Last updated on October 16th, 2020
Written by Jønathan Kahn. You can catch him on twitter @jkisthe1. Kahn has ranked as high as 105th on the All-Time FPL Manager list!
With a new season comes new excitement and optimism, along with disappointment. In this first review, I want to look at the good and the bad of the opening month and take a look ahead at who might be on our radars going forward. But we start with a review of my differential picks.
Stuart Dallas
This is a case where those who took the risk have been extremely unlucky. He wasted a good chance against Sheffield United as even unlucky not to pick up anything against Manchester City. I’m confident returns are coming.
Luke Shaw
The same is not true of my next pick Luke Shaw. He’s been a disaster of a pick in a terrible start for United and the arrival of Alex Telles calls his starting status into question.
Grady Diangana
Delivered a goal against Everton but sadly little else besides and has been largely overshadowed by his teammate Matheus Pereira. But I still back him to come good.
Dele Alli
Maybe the worst pick of them all, even more so than Shaw, was Dele Alli. It seemed set up for him, but he’s fallen out of favour and has played just over an hour of Premier League football this season. With a certain Welshman back, that could be set to get worse.
Chris Wood
Sadly Burnley just haven’t got going this season to supply the chances to Wood. But I remain confident that they will and when they do, Wood will deliver.
DCL
Lastly, we come to my crowning glory. He started at less than 5% ownership, now it’s almost 50% because Dominic Calvert-Lewin has six goals in just four games and is the most in-form player in the league.
Now to look at the standout performers from the opening period
The Good
Timothy Castagne
He was run close by a few, but the new Leicester man has started like a train with a goal and three assists to start the season. Leicester’s injury problems could limit his clean sheet chances but the attacking threat remains.
Jack Grealish
He was run close, but the constant doubts around Son and Salah, being Salah sees Grealish take the title, he started slowly but after a goal against Fulham, he turned in a remarkable performance scoring twice and assisting three others in Villa’s unbelievable demolition of champions Liverpool.
Harry Kane
Having already talked about Calvert-Lewin I’ve instead opted for an old favourite who is returning to the fore. Kane having three goals in four games is nothing out of the ordinary. But he’s racked up six assists, putting him just one behind his career best already. With added pens, Kane looks hard to ignore again.
The Bad
Keiran Gibbs
There are a few defenders on negative points right now, but Gibbs is at -3, thanks to a red card in a 5-2 defeat and playing 90 in a 3-0 loss. At base level Gibbs needs two games just to get into positive points, it’s likely to be more than that though.
Mason Greenwood
Three games, zero goals, zero assists for a man many cited as a cheap route in the United attack. But there could be redemption on the way with a likely start up front against Newcastle looming.
Timo Werner
It could easily have been Anthony Martial but I opted for the Chelsea man because he started the season with over 40% ownership, but so far has just a solitary assist to his name. Again redemption could be looming as Chelsea see the likes of Ziyech and Pulisic return from injury.
Ones to Watch
Patrick van Aanholt (CPL) Price – £5.4m, Ownership 0.1%
The form of Mitchell clouds things, but if the Dutchman can force his way back in for a fixture run of (BHA, ful, wol, LEE, bur, NEW, wba) there could be points to be had for one of the most attacking defenders in the league. It’s also worth noting that he took a penalty last season, one to monitor there.
Ross Barkley (AVL) Price – £5.9m, Ownership 1.1%
OK, it’s still Ross Barkley, but maybe this time it will be different. A loan move to Villa should give him the game time he lacked at Chelsea and his positioning against Liverpool was promising. With fixtures that read (lei, LEE, SOT, ars) in the next four there’s still opportunity there. He might also be in the mix for penalty duties.
Neal Maupay (BRI) Price – £6.6m, Ownership 5.6%
We’ve been here before with Maupay and he was a letdown. But that doesn’t mean we don’t try again. Brighton look to have come to terms with Potter’s system and whilst the attackers around him seem to change Maupay remains the constant in the attack and is another with penalty duties in the locker ahead of a run that reads (cry, WBA, tot, BUR)
