Fantasy Football

YOU would be forgiven for forgetting that Newcastle signed a £63million striker in the summer. Alexander Isak (£3.4m) was restricted to just 244 minutes of playing time for his new club prior to the World Cup break because of a hamstring injury he incurred while on international duty in September.
The Sweden forward would have been noticeably absent had the Magpies struggled in the months since but, on the contrary, they currently reside third in the Premier League table.
Callum Wilson (£3.9m) and Chris Wood (£2.1m) have shared centre-forward duties between them with the former impressively averaging a goal involvement every 108.8 minutes in the top flight this term.
Wilson has performed well again this season
More broadly, Miguel Almiron’s (£3.4m) purple patch has meant there hasn’t been much talk of a need for more attacking threat.
But of course Eddie Howe would have delighted to be able to call upon Isak again this month.
The 23-year-old got some minutes under his belt against Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester in Game Week 17 and this weekend he reminded fans and Dream Team gaffers alike of his presence when he came off the bench to score Newcastle’s winner against Fulham.
The goal itself was the simplest of tasks, a point-blank header with no goalkeeper to beat, but the magnitude of it should not be underestimated.
Howe’s side are now just one point behind Manchester City and have realistic hopes of Champions League qualification having still only lost one league game in 2022/23.
Isak’s goal was also a wake-up call for Dream Team managers who may have forgotten that the the former Real Sociedad striker scored two goals in three outings before his injury.
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It’s a small size granted, but the Toon’s No14 is averaging a goal every 87.7 minutes in the Premier League since his big-money transfer.
Those numbers, while probably unsustainable, certainly warrant consideration at the very least.
The £63million manCredit: getty
Saying that, patience remains a virtue, it’s not yet clear whether Isak is fully match fit or where he resides in the pecking order at St James’ Park.
Surely the long-term plan is for Isak to be the first-choice striker but it would be understandable if Howe stuck by Wilson for foreseeable future – the England international has always played his best football under the former Bournemouth tactician.
What’s clear is that Newcastle are a team to keep backing in the realm of Dream Team and their upcoming fixtures reinforce the validity of that idea.
They face Crystal Palace next Saturday before two Carabao Cup semi-final legs against Southampton, then West Ham and Bournemouth – two teams at the foot of the table. More

BRIGHTON fans would have been quick to notice that Graham Potter’s Chelsea, with their seemingly endless supply of cash for new transfers, are currently three places below the Seagulls in the table.Roberto De Zerbi’s first game as a manager on English shores was the enthralling 3-3 draw with Liverpool back in October, in which Leandro Trossard (£4.3m) scored a hat-trick.
It’s a measure of the Italian’s progression on the south coast that his most recent game was the reverse fixture with Brighton beating Jurgen Klopp’s side 3-0 on Saturday – and the Belgium international who ran riot at Anfield was nowhere to be seen having fallen out with De Zerbi.
Instead, it was Solly March (£2.3m) who played the role of Liverpool’s tormentor.
Whereas Trossard evidently doesn’t see eye to eye with the ex-Sassuolo tactician, Brighton’s No7 is thriving under the new regime.
Man of the momentCredit: getty
March scored two goals in the space of six minutes at the start of the second half to put his side firmly in the ascendancy against Liverpool before providing the assist for Danny Welbeck’s (£2.8m) cherry-on-top.
The 28-year-old’s performance continues a rare purple patch in terms of attacking returns – he’s now registered four goals and three assists in his last five games.
And from a Dream Team perspective, this fruitful run has also produced three Star Man awards.
All things considered, March has added 52 points to his tally over the last four Game Weeks, making him one of the most in-form players since the restart.
Bearing in mind he mustered just 17 points from the first 14 Game Weeks of the season, this dramatic uplift has caught Dream Team gaffers unaware.
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At the time of writing, March appears in just 0.5% of teams but his ownership will surely rise after his eye-catching 20-point haul against Liverpool.
Brighton have scored six goals in two games against Liverpool this seasonCredit: getty
March has fulfilled several different roles during his decade on the south coast but Premier League viewers will have seen him play predominantly as a left wing-back under Potter.
Right now, De Zerbi is deploying him as a right winger with unexpectedly profitable results.
More broadly, De Zerbi deserves huge credit for answering the one criticism of Brighton in recent years.
Potter’s reign on the south coast was mightily impressive but supporters were often frustrated at their team’s inability to convert possession and territory into goals.
Under De Zerbi, Brighton are averaging 2.13 goals per game – that figure increases to 2.83 when considering just the games since the conclusion of the World Cup.
Sure, they don’t keep as many clean sheets as they used to but they’re bold and dynamic.
More importantly, the Seagulls continue to punch above their weight in the league table – they’re currently one point behind sixth-placed Fulham with two games in hand.
Taken to English football like a duck to water
Just a few weeks ago it would have been unthinkable that De Zerbi could discard a player of Trossard’s ability and not see negative repercussions on the pitch but the performances and the results speak for themselves.
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If the players continue to share the coach’s vision and play to his instructions as closely as March is currently then the club will have a great chance of qualifying for European football for the first time in their history.
Dream Team bosses would do well to take note of March’s returns at the very least, he’s comfortably the cheapest asset currently residing within the top 20 midfielders. More

