Home » Fantasy Football Tips Deadline Day Signings and Their Fantasy Premier League Potential Deadline Day Signings and Their Fantasy Premier League Potential

The madness of deadline day may be over but the dust is far from settled. The deep pockets of the Premier League clubs have once again brought a fresh batch of talent to the league and now FPL managers have the task of identifying which ones should be transferred in.

Some of these new signings have proved their worth in the Premier League, whilst others have only displayed their skills in different leagues around Europe. @insiderFPL has taken every signing made after Gameweek 3 and analysed their Fantasy Premier League potential.

Which New Forwards Have The Best Fantasy Premier League Potential?

Player Team FPL Price FPL Rating Bony Stoke City 7.3 8 Slimani Leicester 8.5 8 Perez Arsenal 8.5 7 Remy Crystal Palace 6.4 6 Mbokani Hull City 5.5 5 Robson-Kanu West Brom 5.0 5 Okaka Watford 5.5 5 Valencia Everton 5.5 4 Bamford Burnley 5.0 3 Keane Hull City 4.5 3

After being linked to several clubs throughout the summer, Wilfried Bony finally got his move away from Manchester City. The Ivorian is now joining a Stoke City side that has been in desperate need for a striker, so he’ll be expected to make an impact right away.

He never received consistent playing time at Manchester City but during his Swansea days managed nine goals from his last 16 matches. Bony is a Premier League veteran and many believe he shouldn’t have much of an issue acclimating to Stoke’s system.

Leicester City broke their club record transfer fee for the third time this summer to bring in Islam Slimani from Sporting Lisbon for £30 million. This time, we believe that manager Claudio Ranieri has got his transfer spot-on.

When Leicester brought in Ahmed Musa, many thought that he and Vardy would become the main striker duo. It turns out that Musa and Vardy are such similar players and have yet to prove they complement each other very well. Subsequently, Okazaki was given back his position next to the English forward. Now Okazaki finds his spot in question again with the imposing Slimani surely gunning for a starting role.

The Algerian is capable of holding up the ball, knocking in headers and scoring some truly stunning goals, which his 27 goals from 33 appearances last term is a testament to. He may not slot in right away, but he and Vardy could form a truly prolific strike partnership.

Lucas Perez, otherwise known as that guy who isn’t Alexandre Lacazette, has been brought in by Arsene Wenger to relieve some of the goalscoring burden for Arsenal. The Spanish forward worked his way up from the depths of Spanish football until last season where he averaged a goal every other game.

Perez has the ability to play as an attacking midfielder or as the main striker, so he’ll realistically be aiming to take the role of either Theo Walcott or Olivier Giroud. It’ll take some time for Perez to fully settle in and find his role, but once he starts picking up consistent minutes he can be a decent forward option at just £8.5m.

The last time Loic Remy was a player under Alan Pardew he scored 14 goals over 24 matches making him, at the time, one of the more feared strikers in the league. The Frenchman was lightning fast, had a leap that always made him dangerous at the end of a set-piece or cross and was an excellent finisher.

Since Remy’s golden days his career has stagnated a bit and has only started nine Premier League games in the past two seasons. It’s hard to know what to expect from Remy but we suggest waiting as the striker shakes off the dust.

With Watford’s attacking struggles, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that they went out and secured the services of Stefano Okaka. The striker has been brought in as a backup, but he may not be a backup for long due to Odion Ighalo’s struggles that have persisted since last January.

The Italian scored 17 times for Anderlecht last season and Watford fans will be hoping that he brings some of that goalscoring form to Vicarage Road. If the signing of Okaka doesn’t kick-start Ighalo’s season, then the new boy may very well become a regular for Watford.

Coming off the back of a few great performances in the Euros, Hal Robson-Kanu has landed in West Brom. It would be easy to write off the Welshman, since he’s arrived at a side with arguably the most lifeless attack in the League. However, West Brom secured the services of Nacer Chadli, Leko picked up an injury and Saido Berahino has already been dropped to the bench due to his poor performances.

