fantasy premier league forwards – Diego Costa alternatives

Here’s our leading options for the replacement of Diego Costa in anticipation of him being banned for 3 matches starting in GW23.

fantasy premier league forwards – Diego Costa alternatives

Firstly just a bit of background if you’ve been trapped by snow in a house with no internet or TV.  Diego Costa has been charged for his stamp on Emre Can in the 2nd leg Capital One cup game.  He’s contesting the charge which has been fast tracked for Friday so the likely 3 match ban will see him miss GW23-25 and then Chelsea have a blank in GW27 due to the Cap 1 final.

So on the sweeping assumption that you will want to bring him back for a potential DGW28 (see my article earlier today) essentially we’ve revisited our forwards “ones to watch” article and concentrated on those forwards with the best next fixtures – plus Aguero obviously!  Thats 5 fixtures from GW23-GW27.  I haven’t recalculated the fixture ease but concentrated on the best short term fixtuires for an immediate return because it could be a temporary transfer until Costa is back.   I’ll say from the off that I’m not sure whether Mourinho will go for Drogba or Remy as a direct replacement so I’m a little unsure of a direct replacement so I’ve sidewiped this.  With the blank in GW27 and City in the mix it makes little sense in any case.

So here is the “ones to watch” article stripped out for those with the best short term fixtures (still 3 and 6 ) but I’ve listed the fixtures below in the narrative.  The fixture ease figure in brackets is the next 3

Player/FPL ownership %: self explanatory at the time of the article
Value: At the time of the article
Minute per FPL point 14/15: This seasons minutes it took to earn an FPL point. The lower the better obviously
Consistency 14/15 : This seasons % of games where the player got a goal or assist
% of 10 + pts: The % of games where the player has got 10 FPL points or more
Last 4 games points: Self explanatory
Fixture ease: The rank of the 20 FPL teams easiness of the next fixtures from an attacking point of view. The next 6 are first with the next 3 in brackets. See article
Top 10 FPL managers ownership: How many of the top 10 FPL managers I follow own this player. See article

Aguero

In my mind he’s the natural substitute for Costa if you don’t have him already.  However after the Chelsea game bound to be a strong captain candidate.  Hasn’t looked that fit since returning from injury but a consistent threat year on year and this season has been sensational when on the pitch.   Fixtures pretty good after the Chelsea game and home to Hull will be a dangerous game not to own him

Gameweeks 23-27

Chelsea (A)
Hull (H)
Stoke (A)
Newcastle (H)
Liverpool (A)

Giroud

Not the most consistent returner but on his day can be deadly, especially at home against lower placed opposition.  Home to Villa is a great time to buy

Aston Villa (H)
Spurs (A)
Leicester (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
Everton (H)

Pelle

Good underlying stats but just hasn’t been able to do it after a great start.  You’re buying for fixtures rather than form.  Home to Swansea is a good time to gamble though

Swansea (H)
QPR (A)
West Ham (H)
Liverpool (H)
West Brom (A)

 Gayle

After the performance of Sanogo and especially Chamakh, Gayle must actually be in some doubt about his gametime.  Only started 3 games in the season before the last 2 starts.  However those 2 games just gone have seen 3 goals and an assist and 24 points.  Even in his 3 starts prior to that he had scored 2 goals and an assist.  So there is form and there is fixtures .  What there isn’t is a history of scoring in the premier league.

Everton (H)
Leicester (A)
Newcastle (H)
Arsenal (H)
West Ham (A)

RVP

Totally bereft of any form with 12 FPL points in his last 4 games and no returns in his last 3 and a ludicrous 35% consistency rate it’s hard to not just shake your head at the thought of putting him in your team.  However the fixtures are to die for and that’s the gamble plus the fact that the player who in the 11/12 and 12/13 seasons scored 56 goals and 28 assists in the premier league alone.  To make it worse it’s hard to think that he can keep playing this bad and stay in the team especially when you’ve got one of the most consistent FPL strikers in Rooney playing a deep lying midfield role practically.  Does have pens.

Leicester (H)
West Ham (A)
Burnley (H)
Swansea (A)
Sunderland (H)

Berahino

One question is how a more defensive outlook from Pulis will effect his form.  He does have recent form though even if not season consistency.  2 goals in his last 3 games has finally seen a return to form for the player who started the season so brightly but then went 9 games without a return (although 4 as sub).  Little in the way of underlying stats although the last 4 games have seen some improvement.  Has pens but this is in the main is about a set of good fixtures.

Spurs (H)
Burnley (A)
Swansea (H)
Sunderland (A)
Southampton (H)

Falcao

No form, no consistency and even gametime is undcertain but all the quality can’t have just vanished.  Like RVP though the fixtures are to die for and if you’re ever going to gamble this is the time to do it

Leicester (H)
West Ham (A)
Burnley (H)
Swansea (A)
Sunderland (H)

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fantasy premier league forwards