The Scout analyses Liverpool's start to the season and whether managers in Fantasy Premier League should look to invest in any of their players ahead of a kind run of fixtures.
There's no denying that Liverpool's upcoming schedule, both over the short and mid-term, could barely be more enticing for investment at both ends of the pitch.
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 - each of their next three matches score only two.
Arne Slot's side welcome Nottingham Forest and Sunderland to Anfield, with a visit to West Ham United in between.
Indeed, as many as FIVE of Liverpool's next eight matches score only two in the FDR in a run that takes you all the way up to Gameweek 19, when the second Wildcard becomes available post-deadline.
Liverpool's next eight matches
| GW | Opp. | FDR* |
| 12 | Nottingham Forest (H) | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | West Ham (A) | 2 |
| 14 | Sunderland (H) | 2 |
| 15 | Leeds (A) | 3 |
| 16 | Brighton (H) | 3 |
| 17 | Spurs (A) | 3 |
| 18 | Wolves (H) | 2 |
| 19 | Leeds (H) | 2 |
*1=easiest possible fixture, 5=hardest possible fixture
The issue, of course, for Fantasy managers is that the Reds have done little to merit our consideration for a number of Gameweeks.
So does the data suggest there any Liverpool players worth investing in? Let's take a closer look.
Should you invest in Liverpool's attack?
As the table below shows, when it comes to having big chances - situations where a player is expected to score - Liverpool still clearly boast plenty of potential for goals.
Their total of 33 places them fourth this season, while the Reds' 14 big chances over the last four Gameweeks have been bettered by only two clubs.
Their issues, both over the season and recently, in particular, has been converting their opportunities.
Liverpool scored only five goals across Gameweeks 8-11, with their conversion rate of 8.3 per cent being among the worst five sides. While their average for the season of 11.0 per cent is marginally better, it places them just 12th, and is hardly encouraging.
Liverpool's attacking statistics
| Last four GWs | PL rank | Season | PL rank | |
| Goals | 5 | =13th | 18 | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big chances | 14 | 3rd | 33 | 4th |
| Goal conversion | 8.3% | =16th | 11.0% | =12th |
Scroll across on mobile to see the full table
Crucially, rotation in attack has impacted Slot's recent line-ups due to his decision to bring Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.6m) back into central midfield at the expense of Florian Wirtz (£8.0m).
Indeed, despite the recent injury absence of Alexander Isak (£10.4m), both Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike (£8.6m) have started just three of the last six Gameweeks, while Cody Gakpo (£7.5m) has appeared as a substitute in two of his last six outings.
Ultimately, then, unless you want to invest in the potential of central midfielders Szoboszlai or Ryan Gravenberch (£5.6m), it's Mohamed Salah (£14.2m) or nothing.
While Salah is still the best Liverpool option, there are a number of far less expensive midfielders in Fantasy who have more or less matched his attacking threat and who also have favourable fixtures of their own.
As the table below shows, Salah has had eight big chances and created a further five, meaning he's been involved in 13 big chances (BC) this season.
Salah's average of 75.5 minutes per big-chance involvement this season is near-identical to the 75.7 of Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (£10.1m).
Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo (£8.5m) and Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr (£6.7m) also have favourable upcoming schedules, while Brentford's Dango Ouattara (£6.0m) could be a great pick alongside team-mate Igor Thiago (£6.3m).
Whereas Erling Haaland (£14.9m) has more than merited the premium outlay up front, the numbers show that ripping up your squad to accommodate Salah is simply not worth it.
Arguably, his main appeal could be for those who are playing their Wildcards and are willing to take a chance on his output before he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) next month.
Midfielders' big-chance stats, 25/26
| Player | BC | BC created | BC inv. | Mins/BC inv. |
| Dango | 7 | 2 | 9 | 73.3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salah | 8 | 5 | 13 | 75.5 |
| Saka | 5 | 4 | 9 | 75.7 |
| Fernandez | 7 | 4 | 11 | 79.8 |
| Mbeumo | 8 | 3 | 11 | 86.7 |
| Sarr | 6 | 2 | 8 | 98.3 |
| Fernandes | 5 | 3 | 8 | 122.0 |
| Semenyo | 8 | 0 | 8 | 123.8 |
Minimum five big chances. Scroll across on mobile to see the full table
Should you invest in Liverpool's defence?
The defensive statistics are damning and offer little reason to look at members of the Reds' rearguard right now.
When it comes to conceding big chances, Slot's side rank among the worst four teams over both the last four Gameweeks and for the season.
And those frailties have been exploited to greater effect by their opponents recently, with Liverpool conceding an average of two goals per match across their last four matches.
Liverpool's defensive statistics
| Last four GWs | PL rank | Season | PL rank | |
| Goals conc. | 8 | =15th | 17 | =12th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean sheets | 1 | =7th | 3 | =10th |
| Big chances conceded | 13 | =18th | 29 | =17th |
Scroll across on mobile to see the full table
On the upside, Liverpool have recorded back-to-back clean sheets in all competitions at Anfield and five of their next eight league matches are at home.
Virgil van Dijk (£5.9m) is the best pick at the back for security of minutes and defensive contributions, having picked up 12 extra points via this method so far, while boasting an aerial threat at set-pieces.
But a look at the top of the defender standings shows where managers' priorities should lie if you're on the lookout for a premium pick.
Arsenal trio Gabriel (£6.6m), Jurrien Timber (£6.1m) and Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) are all among the four top-scoring players in that position, with the Brazilian's total of 81 points just one off being TWICE the 41 of Van Dijk.