In my most recent post I consider how Fantasy Premier League points can go someway to showing which players are under/over performing based on the value there are assigned in the game, and the number of points they have collected so far this season. As the season draws to a close we almost have a full picture of performance and can see which players are performing best.
With this in mind, I decided to consider the top performing English players to see what the England team might look like if England manager Gareth Southgate picked the first eleven based on Fantasy Premier League points. This analysis doesn't include players not playing in the Premier League, so there is no place for Joe Hart even though he may have outperformed the goalkeeping pick had he been based in the Premier League.
Assuming a 4-4-2 formation, the team would read: Heaton (Burnley), Cahill (Chelsea), Walker (Spurs), Daniels (Bournemouth), Baines (Everton), Alli (Spurs), Sterling (Man City), Milner (Liverpool), Barkley (Everton), Kane (Spurs) and Defoe (Sunderland). The most recent England international included four of this list with Walker, Sterling, Alli and Defoe all starting in the World Cup Qualifier against Lithuania in March. Ross Barkley was an unused substitute.
Interestingly, the team includes the uncapped Charlie Daniels, who at 30, is probably unlikely to be included in an England team at this stage of his career. James Milner is also retired from international football and very unlike to appear again for the Three Lions.