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Wolves defenders give Fantasy League bosses bite and value

Wolves’ strong start to the season has made their defenders must-have properties in Fantasy Premier League.The promoted side have adapted seamlessly to life in the top flight, recording three wins in their first eight games as well as drawing with both Manchester City and Manchester United.They also have three clean sheets, with Everton on the …

Wolves’ strong start to the season has made their defenders must-have properties in Fantasy Premier League.

The promoted side have adapted seamlessly to life in the top flight, recording three wins in their first eight games as well as drawing with both Manchester City and Manchester United.

They also have three clean sheets, with Everton on the opening day the only side to score more than once against them, meaning they can provide defensive value for your fantasy team.

City’s Ederson is the only goalkeeper with more points than Rui Patricio – and costs over £1million more – while Matt Doherty, Willy Boly and Jonny Otto all feature in the top 10 defenders.

There is more to planning your transfer strategy than simply points totals, though, including budget restrictions and the desire to steal a march on your rivals in your mini-league by finding the under-the-radar gems.

With that in mind, Press Association Sport has created a “Transfer Score” for each player based on form over the last six games, cost and ownership percentage.

Eden Hazard celebrates scoring against Cardiff
Eden Hazard is the top flight’s form player (Victoria Jones/PA)

It is weighted in favour of the form ranking, where Chelsea’s Eden Hazard scores a maximum 99 having averaged 11 points per game.

For the other categories, low cost and ownership is desirable and therefore translates into the highest rating – so Liverpool star Mohamed Salah’s mammoth £12.8m price tag means a score of zero.

The three ratings are then combined to produce the transfer score, where Doherty leads the way on 79.

Matt Doherty celebrates his goal against Crystal Palace
Matt Doherty is our top transfer tip (John Walton/PA)

The full-back rates at 74 in form with an average of 8.2 points per game, while his £4.8m price tag earns a mark of 89 and he is owned by 13.5 per cent of managers for a rating of 86.

Hazard is the second most-owned player in the league after Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, scoring 50 points on that front having been selected by over 49 per cent of managers, while his £11.3m price tag scores him 16 – but the weighting towards form means an overall transfer score of 73.

Boly, Jonny and Patricio all score 70 – they have not piled up the points as heavily as Doherty but have lower ownership percentages – while Bournemouth’s Josh King is the top striker pick.

Josh King scores a penalty against Leicester
Josh King provides a value option up front (Mark Kerton/PA)

The Norway international has provided a useful 6.5 points per game at £6.4m, and crucially appears in just 5.5 per cent of teams.

Everton playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson, Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette and Manchester City pair Aymeric Laporte and Kyle Walker complete the top 10 – narrowly preventing Conor Coady adding to the Wolves defensive contingent.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool14112129111835
2Chelsea1594235181731
3Arsenal1585229151429
4Manchester CityMan City158342721627
5Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest157441918125
6Aston Villa157442323025
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton156632522324
8Bournemouth157352320324
9Brentford157263128323
10Fulham156542220223
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1562731191220
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle155551921-220
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd155461918119
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Everton143561421-714
16Leicester CityLeicester153572130-914
17Crystal Palace152761420-613
18Ipswich TownIpswich151681427-139
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1523102338-159
20Southampton1512121131-205


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