EPL team reveal: Data analyst Harry West’s squad + analysis

Harry’s Current EPL Supercoach Side (With An Alternative Twist)

Right, deadline’s tonight and you’re here for answers, not waffle.

This is my current draft thinking – this represents hours of analysis distilled into 15 players.

The Strategy & Quick Terminology

Let’s establish the language so we’re all on the same page:

• Guns: Players £8.5m and above – your legitimate captain options
• Mid-pricers: Players £6m-£8.5m – hoping these turn into guns with slightly more risk attached
• Cheapies: Underpriced players selected primarily to generate cash and value
• Lock: Players I’m 95%+ certain will be in my final team
• Not Locked: Currently in but could swap based on late news or better alternatives

My approach? Build around premium captain options whilst maximising value generation through underpriced starters. It’s not revolutionary, but execution matters more than strategy.

Guns (The Captain Material)

Mohamed Salah (£13.55m) – Not Locked
If I don’t pick Salah, I’m not watching Liverpool versus Bournemouth – he could score anything. Slightly overpriced perhaps, but the captaincy potential across multiple gameweeks justifies the investment.

Cole Palmer (£12.72m) – Lock
Will captain him multiple times in Chelsea’s opening fixtures. Had a dull end to last season, which means there’s value in his current price. Chelsea’s fixture run is absolutely elite.

Mid-Priced (The Value Plays)

Martin Ødegaard (£7.91m) – Lock
Feels underpriced after an injury-impacted year that included several games off the bench. As an Arsenal fan, needed someone other than keepers, but the value here is genuine.

Florian Wirtz (£8m) – Lock
Big money signing should guarantee minutes. Expecting plenty of assists, which are worth double for forwards compared to FPL scoring. Could be this year’s differential.

Marc Cucurella (£7.65m) – Not Locked
As discussed in the fixtures article, Chelsea’s opening run is phenomenal. Banking on attacking returns to justify the price tag.

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David Raya (£6.77m) – Lock
Just want to lock away the keeper from the best defence in the league. Don’t love any keeper options this year, happy going with the most popular choice.

Jeremie Frimpong (£6.5m) – Lock
Alex summarised Frimpong brilliantly in his Defenders article – hasn’t left my side since. The attacking potential is massive, just need him to hold on to minutes when Bradley is back.

Tijjani Reijnders (£6.5m) – Not Locked
Risky pick with Pep roulette always a concern, but just bagged a brace in pre-season and loves a shot. Too cheap to ignore at this price point.

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Cheapies (The Cash Generators)

Elhadji Diouf (£3.75m) – Lock
Finally up to 15% ownership, can’t talk about this player enough. Fun to own and watch those attacking returns roll in.

Simon Adingra (£4.66m) – Not Locked
Honestly not one I researched extensively, but his 90-minute stats from last year look promising. Expecting good minutes at Sunderland.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£3.9m) – Not Locked
Have him in FPL too. Slightly nervous about Grealish taking minutes, but KDH’s positional versatility should guarantee game time. Hoping pre-season form continues.

Karl Hein (£3.9m) – Lock
Arsenal play late fixtures, could be helpful with looping strategies. Straightforward bench keeper choice.

Joe Rodon (£3.5m) – Lock
Somewhat bullish on Leeds surviving the drop. Don’t want to play him often, but he’s there for defensive actions – clearances, tackles, etc. (see my FPL scoring breakdown article for details).

Lucas Estève (£3.9m) – Not Locked
Similar to Rodon but worse team in my opinion. Strong Championship defence, though I expect them to finish 20th.

Iago Thiago (£3.75m) – Not Locked
Wissa doesn’t look like playing, and Thiago was a club record signing who missed last year through injury. Some chatter about a new signing incoming, but hoping he generates cash meanwhile.

The Alternative

The big switch I’m contemplating: Salah + Estève OUT, Haaland + Porro IN.

Re-reading Alex’s Forwards article has me second-guessing Salah versus Erling Haaland (£11.57m). I reckon I can make captaincy work without Salah, and Haaland’s definitely better value and a safe route into City’s lineup. Just means I’ll be too nervous to watch Liverpool, but maybe I’ve got enough coverage with Frimpong and Wirtz.

Pedro Porro (£9.11m) gives me an extra starter compared to the current draft. Love his fixtures and think he’s got more upside than the cheaper Spurs defenders. I hate picking Tottenham players though – it’s against everything I stand for.

The trade-off? Losing Salah’s explosive potential against Bournemouth for Haaland’s consistency and freeing up funds for a premium defender. Currently leaning 60/40 towards sticking with the Salah draft, but ask me again in an hour.

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The Verdict

This structure gives me multiple premium captaincy options whilst maintaining enough value generation through the cheapies. The mid-pricers are where leagues are won – if two of Ødegaard, Reijnders, and Cucurella pop off, we’re laughing.

If anything changes before the deadline, I’ll announce it in the WhatsApp group – that’s the plug for any last-minute pivots.

Deadline’s tonight. Stop tinkering, make a decision, and back yourself.