SOMETIMES it’s beneficial to view Dream Team as a stock market.
Gaffers who buy low and sell high are eventually able to afford to an XI worth well over the initial £50million limit.
Player price changes are determined by an algorithm that measures total points against current price. If an asset is deemed to be under-performing against expectations then their price will drop.
But if a player punches above their weight then they become more costly.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at which players have increased in value the most since the start of the season.
Sven Botman £2.5m to £4.3m (+£1.8m)
There are a number of factors that have contributed to Newcastle conceding the fewest Premier League goals so far this season, not least the addition of a highly-rated 6ft 4in centre-back.
Botman played a huge role in Lille’s title triumph in 2020/21 (it takes something special to stop PSG winning Ligue 1 these days) and the Magpies edged out several other wealthy suitors to sign the Dutchman last summer.
The 22-year-old has bedded in seamlessly at St James’ Park and has formed a physically imposing partnership with Fabian Schar at the heart of defence.
Clean sheets are a regularly occurrence and with 78 points to his name, Botman is the ninth-best defender Dream Team has to offer right now.
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His starting price of £2.5m looks very generous with the power of hindsight.
Miguel Almiron £1.5m to £3.3m (+£1.8m)
Anyone who says they predicted the Paraguayan’s uplift this season is a liar.
A hardworking, likeable player, it’s fair to say that frustrations in the final third undermined his first three and a half seasons at Newcastle.
Between 2018/19 and 2021/22 he mustered nine league goals in total – a desperately underwhelming return for a player in his position, hence his lowly starting price this term.
But something has clicked for Almiron in 2022/23 (perhaps it was Jack Grealish’s throwaway taunt that turned the tide) and he’s scored nine goals in 18 league outings.
Only five Premier League players have scored more at this stage.
No wonder his price has more than doubled!
Rodrigo £2m to £3.8m (+£1.8m)
Expectations were high when Leeds broke their transfer record to sign Spain’s first-choice No9 from Valencia in 2020.
While the technically-sound forward showed flashes of ability in his first two seasons with the Whites, it’s only this campaign that fans are seeing an extended period of quality in front of goal.
Rodrigo has scored 11 goals in all competitions already this term and is one of just five players in double figures in the Premier League.
Having previously played as more of a second striker, he’s done a great job leading the line during Patrick Bamford’s injury troubles.
With 79 points, the 31-year-old is among Dream Team’s top ten forwards at this juncture.
Aleksandar Mitrovic £3.5m to £5.3m (+£1.9m)
It’s rare that a newly promoted player is assigned a starting price as high as £3.5m in Dream Team but we felt the Serbian target man’s record-breaking Championship campaign (in which he scored 43 goals) deserved recognition.
As it turns out, Fulham’s No9 warranted an even higher starting price as he’s increased by almost £2m since Game Week 1.
Dominant in the air and a nightmare for centre-backs to contain, Mitrovic has proved his doubters wrong with 11 goals in just 15 top flight appearances this season.
He’s actually averaging more points-per-game (6.3) than Harry Kane, Gabriel Jesus and Mohamed Salah.
Erling Haaland £7m to £9m (+£2m)
Generally, players to have forced the greatest price increases are those who previously struggled but have unlocked another level in recent months (Almiron, Rodrigo, etc).
This example is something else entirely.
When Man City confirmed the signing of the prolific Norwegian, we anticipated him to hit the ground running and so we slapped a £7million price tag on him from the off, instantly making him one of the most-expensive players in the game.
What we didn’t expect was for Haaland to make a mockery of the English game by scoring 21 goals in his first 16 Premier League appearances.
Add in a further six goals in other competitions and it’s no wonder the intimidating No9 boasts a ridiculous points tally of 220 points.
Dream Team bosses aren’t accustomed to a player costing £9million but Haaland has redefined the boundaries of the game with his relentless hunger for goals.
Nick Pope £2.5m to £4.6m (+£2.1m)
Having been relegated with Burnley, the England international started at a very reasonable £2.5m upon his switch to St James’ Park.
By far the best option in his price range, Pope was a popular man prior to Game Week 1 and those gaffers who have backed him from the get-go could not have been rewarded with more returns in their wildest dreams.
The Toon’s custodian has 96 points to his name, 17 more than the next-best goalkeeper.
Clean sheets have been his bread and butter but he’s also earned four Star Man awards with some excellent shot-stopping rearguards.
One of the standout performers of the Dream Team season so far.
Fabian Schar £2m to £4.2m (+£2.2m)
Yet another defensive asset from Eddie Howe’s thriving squad.
The Switzerland international made his statement with an 18-point haul in Game Week 1 following his long-distance wonderstrike against Nottingham Forest and he’s continued to punch above his weight ever since.
Most fans expected Newcastle to be an improved force this term but few would have tipped them for Champions League qualification, which they’re certainly in contention for at the halfway mark.
Currently the third-best defender in Dream Team (95 points), Schar simply has to be considered one of the smartest bargain picks by the tiny minority who backed him from the off.
Kieran Trippier £3m to £6m (+£3m)
Fittingly, we finish with the crowning jewel of Newcastle’s defence and a man who has taken Dream Team by storm since his return to the game.
The reason Trippier has doubled in price from £3m to £6m is that not only has he benefited from his side’s miserly defensive effort, he’s earned 17 7+ ratings and six Star Man awards because of his contributions in attack.
Five assists in all competitions, while impressive, doesn’t do justice to the volume of chances he’s created.
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An unerringly consistent performer, he’s amassed 147 points to date, a whopping 46 more than Joao Cancelo, the games’ second-best defender at this stage.
And Trippier has achieved this total without European fixtures to bolster to his schedule!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