All of these factors have cleared a path for Robson-Kanu to become an impact player for the Baggies. The forward will likely play just off to the left of Salomon Rondon, which puts him in a great position to pick up a handful of goals and assists. At just £5.0m, Robson-Kanu could be a decent budget option that enables you to cram more talented players into your midfield.

After a surprisingly strong start to the season, Hull City have finally begun to make some moves in the transfer market. Perhaps their most notable signing is Dynamo Kiev striker Dieumerci Mbokani on a season-long loan, who represented Norwich in the Premier League last season.

The forward was decent last season scoring seven goals in 29 appearances, despite only starting in 15 of them. With a so-so scoring record, it would be hard to see Mbokani coming in and displacing Abel Hernandez, who has been Hull’s main man for the past two seasons.

The most likely scenario is that each player takes away minutes from the other, which greatly limits both of their FPL potential.

Elsewhere, Enner Valencia was simply brought into Everton as a backup for Romelu Lukaku. He may be used as a late sub in some games, but he won’t be much of a fantasy asset unless Lukaku picks up an injury.

Patrick Bamford will likely be utilized as a backup for either Andre Gray or Sam Vokes. He won’t play much, and even if he does he probably won’t be worth a spot in your fantasy team. Will Keane will be brought in to compete for a starting spot at Hull though he’s unlikely to slot in right away.

Which New Midfielders Have The Best Fantasy Premier League Potential?

Player Team FPL Price FPL Rating Chadli West Brom 6.4 7 Boufal Southampton 7.0 6 Sissoko Tottenham 7.0 6 Wilshere Bournemouth 5.9 6 Henriksen Hull 5.5 6 Nkoudou Tottenham 7.0 5 Kenedy Watford 5.4 5 Traore Middlesbrough 5.0 4 Mason Hull 4.9 4 Hendrick Burnley 5.5 4 Ndong Sunderland 5.0 2 Weir Hull 4.5 2

Nacer Chadli is far and away the most exciting attacking option in West Brom’s squad. After spending most of last season marooned on Tottenham’s bench, the Belgian winger decided it was a time for a change of scenery.

Chadli ultimately wound up at West Brom, which isn’t exactly known for its attractive, attacking football, but perhaps the midfielder can be the one to inject some life into the side. In the 2014/15 season Chadli recorded seven goals and 11 assists. If he manages to replicate that form at The Hawthorns, then we have yet another decent FPL option around the £6.5m mark.

To the delight of Southampton fans, Sofiane Boufal has decided to bring his talents to the south coast of England. While the midfielder’s creativity and directness will be a welcome addition to his team, it ultimately means there will need to be a formation shakeup.

In order to utilize Tadic, Boufal and Redmond all in one team, Puel will likely need to switch to a 4-2-3-1. Boufal would occupy the 10 role, Redmond on the right and Tadic on the left. It’s certainly a formation that would allow Boufal to thrive, but the question is, how long we must wait to see it.

We are entering the age in football where Moussa Sissoko is worth £30 million… How did we got here? No one knows. The French midfielder has escaped from Newcastle and landed at Tottenham, where he might have a bit of difficulty fitting in.

Sissoko has the ability to play on the right or in the centre of the park, but he faces steep competition in both of those positions. Spurs’ wings are occupied by Eriksen and Lamela and the centre midfield spots are crammed with Dier, Wanyama and Dembele.

The best chance for Sissoko to start is probably next to Dier, but that position won’t be very conducive with scoring lots of FPL points. Considering he doesn’t contribute many goals and assists anyway, his fantasy potential is limited.

The permanently injured Jack Wilshere has been shipped out on loan from Arsenal to Bournemouth. Even if Wilshere stays healthy, which is a big if, he’s not much a goalscoring threat. At most, we’d say keep an eye on him since Eddie Howe may deploy him in a more advanced role than he played at Arsenal.

