Top 5 forwards to pick in the 2015/16 Fantasy Premier League

Will Wayne Rooney be picked more often now that he will be playing as a forward?

With less than a week to go for the new season, Fantasy Premier League managers will be busy assembling their squads and balancing between budget options and big name players ahead of the big Premier League kick-off on Saturday, 8 August.

Everyone loves a bit of Fantasy Premier League, but it is not always easy to get your selections right, which is why over the next few days we will bring you the top five players to pick from each position, which will help you to beat your friends in private and public leagues. Having analysed the top five goalkeepers, the top five defenders and the top five midfielders in our first three articles, we now shift our attentions to the costliest position in the game that is up front.

Top quality forwards win you games. They are the difference between winning the league or narrowly missing out, and the same can be said for your Fantasy Premier League team. You have just three forwards to pick and you need to have balance in your side. It is important to have players contributing points from every position, but if you don’t have forwards who are scoring goals on the regular basis then you have no chance of winning the top prize.

In short, you need to pick poachers, who can sniff out chances and convert week in, week out. You need to pick forwards who are playing in front of the little geniuses, who can spot a pass and thread through killer balls. You want it served on a plate, you don’t want your forwards to work too hard for it.

If you are opting for three up front, you will likely need to get in a budget option, but that may be less of an issue if you are going for a strike partnership or just one up front. Here, we have a look at the top five forwards to pick this season.

5) Aleksandar Mitrovic – Newcastle United

Mitrovic: Price – £6.5m. Selected by – 3.3%. FPL points last season – 0.

Premier League fans need no reminder of what Mitrovic, Newcastle’s new £12m summer signing, can do after he scored in Anderlecht’s 3-3 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League last season. A powerful striker, the Serbian international boasts considerable experience for a player still only 20.

After breaking through the ranks at Partizan Belgrade with 13 goals in 28 appearances, he took the Belgian top flight by storm with 36 goals in 69 league outings, including 20 last season which made him the top scorer in the league. A host of top clubs were reportedly interested in securing his signature including Roma and Porto, but in the end the Magpies managed to get their man.

At 6’2”, he is more of a target-man type than Papiss Cisse and will offer Steve McClaren’s side a for more robust presence up top. Newcastle have a tough start to the season as they face six of last season’s top eight in the first eight game weeks, but if the Serbian is able to acclimatize to his new surroundings quickly and recapture his form from last season, then at 6.5 he could be a real steal.

4) Harry Kane – Tottenham Hotspur

Kane: Price – £9.5m. Selected by – 35.0%. FPL points last season – 191

What a season it turned out to be for Harry Kane. Having previously spent time away on loan and only made a handful of first-team appearances for Tottenham, the 22-year-old was given his chance as Mauricio Pochettino grew tired of Roberto Soldado missing chance after chance.

Kane grabbed the opportunity with both hands and quickly made a name for himself, becoming one of the most lethal forwards in the Premier League by scoring 21 goals including a memorable brace against London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal. It is no surprise that his price has skyrocketed from 5.0 to 9.5 in the last 12 months.

There are some unanswered questions about Kane, whether the previous campaign was one-off amazing season or is he about to become a consistent goal scorer. There are less risky cheaper alternatives available, but if he can reproduce the form of last season where he racked up 191 points including 32 bonus points, then he will still prove to be a great value for money.

Spurs have a favourable start to the season as they face just one team from last season’s top eight in their opening six game weeks, and so expect Kane to find the back of the net sooner than later.

3) Wayne Rooney – Manchester United

Rooney: Price – £10.5m. Selected by – 32.0%. FPL points last season – 132

With Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao no longer at Old Trafford, and Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin brought in to strengthen the midfield, the prospects of Rooney in this year’s Fantasy Premier League appear very bright. After starting in central midfield on a number of occasions last season, the England captain managed just 132 points, his lowest since the start of the game in 2006 and a far cry from scores of 224, 230 and 190 in the last six seasons.

This season, the 29-year-old looks set to lead line, ahead of Javier Hernandez, Adnan Januzaj and James Wilson, in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, and with Louis van Gaal admitting last season that Rooney, as his captain, is a sure starter in his team, he may well prove worth his price tag.

The new (Sch)midfield should give the United team a far more solid foundation which will allow the more attack minded players to concentrate on supplying Rooney with the service that will help him reach the three goals he needs to become the Premier League second greatest goalscorer and also aim to get closer to the 27 he scored in 2011/12 or 26 he managed in 2009/10, both the times when he was given no.9 role.

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2) Diego Costa – Chelsea

Costa: Price – £11.0m. Selected by – 28.9%. FPL points last season – 150

The Brazilian-born Spain international started last season like a man possessed and instantly gained attention from Fantasy Premier League managers. The 25-year-old scored a hugely impressive 20 goals in 26 games in his first season in the Premier League, and may well have been the top scorer in the league if not for his injuries.

He brought a fair share of joy and despair in equal measure to FPL managers last season thanks to his goals and regular concerns over his hamstring issues. In that sense, the summer break should have given the striker enough time to heal properly, and having managed a goal conversion rate better than any other forward in the league, there is no doubting his talent.

He is very much the focal point of Chelsea’s attack and with the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian supporting him, he will have no shortage of service. With 150 points picked up last time and a year’s Premier League experience under his belt, there are good chances that he will surpass that points tally this season, should he stay injury free.

Chelsea have a tricky start as they face both Manchester City and Arsenal in their opening six game weeks, but if Diego Costa plays, there is every chance he could find the back of the net for the Blues.

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1) Sergio Aguero – Manchester City

Aguero: Price – £13.0m. Selected by – 14.1%. FPL points last season – 216

It is no surprise, following his most prolific season in the Premier League, last year’s golden boot winner, Sergio Aguero finds himself at the top of this list. The Argentine international is the most expensive player in Fantasy Premier League this season at 13.0, but if he can perform at the same level as he did last term then he is well worth the investment.

The Manchester City striker produced 26 goals and 10 assists in 33 appearances and racked up a massive 216 points, second most behind Hazard. He continued his good form into the Copa America this summer, scoring three goals in five appearances as Argentina reached the finals only to lose to Chile on penalties.

Currently owned by just over 14% of FPL managers, Aguero is likely to miss the season opener at West Brom due to his recent international commitments and may be eased into action after a late summer break. City start the campaign with a tricky away trip to the Hawthorns followed by the big game against Chelsea at home, but their schedule turns very favourable from Gameweek 4, though, which could see him rum riot once he returns to the team and finds his match rhythm.

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