After gaining promotion to the Premier League in the 2019/20 season, Leeds United played exceptionally well last season and look like they are here to stay. Finishing in the top half of the table at 9th position despite this being their first season back, Leeds surprised several people. This has made several of their players attractive for FPL managers. Their fixtures from GW 3-10 are mouth watering and make their assets an absolute necessity in that time frame.
Illan Meslier|£5.0m
Meslier was exceptional last season and one of the biggest reasons why Leeds finished in the top half giving match winning performances on several occasions. He was also the 3rd highest scoring GK last season with 154 points. The quality of his performances can also be reflected by the fact that he received the second most bonus points last season among all goalkeepers. His save percentage last season was the fourth highest in the league. Meslier overperformed his PSxG by 5.3 which was the 4th best in the league. His clean sheet prospects may not be the highest but his 134 saves and bonuses make him an extremely attractive prospect at a medium price.
Luke Ayling|£4.5m
Ayling had an xG+A of 4.0 but his returns were nil. For players who like to gamble, he is an excellent choice at a good price. He is nailed on to start and he played 3,399 minutes out of 3,420 available. His 25 shots were the highest among Leeds defenders last season and this season he might finally start paying dividends. Defensively, Leeds kept 12 clean sheets and Ayling played a key role in this achievement. Among defenders costing £4.5m he is one of the better options you could have in your team.
Junior Firpo|£5.0m
Keeping his stint at Barcelona aside, Junior Firpo is an excellent full back and offensively a massive threat to his opponents. In 2018-19, his last season with Real Betis he had 3 goals and 4 assists in La Liga and his overall attacking game was a beauty to behold. With Ezgjan Alioski out of the team, Junior will have full dominion over that left back role and he might be able to replicate numbers to those of his predecessor who scored 2 and assisted 3 goals last season. In his last season at Betis he had 19 shots, 8 of which were on target and with Leeds’ attacking style of play you can expect these numbers to go up.
Stuart Dallas|£5.5m
The Irish mid-fielder was one of the best FPL assets that all managers adored but a huge part of that was due to him being classified as a defender. This allowed him to score points not only from his attacking exploits but also the team’s defensive conquests. This season he has been classified as a mid-fielder which makes him a less attractive option. He had 8 goals and 2 assists last season which still may attract some suiters but with a price tag of £5.5m he is too expensive to be bench fodder and his return is not expected to be as good as others in that price range like Harrison, Soucek and Buendia.
Jack Harrison|£6.0m
Harrison is Leeds’ second most lethal attacker with 8 goals and 8 assists in the league last season. Both were the second highest in the whole squad behind Patrick Bamford and Rapinha respectively. His shots on target percentage and key passes are again the second highest in the squad. Almost comically, he has the second highest number of big chances created. He had 19 shots on target as well, these stats make him an essential for your team. He is not only a goal scorer but also one of Leeds’ biggest creative outlet.
Rapinha|£6.5m
Coming on to the scene out of nowhere Rapinha established a name for himself quite quickly last season scoring 6 goals and assisting 9 despite starting only 6 games. His assists per 90 were the 5th highest in the league and xA per 90 was the 4th highest in the league. His 12 big chances created were the 8th highest in the league despite playing only 30 games. His per 90 stats are right up there with world class players like Bruno Fernandes, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish. He is putting these numbers up at the age of 23 in his maiden season in the league and this team. With more experience and playing minutes this season, he is going to punish those managers who risked not taking him in their teams.
Patrick Bamford|£8.0m
4th highest goal scorer in the Premier League, Patrick Bamford became a mainstay for a good chunk of the season last year and he will be looking to maintain his reputation. He was the second highest scoring forward in FPL and 5th highest overall. At £8.0m, he is still a bargain if he can even come close to the figures he put up last season. Considering he is about to enter his prime years, Bamford is expected to explode this season with a 20 goal season on the cards. Given how well he played, it is hard to remember that it was his first season in the Premier League in 4 years. He is another player you will want to have in your team with a potentially big season for Leeds on the way.
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