Hull City revamped their midfield when they acquired both Ryan Mason and Markus Henriksen. The two will likely round off Hull’s midfield triangle with Samuel Clucas, who is in great form at the moment.

The one to watch out of the three has to be Markus Henriksen. The Norwegian midfielder is joining the Tigers off the back of a strong season in the Eredivisie where he scored 12 and assisted six. Henriksen will be the most advanced midfielder of the trio and considering how well Hull have been playing could be a solid fifth midfielder for a few fantasy teams.

Georges-Kevin Nkoudou is another attacker who has left Marseille in order to pursue Premier League football. The winger is a vastly talented young man, but he’ll ultimately be one for the future at White Hart Lane. The addition of Moussa Sissoko has only reduced his chances of receiving first-team football any time soon.

It seems that anyone who isn’t a regular starter at Chelsea runs the risk of being sent out on loan and this time it was Brazilian starlet Kenedy. The young wing-back now finds himself on loan at Watford, which may actually be a good fit for him. Watford manager Walter Mazzarri is a fan of the 3-5-2, so Kenedy could be utilised in a left wing-back role.

This may also be Antonio Conte’s way of testing whether he’ll have a capable wing-back for the future at Chelsea. Unfortunately Kenedy won’t be a viable FPL option this season since he’s listed as a midfielder. He won’t pick up the four points for a clean sheet, and he’s in too deep of a position to regularly pick up goals or assists. There are better options out there.

Speaking of starlets, Adama Traore has left Aston Villa and joined the newly promoted Middlesbrough. Traore barely even played for Villa last season, so it’ll be even more difficult for him to find playing time in a much more talented side. Perhaps a few solid runs from the bench could put his name in contention for a starting spot but don’t expect it to happen right away.

Burnley’s record signing Jeff Hendrick will surely bolster the Clarets going forward, but he won’t do much for your fantasy team. Hendrick is a holding midfielder, and while he may be good for the odd goal or assist, it won’t be on a consistent enough basis to justify using a spot on your fantasy team for him.

Didier Ndong is in the same exact boat as Hendrick. He’s a good player that’ll benefit his team from a result perspective, but won’t offer much in terms of FPL. He may, however, add a bit more value to Sunderland’s backline.

Hull City managed to capture the signature of yet another Manchester United fringe player, this time, left-sided midfielder James Weir. The English midfielder will have to displace Diomande on the left wing, the Norwegian has already scored three goals in all competitions this season so for now we’d advise avoiding Weir.

Which New Defenders Have The Best Fantasy Premier League Potential?

Player Team FPL Price FPL Rating Mustafi Arsenal 6.0 8 Luiz Chelsea 6.0 7 Arbeloa West Ham 5.0 7 Alonso Chelsea 6.0 6 Martins Indi Stoke 5.0 6 Denayer Sunderland 4.9 5 Nyom West Brom 4.4 5 C. Chambers Middlesbrough 4.5 5 Mawson Swansea 4.5 4 Mariappa Watford 4.0 2

You have to give credit where credit is due and despite all of Arsene Wenger’s transfer mishaps, the signing of Shkodran Mustafi was an excellent one. The German defender will add some extra steel to the Gunners’ backline and should fit right in next to Laurent Koscielny.

The two will form one of the toughest center back pairings in the league, and with Cech behind them and Xhaka growing better each week, the likelihood that Mustafi brings in those precious clean sheet points is very high.

One signing that has stirred a bit of debate has been the return of David Luiz to Stamford Bridge. The Brazilian defender who was sent packing by Jose Mourinho has came back to Chelsea with a point to prove. Yes, Luiz is prone to making a blunder here and there, but he’ll be in a system that can iron out any deficiencies.

With Kante running around vigorously to clean up after any mistakes, and Conte continually improving Chelsea as a whole, the versatile defender has every opportunity to thrive. Even at the age of 29, Luiz can be molded into a more complete defender that could be a great fit for most fantasy teams.

