Today we continue our FPL dilemma series with two of last season’s very best strikers. It was only a few seasons ago that Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy were in the same squad at Leicester City, with Harry Kane of course on loan. Fast forward a few years and the pair are arguably deemed two of the most prolific English strikers in the Premier League and thus a valuable asset to any Fantasy Premier League squad.
Unlike other big hitters such as Dimitri Payet, the pair of strikers didn’t have the best time at Euro 2016. The less said about that the better! Roy Hodgson favoured Harry Kane at the Euro’s, but that doesn’t give much away as the man has the footballing brain of a 4 year old as echoed by the early departure to Iceland in the last 16. Despite both players’ performances last season, many will only be able to select one of these stars in their Fantasy Premier League teams due to the initial budget of 100m. Here we take a look at this FPL dilemma and who is the better option for your FPL side.
Jamie Vardy (10.0m)
Jamie Vardy’s meteoric rise from non league football is one of the best football ‘feel good’ stories. You can tell from the way he talks and his natural swagger that he hasn’t had the easiest of paths to glory; but does the now premium priced forward warrant his price tag?
On the face of things you’re inclined to say yes without any hesitation. His record last season was simply flawless. 24 goals, 8 assists and a total of 211 FPL points but the departure of the defensive rock in N’Golo Kante to Chelsea may limit his attacking output this season. The French warrior allowed Vardy and Mahrez to play without fear and they knew they had somebody holding the midfield and bossing the play behind them. Ranieri has tried to find a suitable replacement in Mendy, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll be as effective as N’Golo. This goes without considering the uncertainty surrounding Vardy’s partner in crime, Mahrez. The pair linked up to score so many goals, assisting each other in the process.
In contrast though, Jamie Vardy’s showed unquestionable faith in the project at Leicester City, as he rejected a potential move to Arsenal. Perhaps the question shouldn’t be whether or not Vardy is worth having in your team, but ‘is the team Vardy will be playing with up for the fight as much as him?’. Is Vardy just another one season wonder that scored 20+ goals in the Premier League, only to fade away to a mediocre player such as the likes of Michu? The similarities are there; score 20+ goals in a season, Arsenal come in for you… then fade away. Who knows, we’ll have to wait and see.
Harry Kane (11.0m)
25 goals and 3 assists. 211 points.
Harry Kane is a strange one, scoring one more goal (25) than Vardy last season but not getting as many of the headlines. Harry proved his doubters wrong last season, showing that he is not a one season wonder, backing up what was an impressive debut season by taking home the golden boot in the 15/16 campaign!
Despite all the stats backing Kane, its still hard to be sold. With Tottenham’s acquisition of Janssen, the pressure on him to perform will increase as they now have a more than capable back up. The risk of rotation also increases with this. Close attention should be paid to Spurs’ remaining pre-season games to see what sort of a challenge Janssen provides Kane with. It should also be considered whether or not the competition will ‘spur’ (apologies for the pun) him on to show his worth and prove that he should be the first name on the team sheet.
Who to pick?
It is clear that Jamie Vardy may be more pleasant to watch. The dynamic fast paced counter attacks Leicester City possess, along with his ruthless finishing, are things of beauty. On the other hand, Kane just seems to score all the time. He may be having a quiet game, but all he needs is a sniff at goal and he will find the back of the net. Both players scored the exact same amount of FPL points last campaign emphasising just how little between the two players there really is and causing such an FPL dilemma.
Vardy’s lower price and experience of playing a lot of games throughout the year in the lower leagues of England make the Leicester City striker arguably the better prospect. Last season when Tottenham progressed into the latter stages of the Europa League, Kane’s legs went missing, which resulted in him being rotated. Vardy’s Leicester’s superstar and will start the majority of the games regardless if he’s 100% fit or not.
Finally, it is worth noting that we haven’t considered the fixtures of the two strikers. This is for one simple reason; top quality players, like these two guys, have the ability to score against anyone. It’s the classic saying that form is more important than fixtures.
Written by FPL Avids (@FPLAvids)