GAME WEEK 18 promises to be another intriguing one in the Dream Team calendar.Seven teams are set to pull double duty which creates the possibilities of some imbalances that smart gaffers could harness in their favour.
We’ve identified three players with every chance of producing plentiful points in the coming days.
Mohamed Salah (£8.8m)
Business as usual
Okay, so this suggestion is about as mainstream as it gets but with so many viable forward options right now it’s worth serious consideration.
Liverpool’s No11 hasn’t been the subject of as many headlines as usual this season, partly because the Reds’ form as a whole has been inconsistent, but you’d be a fool to underestimate him.
His goal against Wolves in Game Week 17 was his 16th of the campaign in all competitions and runaway leader Erling Haaland (£8.8m) is the only player in his position with more points – the Egyptian has 149 to his name.
This coming Game Week, Salah faces Brighton, who are just one point behind Jurgen Klopp’s side, and while the Seagulls are no mugs they’ve kept just two clean sheets in their last 15 games, one of which was against Charlton in the Carabao Cup.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side give up their fair share of chances and so if Salah has his shooting boots on then he could be in for an enjoyable afternoon on Saturday – these two sides played out a 3-3 at Anfield.
The 30-year-old should also feature against Julen Lopetegui’s side in the FA Cup replay on Tuesday – given their league position, the competition looks to be Liverpool’s best chance of a trophy this season and so Klopp is expected to name a strong XI.
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It’s probably best to stay clear of Liverpool defenders right now but Salah remains a strong option.
Rodrigo (£4m)
One of five players into double figures for Premier League goals this seasonCredit: getty
A niche recommendation here as the Spaniard currently features in just 1.8% of teams.
Having previously been a Dream Team asset to ignore, the Leeds forward has forced himself into contention with 11 goals in 16 outings this season.
The Whites travel to Villa Park this evening before hosting Cardiff for an FA Cup replay on Wednesday night.
It’s entirely possible Jesse Marsch will rotate his squad in midweek but Rodrigo had to come off the bench to help force a draw in Wales so he may be deployed to guard against an embarrassing upset.
The ex-Valencia man averages more points-per-game than Gabriel Martinelli (£3.6m) and Darwin Nunez (£5.5m) this term and he will feel confident of extending his good form in the coming weeks given Leeds’ relatively favourable fixtures.
A goal and a Star Man award in a few hours’ time would propel him up to seventh in the Dream Team rankings among forwards.
Marcus Rashford (£5.4m)
Ready for the Manchester derbyCredit: getty
Dream Team’s most in-form player also pulls double duty in Game Week 18.
Granted, a meeting with Man City Saturday lunchtime represents a testing match-up but Erik ten Hag’s side are in better shape to face their local rivals now than when they lost 6-3 at the Etihad at the start of October.
Plus, Pep Guardiola has promised to do something weird tactically which should encourage the Red Devils’ No10.
Rashford averages a goal involvement every 169.4 minutes against City which is a decent record given how strong the Citizens have been in recent years.
The England international has added a whopping 61 points to his total since returning from the World Cup, scoring in six consecutive matches.