The signing of Alvaro Arbeloa is a great signing for West Ham for two reasons. For one, it means that the Hammers finally have an experienced right-back at their disposal. Two, it allows Michail Antonio to fully commit to his position as a right winger.

Arbeloa should be able to come in and start over Sam Byram for West Ham very quickly. The Spanish full-back will add some much needed experience to the backline and could be exactly what West Ham need to retain more clean sheets.

Marcos Alonso was another addition made to Chelsea’s defense on deadline day. Alonso’s career has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. He’s spent time at Real Madrid, Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland and most recently Fiorentina. The Spaniard struggled at Sunderland a few seasons ago because his defensive abilities were lacking. Sure, he was good going forward, but he just wasn’t capable of playing in a four-man defense.

That was until he was forced to adapt to the heavy defensive demands of the Serie A. He improved drastically at Fiorentina, enough so to catch the eye of the defensive-minded Antonio Conte. With the signing of Luiz, we can see Chelsea eventually switching to a three man defense with Alonso and Azpilicueta playing as wing-backs. If – and hopefully when – that happens, Alonso would be a great Chelsea defender to have in your fantasy team.

Stoke City saw a need to shore up their defense and were able to get Bruno Martins Indi on loan from FC Porto. Mark Hughes has already said that he expects the Dutch defender to make an “immediate impact.” That mean Martins Indi will most likely line up next to Ryan Shawcross, which could prove to be a formidable pairing. At just £5.0m you’d definitely be getting your money’s worth from the defender.

After leaking goals at the back during the beginning of this season, strengthening up his defensive so no doubt part of David Moyes’ transfer strategy. Belgian international Jason Denayer was his player of choice and many expect he’ll be immediately plugged into a three man defense.

Will that be enough to solve Sunderland’s defensive frailties? It’s hard to say. However, his price tag (£4.9m) makes him too expensive to consider, especially with teammate Van Aanholt priced just £0.1m more.

After struggling to assert a place within the Watford starting lineup, Allan Nyom has made the switch to the defensively sound West Brom. Nyom is quite decent at making forward runs from the back, but that doesn’t really compliment how Tony Pulis organises his defences.

He’d also need to beat out Craig Dawson, and considering how well the Baggies’ defense has played so far, it’s hard to see him being immediately introduced into the team.

Calum Chambers, another Arsenal loanee, has wound up at Middlesbrough. Chambers certainly has the ability to start for Middlesbrough, but he has the competition of Ben Gibson, who has gotten off to a strong start next to Daniel Ayala.

A few mistakes from Gibson may be all it takes for Chambers to become a regular at Middlesbrough. Therefore, we’d suggest adding the younger defender to your watchlist for now.

Dubbed by some as the next Ashley Williams, Alfie Mawson will hope to be in contention for a starting spot at Swansea. Scouts seems to love the young defender, but don’t act too hastily by bringing him into your FPL team.

Mawson has only played four matches in the Championship and none in the top flight. He may be one for the future, but he’s not worth the fantasy risk as he tries to acclimate to the Premier League. Elsewhere, Adrian Mariappa will be a backup at Watford which doesn’t make him worth even considering.

Which New Goalkeepers Have The Best Fantasy Premier League Potential?

Player Team FPL Price FPL Rating Marshall Hull 4.5 6 Lopez Tottenham 5.0 4

Unless you’re involved with time-travel there’s little to no chance you’d have predicted that Hull would get off to the start that they did. The Tigers’ amazing start to the season has allowed them to attain some great additions to the squad, one being goalkeeper David Marshall.

The Scottish keeper has had previous experience in the top flight with Cardiff City and has been their best player ever since. Curtis Davies has already clocked up some strong defensive performances on his return to the Premier League and with a safer pair of hands behind him, Hull could now be a more reliable source of clean sheets.

Finally, Pau Lopez has been brought in as relief for the injured Hugo Lloris. The keeper will have to fight it out with Vorm to see who becomes the number two, so he won’t be worth the spot in your fantasy team.