Chelsea have scored eight goals in their last two league matches and with their fixtures improving, their numbers are analysed over the last six Gameweeks to determine their best Fantasy Premier League (FPL) options

The Attack

As the above image from our Stats Sandbox feature shows, Palmer tops the Stats Sandbox for xFPL (45.80) over the last six Gameweeks. The 21-year-old is top amongst all Chelsea players for shots (16), 'Expected Goals' (xG) (45.80) and FPL points (43). However, it is worth mentioning that all four of his goals have been from penalties and he is yet to score from open play. N. Jackson is top for shots on target (SoT) (nine) and second for xG (3.29). He is tied with Palmer for 'big chances' (six).

Gallagher has been Chelsea's most creative player with 15 attempted assists and five FPL assists. However, just two of these have been classified as BC created with Palmer (four) on top for that metric. As a result of this output, the young attacker is also top for 'Expected Assists' (xA) (2.07).

Sterling is third for both shots (10) and shots in the box (SiB) (seven), he has landed just four SoT over the last six Gameweeks and notched just 1.57 xG.

The Defence

Despite facing high quality opposition such as Arsenal, Man. City and Spurs over the last six Gameweeks, Chelsea are ranked fourth for shots conceded (63) and have several options in defence at accessible prices. R. James has played just 170 mins over that period and has attempted five assists with his 1.45 xA top amongst their defenders. Cucurella has also caught the eye, he has taken three shots and attempted four assists. However, his place in the starting XI could be under threat when Colwill returns. The centre-back's injury kept him out of the Man. City game, but it is not thought to be long-term. T. Silva found the back of the net in their last game and is one of the first names on their team sheet every week.

The Fixtures

As the above image from our Fixture Planner shows, Chelsea visit Newcastle in Gameweek 13 but the fixture might not be as difficult as it looks on paper with the Magpies struggling with injuries. Next up is Brighton, who are yet to keep a clean sheet this season, while Man. Utd. have issues of their own. Moreover, Chelsea have shown that playing against the bigger teams suits their style, so these games should not be off-putting. The schedule after that improves significantly with Chelsea second on the Fixture Planner between Gameweeks 16 and 21. They play Everton, Sheff. Utd., Wolves, Palace, Luton and Fulham over that period.

What do the projections say?

As the above image from our Fix Algorithm shows, Palmer (20.8) is ranked fifth amongst midfielders at £5.5m or lower, with McNeil (21.1), Doucoure (21.4) and Hee Chan (22.5) all projected to score higher. Amongst forwards, Jackson is ranked sixth (20.8), with Solanke (23.8) projected to score higher over the next six Gameweeks. In defence, none of their assets feature in the top 20 defender projections (much down to the next three fixtures, as discussed above).

On paper, the next three fixtures suggest that investment in Chelsea should be delayed, but based on recent form, they can still be backed to score goals in these games and Palmer is a great enabler who (with penalty duties to boot) has shown he can be explosive on his day. Investment in defence should possibly be delayed until R. James has shown he is back to full fitness, while Solanke looks to be a better alternative to Jackson in the short term. Nkunku is also nearing a return to action and it remains to be seen who makes way in the Chelsea front three to accommodate the French international - who is likely to be a shoe-in to start when fully fit.