Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz (£4.6m) continued his fine form in Fantasy Premier League on Saturday as the forward's two goals against Tottenham Hotspur earned him a third double-figure haul in four home appearances.
The Brazilian has proven a huge source of value since securing a starting role in Gameweek 23. Muniz has scored seven goals and supplied an assist in the subsequent seven Gameweeks, also collecting a further 12 bonus points.
Indeed, Muniz's total of 57 points in that spell places second among all players, just two behind Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins (£9.0m).
Watkins is the only player to be involved in more goals than Muniz in that spell, scoring six and assisting a further four.
The pair hold a big advantage over the next-best forward, Manchester City's Erling Haaland (£14.3m), who has collected 41 points thanks to four goals and two assists.
Luton Town’s Carlton Morris (£5.2m), Burnley’s David Datro Fofana (£5.0m) and AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo (£4.5m) have also impressed as budget assets, each scoring four goals.
Top-scoring forwards, Gameweeks 23-29
| Player | Pts | G | A | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watkins | 59 | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| Muniz | 57 | 7 | 1 | 12 |
| Haaland | 41 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Morris | 40 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Fofana | 36 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| Semenyo | 34 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Solanke | 30 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
How does Muniz's goal threat compare with other forwards?
The underlying numbers in those last seven Gameweeks are every bit as encouraging for Muniz.
His 27 shots in the box rank top among forwards, eclipsing the 26 of Haaland at the summit, while Watkins places third with a total of 20.
Haaland and Watkins are the only forwards to better the seven big chances of Muniz over that period, with the Man City star leading the way on 12.
The same three players occupy the top three forward spots for shots on target, further highlighting the illustrious company Muniz is currently keeping.
In terms of frequency of shots, the Cottagers' star has also impressed, with his average of 18.8 minutes per shot earning him top spot in the analysis since Gameweek 23.
Haaland and Liverpool's Darwin Nunez (£7.5m) are Muniz's nearest challengers, having averaged a shot every 19.7 and 20.1 minutes respectively.
The goal conversion numbers also show how prolific the Fulham forward has been recently, scoring with 23.3 per cent of his shots in those seven Gameweeks.
That average looks particularly strong when compared with the 12.9 per cent of Haaland, while Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke (£7.2m), who is owned by over 28 per cent of managers, has scored with just 11.1 per cent of his efforts.
Forwards' goal threat, Gameweeks 23-29
| Player | Shots in box | Big chances | Shots on target | Mins/shot | Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muniz | 27 | 7 | 11 | 18.8 | 23.3% |
| Haaland | 26 | 12 | 13 | 19.7 | 12.9% |
| Watkins | 20 | 10 | 14 | 27.4 | 26.1% |
| Solanke | 16 | 6 | 7 | 34.9 | 11.1% |
| Toney | 14 | 6 | 10 | 32.7 | 9.1% |
| Morris | 14 | 5 | 9 | 43.8 | 25.0% |
| Semenyo | 13 | 2 | 6 | 30.1 | 23.5% |
| Nunez | 13 | 3 | 5 | 20.1 | 21.4% |
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What about Fulham's fixtures?
The one downside of investing in Fulham players is they are one of the sides who will NOT have a Double Gameweek later in the season.
Nonetheless, their remaining schedule is very appealing, with five of their nine matches scoring only two in the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR).
That favourable run of opponents begins with back-to-back encounters with Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest in the next two Gameweeks.
Fulham's remaining schedule
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | SHU (A) | 2 |
| 31 | NFO (A) | 2 |
| 32 | NEW (H) | 3 |
| 33 | WHU (A) | 3 |
| 34 | LIV (H) | 4 |
| 35 | CRY (H) | 2 |
| 36 | BRE (A) | 2 |
| 37 | MCI (H) | 5 |
| 38 | LUT (A) | 2 |
Is Muniz worth investing in?
The underlying numbers clearly show Muniz's recent form is no fluke.
The Fulham frontman has held his own against both Haaland and Watkins - the top-scoring forwards in the game - for a host of key goal threat statistics since establishing himself as a regular starter.
Crucially, Fulham also have the fixtures to ensure Muniz can extend his prolific run of form.
At a cost of just £4.6m he not only looks a strong investment, but the Brazilian has the goal threat to merit a place in managers' starting XIs for the next two Gameweeks at least.