As Fantasy Premier League managers can now select their 15-man squads, The Scout analyses standout budget and premium players in each position.
Raphinha (LEE) £6.5m
A cost of just £6.5m has made the Leeds United winger a major target for opening squads.
Raphinha is the fourth most-popular midfielder in Fantasy, and the most-selected in the sub-£8.0m bracket, owned by 25.2 per cent of managers.
Leeds’ schedule from Gameweek 3 onwards suggests the Brazilian can quickly reward their faith.
Leeds’ favourable run
| GW | Opponent | FDR | GW | Opponent | FDR |
| 3 | BUR (A) | 2 | 7 | WAT (H) | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | LIV (H) | 4 | 8 | SOU (A) | 2 |
| 5 | NEW (A) | 2 | 9 | WOL (H) | 2 |
| 6 | WHU (H) | 3 | 10 | NOR (A) | 2 |
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), six of their subsequent eight matches score only two.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side begin the season with a trip to Manchester United before hosting Everton.
Although both those matches score four in the FDR, Raphinha was successful in each of the corresponding fixtures last term.
He supplied two assists at Man Utd and scored in the home meeting with Everton.
That highlights his impressive debut campaign in 2020/21, where he scored six goals and supplied 10 assists in 30 appearances.
Raphinha's 2020/21 highlights
Raphinha’s output is all the more impressive considering he did not make his first start of the season until Gameweek 9 after joining from French side Rennes.
The underlying numbers from that point further enhance his ability.
The Brazilian’s 65 shots, 43 shots in the box and 24 shots on target all ranked among the top six midfielders.
And his 64 key passes, 12 big chances created and 10 assists all placed in the top three for 2020/21.
That suggests Raphinha’s all-round attacking potential will make him a major source of returns in the season ahead.
Tomorrow: Saka a leading light for Arsenal