	0.9 / 0.12	1.3 / 0.09
npxG + xA / per 90	1.3 / 0.18	1.5 / 0.1
Shots / on Target	8 / 2	7 / 1
Key Passes / per 90	9 / 1.25	21 / 1.47
Crosses	23	40
% Goal Involvement	20	8
% FPL Goal Involvement	20	8

Lamptey overall has provided better numbers, but unfortunately, his data is slightly skewed after returning from injury. Despite this, Cucurella is also playing really well.

Lamptey’s Maps

Cucurella’s Maps

Heatmaps from FFSCOUT. Signup and access stats, heatmaps and more

Brighton at a Glance

Matches Played	18
W / D / L	5 / 9 / 4
Goals (Pens)	17 (3)
npxG / xG	17.9 / 20.1
npxG / xG per 90	0.99 / 0.72
Chances Created	166 (9th)
Goal Attempts	224 (9th)
Shots on Target	66 (10th)
Crosses	204 (10th)
Clean Sheets	6 (5th)
Goals Conceded	18 (5th)
SoT Conceded	69 (5th)

• Only Wolves, Burnley, and Norwich have scored less goals

Brighton had a great start, but then dipped in form. However, the recent win against Brentford and last-minute equaliser against Chelsea will definitely boost their confidence. They come in at around average for all their attacking stats, but haven’t been as clinical as other teams. Their defence is also very solid, so their wingbacks have a good chance of keeping some clean sheets over the next few games.

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AVL

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Brighton, other than their blank fixture, have a really good run of games.

• Their double gameweek against United, Chelsea, or Tottenham is more likely to occur in GW22 (80-100% chance). This isn’t an ideal double fixture, but Brighton have held Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham, and Arsenal to a draw this season. In a potentially low scoring game, assets like Cucurella and Lamptey will accumulate many bonus points.

Lamptey vs Cucurella: The Verdict

Although Lamptey does have the potential to be a great asset, I think spending that little extra on Cucurella would be a sensible decision. Cucurella’s starting place is more assured, and he doesn’t have the worrying injury record that Lamptey does. In a potential double gameweek, these factors could be key.

If you are thin on funds, I still think Lamptey is a decent option – he is an explosive asset, part of a sturdy defence.

Further Read: FPL GW21 Wildcard Team Reveal | Best Wildcard Draft

Castagne (£5.3m) vs Thomas (£4.3m)

A week or two ago, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that Leicester defenders would be in contention for our teams, but with potential double gameweeks and a surprise triumph over Liverpool they are definitely on our radars.

* Leicester vs Norwich in GW21 is currently off and Leicester will blank in GW21 unless a match is rearranged for the mid-week – info from Ben Crellin

Castagne vs Thomas: The Stats

	Castagne	Thomas
Starts / Minutes	12 / 1273	10 / 900
Total Points	29	27
Points per Game	1.8	2.7
Clean Sheets	2	3
Goals Conceded	21	19
Goals	0	0
npxG / per 90	0.1 / 0.00	0.1 / 0.01
Fantasy Assists / Assists	0 / 0	0 / 1
xA / per 90	0.4 / 0.03	1.2 / 0.12
npxG + xA / per 90	0.5 / 0.03	1.3 / 0.13
Shots / on Target	1 / 0	2 / 0
Key Passes / per 90	6 / 0.43	7 / 0.7
Crosses	10	11
% Goal Involvement	0	5
% FPL Goal Involvement	0	5

Overall, Thomas has provided the most value so far and and has provided slightly more attacking threat. Looking at this, Castagne wouldn’t be worth the extra funds, especially when so many options are cheaper.

