Fantasy Premier League

Game time can launch Gray in Fantasy

By The Scout 20 Jul 2017
Demarai Gray, Leicester City

The Scout's watchlist of budget midfielders continues with a Leicester City winger ready for an opportunity

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Following on from Ruben Loftus-Cheek (£4.5m)James Ward-Prowse (£5.5m) and Matt Ritchie (£6.0m), The Scout's watchlist of budget midfield picks concludes. 

Demarai Gray (Leicester City) £5.5m

Leicester City's Demarai Gray (£5.5m) can make giant strides in 2017/18 to become a key target for Fantasy Premier League managers.

His performances have caught the eye since he joined the Foxes in January 2016.

But the 21-year-old has yet to be handed a regular run of starts.

That could change over the new season.

With Riyad Mahrez's (£8.5m) future at the club uncertain, Gray could be poised to get further opportunities to impress.

His pace, trickery and threat from range can be effective for the Foxes.

He produced a single goal and four assists in FPL last season.

But they arrived from just nine starts and 21 appearances from the bench.

When on the pitch he scored or assisted 38.5% of Leicester's goals. 

The underlying statistics hint at the potential on offer.

Gray created a chance every 61.1 minutes last season. This ranked narrowly behind Mahrez (56.7) and Marc Albrighton (£5.5m and 52.7).

He also impressed as a direct goal threat.

With a shot every 38.4 minutes, Gray ranked third for Leicester behind Mahrez (37.3 minutes) and Islam Slimani (£7.0m and 37.1 minutes).

Fantasy managers will be wary of investment, though.

Gray's minutes are far from assured and Leicester's early fixtures look daunting.

They play Arsenal (a), Manchester United (a) and Chelsea (h) in the opening four Gameweeks.

But their schedule improves from Gameweek 5 and, by that point, Gray's potential for starts should be clearer.

The pre-season will prove crucial to Gray's prospects.

Impress over the summer and his stock as a cut-price FPL solution will rocket.

See: The Scout's third budget midfield pick

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