As we move into 2022, I thought it would be a good time to look at players who have performed well so far this season and any potential bargains as we move into the New Year. Generally, the players on this list are under 4m, have scored well so far or have recently hit a good run of form.
Maddison (94 points – 3.6m)
Maddison is one of the in form players at the moment despite a fairly slow start to the season for both himself and Leicester. He continues to pick up points, is reasonably cheap and Leicester are still involved in Europe.
B. Silva (94 points – 3.5m)
I don’t think anyone expected Silva to pick up as many points as he has so far this season and his form has dropped off slightly over recent weeks. However, as an option to tap into the Man City midfield he still looks good value at 3.5m.
Jorginho (92 points – 3.4m)
I picked out Jorginho as an option a couple of weeks ago, typically he’s scored 5 penalties since then and I opted for Mount instead. 92 points at this stage in the season is a great achievement for a player in his position. I don’t think he’s going to be overly explosive during the rest of the season and will rely on penalties for the majority of his points, but it’s hard to argue with the points he’s got on the board so far.
Moura (90 points – 3.6m)
Moura has probably been my biggest frustration of the season. He’s a player I’ve had in and out of my teams most seasons – simply because he’s usually fairly cheap and has the potential to score goals. Despite this he rarely scores a huge total over the course of the season. I picked him a few weeks ago as I thought Spurs had good fixtures. Covid then hit the Spurs squad and it seemed like I had no choice but to take him out, he then comes back with a couple of goals. I must admit, I’ll still be considering putting him back in during January if I need to free up some budget as he’s currently a great option.
Smith Rowe (87 points – 3.9m)
Smith Rowe is another player who has never made it into my team, but has always been at the back of my mind. He’s scored well recently and I’d imagine this will continue throughout the rest of the season. I’d imagine people who own him get a little frustrated as he’s been benched quite a lot but he does tend to score even when he does start on the bench.
Saiss (84 points – 3.8m)
Wolves have been surprisingly strong defensively, Saiss himself has picked up 8 clean sheets and 3 goals so far this season. His ownership is also very low, so if you think Wolves can keep up their good defensive form he could be a decent pick. For me, there’s probably better options at this stage in the season though. Robertson for example is only 0.1m more.
Gallagher (83 points – 3.2m)
I think anyone who started the season with Gallagher would be over the moon with 83 points from a player who was incredibly cheap and hasn’t been involved in European fixtures. He’s had a brilliant season so far and looks to carry on his run of good form.
Matip (82 points – 3.7m)
Matip is having a good season at Liverpool. He’s a regular starter, although he has been rested at times, and appears to be having an injury free season to date. Another bargain when it comes to a defender for less than 4m who is playing for a team chasing for the title.
Alonso (81 points – 3.9m)
Alonso should be nailed on at left back in the absence of Chilwell. Chelsea haven’t been their strongest defensively in recent weeks but I’m more than happy to tap into their backline with a player who is valued at less than 4m.
Kilman (78 points – 3.4m)
Kilman makes the list for the same reasons Saiss is on the list, he’s relatively cheap and has a decent points total to date with Wolves picking up a decent number of clean sheets. I’m personally not looking to bring him in now, but if you’ve had him for a while, he’s probably not a player you’d take out in a hurry.
Bowen (74 points – 3.5m)
Bowen seems to be the player picking up the majority of points for West Ham in midfielder since Benrahma has gone off the boil. He’s got 5 goals, 8 assists and 12 7+ ratings to his name. West Ham are also still involved in the Europa League.
Robertson (65 points – 3.9m)
Had a spell on the sidelines through injury and hasn’t quite hit the ground running this season. But as an attacking wing back playing for Liverpool, you can’t really argue with the 3.9m price tag. Currently suspended though so it would be worth holding fire for the time being if you wanted to bring him in.
Shaw (12 points – 2.4m)
Has had a really poor season so far for one of the highest picked defenders at the start of the game. I’m not sure I see Man Utd turning things around massively and he faces competition at left back, however, if you think they might he’s dirt cheap at 2.4m
Maguire – (24 points – 3.5m)
I’ve dropped Maguire in as well as he’s always performed well in Dream Team over previous seasons. This time around it’s not really panned out that way but we know he’s got the potential should Man Utd start keeping some clean sheets. I’m not sure he would personally interest me at the moment, but he might be worth considering for other people.
I’m sure there are other bargains to be had, so feel free to drop any suggestions in the comments below.