The Scout analyses the best way to invest in Tottenham Hotspur for their kind run of fixtures in Fantasy Premier League.
Spurs have started the season with two wins and two clean sheets under their new head coach Thomas Frank, with a 2-0 win at Manchester City last weekend highlighting their improved potential at both ends of the pitch.
The north London side are now set to embark on a mid-term schedule that can reward investment for many Gameweeks to come.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), where the difficulty of each fixture is ranked from one to five – with one being the easiest possible match and five being the hardest – NONE of Spurs' next nine fixtures scores more than three.
That run includes contests against the current bottom two West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, as well as a visit to promoted Leeds United in the next five Gameweeks alone.
Spurs' next nine matches
| GW | Opp. | FDR* |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Bournemouth (H) | 3 |
| 4 | West Ham (A) | 2 |
| 5 | Brighton (A) | 3 |
| 6 | Wolves (H) | 2 |
| 7 | Leeds (A) | 2 |
| 8 | Aston Villa (H) | 3 |
| 9 | Everton (A) | 3 |
| 10 | Chelsea (H) | 3 |
| 11 | Man Utd (H) | 3 |
*1=Easiest possible fixture, 5=Hardest possible fixture
Who are Spurs' top-scoring players?
Back-to-back clean sheets have helped Guglielmo Vicario (£5.0m) top the goalkeeper standings on 18 points. The Italian is also Spurs' top-scoring player, supplementing a shutout with one save point and two bonus points in both his appearances.
Centre-back Cristian Romero (£5.0m) is Vicario's nearest challenger in defence on 13 points. Notably, the Argentinian is the only Spurs player to collect points for his defensive contributions, earning two against Man City.
See: What are defensive contribution points
Further up the field, Richarlison (£6.7m) and Brennan Johnson (£7.1m) have also been big successes and delivered attacking returns in both the first two Gameweeks.
Richarlison has been involved in more goals than any other Spurs player, scoring twice and supplying an assist. The Brazilian is the third most-bought player ahead of Saturday's 11:00 BST deadline, earning more than 484,000 new owners.
Johnson has scored in both of the opening Gameweeks to match the 17 points of Richarlison. New winger Mohammed Kudus (£6.6m) has also been quick to make an impact, supplying two assists on his debut against Burnley.
Spurs' top-scoring players 25/26
| Player | G/A | Clean sheets* | Def Con. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vicario | 0 | 2 | N/A | 18 |
| Richarlison | 3 | N/A | 0 | 17 |
| Johnson | 2 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| Kudus | 2 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| Romero | 0 | 2 | 2 | 13 |
| Palhinha | 1 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| Spence | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Van de Ven | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| Porro | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
*four points per clean sheet for defenders, one for midfielders, none for forwards
Who is the likeliest to score?
The underlying numbers highlight Richarlison's major goal threat. The Brazilian has had eight shots in the first two Gameweeks, at least TWICE the total of any team-mate.
Richarlison's influence is even more impressive when you focus on shots in the box - he's had eight of them, at least six more than any other Spurs player.
Winger Johnson and centre-back Micky van de Van (£4.5m) are joint-second among the regulars on two shots in the box, while Wilson Odobert (£5.4m) and Dominic Solanke (£7.3m) have also matched this total through their outings off the bench.
Spurs players with most shots 25/26
| Player | Shots | Big chances | Shots in box |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richarlison | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| Johnson | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Odobert | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Solanke, Van de Ven | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Porro | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Kudus, Spence | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Who has the most all-round attacking potential?
Richarlison has also created one scoring chance for his team-mates. Added to his eight shots, this means he has been involved in a total of nine shots so far.
The table below helps to highlight the creativity and set-piece duties of Kudus and Pedro Porro (£5.5m).
They lead the way on chances created, with Kudus just edging Porro by six to five. Notably, the pair have taken ALL nine of Spurs' set-pieces between them - Kudus has taken five corners, while Porro has taken three corners and a free-kick.
Combined with his own three shots, Porro's total of seven shot involvements matches Johnson.
Along with Richarlison and Kudus, they are among the four Spurs players to have had more than three shot involvements in the first two Gameweeks.
Spurs' most creative players 25/26
| Player | Corners/free-kicks | Chances created | Big chances created | Shot involvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richarlison | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| Kudus | 5 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| Johnson | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Porro | 4 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| Odobert | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
So, who are the best Spurs players to invest in?
Bringing in Spurs players at both ends of the pitch looks a wise tactic at this point, with form and fixtures very much on their side.
In attack, Richarlison's numbers are far and away the most impressive. But if you do bring him in, you have to accept the Brazilian is still a starting risk, with Solanke expected to reclaim the forward role. For now, though, the South American has to be considered a great short-term pick at the very least.
While the transfer window is still open, Johnson is another whose place in the first XI is arguably still in question, given the club had previously been linked with a move for Ebererchi Eze (£7.5m). Instead, Kudus' set-pieces look a safer option if you're looking to bring in a midfielder.
At the back, it ultimately comes down to how much you want to pay. Van de Ven's budget cost - and two shots in the box - show why he is the most-popular defender in Fantasy, found in over 28 per cent of squads. Despite his extra cost, Porro's big share of set-pieces indicate he can be worth the outlay.