Sheffield United finished second in the Championship last season, earning the Blades automatic promotion. Sheffield United came up from the Championship with the joint best defensive record and the fourth highest goal scoring record with 78 goals. Chris Wilder will be looking to try and replicate some of this form in the top tier this season,
Pre-Season Form
The Blades have had a reasonably successful pre-season, with 4 wins and two defeats. Notably they beat Barnsley 4-1 and Chesterfield 5-0, which indicates that they haven’t lost their goal scoring form of last season. Their top goal scorers has been Robinson and Sharp, who have found the back of the net on four occasions.
Star Man – David McGoldrick (£5.5m)
Last season McGoldrick played up top with top goal scorer Billy Sharp (£6.0m), with both forwards having impressive seasons, scoring 15 and 23 respectively. When looking at that stat, it appears we’ve picked the wrong forward, however when you consider the number of shots, McGoldrick managed 1 every 72.5 minutes compared to Sharp’s 86.5 minutes. With shots potentially being more limited against stronger opponents in the Premier League, McGoldrick looks to be the better option out of the two forwards.
Aged 31, McGoldrick also has age on his side, versus 33 year old Sharp, albeit age is not always the be all and end all. McGoldrick also managed 4 assists and priced £0.5m cheaper than Sharp he could provide a better return for fantasy managers this season.
Hidden Gem – Callum Robinson (£5.5m)
At the time of writing this, Robinson is owned by just 0.5% of Fantasy Premier League managers and as previously mentioned he has been their joint top goal scorer across the preseason fixtures. Robinson was signed by the Blades this summer from Preston North End and whilst at his previous club he managed 12 goals and 3 assists in just 27 appearances during the 2018/19 campaign.
Robinson is a versatile player, predominantly playing as a left midfielder or winger. What’s a little unsure is how he fits into Wilders usual formation with two wingbacks, however Robinson’s best chance of featuring will be to displace either Sharp or McGoldrick, which if he keeps scoring as he has during pre-season he will certainly do just that.
Gamble Pick – John Lundstram (£4.0m)
Last season Lundstram played just 409 minutes last season, across 10 appearances in the Championship, 5 of which were off the bench. That said, Lundstram has had a terrific pre-season and has subsequently attracted the attention of fantasy managers mainly due to his starting price of £4.0m. Additionally, Lundstram tends to play in midfield, yet he has been classified as a defender in Fantasy Premier League, meaning if he does play then he would be credited with clean sheet points.
During pre-season Lundstram has picked up 3 assists during 399 minutes of play. He’s also attracted the plaudits of manager Chris Wilder, with him having said that “I thought he yet again impressed. He’s possibly a player that many would have thought we’d have moved on in the summer but he’s got a definite part to play”. There is clearly the chance that Lundstram could start and at £4.0m, he’d be a great gamble!
Predicted Line-up
Henderson
Stevens – O’Connell – Egan – Basham – Baldock
Fleck – Freeman – Norwood
Robinson – McGoldrick
