Fantasy Football

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

THE 100 Club™ remains an exclusive clique at this stage of the season.Just seven players have celebrated a century of Dream Team points and only one of the septet has doubled it up since.
Let’s take a closer look at each of 2022/23’s centurions before highlighting which assets are next in line to reach three figures.
Ivan Toney (£5.3m)
Brentford’s top scorer is rubbing shoulders with the top clubs’ biggest namesCredit: getty

Forward
111 points
7.3% ownership

With 12 goals to his name, Brentford’s No17 is the Premier League’s third-top scorer this term.
Faultless from the penalty spot and a nightmare for centre-backs to contend with over 90 minutes, Toney averages 6.2 points-per-game and is living proof that not all Dream Team assets need European fixtures to consistently hover near the top of the rankings.
However, the 26-year-old’s current viability is threatened by off-field issues and, more pressingly, an injury setback.
Plenty of gaffers will be using one of their five January transfers to find a replacement before Game Week 17 gets underway.
Marcus Rashford (£5.1m)
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Forward
115 points
20.3% ownership

Back in the zone
Man United’s boy wonder has recaptured his best form in recent months and is flourishing under Erik ten Hag’s stewardship.
Rashford has 12 goals and four assists in all competitions for the Red Devils already this season.
Last term he mustered a pitiful 38 points in total so for him to be beyond a century at the midpoint of 2022/23 represents a massive uplift – no wonder he’s back in the good books of gaffers everywhere.
Kevin De Bruyne (£7.8m)

Midfielder
128 points
47.6% ownership

There’s a good reason the Belgian playmaker appears in almost half of all teams.
With nine league assists he’s in a bracket of his own among Premier League creators (nobody else has more than six) and he’s provided a further five in other competitions as well.
Add in three goals, frequent Star Man awards and a host of 7+ ratings and it’s no wonder De Bruyne is the only midfielder in the 100 Club™ at the time of writing.
Harry Kane (£7.4m)
A reliable performerCredit: getty

Forward
129 points
30.1% ownership

Another proven performer here and one who is succeeding individually despite some stodgy team performances from Spurs.
Under normal circumstances his tally of 15 goals from 18 league games would put him in pole position to win the Golden Boot but he’s got stiff competition in that department this season, more on that later…
Mohamed Salah (£8.8m)

Forward
141 points
34.7% ownership

The prolific Egyptian has impressed most in the Champions League this term with seven goals in just 444 minutes of playing time.
Add in seven goals (and four assists) in the league plus another in the Carabao Cup and it’s already another fruitful campaign for the man who has earned more Dream Team points than anyone else since he signed for Liverpool.
The Reds have issues to solve if they’re to compete for trophies but Dream Team bosses would be wise to focus on Salah’s individual returns – he banked a 20-point haul as recently as Game Week 15.
Always there or thereaboutsCredit: getty
Kieran Trippier (£6m)

Defender
148 points
47.7% ownership

Newcastle’s vice captain is the second-best player overall and the only defender on this list.
Our ratings providers WhoScored reckon Trippier has been the Premier League’s next-best player after you know who so far – he has an average rating of 7.7!
Leader of the league’s best defence and a chance-creating machine, the England international has been an utter revelation and he looks nailed on for a double century so long as he avoids injury setbacks.
Erling Haaland (£9m)

Forward
220 points
74.2% ownership

Here he is, the free-scoring elephant in the room.
Man City’s No9 is averaging 10.5 points-per-game this season, a frankly ludicrous statistic, and the Premier League Golden Boot is probably already on his mantelpiece – he’s on 21 league goals for crying out loud.
Haaland pocketed 51 points in Game Week 4 at the expense of Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest but his biggest single-game haul came against Man United when he earned 32 points in one fell swoop.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time season record of 477 points is under threat – at the very least the Norwegian looks set to become only the second-ever quadruple centurion.
Records are tumblingCredit: getty
Which players are close to 100 points?
Joao Cancelo (£6.5m) needs just three more points but the Portuguese full-back’s form has dipped in recent weeks and he’s been used sparingly be Pep Guardiola since returning from the World Cup.
Just one more clear sheet should do the job for Nick Pope (£4.6m).
Newcastle boast the best defensive record in the league this term and the England international has an impressive 96 points as a result – no other goalkeeper is particularly close to three figures.
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It’s a similar story for Fabian Schar (£4.2m), who is one point behind his team-mate.
Aleksandar Mitrovic (£5.4m), Martin Odegaard (£3.4m), Bukayo Saka (£4.3m) and Gabriel (£4.2m) are the other assets in the nervous nineties at this stage. More

