No Christian Pulisic in FPL? Since Fantasy Premier League forgot to add Pulisic to the game, our scouts were pitch side with the U.S. Men’s National Team taking notes. ✍️
Update!
What a coincidence! @OfficialFPL added Pulisic to the game just 24 hours after our post. 😎
No Christian Pulisic in #FPL?
Since @OfficialFPL forgot to add Pulisic to the game, our scouts were pitch side at #GoldCup2019 taking notes ✍️
• Playing style (on set pieces for #USA)
• BPS + points scoring potential
• Worth investing at the start?https://t.co/kNsjjDlKvp pic.twitter.com/a1zghnQjMB— Upper 90 Studios (@upper90studios) July 1, 2019
£7.5m for @cpulisic_10 🔵
👍 or 👎?#FPL pic.twitter.com/FkjFsHt4CS
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 2, 2019
Concacaf Gold Cup 2019.
We’d like to thank Concacaf for the chance to cover the Gold Cup quarterfinal featuring the USMNT. We didn’t waste the opportunity!
Now we’re giving FPL fans a behind-the-scenes look into Chelsea’s new man, Christian Pulisic.
Despite the club’s transfer ban, new manager, and endless comparisons to Eden Hazard, can the American silence his critics?
Christian Pulisic USA.
Upper 90 Studios was pitch side and in the press box at the home of the Philadelphia Eagles for the Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals USA vs. Curaçao (PHOTO GALLERY).
Every factor counts in Fantasy Premier League, and that includes pre-season research. So we kept a close eye on Christian Pulisic to see if his playing style could translate into FPL points.
Player Rating.
Pulisic got off to a fast start, nearly scoring in the second minute. Just two minutes later, he drove into into the box and was denied brilliantly by the Curaçao goalkeeper with a shot from close range.
The breakthrough came in the 25th minute. Pulisic broke free on the left wing and hit a long areal cross to Weston McKennie, who towered in a powerful header.
He continued to charge forward at every opportunity, and in the 57th minute, he pulled another effort just wide of the target. It’s worth noting that Pulisic was on all corner kicks and set pieces.
USA closed out the game with a 1-0 win, earning a spot in the Gold Cup semifinals. But they will need to raise their game if they intend on beating Jamaica.
⚽️ Can Pulisic’s playing style translate into FPL returns?
*All photos taken by Upper 90 Studios at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA.
Bonus Points System.
The Bonus Points System uses a range of statistics to award every player a BPS score at the end of the game. The highest scoring player receives 3 points, 2 points for second place, and 1 point to third.
Hazard was known as a BPS magnet, and a key metric in determining BPS is “Successful dribbles.” According to Twitter statisticians @utdarena, Pulisic is amongst the best when it comes to dribbling:
⚽️ Pulisic is the youngest player to captain the U.S. in the modern era (20 years old).
Worth the risk at the start?
It’s difficult to gauge Pulisic’s points-scoring potential with so many question marks over Chelsea. Their transfer ban means they can’t strengthen in the key striker role. Heading into the season with just one forward, Olivier Giroud, is a concern.
Getting off to a fast start was key to our success last season. Investing on proven players with Premier League experience while avoiding newcomers set a positive tone for our journey toward a top 21k OR.
Some players struggle to adapt to a new manager, teammates or style of play. Even changes in their diet can impact training and focus. Fantasy managers with an instinct to start last season with Felipe Anderson and Diogo Jota may have been victims of this adjustment period.
Does that mean avoid all the newcomers at the start? No. Taking calculated risks and unearthing hidden gems is part of the game, as we saw last year with Wolves defender Matt Doherty.
Searching for value early on is crucial, but we must also find the right balance while applying proven strategies at different stages in the season.
For this reason, we may keep a close eye on Pulisic and Chelsea initially, investing instead on more experienced Premier League players we can trust for the start of the new season.
⚽️ Pulisic is a fantastic young player, but will he hit the ground running in FPL?
FPL toolkit.
Stay tuned for the 2019/20 FPL TOOLKIT! Featuring the Player Guide, Pre-season Takeaways and complete 15-Man Squads. We’ll have the final verdict on Christian Pulisic, worthy of a punt or avoid? Plus all the top FPL tips to give you a competitive advantage at the start of the season.
