Last season Draft Fantasy Football managers regularly saw a Liverpool side play with such pace and fluidity that, at times, was almost impossible to stop.
Under German head coach Jurgen Klopp, the attack minded players thrived, combining well to register impressive individual stats across the board. Looking at last term’s top draft performers, a strong showing came from the Reds.
Philippe Coutinho, Gini Winjaldum, Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino all scored handsomely.
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Of this group, only Roberto Firmino is classified a striker. This will will likely put off his potential suitors in comparison to his team mates.
Any goal scored will count for less than if he were classified as a midfielder and, given that the likes of Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku will dominate our forward wish lists, he may find himself a less popular option, particularly given the potential for added rotation with his side back in Europe.
That being said, the Brazilian offers so much both in attack and defensive he will surely score handsomely if Liverpool can play in a similar fashion this season.
Another factor though, of course, is the fitness of Daniel Sturridge. If he can get minutes on the pitch he may even oust Firmino as Liverpool’s go-to striker. If that were the case then no Draft Fantasy Football manager would want a valuable striker position taken up by anyone but a leading man.
Fellow Brazilian Coutinho, picking up 151 points, was one of the best midfield performers in the game. With 13 goals and seven assists, he lit up the Premier League, particularly impressing with his long range efforts. However, he faces an uncertain future.
Following Neymar’s move to Paris Saint Germain, Coutinho has much been mooted as a potential replacement at Barcelona, as ESPN Deportes (the Spanish version of ESPN) reports.
Even if the star man remains at Anfield he looks set to play a slightly deeper role in the Liverpool side. It remains to be seen if this potential tactical switch impacts on his point scoring ability, but a cautious approach to his selection would be advisable.
On the right side of the Reds’ attack, Sadio Mane showed similar scintillating form last time out. With 13 goals and five assists in a injury disrupted campaign, he showed just why Klopp was so keen to bring him in.
He may well emerge as the first choice option when selecting from the aforementioned list. His constant goal threat ranks him highly and his pre-season form gives us no reason to suggest otherwise.
The addition of Mohamed Salah to the Liverpool attack gives us an even bigger headache than last season.
In 29 Serie A appearances, the Egyptian scored 15 times and bagged a further 11 assists. These sort of numbers would catapult the former Chelsea winger to the upper echelons of the point scoring charts, if recreated this season.
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With doubts hanging over Coutinho’s future, and the possible rotation and positional risk posed by Firmino, it is surely the wide men who look most viable options for the men in red.
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