Darwin Núñez vs Alexander Isak: The FPL Forward Dilemma

In the competitive arena of Fantasy Premier League (FPL), forwards are crucial for securing high points. This week, Darwin Núñez Ribeiro of Liverpool and Alexander Isak of Newcastle have emerged as popular choices among FPL managers, especially those using their Wildcards. With both players showing potential for high returns, the question arises: who is the better forward option for FPL teams? Let's analyse their performances to shed light on this query.

Performance Breakdown: Darwin vs Isak

Darwin Núñez Ribeiro, with a price tag of £7.5m, has featured in 26 matches totaling 1,572 minutes this season, amassing 111 FPL points. His ownership among the top 100k managers is minimal at 0.8%, however, this data is heavily influenced by 64.5% of those managers playing their Free Hit chips last Gameweek. Núñez has found the back of the net 10 times, considerably underperforming against his expected goals (xG) of 14.53. However, he has excelled in providing assists, with 10 to his name, significantly outperforming his expected assists (xA) of 4.88.

Conversely, Alexander Isak, also priced at £7.5m, has gathered 95 FPL points over 20 games and 1,409 minutes on the pitch. His presence in the top 100k managers' teams is miniscule at 0.02%. Isak has met expectations in goal scoring, with 12 goals against an xG of 11.55, showcasing his finishing prowess. However, he has not registered any assists, underperforming compared to his xA of 1.18.

Their attacking statistics per 90 minutes - taken from the Opta Player Heatmaps tool - shows Darwin is outperforming the Newcastle forward on everything other than goals scored.

In terms of recent popularity, Darwin has been transferred in by over 78,000 managers this Gameweek, while Isak has seen more than 62,000 managers adding him to their squads.

Fixture Analysis and Projected Points

Looking ahead, the fixtures for both players present opportunities and challenges.

As shown in the Fixture Planner tool, Liverpool are fourth for 'Attacking Fixtures' and Newcastle are seventh to Gameweek 33.

Darwin is set to face Brighton at home with a projected 1.9 points, partly due to an injury concern, followed by Sheffield United at home (5.3 points), Manchester United away (3.0 points), and Crystal Palace at home (3.4 points). Isak's upcoming matches include West Ham at home (5.7 points), Everton at home (5.0 points), Fulham away (4.2 points), and Spurs at home (5.0 points).

Conclusion: Weighing Your Options

Deciding between Darwin Núñez and Alexander Isak involves considering several factors, including current form, fixture difficulty, and projected points. Darwin shows a blend of goal-scoring and assist potential but is currently flagged for injury, which FPL managers will need more information from the Liverpool press conference on. Another consideration is that Darwin is two yellow cards away from a two match ban. The cut-off point for this is Gameweek 33, four matches away. Isak, meanwhile, stands out as a consistent goal threat with favourable upcoming fixtures, reflected in his higher projected points.