Swansea City’s 8th place in the Premier League last season provided further evidence that, after three seasons in the top flight, they are now very much mainstays of mid-table. In no way is that a slight on the boys from South Wales, neither is it a reason to doubt the Fantasy Premier League potential that can be found at the Liberty Stadium.
After studying the statistics (provided by FPL Assist’s Player Projections), I have come to the following conclusions: There are not many points to be gained from their defensive players (as you would expect from a team in their league position), but there are returns to be had from the attacking end of the field. Beyond the Star Man and Hidden Gem below, Jefferson Montero and Ki Sung-yueng are worth keeping an eye on, especially at the prices of 6.0m and 5.5m respectively.
STAR MAN – Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.5m)
Following what was ultimately a disappointing couple of years on the sidelines at Tottenham, last summer Sigurdsson was welcomed back at Swansea with open arms (after his impressive loan spell in 2011/12). He certainly hit the ground running: scoring one and setting up four others in just the first three games. He finished the season with seven goals and ten assists having started all but six of Swansea’s league games. That is exactly what you should look for in a mid-priced midfielder: a consistent starter who can regularly provide assists and chip in a few goals too.
HIDDEN GEM – Bafétimbi Gomis (7.0m)
I will admit that Gomis is a bit of a punt, but he has been competitively priced and has the potential to do great things. Following Wilfried Bony’s departure to Man City in January Gomis was called upon to step up and fill some impressive scoring boots. He took his time to find his feet but, as the stats show, at the latter end of the season he made seven starts (plus three from the bench) and scored six goals. It should be particularly noted that he found the back of the net against Man United, Man City and Arsenal (both home and away). If he is able to continue that kind of form next season then he could hit the same goal-scoring heights as Bony.
Jo Fitzgerald – Founder and creator of FPL Assist.
