MX23RW : Monday, January 13 08:54:55| >> :600:181098434:181098434:

The most popular FPL players as the season draws to a close

From bargains to big buys, these are the players in demand.

Players go in and out of fashion in the Fantasy Premier League but who is trending towards the end of the season, and is it for the right reasons?

After dividing players into three categories – cheap, mid-range and expensive – here the Press Association looks at which players are attracting the most attention in each position according to net transfers.

Starting with the goalkeepers, it may come as a surprise to see Watford's Ben Foster, whose error gifted Arsenal all three points in their recent Premier League game, leading the way.

Three of the most popular goalkeepers for Fantasy Premier League managers ahead of gameweek 35

The mid-range Hornets stopper has failed to keep a clean sheet in seven games, but with Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City among his recent opponents, perhaps that is no surprise.

Instead, managers appear to be backing Foster for his ever-present nature – he has played in all of Watford's league games so far this season – and a fixture list that includes Huddersfield, Southampton, Wolves and West Ham.

Further ahead in defence, the mid-range price bracket is again the more popular, but those in the cheap seats backing Maya Yoshida might be getting more bang for their buck.

Three of the most popular defenders for Fantasy Premier League managers ahead of gameweek 35

Southampton are in fine fettle, and since Yoshida returned to the team they have won four games out of six.

The Japan centre-back has banked 25 points in that time, and with fixture difficulties of three or lower to come this season, the net 15,540 that brought him in might be glad he has flown under the radar.

In midfield, it will come as no surprise that Tottenham's hat-trick man Lucas Moura has been brought in by thousands, while Raheem Sterling continues to prove popular with Manchester City now focused almost entirely on the Premier League.

Three of the most popular midfielders for Fantasy Premier League managers ahead of gameweek 35

As bandwagons go however, Nathan Redmond's is cheaper to jump on, with his brace against Wolves seeing him 37 FPL points clear of any other Saints player with a raft of winnable fixtures still to come.

As for strikers, no forward has put their stamp on the 2018/19 season, with Sergio Aguero the leading man on just 177 points.

As a result, managers appear to be divided between backing the pricier options, and taking their chances on a bargain.

Three of the most popular forwards for Fantasy Premier League managers ahead of gameweek 35

That goes some way to explaining why thousands are bringing Bournemouth's Callum Wilson into their team.

The England striker notched a season-high 15 points in the Cherries' 5-0 win against Brighton, and has now entered double figures for FPL assists as well as goals.

Despite only playing one match in the forthcoming double game week, three level-two difficulty fixtures suggests the masses may have made a wise call this time around.

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Max McLean, Press Association');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '83984b8c-3152-4606-bfe3-d8e4a6e50c72');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story-enriched');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'The hivemind: The most popular trends in the FPL transfer market'});

ID:356657: cacheID:356657:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8488:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Paul Pogba celebrates scoring for Manchester United against Bournemouth on December 30, 2018.
Read Next:
Report: Madrid step up bid for Pogba, Hazard
>
Read more about Fantasy Football Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool19144147192846
2Arsenal20117239182140
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest20124429191040
4Chelsea20106439241536
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle20105534221235
6Manchester CityMan City2010463627934
7Bournemouth209653023733
8Aston Villa209563032-232
9Fulham207943027330
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2061043029128
11Brentford208393835327
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs20731042301224
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd206592328-523
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham206592439-1523
15Crystal Palace204972128-721
16Everton193881525-1017
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2044123145-1416
18Ipswich TownIpswich2037102035-1516
19Leicester CityLeicester2035122344-2114
20Southampton2013161244-326


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!