Joao Pedro started the campaign with a goal from the penalty spot. At five and a half million he became royalty in Fantasy Premier League for a while receiving a price rise in his value.
That was followed by De Zerbi’s comments about trying something new tactically. Pedro found himself on the bench and came on receiving a yellow card providing a total of zero points for his efforts in the second game week.
De Zerbi mentioned Pedro was not completely accustomed to the defensive work required to have the starting shirt of his team. He is young and he will learn, De Zerbi says, but Fantasy managers can’t afford the time to wait for Pedro to learn his way around Brighton.
His replacement, Enciso, completed his outing with two assists on the day. An excellent display but the Argentine is now out with a long-term injury, potentially for the rest of the year. Enciso’s injury will likely have a positive impact on playing minutes of Pedro.
The Seagulls play West Ham next at home. Despite the Hammers’s victory against Pochettino’s Chelsea, they remain an unpredictable side especially away from home.
Pedro, on penalties, has every chance to complete game week three with attacking returns. The same holds for the rest of the popular Brighton assets.
Whilst Enciso’s injury will help Pedro, given De Zerbi’s comments, it is hard to see him becoming a ninety-minute regular forward at Brighton any time soon. They have a plethora of options in that area.
Fantasy managers, at the same time, are often guilty of selling their players a week early, for context Bruno Fernandes has been mass-sold ahead of their game against Forest at home. Pedro does not fall into the must-be-moved-on category, for now, at least with the West Ham fixture next.
Fantasy managers starting with Pedro from the start of the season were aware of the likely insecurity of minutes, but the opportunity remained given the first three fixtures combined with the price. There has not much changed in that regard. Pedro is by no means a hard sell, after game week three.
Brighton’s fixtures turn tougher with their Europa League campaign in between as well. Pedro can be considered as the twelfth attacker starting as the first sub on the bench if that one million is needed elsewhere, he can be moved on after game week three to Cameron Archer.
Cameron Archer is the new favorite player in the Fantasy Premier League. He has bid adieu to his time at Villa completing an eighteen million pounds move to Sheffield United.
At four and a half million, a million cheaper than Pedro with the security of minutes, he has all the credentials to be the third forward in every team. Especially after mass wildcard buttons are hit, the new formations will likely all have Archer as the most popular third forward.
Managers with the luxury of transfers or in need of funds with Pedro on their sides will make the easy switch of Pedro to Archer when the time comes.
There are fears of course of Archer being another Brewster, a repeat of what happened the last time the Blades were in the Premier League, but Archer has shown his pedigree across the high levels of English football. At his price, leading the line for Sheffield, he has the potential to be a Fantasy gem.
