The Fantasy Premier League’s price structure allows players to rise and fall in value, but what can the fluctuations over the course of a season tell us?
As more managers buy or sell a player that player’s value increases/decreases, so to see who has exceeded expectations and who has done the opposite, price fluctuation tells a story.
But which players stand out?
Biggest price rise
It will come as little surprise to see that Raul Jimenez of Wolves has seen the greatest price rise of the season, going from £5.5million to £6.9m with just two gameweeks remaining.
Jimenez began the season with a meagre backing of 129,989 managers but is now owned by more than two million FPL bosses after scoring 13 goals and registering 10 assists in Wolves’ impressive return to the Premier League.
Ahead of gameweek 13 the striker was picked up by almost 350,000 managers after returns against Tottenham and Arsenal, although he then blanked against Huddersfield.
Now the second-most owned player (38%), only Sergio Aguero (40.7%) is more popular than Jimenez.
Biggest price fall
Ross Barkley’s season promised plenty in 2018 but 2019 has largely proven frustrating for the England midfielder.
Barkley’s price began at £6m, which accurately reflects the uncertainty which has surrounded his career of late.
After a patchy start, and falling to £5.7m, the former Everton player looked to have caught fire as he registered three goals and three assists in three games, resulting in his value returning to £6m.
Since then, however, Barkley has failed to secure a place in the Chelsea side and has registered just two assists, seeing his value fall to £5m, with an ownership of just 1.3%.
Greatest fluctuation
More can be gleaned from studying the journey a player’s value has taken during the season, and nobody’s value has been more inconsistent than that of Paul Pogba.
The World Cup winner’s price started at £8m this season before climbing to £8.2m after two goals in United’s opening two games.
By GW17, Pogba’s value had fallen to £7.8m, but after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arrived at Old Trafford he skyrocketed to £9m thanks in part to a three-game spell where the Frenchman notched 46 points.
But as United have come back down to earth in recent weeks, so has Pogba’s value. With just a solitary brace in his last eight league games, he is now on the market at £8.6m despite being named in the PFA Team of the Year.
