Holly Shand looks at who FPL managers should replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin with ahead of Gameweek 5.
Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Tips for Gameweek 5 | The Ultimate Guide | 2021/22
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s absence from the Everton squad against Burnley was the big talking point from the Monday Night Football.
This has left FPL managers with a headache on what to do with the in-form Everton striker for FPL Gameweek 5. He’s in over one million squads right now.
He’s already among the top five transferred out players for FPL Gameweek 5, with Patrick Bamford (£7.9) the most popular direct replacement ahead of Leeds United‘s great fixture run.
How Long Will Dominic Calvert-Lewin be out Injured for?
Calvert-Lewin has a broken toe and a quadriceps issue, which could put him out for the next 2-3 weeks. It could be even longer.
Having not ruled Dominic Calvert-Lewin out ahead of the game against Burnley, we do need to use caution when reflecting on Everton manager Rafa Benitez and his injury updates.
We know that he had an issue in pre-season and was playing with pain relieving injections in the opening gameweeks, where he scored three goals in three games.
I suspect that since Calvert-Lewin couldn’t overcome the issue in the last International Break, Benitez will be more cautious of getting him fully fit for the main phase of the campaign.
This means we may not see him again until after the next International Break in Gameweek 8. He looks set to miss favourable fixtures against Aston Villa and Norwich City, plus an away trip to Old Trafford.
Who are the Best FPL Replacements for Calvert-Lewin?
While much of the transfer market is moving towards premium strikers Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.5m) and Romelu Lukaku (£11.6m), it won’t be easy to achieve a straight swap.
Looking at direct replacements, it’s Patrick Bamford (£7.9m) who is top of our predicted points tool over the next four games. Leeds United have a kind fixture run.
For fantasy managers currently in a 3-4-3, the smart move could be to downgrade Calvert-Lewin to a budget striker like Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis (£5.2m) to move funds into midfield, where there’s a wealth of mid-priced options.
Should FPL Managers Stay Invested in Everton’s Attack?
Everton are one of the top teams right now to have that crucially important balance of form and fixtures, meaning it’s well worth remaining invested in their attackers.
They prevailed despite the absence of Calvert-Lewin in Gameweek 4 against Burnley, with wingers Demarai Gray (£5.7m) and Andros Townsend (£5.4m) the shining lights.
Comparing these two assets, Townsend is the more creative player, with Gray the likelier scorer. In the absence of Calvert-Lewin, I prefer Gray but both are great enablers in order to shoehorn another premium player into our fantasy squads.
What About Other Forwards?
We go into the best forwards for Gameweek 5 here.
🤕 DCL REPLACEMENTS 🤕
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin likely out for the next 2-3 gameweeks, @FFCommunity_ looks at some early alternatives ⚽️
Should we stay on Everton’s defence or look elsewhere? 🤔
⤵️
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Thanks Holly. Undecided what to do with DCL and this helps my think8ng.