Then in midweek, Rashford will be unleashed upon Crystal Palace, who have lost three of their four games since the restart.
Bruno Fernandes (£5.3m) may also be worth whirl, he’s quietly accumulated 36 points over the last five Game Weeks. More

IT’S a strong start for Dream Team gaffer Toby Hemming in his quest to win a PlayStation 5 via January’s Monthly competition.His XI ‘Last Minute’ racked up 122 points in Game Week 17, more than any other active team.
There’s still a way to go before the PS5 is claimed but let’s take a closer look at Toby put himself in pole position in the last week.
An eclectic bunch!
As you can see, Toby thought outside the box and that all started with Fulham’s second-choice goalkeeper Marek Rodak (£1.4m), who returned eight points from a rare run out against Hull in the FA Cup.
Tailoring your XI to a specific Game Week in hope of earning mega gains is a perfectly viable tactic and Toby has pulled it off superbly here.
Although there’s nothing funky about an all-Newcastle defence given the Magpies boast the best defensive record in the Premier League this season.
Saying that, Eddie Howe’s men suffered a shock defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the cup but normal service was resumed when the first-choice XI was reunited for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester in midweek.
Toby actually missed out on Dan Burn’s (£4.3m) goal against the Foxes but his other Toon defenders combined for 18 points in Game Week 17.
Rarely spotted in the wildCredit: getty
Bruno Guimaraes (£3.6m) enjoyed his third-best Game Week of the campaign, registering 11 points.
The Brazilian midfielder scored Newcastle’s consolation goal against the Owls and made it back-to-back 7+ ratings with an assured display against the Foxes.
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Backing the right Man City midfielders is no simple task due to Pep Guardiola’s rotation policy but Toby got it spot on this past week as Riyad Mahrez (£5.5m) and Phil Foden (£5m) combined for 28 points.
The Algerian winger scored a brace in his side’s 4-0 win over Chelsea, an effort that earned him the Star Man award, while the England youngster scored one of his own and was credited with an assist for winning one of the converted penalties.
Toby would have expected further returns from the Citizens but they were upset by Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
It has to be said that Antony’s (£3.8m) inclusion proved to be a masterstroke.
The Brazilian has blown hot and cold in Man United colours since his big-money move from Ajax but he scored the opening goal in both the Red Devils’s cup games (Everton, Charlton) in Game Week 17 for a 16-point return.
Antony’s best week in a Man United short yetCredit: getty
Up top, it was a rare fallow week for Erling Haaland (£8.8m) but his ownership is so high (74.1%) that it almost doesn’t matter how many points he gets as pretty much every gaffer chasing glory has him in their team.
In contrast, Marcus Rashford (£5.4m) filled his boots with three goals and an assist across his two fixtures for a 28-point haul.
Old Trafford’s No10 has banked a whopping 61 points since returning from the World Cup – he’s Dream Team’s most in-form asset!
Last but not least, Mohamed Salah (£8.8m) scored his 16th goal of the season in Liverpool’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Wolves for a eight-point return.

There have been fewer headlines written about the Egyptian this term but he’s amassed 149 points to date – a legendary Dream Team asset.
Excellent work, Toby, good luck to you and all gaffers ahead of Game Week 18. More

