Is Calvert-Lewin an essential pick? The FPL talking point

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is an experienced Premier League striker but few would have predicted the impact he has had at Leeds this season.

His goal against Sunderland on Sunday was his seventh in his past six games, after scoring just once in his first 10 Premier League games of the season.

Calvert-Lewin's form will surely be catching the eye of England boss Thomas Tuchel, but is he also becoming an essential pick in Fantasy Premier League?

This week's FPL expert takes a closer look the latest talking point.

It's remarkable that the top scoring player in the Premier League for the past six gameweeks remains a differential in FPL.

Calvert-Lewin has scored seven goals in six appearances since winning back his place in the 3-2 defeat by Manchester City back in Gameweek 13.

His price has risen from £5.5m to £5.8m in this time, and despite one million new owners in the past three gameweeks alone, he remains a differential in just 8.8% of teams.

Each time he inevitably scores (he's on a six-game scoring streak), FPL managers question "when will this run stop?" rather than "should I be buying him for my team?".

So, is now the time to back the form and buy the Leeds United striker?

It's been a decisive period for Leeds, who are unbeaten in the past five gameweeks, with two wins and three draws, seeing them climb to 16th in the Premier League table.

In this period, Calvert-Lewin ranks fifth among all players for shots on target (eight), fourth for shots in the box (14), second for big chances (seven) and top for xG (4.36).

He also converted their recent penalty in the 3-3 draw against Liverpool, seemingly taking spot-kick duties away from Lukas Nmecha who had a penalty saved by Manchester City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma back in Gameweek 13 (although Nmecha did score the rebound).

We know Calvert-Lewin has the pedigree when fit too. When playing for Everton he had 13 goals and one assist in 2019/20 and 16 goals and six assists for 2020/21. His current underlying numbers suggest that this recent vein of form could well be sustainable, should he stay fit.

Fitness has been Calvert-Lewin's biggest drawback as an FPL asset in recent seasons, missing 15 or more games in three of his past four seasons. He scored just 12 goals in his past three seasons at Everton, with his move to Leeds United presenting him an opportunity to revive his career.

The entry point to buying the Leeds United striker is questionable, with games against Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United in the next three gameweeks. His recent goal against Liverpool in the reverse fixture shows that he's capable of delivering in any game, regardless of the perceived fixture difficulty.

I'm sorely tempted to buy before Gameweek 19, given that he's now the fifth highest scoring forward in the game and an ideal budget option to go in a front three alongside Erling Haaland and Hugo Ekitike, the current template picks.

His injury history makes him feel like a punt, but it's a risk I'm willing to take due to his current scoring form.