Fantasy Premier League strategy.
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Rate My Team.
FPL Pre-Season: Christian Pulisic | Chelsea FC. Leave us a comment and let’s rate your first drafts.
Good luck!
-Bruno
Rob
02/07/19
An interesting read Bruno.. I wonder what his price is going to be
Can i get some input on my squad so far please
Ederson
Robertson – Laporte – Maguire – TAA
Bernardo Silva – Mane – Siggy
Jiminez – Vardy – Giroud
Subs:
Kelly – Dendoncker – Hayden
Maguire I am only gonna take if he moves to city by the way
Upper 90 Studios
02/07/19
Thanks. Unique team, has me thinking about the defense. Doubling up on defenders of the same team, except it’s two teams!
The positive is both Liverpool and City were solid defensively last season.
The concern is one goal can ruin points for two players in an instant. In the Liverpool players case, they should also deliver attacking returns.
According to our fixture cheat sheet, Man City defenders face tricky opponents with dangerous attackers: West Ham, Spurs, Bournemouth.
I trusted the new versions of the U90 fixture cheat sheet last season, and it coincided with a boost in the OR. But at that time, the cheat sheet had already “learned” from previous performances. We don’t know yet how the teams will start the season.
Midfield is well set. 👍
Last season I gambled on Vardy at the start and he let me down with a red card. Hard to suggest him after that experience, but it can work. Unknowns over Chelsea, but a determined Giroud can go on a run of returns. Lampard might give the players a lift initially like Ole at United.
Good picks for the bench given the limitations.
Overall, it has a high ceiling if they deliver initially. I’d give some thought on the risk level at the back, and possible alternatives up front. Also whether to go with a unique team versus a safer one at the start. Part of my strategy last season was to select some players I liked who were also popular with strong fantasy managers.
Excellent core of 8-9 starters already. 👍
-Bruno
Upper 90 Studios
02/07/19
Now we know, they’ve added him just 24hrs after this post! 🙂
Christian Pulisic – Midfielder £7.5m
Rob
03/07/19
sounds fair… probably a good idea to see how he gets on at first though
swapped ederson and maguire for pickford and digne last night… better fixtures… same value for the pair so can easily swap them back in a few weeks when city have even easier fixtures!
Upper 90 Studios
03/07/19
Close between Ederson and Pickford, if Everton can pick up where they left off last season.
Liking the plan. Digne in for Maguire is what I’d suggest also, at least until after we catch a few games with Maguire (assuming he transfers to a new club).
Ederson+Digne is another nice combo, but it might require shuffling of funds.
-Bruno
Farabro
03/07/19
Hi Bruno. pls rmt very first draft ive come up with thx
Ederson
TAA, Robbo, Zinchenko, Digne
Salah, Sterling, Siggy, Perez
DCL, King
Button/Hayden, Kelly, Wickham
Upper 90 Studios
03/07/19
Hi. Excellent GK+DEF. The only small doubt is Zinchenko being nailed-on this season. We’ll have more clues from Pep in pre-season.
Midfield is also strong. Forwards are probably the weakest area, and tripling up on Everton has its risks. They can go from one of the best to one of the worst in any area. But it can work and definitely worth considering.
Minor tweaks if any. Great draft. 👍
-Bruno
Grant Scheepers
11/07/19
Hi Bruno
Please rate my draft …
Ederson
Robertson, Van Dijk, Van Aanholt, Dunk
Salah, Sigurdsson/Richarlison, Perez, Redmond
Aguero, Jiminez
Bench:
Gk=4.0;
Mid=4.5 (playing);
Def =4.0 (non-playing)/4.5 (playing)
Fwd = 5.0 (playing)/4.5 (non-playing)
Questions:
1. How would you rate my team generally?
2. I’m divided between Aguero & Perez VS Sterling & King/Jota. Your thoughts?
3. Sigurdsson or Richarlison
4. Hope my bench makes sense! I’m planning to have a non-playing keeper and a playing midfielder (e.g. Dendonker), but I’m not sure if I should rather have a playing 4.5 defender and non-playing 4.5 forward OR a non-playing 4.0 defender and a 5.0 playing forward. Which do you think would be better and do you have any budget-friendly suggestions (def/mid/fwd)?