TODD BOEHLY hasn’t been slow to open his chequebook since becoming co-owner of Chelsea.Having forked out significant fees for the likes of Wesley Fofana, Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella, Kalidou Koulbaly and others, the American businessman has now authorised a £9million outlay to acquire Joao Felix’s services for just five months.
The Blues’ confirmed the arrival of the Portugal international on loan from Atletico Madrid yesterday and Dream Team gaffers can now recruit him for £4million if they so desire.
Felix’s natural talent is undeniable but the move has prompted those who were already sceptical of Boehly’s transfer strategy to double their concerns.
New blueCredit: getty
At present, it’s a dysfunctional midfield and the absence of a sharp No9 that seem to be hindering Graham Potter’s side.
Felix, while an exciting addition, doesn’t really address either of those problems.
The 23-year-old plays best as a second striker where he can work off a dynamic No9 and exhibit his playmaking as well as his eye for goal.
This was evidenced recently on the grandest stage of them when he was one of Portugal’s better players in Qatar, particularly when he combined with Goncalo Ramos.
With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looking lethargic, Chelsea don’t have a specialist in-form striker for Felix to bounce off from the get-go.
In fact, the Portuguese forward likes to operate in the same areas as those preferred by Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic – granted the latter pair are nursing injuries but the point is Felix is not somebody who can come in and plug a hole.
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While we’re on the subject, it’s worth noting that Christopher Nkunku, bound for Stamford Bridge in the summer, is also more of a second striker than an out-and-out front man.
Of course, the nature of Felix’s profile and role is a separate conversation to one regarding his potential to have a positive impact.
If he comes in and proves to be more inventive and creative than his positional arrivals then he will surely improve the Blues’ performances.
Felix played well in Qatar before Portugal’s surprise defeat to Morocco
Truth be told, Felix’s play style jars with Diego Simeone’s approach and four years on from his big-money transfer from Benfica it’s probably fair to say that Atletico has been a bad fit for him – half his La Liga appearances this term have come as a substitute.
He’s a forward who values freedom, expressionism and unpredictability while Atleti’s grizzled coach believes in hard work, identifiable structures, and plenty of dark arts.
Simeone’s approach has been justified many times over – he delivered a league title as recently as 2020/21 – but there can’t have been many attack-minded players who have enjoyed their football under his watch and there’s a sense that Felix hasn’t been utilised to his full potential..
In theory, Potter’s tactics should be more compatible with how the youngster sees the game, at least those we saw during his Brighton tenure.
The English tactician hasn’t yet implemented the same easy-on-the-eye approach in west London but he’s surely working towards a more aesthetic brand of possession – Felix will try unlock defences and won’t settle for many slow sideways passes.
Felix trained with Chelsea for the first time on WednesdayCredit: getty
Still, the Stamford Bridge faithful should be aware that their new recruit operates in the space between their two problem areas, though that’s not to say he’s an unnecessary luxury.
It will be interesting to see how Potter uses Felix, with Sterling sidelined it may be that the youngster is deployed from the left wing though he is not inclined to provide constant width.
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Or Felix may be thrust straight in as a centre-forward, a role he’s occupied plenty of times in the past, but he’s not a traditional penalty box poacher so Chelsea may run into similar issues they’ve experienced when Havertz has led the line.
Either way, Dream Team bosses would probably be wise to wait and see how Felix is integrated before making a decision but he’s one to monitor at the very least. More

HAVING looked totally bereft of confidence for almost the entirety of last season, Marcus Rashford (£5.1m) has rediscovered his best form with aplomb this campaign.In 2021/22, Manchester United’s No10 mustered just five goals in all competitions and a measly 38 Dream Team points.
This term, he’s already on 15 club goals and 143 Dream Team points.
Rashford is the third-best forward in Dream TeamCredit: getty
Game Week 17 was Rashford’s best of 2022/23 so far as he took Everton and Charlton for a combined 28 points.
He scored one and assisted another as the Red Devils swept aside the Toffees in the FA Cup third round on Friday night, claiming the Star Man award in the process, before he came off the bench to seal his side’s win over the Addicks in the Carabao Cup quarter-final with a late brace on Tuesday night.
The 25-year-old has scored in six consecutive games since the resumption of the domestic season following the World Cup in Qatar.
In fact, he’s scored seven goals and provided two assists in his last 426 minutes of action.
Since the restart, Rashford has plundered a mighty 61 Dream Team points, more than double that of Erling Haaland (£9m) in the same time frame.
Man of the moment
Manchester City’s prolific No9 has scored four goals in five outings since for a return of 30 points, a great effort, but it just goes to show how rampant Rashford has been over the festive period and into the new year.
There are plenty of enticing options up front for Dream Team gaffers to shuffle between right now.
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Haaland remains a mainstay while Harry Kane (£7.4m) continues on his merry way but Arsenal pair Gabriel Martinelli (£3.5m) and Eddie Nketiah (£2.6m) offer incredible value for money.
In-form goalscorers Aleksandar Mitrovic (£5.4m) and Rodrigo (£3.8m) are more than viable too, but despite this stiff competition, Rashford has quickly become a must-have asset.
The remainder January brings two tough tests for Man United in the form of neighbours Man City and league leaders Arsenal (plus two more favourable match-ups against Crystal Palace and Reading) but the England international is too hot to ignore, whatever the schedule.
Rashford appears in 25% of teams
Erik ten Hag’s side have won eight games in a row in all competitions and have rallied to the point where they will feel confident of competing against the Premier League’s current top two – they beat the Gunners in September but were comprehensively outplayed in the last Manchester derby.
Both Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta will be wary of Rashford’s threat but whether they can nullify him is another matter entirely.
Dream Team bosses should be asking themselves if they can afford to go without Old Trafford’s homegrown hero – three quarters of gaffers are missing out at the time of writing. More

