West Ham Midfielder Dilemma: Lucas Paquetá vs. Mohammed Kudus

As Fantasy Premier League managers eye up their Free Hit chip for Gameweek 29, a big decision for some could be which West Ham midfielder to slot into their squads. Many will be opting for Jarrod Bowen, as he is the 7th highest scoring player in FPL this season. But could there be room for a second Hammer's midfielder? Lucas Paquetá and Mohammed Kudus both offer intriguing prospects, but which one will emerge as the top pick? We delve into their performances, upcoming fixture, and FPL statistics to aid your decision-making process.

The West Ham midfielders offer a potential differential route for managers using their Free Hit chip, along with Forest assets.

Season Performance Comparison

Starting with Mohammed Kudus, he comes at a cost of £6.8m in FPL. Over the season, Kudus has featured in 23 matches (1,589 minutes), amassing a total of 97 FPL points. With an ownership of 2.1% among the top 100k managers, he has netted 6 goals, over performing his expected goals (xG) of 3.82, and has provided 6 assists, significantly over performing his expected assists (xA) of 2.14. Kudus has been transferred in by 37,363 managers ahead of Gameweek 29.

On the other hand, Lucas Paquetá, priced at £6.0m, has played in 26 matches (1,765 minutes), scoring 73 FPL points. His ownership stands at less than 0.1% among the top 100k managers, indicating how much of a potential differential pick he is. Paquetá has scored 3 goals against an xG of 3.31, showing a slight underperformance, and has 5 assists, over performing his xA of 4.45. He has attracted 14,272 transfers in this Gameweek.

Kudus (3rd) and Paquetá (4th) are both in the top five for expected FPL points (xFPL) per match for West Ham players, as shown in the Opta Stats Sandbox tool. Ward-Prowse (2nd) could be seen as a risk for managers as he only played 45 and 65 minutes in the last two games.

Gameweek 29 Fixture Insight

West Ham's fixture in Gameweek 29 is poised to be a crucial one for FPL managers considering their midfield options. According to projections from the Predicted Points & Stats tool, West Ham are expected to score 1.6 goals against Aston Villa. In this context, Kudus is projected to score 4.3 FPL points, while Paquetá is forecasted to tally 3.5 FPL points.

Projected goals for Gameweek 29 - from the Predicted Points & Stats tool - highlights that there could be other teams' attacking assets to consider before West Ham's.

Conclusion: Making the Midfield Pick

Choosing between Lucas Paquetá and Mohammed Kudus comes down to differential potential and predicted performance. Kudus offers a more proven track record this season in terms of FPL points and goal involvement. Paquetá, meanwhile, presents an opportunity for differentiation at a slightly lower price, and presumably is on penalty duties.

Ultimately, FPL managers should weigh these factors against their overall strategy of trying to gain or protect their overall rank. Both players have their merits, and the decision could well depend on the specific needs of your FPL squad. Whether you lean towards the consistency of Kudus or the differential appeal of Paquetá, West Ham's midfield offers intriguing options for those on a Free Hit in Gameweek 29.