Thanks in advance!
Upper 90 Studios
12/07/19
Hi. Welcome back. I thought I was different with PVA, but you’re on the same page. 👍
As I mention on the latest video, I initially started out with Ederson, then got a bit worried about their first three fixtures: WHU (A), TOT (H), BOU (A). Still, they were so strong defensively last season and his ownership might force me to make the same move.
1. It’s excellent overall. The only minor cautions are on Perez and Redmond. GKs and defenders are perfect. Mids are strong. This season I may go with 100% proven players already established in their teams. It’s a reason I might not bet on Perez initially, but he will want to make an instant impact.
2. Might lean a hair toward Sterling+King. Jesus was excellent for Brazil in the Copa America and could get more love as Aguero slows down, if he ever does.
3. Siggy. Richarlison frustrated me a few times when I had him last season. Every little contact, it feels like he wants to be subbed off. Siggy on penalties with VAR could be a good combo.
4. Dendoncker is a good first sub initially. I might lean toward a £4.5m defender as there is usually better value at the back in the beginning of the season, and they seem to step up more often than the cheaper forwards.
The new video has my first drafts: https://youtu.be/rhJwCYxqG48
Thanks!
-Bruno
Levent Mehmet
15/07/19
Hey
Looking for some tips
Leon
Laporte Robertson Mings wan-bis van djk
Zaha miginn Salah
Wesley aguero
This is 5-3-2
Ryan Perez Murray kante
Abhishek Pandey
23/07/19
Hey, so I was looking for some suggestions
Lloris
TAA, Laporte, Wan-Bissaka, Dunk, Kelly
Salah, KDB, Tielemans, Brooks, Dendoncker
Kane, Jota, Calvert-Lewin.
unsure about Calvert-lewin and Brooks
also Perez or tielemans?
Upper 90 Studios
24/07/19
Hey. Great team with a strong core. Super close between the two Leicester mids. Maybe the smallest edge to Perez, but I can make a case for either.
Agree with your questions. Careful with Brooks as he can suffer niggling injuries that keep him out for a few games. If he can shake those off, he makes a great value way into Bournemouth attacking cover.
Calvert-Lewin is still raw and young, and not the type of player I trust for FPL. But he can go on strong runs of points, so it’s not easy to assess him.
If Zinchenko is nailed-on while Mendy is out injured, that might allow a move from DCL to King in the third forward spot.
Excellent picks and structure. 👍
-Bruno
Priyen Moodley
29/07/19
Ola Bruno
its that time again, the fpl season is almost here, 2 weeks to go.
your thoughts on my first draft.
Ryan,Button
arnold,laporte,wanB,boly,aarons
zaha,salah,moura,fornals,Bsilva
king,rashford,jota
thanks
Priyen
Upper 90 Studios
29/07/19
Ola. Getting closer to GW1!
Liking your ideas. GK+DEF are set. Hopefully United can get back to their defensive best, and AWB (plus Maguire) should help.
Attackers are strong overall. I’m leaning toward Sterling for Man City attack cover, but Bernardo can also work.
One idea could be to try to squeeze in Sterling to maximize the strength of the starting XI.
Current BEST XI:
Ryan
TAA, Laporte, WanB
Salah, Bernardo, Moura, Zaha
King, Rashford, Jota
Can become this as an option:
Ryan
TAA, Zinchenko, WanB
Salah, Sterling, Moura, Zaha
King, Rashford, Jota
New players in bold. Something like Boly to a £4m, Fornals to Dendoncker, Laporte to Zinchenko would get you there, but that’s optional because you’re counting on a strategy with more team depth and rotation. I prefer to invest most of the funds on the starting XI in the beginning, but it doesn’t mean that’s the best strategy, just different.
Some ideas to consider, but your structure and picks are strong overall. 👍
-Bruno
Jacob Jones
30/07/19
Hello, Bruno. Just stumbled across your youtube channel, amazing work so far mate. Keep it up! Just looking for any advice on my current squad.
