DREAM TEAM is building towards the 2023/24 season at a rapid rate.
If you haven’t yet selected an XI, what are you waiting for? You can make as many changes as you like before Gameweek 1 gets underway so there’s no reason to delay in picking a team, even if it’s just a first draft.
DREAM TEAMMany fans expect Darwin Nunez to prosper this coming season[/caption]
This season’s fantasy game features an improved scoring system, one that recognises individual performance levels in more detail than ever before.
Click here to get the full lowdown on 2023/24’s scoring system if you’re not already familiar.
Clearly, it’s beneficial for Dream Team gaffers to have an idea of which forwards will benefit most from the new scoring system.
We’ve helpfully dug deep into the stats to highlight the ten strikers whose points tallies would have increased the most had the new scoring system been implemented last season.
HIGHEST POINTS INCREASES AMONG DREAM TEAM STRIKERS
Brennan Johnson (£3m) 82 points to 176 pointsSon Heung-min (£5m) 158 pts to 248 ptsMohamed Salah (£7m) 275 pts to 355 ptsDarwin Nunez (£4m) 132 pts to 211 ptsJordan Ayew (£2.5m) 67 pts to 145 ptsMarcus Rashford (£6.5m) 301 pts to 373 ptsDominic Solanke (£3m) 92 pts to 163 ptsMichail Antonio (£3m) 125 pts to 191 ptsOllie Watkins (£4.5m) 162 pts to 223 ptsEddie Nketiah (£2m) 72 pts to 133 pts
Johnson was generously categorised as a midfielder in 2022/23 but Nottingham Forest’s No20 is among the strikers this season having been his side’s most advanced player more often than not since promotion.
The Wales international dovetailed beautifully with Morgan Gibbs-White (£3m) and Taiwo Awoniyi (£2.5m), particularly at the City Ground where Steve Cooper’s side mustered enough points to swerve relegation.
Johnson impressed for Forest in 2022/23GETTY
Johnson ranked first among Forest’s squad for shots on target in the Premier League last term and second for chances created, minutes played, and other metrics that will be more important than ever before in Dream Team this coming campaign.
The fact the 22-year-old’s points total would have more than doubled in the new scoring system makes him a potentially savvy value-for-money forward this term.
Son’s inclusion in this list is an interesting one as the Spurs fan favourite has freely admitted that he was under par for much of 2022/23.
However, the South Korean superstar’s par is set much higher than most and it’s a measure of the standards he’s set for himself that a season with 14 goals and six assists was widely panned.
Truth be told, a significant proportion of his points came from three bumper fixtures against Leicester (hat-trick), Preston (brace) and Frankfurt (brace) but what ultimately matters is the final tally.
Dream Team’s new scoring system rewards players with one point per shot on target and only six players registered more than Son in the Premier League last season – as a shot-happy player this change should suit Spurs’ No7.
Son has set high standards for himselfGETTY
Should Dream Team gaffers expect big things from Liverpool this season?
Salah and Nunez would have been 152 points better off as a pair last term had the new scoring system been implemented, an indication that the Reds’ forwards are set to thrive.
It goes without saying that the Egypt international is the absolute definition of a tried-and-tested Dream Team asset of the highest calibre but the ex-Benfica man is a more enigmatic figure.
The 24-year-old’s time at Anfield has been defined by plenty of threat but undermined by inefficiency in front of goal.
Even if Nunez, who has taken Liverpool’s No9 shirt following Roberto Firmino’s departure, has an average campaign in terms of finishing, gaffers should expect plenty of goals and points because his play style ensures he gets loads of chances.
Nunez would be a bold pick from the get-go but a revised total of 207 points suggests he’s a player who will enjoy the new scoring system.
A Dream Team legendGETTY
Lastly, Watkins’ presence here will encourage plenty of Dream Team bosses as the Aston Villa striker is likely to be a relatively popular recruit having been one of the top flight’s most prolific goalscorers since the World Cup.
And let’s not forget, he’ll have European fixtures to bolster his schedule this season if Unai Emery’s side successfully negotiate the Europa Conference League play-offs.