Castagne’s Maps

Thomas’ Maps

Leicester at a Glance

Matches Played	18
W / D / L	7 / 4 / 7
Goals (Pens)	31 (1)
npxG / xG	26.5 / 27.3
npxG / xG per 90	1.47 / 1.52
Chances Created	149 (13th)
Goal Attempts	208 (12th)
Shots on Target	83 (6th)
Crosses	138
Clean Sheets	3
Goals Conceded	33
SoT Conceded	93 (16th)

• Least number of crosses of all Premier League teams
• They have kept as many clean sheets as Norwich, Leeds, Everton, and Burnley – only Watford and Newcastle have fewer
• Only Leeds, Norwich, Newcastle, and Watford have conceded more goals
• Only Newcastle, Leeds, and Norwich have conceded more shots on target

Although their attack does have great potential, it is clear that their defence is still lacking. In their triumph over Liverpool, they had 6 shots to Liverpool’s 21; and only 36% of the possession. Therefore, their defence is still a concern, and although their performance last week is eye-catching, opting for a defensive asset is still a risk.

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BHA

liv

WHU

wol

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LEE

• Ben Crellin believes it is very likely that Leicester will have a double gameweek in GW22 – this will most likely be against Spurs, but could be against Everton or Norwich

Other than a possible double gameweek, Leicester’s fixtures are not too appealing. Burnley and Brighton could be a good chance of a clean sheet, but from what we have seen of their defence it wouldn’t be too surprising to see them concede here.

Castagne vs Thomas: The Verdict

It is unfortunate that Leicester are due to blank in FPL GW21, because that would have made Thomas an even better pick for the short term – especially at his price point. At just £4.3m, he is very nailed for the immediate future and could definitely tick over with some consistent points, but there are other budget options we have to consider next.

At one million more expensive than Thomas, and being pricier than options such as Reguilon, Emerson, Cash, and Cucurella, I think opting for Castagne will be too much of a risk, especially with Leicester’s shaky defensive record. Of course, he could surprise, but I think there are more cost-effective options.

Further Read: FPL GW21 Wildcard Team Reveal | Best Wildcard Draft

Lowton (£4.4m) vs Mitchell (£4.5m) vs Dalot (£4.5m) vs Johnson (£4m)

There are many budget defenders who have the potential for double gameweeks, and all of these options are very differential. It’s definitely worth looking into which players are providing the most attacking potential, and how solid their respective teams are.

Lowton vs Mitchell vs Dalot vs Johnson: The Stats

	Lowton	Mitchell	Dalot	Johnson
Starts / Minutes	16/ 1424	19 / 1700	4 / 463	9 / 756
Total Points	54	56	19	30
Points per Game	3.4	2.9	2.1	3
Clean Sheets	3	5	2	2
Goals Conceded	24	27	6	9
Goals	1	0	0	1
npxG / per 90	0.5 / 0.03	0.1 / 0.00	0.2 / 0.05	0.1 / 0.01
Fantasy Assists / Assists	1 / 2	0 / 1	0 / 0	0 / 0
xA / per 90	1.2 / 0.07	0.7 / 0.04	0.3 / 0.06	0.3 / 0.04
npxG + xA / per 90	1.7 / 0.11	0.8 / 0.04	0.5 / 0.1	0.4 / 0.04
Shots / on Target	8 / 2	1 / 1	3 / 2	3 / 1
Key Passes / per 90	11 / 0.7	10 / 0.53	3 / 0.59	4 / 0.48
Crosses	30	25	20	15
% Goal Involvement	20	4	0	7
% FPL Goal Involvement	27	4	0	7

Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of data for Dalot because we haven’t seen a lot of him.

Johnson has definitely had some solid performances, and with injuries in West Ham’s defence it looks as though he will be tipped to start.

Lowton and Mitchell have been more consistent starters, and Palace’s strong defensive record definitely shows here. Of the two, however, Lowton is providing better attacking numbers.

Lowton’s Maps

Mitchell’s Maps

Dalot’s Maps

Johnson’s Maps

Heatmaps from FFSCOUT. Signup and access stats, heatmaps and more

Burnley vs Palace vs United vs West Ham at a Glance

	Burnley	Palace	United	West Ham
Matches Played	16	19	18	19
W / D / L	1 / 8 / 7	5 / 8 / 6	9 / 4 / 5	9 / 4 / 6
Goals (Pens)	15 (0)	27 (3)	30 (2)	34 (2)
npxG / xG	16	20.7 / 22.9	24.2 / 26.4	24.4 / 27
npxG / xG per 90	1	1.09 / 1.21	1.34 / 1.47	1.28 / 1.42
Chances Created	127	154	207	183
Goal Attempts	173	214	251	257
Shots on Target	54	66	86	81
Crosses	214	208	204	268
Clean Sheets	3	5	4	4
Goals Conceded	24	27	26	25
SoT Conceded	72	81	85	86

Although Burnley have played fewer games, we can see that their defensive record has been quite poor. As well as this, their attacking potential has not been particularly high, and the other teams here definitely come out on top.