STAYING on top of your Dream Team during the festive period can be tricky.No doubt there a plenty of gaffers out there who need to whip their XI into shape this month, especially with January’s monthly competition about to get underway – the winner will take home a brand new PlayStation 5!
With that in mind, allow us to suggest some hypothetical transfers that will think could be profitable.
As always, bear in mind that these recommendations are unlikely to apply specifically to your team but you should still be able to extrapolate the logic.
OUT: Ben White (£4.3m), IN: Fabian Schar (£4m)
Dream Team’s second-best defender this seasonCredit: getty
On the surface this suggestion looks counterproductive.
After all, there’s no doubt whatsoever that Arsenal are performing at a high level right now and so ditching one of their most consistent players feels wrong.
However, the Gunners are scheduled to face Oxford, Tottenham and Manchester United this month, Mikel Arteta is likely to rest his regular starters against League One opposition in the FA Cup and many supporters would back both teams to score in the following league fixtures, which would likely mean blanks for White and his fellow defenders.
Newcastle boast the best defensive record in the Premier League this season and they’ll be hopeful of more clean sheets in the coming weeks when they face Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester, Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Kieran Trippier (£5.7m) reigns supreme among Dream Team defenders with a whopping 148 points but Schar is the current runner-up with 95 points to his name at an average of 5.3 per game.
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Eddie Howe’s side have conceded just 11 goals in 18 league games this term and three of them were inflicted by Manchester City in the third fixture of the campaign.
OUT: Virgil van Dijk (£5.1m), IN: John Stones (£5m)
Man City have a busy month aheadCredit: getty
Liverpool’s No4 is set to see a specialist about his hamstring injury and is facing a longer spell on the sidelines than first thought.
The Dutchman currently features in 15.1% of teams so plenty of gaffers are in need of a replacement and, given the schedule, a Man City defender looks to be a clever option.
Pep Guardiola won’t be happy with how many goals his side have conceded this term but still the defending champions boast the third-best defence in the league at this stage.
With Ruben Dias sidelined, Stones is expected to start at the heart of defence this evening for the foreseeable future – City face Chelsea (x2), Southampton, Man United, Spurs and Wolves before the end of the month.
No City player is immune from rotation but the England international should get more than his fair share of minutes in the coming weeks.
OUT: Jarrod Bowen (£3.6m), IN: Bryan Mbeumo (£2m)
A bold move…Credit: getty
Now here’s a wildcard!
West Ham haven’t won a game outside the Europa Conference League since late October and Bowen, last season’s breakout star, has mustered just three points in his last eight outings.
The 26-year-old has scored two goals in 18 league starts and is yet to provide an assist, hence his disappointing Dream Team returns – his backers should have changed strategy a while ago in all honesty.
If you’re after a cheap differential option with favourable fixtures ahead then look no further than Mbeumo.
The 23-year-old is generously categorised as a midfielder but essentially plays up top for Brentford and with Ivan Toney (£5m) out injured he’s momentarily the main man, as evidenced by his Star Man showing against Liverpool this Game Week.
The Bees face West Ham, Bournemouth and Leeds in their next three games, all of whom are struggling at the wrong end of the table and have issues at the back.
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This switch has the dual purpose of freeing up plenty of cash to invest in improvements elsewhere.
Right now, Mbeumo has an ownership of 0.5% – dare you go so dramatically against the grain this month? More