The best value fantasy football XI so far this season

By this point of the season some of you may have already given up with your fantasy football mini leagues. But it shouldn’t be the end of your campaign.

FanTeam have launched a free-to-enter Second Chance fantasy football game which offers participants the chance to wipe the slate clean in January and compete for a massive £100,000 prize pool during the second half of the Premier League campaign.

That’s right, starting from Gameweek 22 (January 14) you are invited to start afresh and reignite your bid for fantasy football bragging rights.

Better yet, we’ve pulled together a few statistics to help give you the edge on your mates.

We’ve already crunched the numbers to determine the best possible XI you can acquire right now based on points achieved on FanTeam so far this season, so now we’ll walk you through the best value XI below. This identifies the best starting team you can select based on points won against a player’s value on FanTeam. 

How to join FanTeam’s Second Chance Premier League 2021/22 Fantasy Football tournament for free:

To sign up, you need to be over 18, Gamble Aware and meet FanTeam’s terms and conditions. Otherwise, just follow these simple steps:

• Head to FanTeam and sign up
• Join the ‘Second Chance Season Game’ tournament with your free entry ticket
• Create a team and click ‘Enter Tournament’

The best-valued possible XI on FanTeam

Jose Sa (4.8M)

FanTeam points so far: 96.3
FanTeam points per million: 20.0

Only one goalkeeper has accumulated more points than Jose Sa this season but Ederson was expected to perform and so his value is higher. Sa has been an absolute hero between the sticks for Wolves this season, keeping eight clean sheets and conceding just 14 goals in his 19 Premier League appearances so far. Among goalkeepers to have played 10 or more appearances in the Premier League, Sa has the best save percentage too, stopping 80.82% of the shots on target he has faced.

Joao Cancelo (6.7M)

FanTeam points so far: 116.6
FanTeam points per million: 17.4

If Pep Guardiola needs an out-an-out full-back on the right, Cancelo’s his man. If he needs a left-back to cut into the middle, Cancelo’s his man. If you need a defender to rack up the points, Cancelo’s your man. The Portuguese full-back has been directly involved in five goals so far this season and has been part of a Man City defence to keep 11 clean sheets, more than any other defender this season.

Antonio Rudiger (5.7M)

FanTeam points so far: 91.7
FanTeam points per million: 16.1

Antonio Rudiger may not appear to be a defender that will get you a lot of fantasy points as he doesn’t score or assist too much, at least not in a regular campaign. But this isn’t a regular campaign for the German. He has already scored two goals and recorded three fantasy assists, including two penalties won in Chelsea’s 3-2 win over Leeds. Rudiger has had more shots (27) than any other centre-back in the Premier League this season, seven of which have hit the target. But one of these days a speculative long-range effort will go in.

Romain Saiss (4.8M)

FanTeam points so far: 77.1
FanTeam points per million: 16.1

A real differential pick, Romain Saiss has been a big part of Wolves’ stellar defence this season. Only Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Wolves’ 14 this season, and Saiss has been part of the Wolves defence in every match. He has only missed 51 minutes so far, although beware he is currently away on international duty with Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations. On top of his two goals and eight clean sheets, Saiss has also completed more clearances than any other player in the Premier League this season with 96, including another league-high 53 headed clearances.

Conor Coady (4.7M)

FanTeam points so far: 72.3
FanTeam points per million: 15.4

Conor Coady has also been ever-present in Wolves’ 19 Premier League games so far, benefitting from the eight clean sheets. The Englishman has scored one goal but, as finding the net is a rarity, he’ll be in for his defensive contributions and a relatively clean game (just one yellow card so far this season). Coady has completed 69 clearances in the Premier League this term and won possession 51 times in the defensive third, while also missing just three minutes of action.

Jarrod Bowen (6.5M)

FanTeam points so far: 108.1
FanTeam points per million: 16.6

Jarrod Bowen’s decent performance last season somewhat flew under the radar but the English winger had made himself hard to ignore in 2021/22. In 20 Premier League appearances so far, Bowen has been directly involved in 10 goals. The former Hull man has scored three goals and recorded seven assists this season, with only Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold (both nine) more creative in the Premier League.

FanTeam’s Second Chance fantasy game explained:

Rodri (5.0M)

FanTeam points so far: 78.4
FanTeam points per million: 15.7

Another player you might overlook in fantasy football because of the job he does, Rodri actually has a decent return for his price this season. The Spaniard is crucial at the heart of Man City’s midfield, contributing both defensively and in pushing them up the pitch. He has two goals and one assist — alongside the clean sheet points as a midfielder — and represents a snip at 5.0M on FanTeam.

Bernardo Silva (7.3M)

FanTeam points so far: 113.2
FanTeam points per million: 15.5

Bernardo Silva is Man City’s joint-top scorer in the Premier League this season, having netted seven goals in 20 appearances — level with Raheem Sterling. Despite being classified as a midfielder, Silva has been spending a lot of time further up the pitch, especially on the wings where he can make the most of his ability. And, like Rodri, he benefits from the clean sheet bonuses that Man City regularly rake in.

Conor Gallagher (6.2M)

FanTeam points so far: 94.6
FanTeam points per million: 15.3

Conor Gallagher has been a massive success this season on loan at Crystal Palace, a pure No.8 being guided by one of the best midfielders the Premier League has ever seen in Patrick Vieira. The Chelsea loanee has been directly involved in nine Premier League goals so far this season, scoring six and providing a further three assists — a club-high and joint-club high respectively. But he has also added two fantasy assists, winning penalties for Palace that were put away by Wilfried Zaha.

Mason Mount (7.2M)

FanTeam points so far: 107.9
FanTeam points per million: 15.0

Another player, like Silva, benefitting from an advanced role, Mason Mount is one of Thomas Tuchel’s stars at Chelsea. For a while people were reluctant to see Mount’s class but he has made it hard to ignore, playing as a mixture of an inside forward and attacking midfielder in Tuchel’s 3-4-2-1 system. Mount truly is thriving this season with seven goals and five assists in the Premier League. He has been directly involved in more goals than any other Chelsea player. The 23-year-old is also one of just four players to have hit at least five goals and five assists in the Premier League this season.

Emmanuel Dennis (5.6M)

FanTeam points so far: 86.6
FanTeam points per million: 15.0

Who are the other three players you ask? Well, one is Mohamed Salah, another is Michail Antonio and the third is the best value forward in the Premier League. Emmanuel Dennis arrived in the Premier League with little fanfare having had a few disappointing domestic campaigns, but he has made England’s top flight his. With eight goals and five assists, only Mohamed Salah (25) has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than Dennis this season, who has also been responsible for 59% of Watford’s entire goal tally.