As always, West Ham are proving to be a strong team, even though they have had their ups and downs.

United are still a bit of an unknown. Though they have definitely improved under Rangnick, we can also see that they lack precision, and it was a defensive error by Bailly that cost them the clean sheet on Thursday night.

Palace have been a surprise this season – we can see that they have been solid in defence at times.

Burnley	Palace	United	West Ham
lee	WHU	WOL	cry
LEI	bha	avl	LEE
ars	LIV	WHU	mun
MUN	nor	bur	WAT
LIV	bre	SOU	lei
bha	CHE	lee	NEW
cry	BUR	WAT	WOL
CHE	wol	mci	liv

Burnley’s fixture run doesn’t look great, but their double gameweeks do look very positive.

Palace also have a mixed bag of fixtures, but if they have a double gameweek with Watford there is a potential for great points.

United have great upcoming games, and their doubles mean that a defensive asset could be favourable.

West Ham’s fixture run is also positive, but a double gameweek is still uncertain.

Lowton vs Mitchell vs Dalot vs Johnson: The Verdict

I don’t think Dalot is a sensible option, especially because we know he is a rotation risk with Wan-Bissaka. I think the best route to their defence is still De Gea.

If West Ham’s double gameweek is confirmed then Johnson is definitely in contention. He is a great choice for that fifth defender spot, but your priorities for West Ham will probably be bringing in their attackers, and I’m personally not sure if he is a nailed starter in that team – hopefully he is.

Mitchell is an interesting differential, but one that probably won’t be on your radar unless a double gameweek is confirmed.

Lowton is a very tricky one, because he has proven to be the most attacking, but he is also part of a poor Burnley squad. At £4.4m he could be worth a punt, but it is risky.

Overall Verdict on the best Reece James Replacements ahead of FPL GW21

This defender position is so competitive, and there are many routes you could take.

If you haven’t already got a Tottenham defender, I would personally look to bringing one in soon – I really like the look of Davies and Emerson as more ‘nailed’ assets, but as we know Reguilón can be great if he gets those minutes, and he is providing some nice attacking numbers.

I think Cash stands out as someone who is looking great, has some great upcoming fixtures, and is therefore quite a popular pick. If you wanted to go differential or were worried Cash was a trap, then I really like Cucurella as an option. I think he is top of my list to come in for James at the moment.

The budget price point is also stacked with options. Unfortunately, Leicester will likely blank in GW21, so if you would rather someone with (fairly) certain fixtures then Lowton, Lamptey, and even Johnson are possible options. However, if these double gameweeks are confirmed for Leicester then after this week Thomas will be back on the radar as a possible bargain – but do be wary of Leicester’s defence.

Hopefully, the double gameweeks will be announced soon, and I would follow @BenCrellin on Twitter to stay updated with those. He does brilliant work, and his info will really give you an edge in the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading the ‘FPL GW21 Reece James Replacement’ blog. Keep checking allaboutfpl.com for regular blogs. Also, follow our 45,000+community on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay updated on regular Posts and FPL updates.

Link to all our FPL Gameweek 21 blogs.

Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL Ahead of FPL Gameweek 21:

FPL GW21 Wildcard Team Reveal | Best Wildcard Draft
FPL GW21 Ultimate Guide: Announcements, Tips, Differentials, Captaincy
What is FPL CUP? What are the rules? How to win the 2021/22 FPL CUP?
2021/22 FPL Chip Strategy: What to do with the Elusive Boosts

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

What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 21?

We’ll be covering fixture analysis, differential picks, GW21 Wildcard and freehit drafts, captaincy metrics, transfer trend analysis, expected line up, press conference summaries, Buy, hold, sell analysis for FPL GW21, 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.

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