Pope
TAA,Robertson,Wan-Bissaka,Zinchenco
Salah (c), Martial, Sterling, Perez
Wilson, King
Subs: Button, Targett, Dendonker, Greenwood.
Ive been debating over a few players.
1, Martial? He’s been starting a few games upfront in preseason, but not 100% that he will start week in week out. Maybe Pulisic? (surely he will start most games) or Ryan Fraser because of the early fixtures?
2, I like the sound of Sebastian Haller for West Ham, but its probably best to see how he starts? Can see him picking up points in Game week 2, 4 and 5 though.
3, May sound crazy, Im thinking about triple captaining Salah for GW 1. Norwich at home should be easy points. Still waiting to see how Liverpool set up and perform in the Community Shield before deciding. (reason behind this is because the top manager in GW1 in my league wins their stake back).
Thanks for any help. Jacob
Upper 90 Studios
31/07/19
Hi Jacob. Nice! Always good to hear that, thanks. 👍
1. To start the season, I’m reducing certain risks and going with players I can trust from last season. Martial, I need to see United back to their attacking best before investing on the players. Pulisic ticks all the boxes to be a success in FPL, but there might be an adjustment period. I can remember last season Felipe Anderson barely made it to 60min GW1, then he grew into a quality option in FPL.
From the three on your list, I prefer Fraser. But you already have Wilson+King. So one idea is to dig up another £0.5m for Siggy. The only place for a cut, which has its own risks, is Targett to the best £4m. Targett is a smart pick at £4.5m, so keep him in mind for other drafts. We will have more info on the best £4m defender after all the pre-season games.
2. Yes, great potential, but I’m avoiding most newcomers in the beginning. Same as Jota last season who was actually subbed at halftime GW2, then went on to become a solid player in FPL. Like you said, I’ll probably check out Haller a few games before deciding.
Keep an eye on Pope. Don’t think he was in the squad today, possibly the second time he’s missed out in pre-season. Burnley’s fixtures are also tricky GW2-GW4. I’m still researching the best GK and my drafts will probably need a £4.5m like Ryan.
Didn’t even think of the chips yet! I usually make my chips plan with info from @BenCrellin on Twitter, but it’s up to you!
Great team overall, just 1-2 notes. Thanks for the comment. 👍
-Bruno
PS: You needed two approved comments before they show up automatically. Should be all set now.
Tyron
01/08/19
Amazing content and youtube channel!
Any thoughts on my draft below would be highly appreciated before the big commit…
Assumption is I will most likely use 1st wild card after 6to8 weeks after seeing how everyone is settling in for the season – all other chips to be left to final few weeks. Plan is to take a punt and maximize points in first 6to8weeks with the assumption that I can buy my way out of trouble with a chip. Therefore I need to leverage the FDR rating where possible, minimize spend on the bench and only back players I am very confident will play (and hope for no injuries)
Ryan, Begovic
Kelly, Digne, Robertson, TAA, Laporte
Dendoncker, Salah, Sterling, Perez, Fraser
King, Greenwood, Deulofeu
Thanks for everything!
Upper 90 Studios
01/08/19
Thanks! Always great to hear that. 👍
Liking the chips plan, especially in the second half of the season when we have a higher Team Value and Double Gameweeks.
That’s top strategy advice! Backing players we’re very confident will play hints at trust. Who can we trust to put in our teams?
Of course just as I write this, Laporte might have an injury and could miss the Community Shield. He is normally excellent with avoiding injuries, so it’s one to research a bit. Could be minor.
Perez has tricky starting fixtures, but he will be motivated to score goals straight away to prove he was worth the transfer fee.
It’s a perfect squad, targeting all the right positions to make compromises at the start of the season.
Just the small note on Laporte, but you should be set. Thanks for the great comment 👍
-Bruno
Mihael
02/08/19
You didn’t say anything about Barkley who has been great during the preseason and is enjoying his new role under Frank
Upper 90 Studios
02/08/19
Good point on Barkley, looks a decent option at £6m. 👍
This post was published at the start of the preseason. Pulisic was still with the national team at the Gold Cup and wasn’t even added to FPL until after our post.
-Bruno
Codi Edelen
28/04/20
I used to be able to find good information from your content.