Best #FPL picks from the promoted teams – Burnley, Hull and Middlesbrough

Best #FPL picks from the promoted teams – Burnley, Hull and Middlesbrough – Fantasy Premier League 2016/17.

Living in Japan I’m always fascinated by the trends that transcend the East-West cultural abyss. This stratovolcanic archipelago (thanks Wikipedia) gave the world sushi, karate and talking robots. In return it got Starbucks, the atomic bomb and Shed Seven. Well, now there’s a new Japanese phenomenon zombifying the mass populous. In ‘Pokemon Go’, armed only with a smartphone, you must physically navigate real-life streets, trespass private fields and probably traverse active volcanoes to grab virtual Pokemon characters. Unexpected add-ons include game-players falling down open manholes, ambling through moving traffic and being lured into abandoned car parks by registered sex offenders.

A safer alternative is needed; one similarly rooted in reality, embellished by fantasy, and so we return to the safe haven of FPL. Lurking deep within its hallowed halls are players from the 2015/16 Championship’s elite three, ready to level up and challenge the Premier League. Burnley ascended as champions ahead of Middlesbrough; while Hull scrapped their way to the promised land via the playoffs.

Let’s look at some of those newly promoted players you can collect to finish off your FPL squad. All this, without unduly draining your phone battery; hitting your monthly data limit after four days; or even having to disclose ‘personal information to government or law enforcement officials or private parties’ (always read the terms and conditions). Banzai!
Here we go then onto the ‘Promoted Clubs XI’. Don’t forget, you gotta catch ’em all.*
(*Well, maybe three or four)

GOALKEEPER
Tom Heaton (BUR) 4.5m
Burnley are back in the top flight and there’s a new England manager to impress. This promises to be a huge season for Tom Heaton. It’s worth noting that the Clarets had a very respectable home defensive record during their relegation of 2014/15, the 8th best. Tom Heaton was a big reason for that then and proved himself again in the Championship as the club went up boasting the best goal difference. The squad comes back more streetwise and better prepared, one would think, to handle top level strike-forces.

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DEFENDERS
Andrew Robertson (HUL) 4.5m
A couple of seasons ago, some FF247 renegade recommended this Scottish full-back as a captain differential. I probably won’t be doing that again, but with 3 goals and 4 assists in 2015/16 the promising youngster still remains a viable candidate for your squad. He dipped his toes in Premier League waters during Hull’s previous top-tier campaign so he’ll know what to expect this time round. Sat in 4th position, Hull had the equal second best defensive record which compliments Robertson’s attacking appeal.

Emilio Nsue (MID) 4.5m
A close call over Daniel Ayala, but 26 year-old Emilio Nsue is a fascinating option if only because his versatility enables him to play as a winger or even a forward. Don’t open that bottle of vintage champagne just yet though, he’s spent most of his tenure at right-back, but 3 goals and 2 assists at a frugal 4.5m makes the Equatorial Guinea international a harmless gamble for a few weeks, especially in a defence that kept 22 clean sheets in the Championship.

Michael Keane (BUR) 5.0m
Leicester City recently came a-knocking for the Irish centre-back and Burnley will do well to keep hold of him. Rather like Bournemouth’s Steve Cook last season, he comes into the division with somewhat of a goal-scoring pedigree. 5 goals and an assist helped the Clarets on their way to the summit and every one of his goals came from set-piece situations. A cursory viewing on YouTube will show you the lad certainly knows how to get on the end of a corner.

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MIDFIELDERS
Albert Adomah (MID) 5.5m
While many will understandably lean towards the more familiar Stewart Downing, ‘Boro’s promotion campaign was peppered with some sublime football from this tricky 28 year-old winger from Ghana. Equalling Downing’s 5 assists, Adomah proved even more adept in front of goal, scoring 6 times. He plays on either flank in pretty much equal measures, so it’s hard to imagine him not being in the vast majority of Aitor Karanka’s starting line-ups.

David Jones (BUR) 5.0
At 31, David Jones’ age may concern some FPL managers, but the English central midfielder played 41 games for the champions, starting 39 of them so stamina, it would seem, is not a problem. Neither is finding his teammates with killer passes, being that he did so assisting a respectable 7 times. Unlikely to set the Premier League alight, Jones does seem ideal 5th midfielder/bench fodder; in other words, a cheap player who regularly gets 90 minutes under his belt and has enough consistency to chip in with the occasional points haul.

Sam Clucas (HUL) 5.0m
The first of two Hull City midfielders here, Sam Clucas is likely to be off most radars, born out by his measly 0.2% ownership at the time of writing. A certain teammate of his (see below) may be the main factor behind that. However, ignore Clucas at your peril. He was Hull’s third highest goalscorer (6) and highest assister (8), making him perhaps the Tigers’ most creative threat going forward and someone to keep a very close eye on. As if you needed any further persuasion he has a cap for the England C team…

Robert Snodgrass (HUL) 5.5m
…but you’ve probably already settled on Snodders, so I’ll get straight to the nitty gritty. He takes set pieces, he sets up goals (7), and he scores them (4). Statistically, he makes 2.3 key passes and 6.74 crosses per game which puts him right at the sharp end when compared to his peers from last season. Injury decimated his involvement in Hull’s last foray into the PL, but fantasy managers have long memories and will be quick to point out his admirable points tallies in the two preceding years.

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FORWARDS
Andre Gray (BUR) 6.5
Could he forge a path into Big Sam’s new world order? If he reproduces his 2015/16 exploits then darn right he could. Starting the season notching a brace for Brentford, he couldn’t possibly have envisaged he’d bag another 23 and be heading for the Premier League. His productivity doesn’t end there either, creating 9 for his various teammates along the way. Gray, on penalties too lest we forget, is the most likely to have the same impact as Odion Ighalo did for Watford, though Burnley fans will hope he actually stays the course.

Jordan Rhodes (MID) 6.0m
It seems like a long overdue opportunity for Rhodes, who’s been scoring for fun in the second and third tiers for the best part of 7 years, to test his mettle against the big boys. 73 goals in 124 games for Huddersfield, then 82 in 159 for Blackburn begs one to question why no-one at the highest level has ever taken a chance on him. 16 goals last season (10 for Rovers) saw a slight drop in productivity, but one would expect him to get the nod over David Nugent more often than not, potentially forming a useful double-act with the on-loan Alvaro Negredo.

Abel Hernandez (HUL) 6.0m
Another player with previous top flight experience to lean on, Abel Hernandez finished last season with a mighty tally of 21. An average 3.19 shots per game is considerably better than most (Andre Gray’s was less than 3) and should stand him in good stead in his lone role up front. As an added FPL carrot the Uruguayan is the Tigers’ spot-kick taker. By the way, have you ever wondered why Man Utd’s Phil Jones always looks like he’s in pain? In May, 2015 Abel Hernandez punched him really hard in the stomach, that’s why.

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Fixture Tracker – the first 6 games

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Thanks for reading Best #FPL picks from the promoted teams – Burnley, Hull and Middlesbrough – Fantasy Premier League 2016/17. This article was written by Bryan Munich

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