Brighton FPL Gameweek 5: Maupay proving popular ahead of derby day
Thanks to Project Big Picture, the last knockings of the international break have been spent on rather more local affairs – namely, stopping the big six taking all the power in English football in exchange for a wad of cash for the EFL.
Thankfully, the plan appears to have made like most of England’s defence against Denmark and found itself binned off, meaning we can sit back and concentrate on the key issues of the weekend.
If you’re a Brighton fan, that involves just one thing – sticking it to the old enemy Crystal Palace, on their own turf, at 2pm on Sunday afternoon.
Maupay ‘n’ Display
Brighton players haven’t exactly been selling like Fantasy Premier League (FPL) hot cakes over the break, but there has been a noticeable uptake in managers keen to secure the services of striker Neil Maupay (£6.6 million).
Maupay finds his FPL ownership levels now up to 5.4%, with close to 140,000 buying him in for gameweek fives trip to Selhurst Park. The French strikers love of scoring against rival clubs has not gone unnoticed.
That has prompted a £0.1m price rise for Maupay – only the second Seagulls star to gain value in FPL so far this season. The other one is Tariq Lamptey (£4.7 million), which brings us neatly on to the next point that needs making.
Picks For Brighton v Crystal Palace
A quick look at the stats suggests one key area where it could be wise to invest in an Albion player this weekend – defence. Brighton have conceded just 34 attempts this campaign. Of the teams who have played four matches so far, only two have allowed fewer.
Palace, meanwhile, have managed a mere 31 attempts – the third-worst record among teams with four games under their belts. Brighton have had 55, which is the fourth best total.
Proof, if it were ever needed, that beneath his kindly owl façade, Roy Hodgson’s soul is a flintier affair. He much prefers a hoof into the safety of the stands over the tawdry delights of such fripperies as ‘goals’ or ‘interest’.
Cheap tribal points-scoring aside, the obvious takeaway from all those stats is that Brighton could be on for their second clean sheet of the season at Selhurst Park.
There’s a case for more shut-outs in the near future as well, with visits from West Bromwich Albion and Burnley to come before the next international break in November.
The 10%-owned Lamptey trained on Thursday, with boss Graham Potter issuing a ‘wait and see’ verdict regarding the full-back’s recovery from a hamstring problem.
Nobody reading this needs telling that Lamptey has been in outstanding form this season. September saw him make his England Under 21 debut, be nominated for Premier League Player of the Month and be voted as our WAB Player of the Month. Not bad for someone who, lest we forget, has only just turned 20.
If Lamptey doesn’t play, which of Albion’s rear guard deserves your fantasy money? Adam Webster (£4.5 million) probably ticks the most boxes. He is the joint-cheapest of Potter’s regular backline starters and has also had the most shots (three) among Seagulls defenders.
But if fit, Lamptey should probably be your go-to guy at the back. He is easily the most creative defender in the team, one of only six players to provide a big chance for a team-mate this campaign.
Elsewhere…
A lot of fantasy attention has been drawn to Tottenham Hotspur following their 6-1 humbling of Manchester United. As a result, managers are flocking to buy Harry Kane (£10.6m) and, in particular, Heung-Min Son (£9.1m).
The latter is the most-purchased player of the gameweek, with more than a million new owners, while Kane’s popularity has been boosted by about half that figure. The pair have 89 FPL points between them this season – Brighton have managed 156, but only by using 13 more players to do it.
A visit from in-form West Ham United is on the cards this weekend for Tottenham, which clearly hasn’t put anyone off when it comes to buying into their prime assets. Captaining either of them might be risky, but few of this weekend’s other fixtures are offering obvious alternatives.
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