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)
Botman has proved to be a smart signing
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)
A turn up for the booksCredit: getty
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)
Rodrigo has unlocked another level this seasonCredit: getty
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)
Who said he couldn’t do it in the Premier League?
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)
Changing the game
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)
Pope has kept ten clean sheets in the league already this term
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)
The Newcastle defenders keep on coming…Credit: getty
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)
Best of the lotCredit: getty
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! More

ANY Dream Team manager worth their salt should be able to distinguish between any given player’s form and the fortunes of the club they represent.While it’s true that individuals contracted to the top clubs tend to produce more points over the course of a season, only a fool would disregard all assets in the bottom half of the Premier League entirely.
Take Rodrigo (£3.8m) for example.
Goals have flowed freely for Rodrigo this seasonCredit: getty
Jesse Marsch has had about as much luck solving Leeds’ defensive problems as Marcelo Bielsa did during his final weeks in Yorkshire.
However, the American head coach has unquestionably got the best out of the Whites’ second-most expensive signing, as evidenced by the Dream Team rankings.
In his first two seasons at Elland Road, Rodrigo mustered 13 goals in all competitions from 62 appearances.
This campaign, he’s scored 11 goals in 18 outings.
In Dream Team money, he’s got 79 points which is currently enough to grant him a place among the top ten assets in his position.
One of the reasons for this uplift is that he has generally been deployed as a genuine striker this term where before he was utilised as a No10, particularly under El Loco.
But the role change alone does not account for such a dramatic improvement in attacking output.
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Leeds are leaky at the back but they average 1.5 goals per game themselvesCredit: getty
Marsch quickly decided to install the Spain international as a dressing room leader upon his appointment following Bielsa’s exit and the show of faith has likely been a contributing factor to Rodrigo’s increased confidence in front of goal.
Where before he tended to snatch at chances, he now hits the target more regularly while still striking the ball with plenty of power.
The ex-Valencia forward’s form was so poor during the final days of the old regime that it would have been understandable had Marsch decided to make him a periphery figure or push for a sale.
The Red Bull Salzburg tactician still has much to work on if he’s to last on these shores but he can count the rise of Rodrigo as one of his big wins.
Dream Team bosses shouldn’t touch Leeds defenders with a barge pole but they would do well to consider Rodrigo’s viability at the very least.
After coming off the bench to score against Cardiff in the FA Cup on Sunday, the 31-year-old has registered 25 points in his last five appearances – a run that includes fixtures against Spurs, Man City and Newcastle.
The less said about his penalty miss in Wales the better.
The Spaniard will feel confident on adding to his tally given his upcoming fixturesCredit: getty
Looking forward, there could be more points to come as Leeds have a relatively favourable run until the end of February.
They take on Aston Villa this Friday before hosting Cardiff in a FA Cup replay, making Game Week 18 a double.
Rodrigo then faces Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, Everton and Southampton before the start of March.
The Red Devils aside, that’s a tempting string of fixtures – three of those teams are currently below Leeds in the table.
Erling Haaland (£9m), Harry Kane (£7.4m), Ivan Toney (£5.3m) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (£5.4m) are the only players to have scored more Premier League goals than Rodrigo’s ten in 2022/23.
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And at the time of writing he appears in just 1.8% of teams, meaning it’s unlikely your mini-league rivals are backing him.
Those searching for some short-term gains that may escape the attention of their mates would do well to consider taking a punt on Rodrigo during his favourable run of fixtures. More